MedWorm: Health Insurance

Senior U.S. Catholic cites Obama "promises" on birth control

Reuters: Health — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:28:32 +0100

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Timothy Dolan, a senior U.S. Roman Catholic leader, said on Thursday President Barack Obama "gave me promises" during a White House meeting in November as Dolan pressed the Church's criticism of a new Obama administration rule requiring health insurance plans to cover birth control. (Source: Reuters: Health)

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VOLUNTARY PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE AMONG THE OVER 50s IN EUROPE

Health Economics — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:51:30 +0100

ABSTRACTUsing data from Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we investigate the determinants of voluntary private health insurance (VPHI) among the over 50s in 11 European countries and their effects on healthcare spending. First, we find that the main determinants of VPHI are different in each country, reflecting differences in the underlying healthcare systems, but in most countries, education levels and cognitive abilities have a strong positive effect on holding a VPHI policy. We also analyse the effect of holding a voluntary additional health insurance policy on out‐of‐pocket (OOP) healthcare spending. We adopt a simultaneous equations approach to control for self‐selection into VPHI policy holding and find that, only in the Netherlands, VPHI policyholders ...

A case–control study of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and colorectal cancer

BJU International — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:36:39 +0100

CONCLUSION• We conclude that CP/CPPS patients are at higher risk for CRC, especially in males under 60 years of age. (Source: BJU International)

Justifying Insurance Coverage For Orphan Drugs

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

How can insurers justify spending hundreds of thousands of dollars per patient per year on "orphan drugs" - extremely expensive medications for rare conditions that are mostly chronic and life-threatening - when this money could provide greater overall health benefit if spread out among many other patients? Those spending decisions reflect the "rule of rescue," the value that our society places on saving lives in immediate danger at any expense... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Health Reform to Require Insurers to Use Plain Language in Describing Health Plan Benefits, Coverage

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

People in the market for health insurance will soon have clear, understandable and straightforward information on what health plans will cover, what limitations or conditions will apply, and what they will pay for services thanks to the Affordable Care Act the health reform law according to final regulations published today. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Malignancies after renal transplantation in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study

Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. This study demonstrates different patterns of malignancies after renal transplantation in Chinese RTRs, with higher incidences of kidney and bladder cancers. Physicians should be more vigilant in examining RTRs for post-transplantation malignancies especially in younger patients. (Source: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation)

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GOP Takes Aim at Contraception Rule

WSJ.com: Health — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:07:53 +0100

Republicans vowed to push ahead with a bill to block an administration regulation that virtually all health-insurance plans cover contraception. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

Prescriptions Blog: Drug Costs Pose Smaller Financial Burden Amid Generic Boom

NYT Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:00:06 +0100

Americans are using more prescription drugs, but the financial burden of those drugs on families is falling, according to a new study. A big reason is the rise of generics. (Source: NYT Health)

Boehner Vows to Fight Contraception Rule

NYT Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:25:37 +0100

The speaker said House Republicans would push to change the administration’s rule that religious institutions must offer insurance plans that cover birth control. (Source: NYT Health)

Colorado shows bipartisan HIX support even amid dispute

Healthcare IT News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:20:22 +0100

Colorado, which is a state leader on all things health IT, especially EHRs and HIEs, is digging in its heels when it comes to health insurance exchange. It is one of the 26 states whose attorney general joined a lawsuit to overturn the health reform law. The arguments are slated to be heard by the Supreme Court in March. Election Feature Content: No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Video: Catholic groups balk at covering birth control

Health News: CBSNews.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:58:01 +0100

A new federal rule requires all employers to cover birth control in their health insurance plans. Father Edward Beck, a CBS News contributor, and the Washington Post's Michael Gerson discuss the controversial rule. (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

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The Future of mHealth: Putting Patients in the Driver’s Seat

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:37:08 +0100

Source: Forbes Content: “Healthcare challenges are on the rise worldwide. Chronic conditions take an ever-greater toll, and costs are on the rise. But health insurance no longer bridges the gap for many, and healthcare systems struggle to balance the need for top-notch care and innovation against shrinking budgets. Answering the challenge, many parties in the medical [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

