Archive | May, 2012

How Health Care Is Paid For Appears To Impact Outcome

Whether an individual is treated for a hip fracture at a hospital reimbursed by Medicare or is treated at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center makes a significant difference in what happens to the patient after release from the medical facility, according to a large study which may contribute to the ongoing debate on how to pay for health care…

RNs Praise Attorney General Move To Subpoena Insurance Plans

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee praised the announcement from California Attorney General Jerry Brown that he will subpoena records from seven of the state’s biggest private insurance companies to review their policies that have led to public outrage over denials of claims and huge rate increases…

Reid Upset After Republicans Block COBRA Benefits Extension Request

Roll Call: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized Republicans Wednesday after the GOP denied “a unanimous consent request to pass an extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA health care benefits, a move he warned would leave ‘out-of-work Americans vulnerable to losing this valuable safety net’” (Brady, 2/24)…

Poll: Health Bills Remain Unpopular, But Individual Provisions Get High Marks

CNN: “Although the overall health care reform bills passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate are unpopular, many of the provisions in the existing bills are extremely popular, even among Republicans, according to a new national poll…

Bipartisanship Unlikely After Health Summit; Party Unity Obama’s Next Best Bet

Democratic and Republican lawmakers each have an opportunity to make bipartisan concessions during Thursday’s summit – like warming to malpractice reform or publicly conceding Democratic plans would ultimately lower the deficit, respectively – but political pressure will likely push both sides towards their partisan ranks, Politico reports…

Connecticut Has Especially High Insurance Hikes, Disability Advocates Worry About Medicaid Cuts In Tennessee

The Hartford Courant: “With average rate hikes at 13 percent or more this year for most plans, Connecticut health insurance premiums appear to be rising faster than the nation’s. A typical family plan in Connecticut sold through an employer costs about $14,500 — an estimate based on the Kaiser Family Foundation’s report on 2009 prices and this year’s rates of growth…

One In Three Young Adults Is Uninsured; Obama Health Plan Includes CHIP Extension

News outlets report on the number of uninsured young adults and issues affecting the Children’s Health Insurance Program. “A third of young U.S. adults — nearly 13 million people — had no health insurance coverage in 2008, according to a government report released on Wednesday,” Reuters reports…

House Passes Bill To Repeal Antitrust Exemption For Health Insurers

The House passed legislation Wednesday (406-19) to strip health insurers of their federal antitrust exemption. The Washington Post: The Democratic bill “could resonate with public concerns about insurers but that has an uncertain future in the Senate. …

WellPoint Executive Defends Premium Increases At Congressional Hearing

In a congressional hearing Wednesday, an insurance company executive justified proposed premium increases and warned “that pending legislation” could make the problem of high medical costs worse. “The executive, Angela F. Braly, president of WellPoint, made the comments in testimony prepared for a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee,” The New York Times reports…

Lack Of Chemistry Between Obama And GOP Leaders Could Strain Summit; Gingrich Urges Series Of Smaller Bills

The New York Times reports on a lack of chemistry between President Barack Obama and leading Republicans such as Rep. John A. Boehner, the House Republican leader, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell…