Healthcare News Update

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Latest News

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Calculating the return on investment of mobile healthcare
Every $1 invested in mobile healthcare for the medically disenfranchised saves $36 in combined emergency department costs avoided and value of life years saved.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090601/Calculating-the-return-on-investment-of-mobile-healthcare.aspx

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Pay-for-performance may benefit doctors who care for multiple health problems
Physicians who treat patients with multiple health problems will fare well under pay-for-performance, which bases physician reimbursement on the quality of care provided, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston in a report in the current issue of the journal Circulation.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090601/Pay-for-performance-may-benefit-doctors-who-care-for-multiple-health-problems.aspx

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Nevada Assembly passes bill to protect physicians on J-1 visas
The Nevada Assembly last week voted to approve a bill (SB 229) that would authorize the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services to stop the exploitation of foreign physicians who have come to the state to provide care to residents in underserved areas, the Las Vegas Sun reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Nevada-Assembly-passes-bill-to-protect-physicians-on-J-1-visas.aspx

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Massachusetts, Tennessee health plans might offer ideas on U.S. health care system overhaul
Congressional lawmakers who are crafting a plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system might be able to look to state health insurance programs in Massachusetts and Tennessee for ideas, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Massachusetts-Tennessee-health-plans-might-offer-ideas-on-US-health-care-system-overhaul.aspx

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Data ranks health insurers according to speed of claim payment, share of denials
Aetna, Cigna and Humana ranked highest nationally on criteria including speed of health claim payments and fewest claims denied, according to the 2009 PayerView Rankings, the Boston Globe reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Data-ranks-health-insurers-according-to-speed-of-claim-payment-share-of-denials.aspx

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Obama says health reform must be done this year
The opportunity to enact health care reform legislation could be missed unless Congress passes it this year, President Obama on Thursday said to thousands of supporters in a phone call made from Air Force One, the AP/USA Today reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Obama-says-health-reform-must-be-done-this-year.aspx

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Sen. Kennedy circulates draft of health reform legislation
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is circulating an outline of health care overhaul legislation that includes a requirement that all individuals obtain coverage and requires contributions from employers, the Washington Post reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Sen-Kennedy-circulates-draft-of-health-reform-legislation.aspx

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UnitedHealth Group offers 15 recommendations to reduce federal health spending by $540 billion over 10 years
UnitedHealth Group's Center for Health Reform and Modernization on Wednesday suggested 15 steps that could be taken to save $540 billion in federal in health care costs over the next 10 years, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Werner, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/27).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090528/UnitedHealth-Group-offers-15-recommendations-to-reduce-federal-health-spending-by-24540-billion-over-10-years.aspx

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Massachusetts health insurance law has increased access to care, though residents' ability to obtain treatment hampered by provider supply
Since the implementation of the Massachusetts health insurance law in 2006, more residents have health coverage and increased access to care, but rising health care costs combined with the current economic recession could undermine some of the law's successes, according to the third annual "Update on Health Reform in Massachusetts" report by the Urban Institute, the Boston Globe reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090528/Massachusetts-health-insurance-law-has-increased-access-to-care-though-residents-ability-to-obtain-treatment-hampered-by-provider-supply.aspx

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Miami-Dade, Blue Cross announce low-cost PPO aimed at county's uninsured
Florida's Miami-Dade County and BlueCross BlueShield of Florida on Tuesday announced a new low-cost health plan, called Miami-Dade Blue, aimed at helping the estimated 600,000 uninsured county residents, the Miami Herald reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090528/Miami-Dade-Blue-Cross-announce-low-cost-PPO-aimed-at-countys-uninsured.aspx

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Farmer still under consideration for Obama administration position, takes Harvard Medical School appointment
While Partners in Health co-founder Paul Farmer is still being considered for a senior role in the Obama administration, Farmer has been appointed chair of Harvard Medical School's Department of Global Health and Social Medicine -- Jeffrey Flier, the medical school's dean, said on Wednesday -- the Boston Globe reports. Flier said that Farmer will take a leave of absence from the medical school if he is offered a position with the administration. For now, Farmer is slated to succeed the current chair, Jim Kim, on July 1 (Smith, Boston Globe, 5/28).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090528/Farmer-still-under-consideration-for-Obama-administration-position-takes-Harvard-Medical-School-appointment.aspx

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Is Australia's national health reform agenda taking account of social determinants of health?
Never shy of a tough question, on April 28, the Sydney University's Menzies Centre for Health Policy (MCHP) and the Oxford Health Alliance (OxHA) Asia Pacific Centre co hosted a seminar to ask Australia's three imminent major health policy reform commissions if and how they are approaching the core issue of the role of social disadvantage in health and illness.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090527/Is-Australiae28099s-national-health-reform-agenda-taking-account-of-social-determinants-of-health.aspx

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1 million California residents travel to Mexico annually for health care, study finds
About one million adults living in California, including 500,000 immigrants, travel to Mexico for health care each year, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Medical Care, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090527/1-million-California-residents-travel-to-Mexico-annually-for-health-care-study-finds.aspx

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California official details proposed health care cuts in Schwarzenegger's budget plan
California Department of Finance Chief Deputy Director Ana Matosantos on Tuesday discussed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) plans to address the state budget deficit in part by cutting Medi-Cal spending and eliminating Healthy Families, the Sacramento Bee reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090527/California-official-details-proposed-health-care-cuts-in-Schwarzeneggers-budget-plan.aspx

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United Auto Workers to accept up to 20% of GM stock; agrees to concessions on retiree health care obligations, labor rules
United Auto Workers leaders on Tuesday agreed to accept up to 20% of General Motors stock, as well as concessions on labor rules and retiree health care obligations, as the automaker faces a June 1 deadline to restructure or seek bankruptcy protection, the Detroit News reports (Aguilar/Shepardson, Detroit News, 5/27).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090527/United-Auto-Workers-to-accept-up-to-2025-of-GM-stock3b-agrees-to-concessions-on-retiree-health-care-obligations-labor-rules.aspx

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Wall Street Journal examines group health insurance policies as option for uninsured
People who no longer have health insurance because of a job loss, voluntary retirement or other reasons have begun obtaining health coverage through the "little-known" option of group coverage, the Wall Street Journal reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090527/Wall-Street-Journal-examines-group-health-insurance-policies-as-option-for-uninsured.aspx

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Study finds no link between cost, quality of care
Quality of care is not linked to the cost of care, according to a study published last week on the Web site of the journal Health Affairs, CQ HealthBeat reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090527/Study-finds-no-link-between-cost-quality-of-care.aspx

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Pledges to reduce health care costs, spending growth could violate antitrust laws, lawyers say
U.S. antitrust laws could affect health care industry groups' efforts to work together to rein in health care costs, the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 5/27).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090527/Pledges-to-reduce-health-care-costs-spending-growth-could-violate-antitrust-laws-lawyers-say.aspx

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Financial contracts to care for sick or aging relatives adding legal twist to family health care
Financial contracts to care for sick or aging relatives - nearly unthinkable just a decade ago - are drawing new interest as everyday Americans wrestle with the time and expense of providing long-term health care, a University of Illinois legal expert says.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090527/Financial-contracts-to-care-for-sick-or-aging-relatives-adding-legal-twist-to-family-health-care.aspx

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Preoperative team briefings improves communication, reduce medical errors
A short, preoperative team briefing prior to cardiac surgery - where each person on the team speaks - improves communication and reduces errors and costs, according to a pilot study conducted at Mayo Clinic.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/27/Preoperative-team-briefings-improves-communication-reduce-medical-errors.aspx

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Effect of the quality and outcomes framework on diabetes care in the UK
The care of patients with diabetes has improved over the last decade, but this does not seem to be a direct result of the quality and outcomes framework - the scheme that rewards UK general practices for delivering quality care.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/Effect-of-the-quality-and-outcomes-framework-on-diabetes-care-in-the-UK.aspx

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U.S. bill would establish survey to collect health data from native Hawaiians, Pacific islanders
Madeleine Bordallo, the U.S. delegate from Guam, has introduced legislation that would fund a survey to collect health data from Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, the Pacific Daily News reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/US-bill-would-establish-survey-to-collect-health-data-from-native-Hawaiians-Pacific-islanders.aspx