ASC X12 not recommending 6020 TR3s to DSMO for HIPAA adoption

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:23:04 +0100

Accredited Standards Committee X12 (ASC X12) announces plans for the 006020 (6020™) TR3s. After meeting with health care industry stakeholders and assessing the current and planned health care industry initiatives, ASC X12 will not recommend its 6020 Type 3 Technical Reports (TR3s) to the Designated Standards Maintenance Organizations (DSMO) for consideration of adoption under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Obama Addresses Ire on Health Insurance Contraception Rule

NYT — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:15:01 +0100

Facing criticism from religious-affiliated institutions, the Obama administration promised on Tuesday to explore ways to make a new health insurance requirement more flexible. (Source: NYT)

New Study: Small Businesses Could Buy Health Insurance for Nearly 10 Million Workers Through the Affordable Care Act's Small Business Health Insurance Exchanges

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Commonwealth Fund article reports that the Affordable Care Acts state health insurance exchanges for small businesses are estimated to cover nearly 10 million employees, in addition to the 15.3 million individuals who will gain coverage through the individual exchanges when the law is fully implemented, according to an article in the February issue of Health Affairs. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Obama Addresses Ire on Health Insurance Contraception Rule

NYT Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:39:12 +0100

Facing criticism from religious-affiliated institutions, the Obama administration promised on Tuesday to explore ways to make a new health insurance requirement more flexible. (Source: NYT Health)

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Utilizing risk-adjustment strategies to navigate an equitable road toward health-care reform

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examine why health reform could lead to favorable or adverse risk selection across health plans. The article reviews provisions within the Affordable Care Act legislation and discusses key risk-adjustment implementation issues for states establishing health insurance exchanges. Results from a simulation using data from 5 million insured persons show how risk-adjusted transfer payments will be essential to help minimize selection bias across participating health plans. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Employers And The Exchanges Under The Small Business Health Options Program: Examining The Potential And The Pitfalls [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The health insurance exchange is the centerpiece of the insurance reforms created by the Affordable Care Act. The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is intended to create a marketplace for small, and perhaps eventually large, employers to purchase health insurance for their employees. This paper introduces a collection of articles that illuminate the need for small-business exchanges and discuss how they will function. The paper also describes the difficulties these exchanges will face, as well as the opportunities they will offer to states, employers, and individuals. The success or failure of small-business exchanges may well hinge on how states choose to address these challenges. (Source: Health Affairs)

How Small Business Health Exchanges Can Offer Value To Their Future Customers--And Why They Must [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This article frames the challenges that exchanges will encounter in meeting these objectives. In particular, it discusses the advisability of small-business exchanges’ offering an "employee choice" model (which the article describes in detail); of combining the small-business and individual exchanges to broaden product offerings and gain operational efficiencies; and of encouraging low-cost plans to enter the exchange market, perhaps by enabling Medicaid managed care plans to offer comparable commercial products, and in turn affording health plans access to a uniquely motivated market of small firms and their workers who want affordable coverage. (Source: Health Affairs)

Health Insurance Exchanges Of Past And Present Offer Examples Of Features That Could Attract Small-Business Customers [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The Affordable Care Act calls on states to create health insurance exchanges serving small businesses by 2014. These exchanges will allow small-business owners to pool their buying power, have more choices of health plans, and buy affordable health insurance. However, creating an exchange that appeals to small-business owners poses several challenges. Past and current exchanges provide valuable insights into the role exchanges can play, services they can offer, and design features that can make them successful. For example, states should allow insurance brokers to provide employers with advice and analysis regarding plans offered in the exchanges. Exchanges should also provide services to ease enrollment, such as a single application for all of the plans they offer, and make additional ben...

How Choices In Exchange Design For States Could Affect Insurance Premiums And Levels Of Coverage [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The Affordable Care Act gives states the option to create health insurance exchanges from which individuals and small employers can purchase health insurance. States have considerable flexibility in how they design and implement these exchanges. We analyze several key design options being considered, using the Urban Institute’s Health Insurance Policy Simulation Model: creating separate versus merged small-group and nongroup markets, eliminating age rating in these markets, removing the small-employer credit, and setting the maximum number of employees for firms in the small-group market at 50 versus 100 workers. Among our findings are that merging the small-group and nongroup markets would result in 1.7 million more people nationwide participating in the exchanges and, because ...

