AARP Hires Outside Investigator To Examine Sales Of Limited-Coverage Plans 20 Nov 2008

AARP has hired an outside investigator to look into sales of its limited-benefit health insurance plans after a Senate inquiry found evidence of deceptive marketing, the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 11/19). AARP last week said it would suspend marketing and sales of the plans after Sen.

Medicare Must Be Addressed Before U.S. Can Overhaul Health Care System, Opinion Piece States 20 Nov 2008

"Fiscally speaking, the U.S. government has been living on borrowed time for decades" because it "has promised massively expensive benefits -- mainly Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid -- heedless of the enormous tax burdens these promises implicitly place on our children and grandchildren," according to a

Sen. Edward Kennedy Plans To Introduce Universal Health Care Bill 19 Nov 2008

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on Monday returned to the Senate for the first time since July and reaffirmed his intentions to introduce universal health care legislation next year, the New York Times' "The Caucus" reports.

Growing Number Of Companies Provide On-Site Health Care Services For Workers 19 Nov 2008

A growing number of businesses are providing workers access to on-site health clinics "that potentially can save employees hundreds of dollars a year," the Wall Street Journal reports. According to a survey by Watson Wyatt and the not-for-profit

UnitedHealth Group To Provide Immediate Resources For Those Affected By The Southern California Wildfires 19 Nov 2008

Due to the recent event of ongoing wildfires in Southern California, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) and its family of companies, including UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, OptumHealth and Prescription Solutions, are taking the following immediate actions to help those affected by the fires. Effective Nov. 16, 2008, through Nov.

More Than Half Of Consumers Going To Doctors Less Due To Rising Healthcare Costs, According To CheckMD Survey 19 Nov 2008

CheckMD, an online social network and healthcare information resource, today released the results of a new poll indicating the correlation between increasing healthcare costs and more infrequent doctor visits. More than half of the 247 respondents (54 percent) indicated they are going to the doctor less than they previously were due to rising healthcare costs.

Coalition Of National Organizations Urges Steps To Reduce Health Care Costs, Improve Quality 19 Nov 2008

A coalition of 28 national organizations, such as AFL-CIO, Consumers Union and CDC, has formed the National Priorities Partnership, a group that seeks to reduce health care costs and improve quality of care, the

Several Recent Editorials, Opinion Pieces Address Health Care Reform 19 Nov 2008

Summaries of several recent editorials and opinion pieces related to health care reform appear below. Editorials Akron Beacon Journal: The "health care debate at its simplest is about how, as a nation, we ensure optimal health for citizens without going broke in the process," a Beacon Journal editorial states.

New York Times Editorial Calls U.S. Chronic Disease Care 'Abysmal' 19 Nov 2008

A recent study by the Commonwealth Fund that found U.S.

Governor Jindal And DHH Secretary Levine Announce "Louisiana Health First," Effort To Create A Sustainable System Of Quality Health Care 19 Nov 2008

Governor Bobby Jindal and DHH Secretary Alan Levine today announced details on Louisiana Health First, an initiative to improve the health of the people in our state and create a financially sustainable system of quality health care.

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Feature Highlights Recent Blog Entries 19 Nov 2008

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.

Connecticut Gov. Rell Keeps HUSKY Kids Insurance Program Separate From Adult Coverage Program 19 Nov 2008

Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell (R) on Friday overturned a plan that required physicians and hospitals participating in the HUSKY health coverage program for children to join the new Charter Oak health plan for uninsured adults, the

No Differences Found In Trauma Patient Care Among Patients Of Different Ethnicities 19 Nov 2008

A study published in the November issue of Archives of Surgery finds that non-Hispanic white patients and patients from minority ethnic groups in the US receive a similar level of trauma care. Shahid Shafi, M.D., M.P.H., and Larry M. Gentilello, M.D. (University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas) find no significant disparities in initial evaluations or injury management between the groups.

Wall Street Journal Examines Steep Health Plan Premium Increases For Many Sm Businesses In 2009; New York Times Examines High-Deductible Health Plans 18 Nov 2008

Many small businesses could face "markedly higher" health insurance premium increases in 2009 compared with 2008, the Wall Street Journal reports.

President-Elect Barack Obama, Congressional Democrats Frame Health Care, Other Proposals As Job-Creation Plans 18 Nov 2008

President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats have begun to frame their proposals for health care and other issues as "job-creation measures" in response to the current economic downturn, the Washington Post reports.

Boston Globe Examines Discrepancies In Massachusetts Hospitals' Insurance Reimbursement Payments 18 Nov 2008

Some hospitals in Massachusetts receive payments from insurers that on average are about 15% to 60% more than payments for the same procedure at competing hospitals, even when there is no evidence that higher-priced care leads to better patient outcomes, according to a Boston Globe review of private insurance data.

New York Attorney General Investigates Relationships Between Colleges, Health Insurers That Cover Students 18 Nov 2008

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) this month has begun to issue subpoenas and requests for documents to a number of colleges as part of an investigation into the relationship between the schools and health insurers that cover students, the New York Times reports. The colleges include

Health Insurance Premiums Rise Up To 33 Percent With State Pricing Rule, USA 18 Nov 2008

New research shows that the cost of health insurance for a typical family increases about $100 per month when state governments limit price adjustments based on factors like age, health or risky behaviors such as smoking. The finding by Brigham Young University economist Mark Showalter is one of several examples of how one state's set of rules can result in widely different prices than what's found in the state next door.

Arizona Rejects Ballot Measure To Make Mandated Health Coverage Illegal 17 Nov 2008

Arizona voters in the Nov. 4 election rejected the ballot measure Proposition 101, known as the Freedom of Choice Healthcare Act, the Vail Sun reports (Grimes, Vail Sun, 11/12).

Philadelphia Inquirer Series Examines Health Care Delays For Patients Without Health Insurance 17 Nov 2008

The Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday, as part of its series, "Falling Through: Casualties of the Health Insurance Crisis," profiled a woman without health insurance who works temporarily at a physician's office.

Briefs Highlight Issues Involving Integration Of Mental Health Services In Health Reform; Statehealthfacts.org Adds New, Updated Data; More 17 Nov 2008

"Integration of Mental Health in Healthcare Reform,"

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights News About State Budgets 17 Nov 2008

Summaries of recent news about state budgets in Maine, New York and Pennsylvania appear below.Maine: Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Brenda Harvey this week proposed eliminating some services for low-income

Study Shows Half Of Individual Health Insurance Policy Holders Paid Under $130 Per Month, USA 17 Nov 2008

eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH), parent company of eHealthInsurance, today announced the release of a new study on the individual health insurance market. The findings appear in The Cost And Benefits Of Individual And Family Health Insurance Plans, a commissioned evaluation of eHealth Inc.'s data conducted by Forrester Consulting.

Affordable Medicine Plan Goes Global 17 Nov 2008

An innovative plan to get new life-saving drugs into the hands of millions of people around the world who need medicines but can't afford the massive costs will be unveiled to key decision makers in London and Washington over the coming weeks.

PhRMA To Launch Ad Campaign Lauding Free-Market Health Care System; SEIU Pushes For Health Reform 17 Nov 2008

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America is preparing a multimillion-dollar public relations campaign to extol the free-market health care system and "undercut an expected push by the Obama administration for price controls on prescription drugs," the Washington Times reports.