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Rep. Wolf says entitlement programs could affect U.S. bond rating
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) on Friday in a letter to President Obama said that the U.S. could lose its triple-A bond rating if Congress does not act quickly to overhaul U.S. entitlement programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, and reduce federal debt, the AP/Detroit News reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/Rep-Wolf-says-entitlement-programs-could-affect-US-bond-rating.aspx

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Lawmakers prepare for health care reform action during Memorial Day recess; advocacy groups promote reform agendas
Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been given "talking points" on health care reform to discuss with constituents during the Memorial Day recess as House and Senate committees work to develop comprehensive reform bills by mid-June, Politico reports (Budoff Brown, Politico, 5/26).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/Lawmakers-prepare-for-health-care-reform-action-during-Memorial-Day-recess3b-advocacy-groups-promote-reform-agendas.aspx

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Some small businesses must cut employee health benefits or lay off workers amid global downturn
Small businesses increasingly are eliminating their employee health coverage plans because of rising health care premiums and declining revenue attributed to the current economic recession, the Wall Street Journal reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/Some-small-businesses-must-cut-employee-health-benefits-or-lay-off-workers-amid-global-downturn.aspx

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Few retail health clinics located in low-income areas, study finds
Most retail health clinics are located in more affluent areas of the U.S., rather than in low-income, medically underserved neighborhoods, according to a study published on Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the AP/Washington Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/Few-retail-health-clinics-located-in-low-income-areas-study-finds.aspx

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'Homework assignment' could mean success, failure for health reform legislation
How well health care industry groups follow through on their "homework assignment" from President Obama to submit specific plans by early June on how they intend to reduce health care spending growth by $2 trillion over the next decade could determine whether current attempts to develop health care overhaul legislation are successful, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Contra Costa Times, 5/25).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/Homework-assignment-could-mean-success-failure-for-health-reform-legislation.aspx

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Obama says he is 'absolutely committed' to health reform
During a C-SPAN interview on Saturday, President Obama said he remains "absolutely committed" to overhauling the U.S. health care system despite obstacles that might surface during reform efforts, the Los Angeles Times reports (Dorning, Los Angeles Times, 5/24).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/Obama-says-he-is-absolutely-committed-to-health-reform.aspx

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Future cancer care, can we afford it?
When a cancer patient and his or her doctor discuss the value of a treatment option, the conversation usually centers on a consideration of the treatment's medical benefits versus its possible side effects for the patient. Increasingly, however, as the already high costs of cancer care continue to rise, a full view of the patient's welfare must also take into account the economic impact of the treatment on the patient and his or her family.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/26/Future-cancer-care-can-we-afford-it.aspx

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Hospice care under-used by many terminally ill patients
Hospice, a well-established approach to palliative care, has enabled countless people worldwide to die with dignity. Through focusing on the patient rather than the disease, individuals can spend the last weeks of their lives in an environment where hospice caregivers minimize their pain, maximize their comfort, and provide bereavement services for loved ones and family members.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/25/Hospice-care-under-used-by-many-terminally-ill-patients.aspx

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Penn study shows 'in-store' clinics more apt to be based in higher-income neighborhoods
Since 2000, nearly 1,000 "retail clinics" -- offering routine care like sports physicals and immunizations and treatment for minor illnesses like strep throat -- have opened their doors inside pharmacies and grocery stores across the United States. Retail chain operators proposed that the new clinics would improve access to medical care among uninsured or underserved populations.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/25/Penn-study-shows-e28098in-storee28099-clinics-more-apt-to-be-based-in-higher-income-neighborhoods.aspx

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Australian Government shies away from election promise to takeover control of hospitals
Kevin Rudd's Government appears to be backing out of another of its election promises - the financial takeover of public hospitals if they fail to come up to scratch.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/24/Australian-Government-shies-away-from-election-promise-to-takeover-control-of-hospitals.aspx

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Indian Health Service releases $500 million in stimulus funding to improve health care for American Indian, Alaska native communities
The Indian Health Service on Wednesday announced it will release $500 million in federal economic stimulus funding to improve health care for American Indian and Alaska Native communities, Health Data Management reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Indian-Health-Service-releases-24500-million-in-stimulus-funding-to-improve-health-care-for-American-Indian-Alaska-native-communities.aspx