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Large Employers See Scenarios Under Which They Could Move Workers And Retirees To Exchanges [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Large employers are thinking about how they might use the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act. In the short term, from 2014 to 2016, many of these employers are giving serious consideration to using the exchanges to help provide coverage for part-time workers and for retirees not yet eligible for Medicare. In the long term, beginning in 2017, some large employers are considering using the exchanges to provide coverage for all of their employees. Costs, human resources strategies, and competitive pressures, as well as state and federal policy, will be the likely drivers of large employers’ decisions about whether—and how—to use the exchanges. (Source: Health Affairs)

Adjusting For Risk Selection In State Health Insurance Exchanges Will Be Critically Important And Feasible, But Not Easy [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This article describes why the Affordable Care Act could lead to favorable or adverse risk selection across plans. It reviews provisions in the act and recent proposed regulations intended to mitigate the problem of risk selection. We performed a simulation that showed that under the premium rating restrictions in the law, large incentives for insurers to attract healthier enrollees will be likely to persist—resulting in substantial overpayment to plans with very healthy enrollees and underpayment to plans with very sick members. We conclude that risk adjustment based on patients’ diagnoses, such as will be in place from 2014 on, will yield payments to insurers that will be more accurate than what will come solely from the age-adjusted and other rating allowed by the act. We al...

Regulating Stop-Loss Coverage May Be Needed To Deter Self- Insuring Small Employers From Undermining Market Reforms [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

As implementation of the Affordable Care Act reshapes the US health insurance market, state policy makers should be prepared to revisit regulation of stop-loss coverage—a form of reinsurance—for small businesses. Aspects of the reform law could motivate small businesses to self-insure, rather than participate in state-regulated markets either inside or outside the new health insurance exchanges. If younger or healthier groups self-insure, premiums for insured plans might rise to an extent that could seriously impair the regulated market. States can influence small businesses to participate in the regulated market by making it more difficult or costly to obtain stop-loss coverage, which self-funded employers rely on to protect their businesses from catastrophic medical costs inc...

Small Firms' Actions In Two Areas, And Exchange Premium And Enrollment Impact [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The Affordable Care Act changed the regulations governing small firms’ health insurance premiums. However, small businesses can avoid many of the new regulations by self-insuring or maintaining grandfathered plans. If small firms with healthy and lower-cost enrollees avoid the regulations, premiums for coverage sold through insurance exchanges could be unaffordable. In this analysis we used the RAND Comprehensive Assessment of Reform Efforts microsimulation model to predict the effects of self-insurance and grandfathering exemptions on coverage and premiums available through the exchanges. We estimate that Affordable Care Act regulations restricting employers’ ability to offer grandfathered plans will result in lower premiums on plans available through the exchanges and will ha...

Colorado's Health Insurance Exchange: How One State Has So Far Forged A Bipartisan Path Through The Partisan Wilderness [Report From The Field]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Health Affairs)

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Tim Jost Of Washington & Lee And The Duty Of Health Reform [People & Places]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

A leading legal analyst says his Mennonite faith motivates him to support ways to extend coverage to more Americans—including through health insurance exchanges. (Source: Health Affairs)

Lessons For Coverage Expansion: A Virginia Primary Care Program For The Uninsured Reduced Utilization And Cut Costs [Coverage Issues]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The Affordable Care Act will expand health insurance coverage for an estimated thirty-two million uninsured Americans. Increased access to care is intended to reduce the unnecessary use of services such as emergency department visits and to achieve substantial cost savings. However, there is little evidence for such claims. To determine how the uninsured might respond once coverage becomes available, we studied uninsured low-income adults enrolled in a community-based primary care program at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. For people continuously enrolled in the program, emergency department visits and inpatient admissions declined, while primary care visits increased during the study period. Inpatient costs fell each year for this group. Over three years of enrollment, av...

