In his latest Kaiser Health News column, James Capretta writes: “President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress continue to insist that the push for health care reform is far from over…
President Obama on Wednesday criticized Republican senators for using legislative tactics to delay confirmation votes on several nominees for reasons unrelated to their qualifications, the Washington Post reports…
Stalled health care reform efforts have created several unresolved issues, some of which related to Medicare and Medicaid. The Hill: “Medicare beneficiaries face a steep cliff in their coverage for physical therapy and similar treatments due to Congress’s failure to enact a healthcare reform bill. On Jan…
A new report by federal actuaries shows government programs will pay for more than half of all U.S. health care spending by 2012, and that total spending on health grew as a share of the economy by 1.1 percent last year to 17.3 percent, the largest leap ever, the Los Angeles Times reports. “The almost $2…
Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), released the following statement today in response to new health spending projections released by CMS which found that health care’s share of the economy grew 1…
President Obama on Thursday at a Democratic National Committee fundraising reception presented his most clear-cut strategy to date for passing health reform, the New York Times’ “Prescriptions” reports…
BusinessWeek: “Mississippi will receive $18.5 million from drug maker Eli Lilly and Co. as part of a settlement over claims the company promoted the anti-psychotic Zyprexa for ailments it was not federally approved to treat, Attorney General Jim Hood said Thursday” (Byrd, 2/4)…
Los Angeles Times: “California’s largest for-profit health insurer is moving to dramatically raise rates for customers with individual policies, setting off a furor among policyholders and prompting state insurance regulators to investigate…
The New York Times reports that Democrats are trying to address some health coverage considerations in their jobs bill even as they grasp “for ideas to keep alive their health care legislation.” Negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee may be close to a jobs agreement…
ABC News: “Summoning the message back that once mobilized his grass-roots campaign, the president spoke tonight in front of the same people – Organizing for America and DNC members – whose poll show some are feeling somewhat discouraged by the first year of the Obama administration. … The president outlined in broad strokes what he’d like to see happen [on health reform]…
Pfizer’s Bad Political Bet The Wall Street Journal The sight of ObamaCare on life support has many Democrats disappointed. It could be worse. They could be Pfizer CEO Jeffrey Kindler (Kimberley Strassel, 2/4). The Verizon Wireless Cure The Christian Science Monitor Are health insurance company employees just meaner and more greedy than those who provide cellphone service …
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., won a $300-million Medicaid bonus for her state during health overhaul negotiations, spawning a wave of criticism that Democratic leaders needed to make the so-called “Louisiana purchase” to secure her support for their reform bill. On Thursday, she defended the action, saying during a Senate floor speech, “I make no apologies for leading this effort…
Lawmakers may include a number of Medicare “fixes” in the jobs bill, now that the health overhaul bill has stalled, The Hill reports. They would include restoring Medicare provisions that expired Jan. 1 or are set to expire later this year…
Kaiser Health News: “Proponents say that the legislation would spur competition among insurers and bring down costs for consumers. Reps. Tom Perriello, D-Va., and Betsy Markey, D-Colo…
Kaiser Health News staff writer Jenny Gold writes about legislation to repeal this exemption. “With comprehensive health care legislation foundering in Congress, the House is turning to a narrower piece of legislation that lawmakers hope has widespread, populist appeal: repealing the antitrust exemption for health and medical liability insurers. …
Governments are under increasing pressure to provide access to expensive new drugs. Canadian patients who want access to drugs that are not publicly insured are seeking to pay for these drugs within public hospitals, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) This analysis by Colleen M…
The Wall Street Journal reports that insurers are bringing their insurance plans in compliance with new rules and laws that make mental health and substance abuse insurance coverage available to millions of Americans…
The Associated Press reports that aides who helped with President Bill Clinton’s health care reform effort are pushing to help President Barack Obama pass his health system overhaul this year. The aides “are adamant that the Democrats can’t afford another health care disaster. But they’re divided on whether scaling down Obama’s plan would be an acceptable solution. …
In his latest Kaiser Health News column, done in partnership with The New Republic, Jonathan Cohn writes: ”[F]or much of the last year, Republicans have been scaring the bejeezus out of seniors by telling them that Democrats were out to destroy Medicare. But the Roadmap makes clear that it’s not Democrats who seek massive, disruptive changes to the program. It’s the Republicans…
The Associated Press/NPR reports: “The Montana Supreme Court said Thursday that nothing in state law prevents patients from seeking physician-assisted suicide, making Montana the third state that will allow the procedure…
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that an elderly care program is allowing senior citizens to retain their independence by providing medical care and home assistance through a nonprofit program.The program, St. Paul’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, “functions like a health maintenance organization, is the only one of its kind in the county and one of 70 nationwide…
Some opponents of the congressional health bills “think their last, best hope to halt the legislation lies not in the U.S. Capitol but in the court across the street,” The Washington Post reports. “A small but vocal contingent of legal scholars and many Republican lawmakers argue that the measures passed by both chambers are unconstitutional and will be ruled so by the Supreme Court…
Kaiser Health News staff writers Phil Galewitz and Christopher Weaver, working in partnership with USA Today, explore the impact that the health care bills passed by the Senate and House will have on the IRS. The agency will be responsible for checking whether individuals get required insurance, distributing billions of dollars in subsidies and collecting new taxes and penalties…
Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson’s crucial 60th vote allowed his Senate colleagues to block a likely Republican filibuster and pass their version of the health overhaul legislation last month, but it also brought him unwelcome attention at home, The Wall Street Journal reports…
