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Dems court Snowe for key 60th vote

Democrats are courting Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Me., the Republican most likely to provide the key 60th vote that Democrats need to pass a health care overhaul package without the use of budget reconciliation.

25 Sep 2009

Investment in preventative healthcare is vital during recession: Experts

In these economically challenging times, many experts say it is vital to invest in preventative healthcare. Better overall health means lower medical bills.

25 Sep 2009

Enacting the health care reform will lead to higher health care costs

A vast majority of employers anticipate that, if enacted, health care reform will lead to higher health care costs and weaken their role in providing coverage to workers, according to a new poll by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm.

25 Sep 2009

Congressman Culberson's web site invites his constituents to debate the healthcare bill online

Congressman John Culberson, R-Texas, today announced that his office will post the current healthcare bill in the House of Representatives, “H.R.3200 - America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” on the congressman’s Web site and, using a new technology, invite his constituents to participate in, comment on and debate the pending bill.

25 Sep 2009

Democrats, seeking to ease seniors concerns, propose freeze on Medicare Part B premiums

Politico reports: "House Democrats proposed Wednesday to freeze Medicare Part B premiums for the coming year rather than risk what would be an October surprise for health care reform — threatened cuts in Social Security checks for millions of elderly."

25 Sep 2009

Costs to government, consumers remain unclear in finance bill

The effect of a health overhaul on the country's finances is hard to predict. The Congressional Budget Office, the official scorekeeper for new legislation's price tag, tends to miss the mark on bigger bills, the office's director said, Bloomberg reports.

25 Sep 2009

GOP threatens to block health nominees over insurer "gag order"

"The Senate's top Republicans say they won't allow President Barack Obama to fill health posts until his administration stops barring insurers from telling seniors about Democrats' plans to overhaul the health care system," The Associated Press reports. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Republicans demanded that the "gag order" against insurers be lifted.

25 Sep 2009

Health policy research roundup

In this brief, researchers analyze the cost burden associated with excess rates of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and renal disease among Hispanics and African Americans relative to non-Hispanic whites. The study predicts that in 2009, "Medicare alone will spend an extra $15.6 billion while private insurers will incur $5.1 billion in additional costs due to elevated rates of chronic illness among African Americans and Hispanics."

25 Sep 2009

Clinic owner and operator admit to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program

Clinic owners and operators Jose Martinez and Denisse Martinez pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Detroit to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced.

25 Sep 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

Democracy and representative government are a lot messier than the progressives and their heirs, including Obama, want to admit. No wonder they are so often frustrated (David S. Broder, 9/24).

25 Sep 2009

Mayo Clinic survey physicians regarding health care reform measures

Results of a Mayo Clinic survey published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that while physicians are open to being involved in health care reform discussions, some opposition may exist.

25 Sep 2009

Free electronic medical records software for physicians

The Obama administration has set aside $19B for physicians to adopt electronic medical record systems. Today, 75% of doctors practice in offices with 10 doctors or fewer. For them, the investment is cost-prohibitive: the technology costs from $25,000 to over $75,000. Not surprisingly, only 17% of physicians use computerized records, according to the New York Journal of Medicine. Yet, one service provider allows physicians to switch to electronic medical records -- free -- and make their practice more profitable.

25 Sep 2009

Partnership focused on improving health and reducing poverty in Haiti

Fonkoze, BRAC, BRAC USA, Partners In Health/Zanmi Lasante, CGAP, CHF partners in rural development and Linked Foundation have joined forces to commit $50 million towards a two-year effort to implement a proven, replicable, cost-effective approach to improving health and reducing extreme poverty in Central Haiti.

25 Sep 2009

Procedural amendments take on political weight as Finance Committee debates health bill

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee considered, and then rejected, a Republican amendment that would have required legislative language of a health reform bill be posted for three days before the panel could vote on the bill. Democrats will post conceptual language instead.

25 Sep 2009

Plan USA's project for girls in West Africa to be given recognition at CGI

Plan USA's "Commitment to Action" media project for girls in West Africa will be given special recognition at the 5th Annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 in New York City.

25 Sep 2009

Congress urged to offer an above-the-line deduction for LTC insurance premiums

As the Senate Finance Committee (SFC) resumes work this week on the health care reform bill, The National LTC Network urges Congress to consider two ideas.

25 Sep 2009

New videos for consumers to better understand how health insurance works

Humana Inc. has released seven new videos in its popular “Stay Smart, Stay Healthy” series. These videos – designed to help health care consumers better understand how health insurance works, and what factors affect the costs they pay – are now available on YouTube and at www.StaySmartStayHealthy.com.

25 Sep 2009

Living Proof Project showcases U.S. government's efforts to improve health around the world

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today launched the Living Proof Project: U.S. Investments in Global Health are Working, a multi-year awareness campaign to highlight the extraordinary success of the U.S. government's efforts to improve health around the world.

24 Sep 2009

Trade groups to church groups share evolving views on health reform

Many groups fear, or are fiercely advocating for, provisions in Democratic health care reform proposals. Others are softening their stances on certain parts of the bills. Here's a sampling from today's clippings.

24 Sep 2009

Health reform ads confusing public, news outlets try to dispel the fog

Advertising on the health care debate, more than $100 million of it spent so far, is offering little understanding on the issue as the dueling sides and media look to dispel myths about what's true and what's not.

24 Sep 2009