Two Responses To A Premium Hike In A Program For Uninsured Kids: 4 In 5 Families Stay In As Enrollment Shrinks By A Fifth [Coverage Issues]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This article reports on our study of the effect of premium increases on disenrollment from a health insurance program for low-income immigrant children in Los Angeles County. Two groups of children were compared: those ages 6–18, who were subject to an increase, and those ages 0–5, who were not. Fewer than half of the children in the older group remained enrolled after the premium increase—slightly more than 12,000 children, compared to more than 25,000 at the beginning—and there was a 20 percent decline in overall membership in the program that was attributable to the increase. Although many families paid the higher premium to keep their children enrolled, other families were not able to do so. As programs serving disadvantaged populations contemplate premium ...

How Foundations Are Helping States Implement Health Insurance Exchanges [GrantWatch Outcomes]

Health Affairs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Health Affairs)

Individual-Mandate Foes Warn of Affordable 'Car' ActIndividual-Mandate Foes Warn of Affordable 'Car' Act

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:34:01 +0100

In a brief filed with the Supreme Court, state officials opposed to the Affordable Care Act said the individual mandate to obtain health insurance presages mandates to buy cars and other goods. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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White House says open to compromise over contraception

Reuters: Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:30:16 +0100

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is willing to work with Catholic universities and hospitals in implementing new rules that require health insurance to cover birth control, a top adviser to the president's re-election campaign said on Tuesday. (Source: Reuters: Health)

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare

NYT — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:36:22 +0100

Lawmakers in both parties say they want to give doctors a small increase in Medicare payments, but they cannot agree on how to pay for it. (Source: NYT)

Study Quantifies Families Without Health Insurance

MedPage Today Public Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:28:58 +0100

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- More than half of poor families and a third of middle-income families had no health insurance during the preceding year, according to a new survey by the Commonwealth Fund. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

White House open to compromise over contraception: adviser

Reuters: Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:22:46 +0100

New Commonwealth Fund Survey Finds Profound Income Divide in Health Insurance and Access to Health Care; Health Reform Could Nearly Eliminate Gaps When Fully Implemented in 2014

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Adults in low - and moderate - income families are more likely to be uninsured, to lack a regular source of health care, and to struggle to get the health care they need compared to those in higher-income families, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

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A case‐control study on the association between chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and erectile dysfunction

BJU International — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS• We conclude that there was an association between ED and having been previously diagnosed with CP/CPPS.• Urologists should be alert to the association between CP/CPPS and ED, and assess the erectile function of patients suffering from CP/CPPS. (Source: BJU International)

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare

NYT Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:43:09 +0100

Lawmakers in both parties say they want to give doctors a small increase in Medicare payments, but they cannot agree on how to pay for it. (Source: NYT Health)

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare Payments to Doctors

NYT Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:37:18 +0100

Lawmakers in both parties say they want to give doctors a small increase in Medicare payments, but they cannot agree on how to pay for it. (Source: NYT Health)

A case of IgG4-related pulmonary disease with rapid improvement

Modern Rheumatology — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:35:26 +0100

We report a 72-year-old man with respiratory involvement of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease, who developed dry cough and shortness of breath on effort. The chest computed tomography scan image showed massive and diffuse ground-glass opacity, interlobular thickening, and bronchial wall thickening. The infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells in the transbronchial lung biopsy and high serum IgG4 concentrations were found. The patient was treated with 0.6 mg/kg oral prednisolone and showed rapid improvement. This is a case of IgG4-related disease in which the only complication was respiratory involvement. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Case ReportPages 1-5DOI 10.1007/s10165-012-0600-6Authors Masataka Umeda, Department of Rheumatology, Isahaya Health Insurance ...

Medical debt keeps rising, new report shows

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

This report provides yet more evidence of the need for change of our current system of health care and also of the devastating effect California's budget crisis has had on the programs that support our state's most vulnerable residents," said Diana M. Bontá, president and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation. The authors noted that the estimated number of uninsured Californians may have grown since 2009 (when the data was collected), as the federal subsidy that enabled many laid-off workers to retain their employer-provided health insurance through COBRA has since expired. Read the report, "The State of Health Insurance in California: Findings from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey." The California Wellness Foundation's mission is to improve the h...