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New Maryland law requires insurers to provide incentives for EHR adoption
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) on Tuesday signed a bill making the state the first to require private insurance companies to offer physicians financial incentives for adopting electronic health records, the Baltimore Sun reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/New-Maryland-law-requires-insurers-to-provide-incentives-for-EHR-adoption.aspx

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Connecticut House approves two health insurance pooling bills
The Connecticut House on Wednesday approved two separate measures to expand health insurance pooling in the state, the Hartford Courant reports. The first measure would create a public health insurance pool open to all residents.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Connecticut-House-approves-two-health-insurance-pooling-bills.aspx

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Reducing medical residents' hours would cost $2.5 billion annually, study says
Implementing proposed reductions in the number of hours medical residents work could cost as much as $2.5 billion annually, according to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Baltimore Sun reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Reducing-medical-residents-hours-would-cost-2425-billion-annually-study-says.aspx

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GM bankruptcy plan would use stock worth 39% of firm to fund half of VEBA obligation
General Motors and United Auto Workers on Thursday agreed to a tentative deal that would allow the automaker to use company stock to fund half of its obligation to a retiree health care fund, the Washington Post reports (Cho et al., Washington Post, 5/22).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/GM-bankruptcy-plan-would-use-stock-worth-3925-of-firm-to-fund-half-of-VEBA-obligation.aspx

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Sen. Baucus says health care overhaul will cover about 95% of citizens, will not cover undocumented immigrants
Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Thursday said that Congress' health care overhaul plan would cover 94% to 96% of the population but not undocumented immigrants, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 5/21).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Sen-Baucus-says-health-care-overhaul-will-cover-about-9525-of-citizens-will-not-cover-undocumented-immigrants.aspx

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WA Health workers stood down because of scam
According to reports a number of people working for the West Australian Health Department have been suspended because of suspect behaviour.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/WA-Health-workers-stood-down-because-of-scam.aspx

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Yolo County, Calif., approves proposal to cut funding for health care services to undocumented immigrants
Yolo County, Calif., Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a proposal to cut county funding for health care services for undocumented immigrants in an effort to save the county more than $1 million, the Sacramento Bee reports (Sangree, Sacramento Bee, 5/20).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Yolo-County-Calif-approves-proposal-to-cut-funding-for-health-care-services-to-undocumented-immigrants.aspx

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Health information technology lobby group rallies support for certification group; critics question group's ties
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society has asked HHS to give the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology authorization to determine which electronic health records systems can receive funding from the economic stimulus package, the Washington Post reports. In a letter dated April 27 to HHS officials, HIMSS officials wrote, "To ensure continuity, recognize CCHIT as the certifying body" of EHRs.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Health-information-technology-lobby-group-rallies-support-for-certification-group3b-critics-question-groups-ties.aspx

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Wall Street Journal examines patients' confusion over coverage of preventive exams
As employers increasingly offer no-cost preventive care as a means of controlling health costs, some people under such plans are being charged for services not deemed preventive by the insurer, the Wall Street Journal reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Wall-Street-Journal-examines-patients-confusion-over-coverage-of-preventive-exams.aspx

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Department of Justice, HHS boosts number of investigators, prosecutors looking at Medicare, Medicaid fraud
HHS and the Department of Justice on Wednesday launched the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team to detect and prevent fraud in Medicare and Medicaid, the Washington Post reports (Johnson, Washington Post, 5/21).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Department-of-Justice-HHS-boosts-number-of-investigators-prosecutors-looking-at-Medicare-Medicaid-fraud.aspx

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Senate Finance Committee discusses funding for health reform in final 'walk through' meeting
The Senate Finance Committee met Wednesday to discuss potential funding mechanisms for health reform legislation but indicated that no concrete decisions had been reached, The Hill reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Senate-Finance-Committee-discusses-funding-for-health-reform-in-final-walk-through-meeting.aspx

