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Democratic National Committee approves platform with health care language; Obama campaigns in Iowa

The Democratic National Committee on Monday during the Democratic National Convention voted to adopt a non-binding party platform that includes language about health care, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports. According to the AP/Newsday, the platform in large part follows recommendations from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) but moves "beyond his proposals in calling for guaranteed health care for all" (Woodward, AP/Long Island Newsday, 8/26).

26 Aug 2008

Blue Cross Blue Shield plans consider consolidation amid tightening managed-care market

Some Blue Cross Blue Shield not-for-profit organizations are considering either merging or converting to for-profit status to help them compete with larger insurers in an "increasingly concentrated managed-care industry," the Wall Street Journal reports.

26 Aug 2008

Uninsured U.S. residents will spend $30 billion out-of-pocket on health care this year, while receiving $56 billion in uncompensated care

Uninsured U.S. residents will spend about $30 billion out-of-pocket on health care this year, while other parties -- mainly the government -- will spend about $56 billion on uncompensated care for the uninsured, according to a study published online Monday in the journal Health Affairs, the Wall Street Journal reports.

26 Aug 2008

45 million Americans are uninsured

The U.S. Census Bureau released a report today that estimates that 45.7 million Americans were uninsured in 2007 compared to 47 million in 2006. While the report shows a slight drop in the number of uninsured, it underscores the urgent need to expand access to health coverage, according to Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

26 Aug 2008

The challenge of an ageing population

Worldwide many developed nations are facing the challenges presented by an aging population in terms of an increased burden on health systems.

26 Aug 2008

CMS official expresses concerns with timeline, scope of Texas Medicaid overhaul plan

In an Aug. 7 letter to Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins, CMS official Dianne Heffron questioned whether the state's plan to overhaul Medicaid by providing subsidized health coverage to 2.1 million uninsured residents would move quickly enough and be broad enough to justify relaxing federal rules, the Dallas Morning News reports. Heffron wrote, "It appears that significant, comprehensive reform would not begin until September 2010."

26 Aug 2008

Presidential candidates' positions on health and economic issues

A number of newspapers have recently looked at the presidential candidates' positions on health and economic issues, and how new figures on the number of uninsured Americans may play in the campaign.

26 Aug 2008

HHS releases proposed rule on conscientious objections that would protect providers who refuse to perform abortions

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Thursday announced plans to implement a regulation intended to protect health care providers and other workers from disciplinary measures if they refuse to provide abortions or refer patients to other providers for abortions because of personal, religious or moral reasons, the Washington Post reports.

26 Aug 2008

New Zealand Ministry of Health increases funding to the very low cost access and zero fees for under sixes schemes

The New Zealand Ministry of Health has further increased the amount invested into the primary health care sector to support the over 800 general practices/health centres charging very low fees and free healthcare to children under six.

25 Aug 2008

Uninsured spend $30 billion out of pocket for health care

Americans who lack health insurance for any part of 2008 will spend $30 billion out of pocket for health services and receive $56 billion in uncompensated care while uninsured. Government programs pay for about three-quarters, or roughly $43 billion, of the uncompensated care bill, researchers report in today's Web Exclusive edition of Health Affairs. The researchers define uncompensated care as care received but not paid for fully by the uninsured or by a health insurer.

25 Aug 2008

Charity warns elderly still go hungry in hospital

A charity in Britain says elderly people are still going hungry on hospital wards and many hospitals are still not doing enough to ensure they are properly fed.

25 Aug 2008

79 million adults with medical bill problems or medical debt in U.S.

The proportion of working-age Americans who have medical bill problems or who are paying off medical debt climbed from 34 percent to 41 percent between 2005 and 2007, bringing the total to 72 million, according to recent survey findings from The Commonwealth Fund. In addition, 7 million adults age 65 and over also had problems paying medical bills, for a total of 79 million adults with medical bill problems or medical debt.

20 Aug 2008

Wake Forest University launches major initiatives in bioethics

Responding to a looming 'bioethics crisis,' Wake Forest University is launching several initiatives in bioethics to address the ethical and social aspects of medical care and technology.

18 Aug 2008

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss health care proposals during online debate

Advisers to the two major presidential candidates during an online debate on the Wall Street Journal Web site discussed the effect that their health care proposals would have on the employer-sponsored health insurance market, the Journal's "Health Blog" reports.

13 Aug 2008

More than a quarter of Hispanics in U.S. have no regular health care provider

Twenty-seven percent of Hispanic adults in the U.S. do not have regular health care providers, although many of those adults have health insurance and speak English, according to a study released on Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

13 Aug 2008

Increased coordination between CMS, IHS could improve quality of care for American Indians, GAO report finds

Increased coordination between CMS and the Indian Health Service could improve the quality of health care provided to American Indians and Alaska Natives, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Monday, CQ HealthBeat reports.

13 Aug 2008

22% of survey respondents have reduced number of physician visits to save money, survey finds

Twenty-two percent of respondents to a survey have reduced the number of times they visit their physician because of the current economic climate in the U.S., according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

13 Aug 2008

Associations, trade groups offer members group-like health insurance

An increasing number of small-business owners that do not provide health insurance to their employees and individuals without employer-based health coverage are looking to professional organizations and trade groups that offer "group-like" coverage to their members, the Wall Street Journal reports.

13 Aug 2008

New York Gov. Paterson proposes $1.04 billion in budget cuts, including $506 million to Medicaid

New York Gov. David Paterson (D) on Monday proposed cutting this year's state budget by 1%, or $1.04 billion, including $506 million in Medicaid cuts, to avoid a looming budget deficit, the New York Times reports (Peters, New York Times, 8/12).

13 Aug 2008

California, health insurers reach agreement to reinstate coverage for some former members

About 3,400 California residents whose health insurance was canceled by Kaiser Permanente, Health Net and PacifiCare soon will be notified that they might be eligible for new coverage and compensation for medical bills incurred while they were uninsured, the Los Angeles Times reports.

13 Aug 2008

Healthcare News

Democratic National Committee approves platform with health care language; Obama campaigns in Iowa

Blue Cross Blue Shield plans consider consolidation amid tightening managed-care market

Uninsured U.S. residents will spend $30 billion out-of-pocket on health care this year, while receiving $56 billion in uncompensated care

45 million Americans are uninsured

The challenge of an ageing population

CMS official expresses concerns with timeline, scope of Texas Medicaid overhaul plan

Presidential candidates' positions on health and economic issues

HHS releases proposed rule on conscientious objections that would protect providers who refuse to perform abortions

New Zealand Ministry of Health increases funding to the very low cost access and zero fees for under sixes schemes

Uninsured spend $30 billion out of pocket for health care

Charity warns elderly still go hungry in hospital

79 million adults with medical bill problems or medical debt in U.S.

Wake Forest University launches major initiatives in bioethics

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss health care proposals during online debate

More than a quarter of Hispanics in U.S. have no regular health care provider

Increased coordination between CMS, IHS could improve quality of care for American Indians, GAO report finds

22% of survey respondents have reduced number of physician visits to save money, survey finds

Associations, trade groups offer members group-like health insurance

New York Gov. Paterson proposes $1.04 billion in budget cuts, including $506 million to Medicaid

California, health insurers reach agreement to reinstate coverage for some former members

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