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Birth-control fight unlikely to hurt Obama, his strategists say

Los Angeles Times - Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Democratic strategists think that most U.S. Catholic women believe birth control should be available and that people who oppose Obama because of a new rule for employers would not vote for him anyway.Even as angry Catholic leaders vow to fight a new federal requirement that most employers include contraceptives in their health insurance coverage, the Obama administration believes any political damage will be limited because it's on the side of women's rights. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

Medical debt keeps rising, new report shows

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of California - Los Angeles) A comprehensive new report on health insurance from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research shows the so-called Great Recession caused hundreds of thousands of Californians to lose coverage and acquire medical debt. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

The Weill Cornell Community Clinic Insurance Enrollment Program (Weill Cornell Community Clinic)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The Weill Cornell Community Clinic (WCCC) started a facilitated insurance enrollment program in 2009(?). The aim of the program is to educate patients about available free or low cost insurance options and to serve as mentors while guiding patients through the enrollment process. A group of trained medical students screens all new and follow-up patients that attend the clinic. Screening questions include employment status, monthly income, and household composition. If patients are eligible, the WCCC collaborates with health care advocates at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House to enroll patients in public health insurance options. Over the past two years, this program has screened 125 patients. In the past 6 months, 47 patients were screened for public health insurance. Eleven (23.4%) pati...

Ghana: Capitation Talks End in Deadlock as Ashanti Group Gears Up for Demonstration

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:58:39 +0100

[Ghanaian Chronicle] Kumasi - A MEETING called at the behest of the management of the National Health Insurance Scheme Authority (NHIA) with the aim of talking members of the Ashanti Development Union (ADU) from going ahead with its planned demonstration against the Capitation system, ended in a stalemate as both parties failed to reach any tangible conclusion. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Health Insurance Stocks For a Republican Win

Forbes.com Healthcare News — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:16:03 +0100

Investors busy assessing how the state of the global economy will affect their stock portfolios should start thinking about how the presidential race will weigh in. In particular, investors may want to look at how to play the health insurance space. Health care remains a subject of divide between the two parties, with Republicans trying to repeal Obama's nationwide health care reform since 2010. And, while it is unlikely they can overturn the entire law, they can certainly chip away at parts of it. Related Links (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)

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Variation in State Unintended Pregnancy Rates In the United States

Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: State programs and policies should pay particular attention to increasing support for family planning services for minority groups. Findings also suggest that insurance coverage and receipt of Medicaid among women of reproductive age deserve further exploration as potentially important mechanisms for reducing state unintended pregnancy rates. (Source: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)

Ethnic Differences in Prevalence and Barriers of HBV Screening and Vaccination Among Asian Americans

Journal of Community Health — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:14:02 +0100

Abstract Our study identifies the prevalence of HBV virus (HBV) screening and vaccination among Asian Americans, and ethnic differences for factors associated with screening and vaccination behaviors. In 2009–2010 we recruited 877 Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese Americans 18 years of age and above through several community organizations, churches and local ethnic businesses in Maryland for a health education intervention and a self-administered survey. Prevalence of HBV screening, screening result and vaccinations were compared by each ethnic group. We used logistic regression analysis to understand how sociodemographics, familial factors, patient-, provider-, and resource-related barriers are associated with screening and vaccination behaviors, using the total samp...

Risk of new acute myocardial infarction hospitalization associated with use of oral and parenteral non-steroidal anti-inflammation drugs (NSAIDs): a case-crossover study of Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims database and review of current evidence

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The collective evidence revealed the tendency of increased AMI risk with current use of some NSAIDs. A higher AMI risk associated with use of parenteral NSAIDs was observed in the present study. Ketorolac had the highest associated risk in both oral and parenteral NSAIDs studied. Though further investigation to confirm the association is warranted, prescribing physicians and the general public should be cautious about the potential risk of AMI when using NSAIDs. (Source: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders)

Reducing the burden of morbidity and medical utilization of older patients by outpatient geriatric services: Implications to primary health‐care settings