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Republicans introduce health reform plan that would provide tax credits to purchase health coverage, establish state insurance exchanges
Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Reps. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Wednesday introduced the Patients' Choice Act (S 1099, HR 2520), a counter proposal to Democratic health care reform plans that would create state-based health insurance exchanges and provide U.S. residents tax credits to subsidize coverage premiums, Roll Call reports (Drucker [1], Roll Call, 5/20).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/22/Republicans-introduce-health-reform-plan-that-would-provide-tax-credits-to-purchase-health-coverage-establish-state-insurance-exchanges.aspx

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California primary care physician shortage affecting clinics that serve minority populations
A shortage of primary care physicians in California "is driving community clinics to find innovate ways" to provide care to an increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse patient population, New America Media reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/20/California-primary-care-physician-shortage-affecting-clinics-that-serve-minority-populations.aspx

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Investigation urgently needed into treatment of mentally ill immigration detainees at California facility, editorial states
"Although the number of mentally ill immigration detainees" at the La Mesa, Calif.-based private psychiatric hospital Alvarado Parkway Institute "at any one time seems to range from as few as two to only five or so, their situation needs to be addressed quickly," a San Diego Tribune editorial states (San Diego Tribune, 5/19).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/20/Investigation-urgently-needed-into-treatment-of-mentally-ill-immigration-detainees-at-California-facility-editorial-states.aspx

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U.S. residents to pay greater share of employer-sponsored health insurance coverage in 2009
U.S. residents enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans will contribute an average of 41% of their health care costs in 2009, the largest share to date, according to a study released on Monday by the Seattle-based actuarial consulting firm Milliman, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/20/US-residents-to-pay-greater-share-of-employer-sponsored-health-insurance-coverage-in-2009.aspx

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New Democrat coalition proposes independent panel to oversee comparative effectiveness research
Members of the moderate New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday proposed legislation (HR 2502) that would establish a non-governmental, independent office to oversee research efforts to compare the effectiveness of medical treatments, CQ HealthBeat reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/20/New-Democrat-coalition-proposes-independent-panel-to-oversee-comparative-effectiveness-research.aspx

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Republicans to introduce health reform plan that would establish state health insurance exchanges, provide tax credits
Congressional Republicans are releasing two health care reform proposals -- one from conservatives and one from moderates -- as alternatives to plans by Democrats, CQ Today reports (Wayne, CQ Today, 5/19).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/20/Republicans-to-introduce-health-reform-plan-that-would-establish-state-health-insurance-exchanges-provide-tax-credits.aspx

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Pennsylvania House approves bill allowing young adults to remain on parents' health insurance policies up to age 29
The Pennsylvania House last week voted to approve a bill that allows state residents up to age 29 to be added to or remain on their parents' health insurance plans as long as they live in the state or are full-time students, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reports. They also must be single and not have dependents.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/19/Pennsylvania-House-approves-bill-allowing-young-adults-to-remain-on-parents-health-insurance-policies-up-to-age-29.aspx

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Hospital room design can have effect on patient care, outcomes, studies show
Hospital room design can help reduce medical errors, infections and falls, as well as patient stress, according to results emerging from more than 1,500 studies, the New York Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/19/Hospital-room-design-can-have-effect-on-patient-care-outcomes-studies-show.aspx

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Waits to see specialists in Boston increased to average of 50 days, study finds
The average time patients in Boston wait for an appointment to see a specialist has increased over the last five years to an average of 50 days and can be up to one year, despite the fact that the city has an "abundance" of specialists, according to a recent study, the Boston Globe reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/19/Waits-to-see-specialists-in-Boston-increased-to-average-of-50-days-study-finds.aspx

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Sen. Olympia Snowe holds private meetings to discuss fallback public plan
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) last week held a private meeting to discuss a compromise on health care reform legislation that would include a "fallback public plan," implemented in several years if private insurers do not take steps to make coverage more affordable and accessible, CongressDaily reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/19/Sen-Olympia-Snowe-holds-private-meetings-to-discuss-fallback-public-plan.aspx

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Senate Finance Committee releases policy paper describing options to pay for health overhaul
Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Monday released a 41-page document outlining policy options for financing health care reform, The Hill reports (Young, The Hill, 5/18).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/05/19/Senate-Finance-Committee-releases-policy-paper-describing-options-to-pay-for-health-overhaul.aspx

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