A Test in Time
Researchers had previously shown that colonoscopies, which look for and remove tumors and suspicious precancerous lumps in the intestines, could reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. But they didn’t know for certain that the procedure would save lives. Now they have evidence that it does. A study published in the latest issue of The New England Journal of Medicine that tracked 2,600 patients for as long as two decades found that the test cut the death rate in half, a very substantial reduction.
That should reassure millions of Americans who have undergone colonoscopies that the test was worth the unpleasant preparations. And it ought to goad millions who are still ducking the tests to get over their squeamishness.
Reporting from Washington -- Gov. Jerry Brown delivered a message to the Obama administration this week in Washington: Back off.
The governor wants the federal government to let him make more cuts in the Medi-Cal program that serves low-income Californians and to exempt state schools from new sanctions that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Brown said he raised the issues in a White House meeting with President Obama and 11 other Democratic governors Friday morning and in a private meeting with Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Thursday.
The governor wants the federal government to let him make more cuts in the Medi-Cal program that serves low-income Californians and to exempt state schools from new sanctions that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Brown said he raised the issues in a White House meeting with President Obama and 11 other Democratic governors Friday morning and in a private meeting with Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Thursday.
Lawmakers probe Prime Healthcare Services' billing practices
A hearing is called to investigate allegations of excess charges and boosting revenue by refusing to transfer out-of-network patients.
By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
February 25, 2012
Controversial medical and billing practices by hospital chain Prime Healthcare Services came under scrutiny at a hearing before California lawmakers one day after the company's chief executive abruptly resigned.
Center for Economic and Policy Research
February 2012
Health-insurance Coverage for Low-wage Workers, 1979-2010 and Beyond
By John Schmitt
In 2010, over 38 percent of low-wage workers lacked health insurance from
any source, up from 16 percent in 1979.
Coverage problems are particularly severe for Latino workers. Almost 40
percent of all Latino workers (not just low-wage workers) have no health
insurance of any form. African American (about 22 percent) and Asian (about
17 percent) workers are also much less likely to have coverage than white
workers (about 12 percent).http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/health-low-wage-2012-02.pdf
Implementing Health Reform: Essential Health Benefits And Medical Loss Ratios| by Timothy Jost |
On December 16, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a bulletin describing the approach that it intended to take to defining the essential health benefits (EHB) that individual (nongroup) and small group plans must cover under the Affordable Care Act. In that bulletin, HHS indicated that each state will select a benchmark plan from a menu of alternatives. Services covered by that benchmark plan will set the minimum EHB that all small group and nongroup plans in the state must cover. Plans must cover, however, all ten categories of essential health benefits listed in the ACA.http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2012/02/18/implementing-health-reform-essential-health-benefits-and-medical-loss-ratios/
Medicare And Commercial Health Insurance: The Fundamental Difference
As the debate over Medicare continues in connection to America’s fiscal problems, it is critical to understand how Medicare differs from commercial health insurance for working people. There is a fundamental difference between these two types of health insurance plans, one social and one commercial.
Vt. would allow 'bronze plan' to encourage health
(AP) MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin and legislative leaders said Monday they wanted to make it possible for more of the state's small businesses to offer lower premium health insurance plans sometimes known as "bronze plans" until the state can implement its single payer health care system.Speaking Monday in Montpelier, Shumlin and leaders from the House and Senate, all Democrats, said they would also allow businesses with more than 50 employees to remain outside the federally-mandated health care exchange until 2016.
"We feel strongly that the exchange is not the answer to all Vermont's health care problems," Shumlin said at a news conference in the Montpelier Statehouse. "We feel that as we design an exchange it should have maximum flexibility and allow shoppers to make choices for insurance until we implement our plan in Vermont."
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