Geriatrics and Gerontology International — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Outpatient GEM could effectively reduce growth of BOM and medical utilization for relatively healthy elderly patients in Taiwan where elderly patients haverelatively free access to general and specialty care. The results of this study implied the potential benefits of systematically implementing GEM in primary health‐care settings to improve the quality of care and slow down the growth of BOM for elderly patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; ••: ••–••. (Source: Geriatrics and Gerontology International)

The Effect of HIFA Waiver Expansions on Uninsurance Rates in Adult  Populations

Health Services Research — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionsOur findings suggest that public insurance initiatives that provide states with flexibility regarding eligibility and plan design are a viable policy approach to reducing uninsurance rates. (Source: Health Services Research)

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Saving Medicaid: A Path to Comprehensive Medicaid Reform

The Heritage Foundation Papers: Health Care — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:47:00 +0100

The joint federal–state health program for the poor is fueling the federal entitlement crisis, bankrupting state budgets, and delivering substandard care to enrollees while crowding out private health insurance options for many (Source: The Heritage Foundation Papers: Health Care)

Health insurance counseling, other health events, Feb. 2-9

Wash Post Health — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:51:00 +0100

Tai chi chuan class For beginners, gentle exercises that emphasize balance and flexibility, led by Fred Nee and A.M. Carey. Thursdays at 10 a.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. 240-777-8086. Free. Read full article >> (Source: Wash Post Health)

[Reliability of morbidity data reported by GPs : Results of a longitudinal study in primary care].

Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Data on morbidity collected in epidemiological studies and reported by physicians should always be checked for validity and reliability. Appropriate options (e.g., an investigator collecting the data directly in the field or the comparison of the data with health insurance companies' claims data) are presented and discussed. PMID: 22290171 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz)

[Implementation of the new German job role code and its application in claims data analysis : Possibilities and limitations].

Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

[Implementation of the new German job role code and its application in claims data analysis : Possibilities and limitations]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2012 Feb;55(2):238-44 Authors: Damm K, Lange A, Zeidler J, Braun S, Graf von der Schulenburg JM Abstract In recent years, claims data analyses have become of increasing importance in several scientific disciplines in Germany. In specific research projects, it can be necessary to refine and to standardize the results by socioeconomic data. Information about graduation, social status, and occupation are provided by the German job role code for all people insured by statutory health insurance. During recent years, the working scheme has changed and new professions have appeared. Therefore, t...

[Palliative care in the light of legal and regulatory requirements in Germany].

Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Cremer-Schaeffer P, Radbruch L Abstract In Germany, palliative care has developed rapidly since the establishment of the first palliative care unit in 1983. More improvements in patient-centered care are only possible if legal requirements as well as education of physicians, nurses, and other professionals involved in palliative care are adapted to current needs. This paper provides an overview of legal and regulatory requirements including a critical appreciation of their influence on palliative care in Germany. Only recently has medical education in palliative medicine been implemented as an integral part of medical studies at German universities. Starting in 2014, physicians applying for a license to practice medicine will have to provide a certificate of basic training...

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Bill would prohibit mandatory health insurance contracts

Modern Medicine — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

A developing advocacy campaign in Washington state has the AACU Government Affairs team implementing the very practices described in this space and thereby urged upon urologists in seemingly ad nauseum Calls to Action. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Massachusetts coverage rate nearly universal

Modern Medicine — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

More people in Massachusetts have health insurance now than when mandated coverage was enacted. Despite the gains, costs are still climbing. Learn the national implications. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Med Sci Monit 2012; 18(2):CR72-77 "Persistence of initial oral antidiabetic treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus"

Medical Science Monitor — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The persistence of initial treatment with metformin and/or sulphonylureas is far from optimal. Better diabetic care and continuous patient education should be encouraged to achieve higher persistence of oral antidiabetic treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes. (Source: Medical Science Monitor)

A Comparison of Two Approaches to Increasing Access to Care: Expanding Coverage versus Increasing Physician Fees

