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Colorado Gov. Ritter signs 11 health care bills to increase access, expand coverage

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) on Tuesday signed into law 11 health care bills, including measures to expand coverage requirements and increase children's access to care, the AP/Denver Post reports.

8 Jun 2008

South Los Angeles residents face difficulties receiving medical care for variety of reasons

A shortage of primary care physicians and low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates have made South Los Angeles "one of the most difficult places in the nation to both receive and give medical care," the New York Times reports.

8 Jun 2008

Senate approves $3.1 trillion FY 2009 budget resolution without proposed reductions in Medicare, Medicaid spending

The Senate on Wednesday voted 48-45 to approve a $3.1 trillion fiscal year 2009 budget resolution (S Con Res 70), which includes large increases in funds for domestic programs and excludes reductions in funds for Medicare and Medicaid proposed by President Bush, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

8 Jun 2008

Wall Street Journal letter to the editor responds to column in support of medical liability reform

A Wall Street Journal column published in May "hit the nail on the head: Medical liability reforms, including a cap on noneconomic damages, work," which raises the question of "why ... every state (and Congress)" has not "passed meaningful tort reform," American Medical Association Board Member J. James Rohack writes in a Journal letter to the editor.

8 Jun 2008

California Legislature takes up multiple health care bills

"More than a dozen health bills are advancing through the [California] Legislature," some of which contain elements of a health care overhaul plan backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) that passed the state Assembly but was rejected in the Senate earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times reports.

8 Jun 2008

HHS releases comprehensive plan to encourage nationwide adoption of health IT

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at HHS on Tuesday released a cross-agency directive to speed up the adoption of a nationwide health information technology system that would improve health care quality, increase efficiency, reduce medical errors and address concerns of patient privacy and data security, CQ HealthBeat reports.

8 Jun 2008

U.S. immigration policy irrational when U.S.-born physicians in short supply

"Thanks to the nation's dysfunctional immigration system and the dysfunctional Congress that keeps it that way, tens of thousands of promising, intelligent, ambitious and highly skilled foreign professionals ... will be denied a chance to contribute their expertise and energy to the American economy," a Washington Post editorial states.

8 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blog entries

While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics.

8 Jun 2008

Study finds wide racial, geographic health care disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Race and place of residence can have a significant effect on the quality of care a Medicare beneficiary receives, according to a report released Thursday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the New York Times reports.

8 Jun 2008

Building a healthy future for rural communities

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is tackling the shortage of rural doctors head on - and the approach is already paying dividends on the NSW Mid-North Coast.

8 Jun 2008

UNISON condemns proposed cuts to care home inspections

UNISON has warned that changes to the inspection regime for care homes will put the lives of elderly residents at risk.

8 Jun 2008

UNISON members say yes to NHS pay offer

UNISON members working in the NHS have voted to accept a multi-year pay offer worth more than 8%.

8 Jun 2008

New NHS guidelines on recreational drug use in nightclubs

New guidelines have been written which will assist nightclub staff in deciding whether to call ambulances for unwell clubbers. At present, there is a worry that inappropriate management has lead to clubbers only being referred to hospital after significant problems have occurred - leading to increased risk of injury and death.

5 Jun 2008

Majority of U.S. House supports repeal of Medicare therapy caps

With about one month to go before the current exceptions process for clinically based care above the Medicare therapy caps expires, a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives has endorsed legislation to repeal the arbitrary financial limit on therapy benefits.

5 Jun 2008

Independent presidential health panel proposed

Recent media attention given to Senator John McCain's health evaluations and speculations about the potential health risks associated with Senator Barack Obama's smoking history underscore the deep interest U.S. citizens have in the health status of their chief executive. A better understanding of presidential candidates' health is important as voters evaluate potential fitness for executing the 'highest office in the land.'

4 Jun 2008