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Americans for Tax Reform assesses the Baucus healthcare plan

Employer Mandate Tax. $400 per employee if health coverage is not offered. Note: this is a huge incentive to drop coverage, as $400 is much less than the average plan cost of $11,000 for families or $5000 for singles (Source: AHIP)

17 Sep 2009

Affinion Security Center announces availability of new features in its IdentitySecure service

Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection services, today announced the availability of new features in its IdentitySecure service to help members detect and resolve one of the most damaging types of identity theft: medical identity theft.

17 Sep 2009

Funding, health professional shortage could prevent South Africa from reaching 2011 ARV target, Health Minister says

South Africa's shortage of health professionals combined with a budget shortfall of over $130 million for the government's HIV programs could keep the country from reaching its goal of providing 80 percent of the people living with HIV/AIDS in need of treatment with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) by 2011.

17 Sep 2009

Poll finds concerns about health care reform's effect on the economy

A new poll finds President Barack Obama's job-approval rating and favorability remain high - 56 and 61 percent, respectively - despite deep divides over his health care proposal and handling of the economy, Bloomberg reports.

17 Sep 2009

Leading doctors call for climate change action to prevent 'global health catastrophe'

On Wednesday, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the Lancet simultaneously published an editorial (available here and here) and an accompanying letter (here and here) from 18 doctor association leaders to highlight the need for action at a December U.N. conference on climate change in Copenhagen, Reuters reports (Doyle, 9/16).

17 Sep 2009

How-to guides: Help an elderly parent, find your own insurance

News organizations offer advice on how to care for an elderly parent without going broke and how to find health insurance before becoming eligible for Medicare.

17 Sep 2009

Health reform plan will affect middle-class families adversely: Consumer Watchdog

The new health reform plan released today by U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) will charge middle-class families nearly 20% of their annual income for health coverage, while letting insurance companies charge what they please for policies, said Consumer Watchdog.

17 Sep 2009

FDA approves H1N1 vaccine, paves way for large-scale U.S. vaccination campaign

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing that H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines produced by four manufacturers — CSL Ltd., Novartis, Sanofi-Pasteur and Medimmune — had won FDA approval, paving the way for a U.S. large-scale vaccination campaign, The Wall Street Journal reports. The application for GlaxoSmithKline PLC's vaccine is still being considered (Dooren/Favole, 9/15).

17 Sep 2009

Some Dems push back on Obama's proposed ban on illegal immigrants buying insurance

The Los Angeles Times reports: "Trying to quell a conservative uproar over his healthcare agenda, President Obama has proposed barring illegal immigrants from a possible government-arranged health insurance marketplace -- even if the immigrants pay with their own money.

17 Sep 2009

CEO of WageWorks issues statement on health care reform plan

Following today's introduction of a health care reform plan by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), Joe Jackson, chairman of Save Flexible Spending Plans and CEO of WageWorks, a benefits company based in San Mateo, California, issued the following statement:

17 Sep 2009

Financial Times articles examine global health issues

The Financial Times' health section published several global health reports that "focus on the diseases and healthcare issues that affect millions but are often absent from the health debate in rich countries."

17 Sep 2009

Health reform bill may limit tax-free flexible spending accounts

NASDAQ/Dow Jones reports: "Employees who enjoy unlimited tax-free treatment of out-of-pocket medical expenses through employee-benefit plans could be facing new curbs on the tax subsidy in health-care overhaul legislation.

17 Sep 2009

Also in Global Health news: Tanzania's health care; polio, diarrhea in India; ITNs in Nigeria; health in Sudan

Rotary International recently started working with the Indian government to fight diarrhea, which can make polio immunizations ineffective, IANS/Thaindian News reports. Deepak Kapur, chairman of the India National PolioPlus Society of Rotary International, said the plan is to educate people about the use of use of zinc tablets and oral rehydration therapy to prevent diarrhea, which kills almost 500,000 children per year in the country (Khan, 9/16).

17 Sep 2009

Doctor shortage and malpractice insurance pose challenges to reform

The Associated Press reports: "Due to increasing medical demands from aging baby boomers, the U.S. faces a dangerous shortage of primary-care doctors whether sweeping overhaul is passed or not."

17 Sep 2009

Key Democrat says he won't support finance bill 'in its present form'

Sen. John Rockefeller, the Senate Finance Committee's number two Democrat, said Tuesday that he will not support Sen. Max Baucus' health reform bill "in its present form." Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to open debate on the bill by the end of September.

17 Sep 2009

Healthcare News

Americans for Tax Reform assesses the Baucus healthcare plan

Affinion Security Center announces availability of new features in its IdentitySecure service

Funding, health professional shortage could prevent South Africa from reaching 2011 ARV target, Health Minister says

Poll finds concerns about health care reform's effect on the economy

Leading doctors call for climate change action to prevent 'global health catastrophe'

How-to guides: Help an elderly parent, find your own insurance

Health reform plan will affect middle-class families adversely: Consumer Watchdog

FDA approves H1N1 vaccine, paves way for large-scale U.S. vaccination campaign

Some Dems push back on Obama's proposed ban on illegal immigrants buying insurance

CEO of WageWorks issues statement on health care reform plan

Financial Times articles examine global health issues

Health reform bill may limit tax-free flexible spending accounts

Also in Global Health news: Tanzania's health care; polio, diarrhea in India; ITNs in Nigeria; health in Sudan

Doctor shortage and malpractice insurance pose challenges to reform

Key Democrat says he won't support finance bill 'in its present form'

Senate health care plan imposes additional administrative burdens on nonprofit hospitals

Baucus releases bill: No public option

AAHSA commends Senate Finance Committee's work on health care reform

Baucus unveils much-anticipated Senate Finance version of health overhaul legislation

Will health reform squeeze the middle class?

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