Health Services Research — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionsThe findings suggest that (1) coverage expansions, even if they substantially reduce patient cost sharing, do not necessarily increase physician utilization, and (2) increasing the generosity of provider payments in public programs can improve access among low‐SES children, and, through spillover effects, increase higher‐SES children as well. (Source: Health Services Research)

PPACA's affordability definition remains unclear

Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

When it comes to health insurance and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, defintion "affordable" can be a complex and confounding task. (Source: Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online)

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Adherence with Migraine Prophylaxis in Clinical Practice

Pain Practice — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that many patients who begin migraine prophylaxis with antidepressants, antiepileptics, or beta blockers are no longer taking these medications at 6 months. (Source: Pain Practice)

Non-Specialists Expand Into Lucrative Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

NYT — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:10:08 +0100

With declining insurance reimbursements, more doctors are expanding their practices to include things like breast augmentation and liposuction paid for out-of-pocket by patients. (Source: NYT)

Portland Archbishop blasts U.S. gov't over contraception

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:06:14 +0100

Portland Archbishop John G. Vlazny has called a requirement that employers include contraception in their health care plans a "severe assault on religious liberty." In a letter written to his "Brothers and Sisters in Christ" and republished by several media outlets, Vlazny took aim at a Jan. 20 Health and Human Services ruling that health insurance plans cover all FDA-approved forms of contraception without charging a co-pay, co-insurance or deductible. Similar letters were written by other U.S... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

The impact of health insurance mandates on drug innovation: evidence from the United States

The European Journal of Health Economics — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:09:29 +0100

Abstract An important health policy issue is the low rate of patient enrollment into clinical trials, which may slow down the process of clinical trials and discourage their supply, leading to delays in innovative life-saving drug treatments reaching the general population. In the US, patients’ cost of participating in a clinical trial is considered to be a major barrier to patient enrollment. In order to reduce this barrier, some states in the US have implemented policies requiring health insurers to cover routine care costs for patients enrolled in clinical trials. This paper evaluates empirically how effective these policies were in increasing the supply of clinical trials and speeding up their completion, using data on cancer clinical trials initiated in the US betwe...

Images: States With The Most Uninsured

WDSU.com - Health — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:00:05 +0100

More Americans than ever are going without health insurance. Find out where uninsured rates are highest. (Source: WDSU.com - Health)

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Examining factors influencing patient satisfaction with nurse practitioners in rural urgent care centers

Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: No statistical significance was noted in regards to patient satisfaction for the demographic factors age, gender, country of upbringing, or education level. Presence of health insurance was a significant factor, with uninsured patients rating higher levels of satisfaction. However, based on patients' responses to role clarity for this survey, it is evident that there continues to be insufficient public understanding of the role of NPs.Implications for practice: The future of the NP relies on patient approval as well as acceptance of the role. This study joins the pioneering efforts towards describing what patient satisfaction is and supports NPs serving as providers in rural, nonprimary care venues. By identifying influential factors of satisfaction, NPs can bridge the gap bet...

Exploring and Comparing the Characteristics of Nonlatent and Latent Composite Scores: Implications for Pay-for-Performance Incentive Design

Medical Decision Making — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This study compared several nonlatent and latent composite quality scores to evaluate the quality of care using diabetes mellitus (DM) P4P data and discusses their characteristics and implications for P4P policy. The authors describe a cross-sectional study of the DM P4P data collected from the claims data of the Bureau of National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan from January 2007 to December 2007. The DM patient outcome data, such as hemoglobin A1C values, were retrieved from the P4P database sponsored by the Bureau of NHI in Taiwan. The composite scores were derived from the following methods: 1) nonlatent scores methods (e.g., the raw sum score and the all-or-none score methods)and 2) latent scores methods (e.g., item-response theory-based Models I and II and the PRIDIT model). These s...

Opinionator: The End of Health Insurance Companies

NYT Health — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:00:16 +0100

Accountable care organizations will shift the focus of medicine away from treating sickness and toward keeping patients healthy. (Source: NYT Health)

Are Your Claims Being Rejected?

Blogged_Arteries — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

TMA and the American Medical Association report that many medical practices are seeing more of their claims rejected in recent weeks. The conversion to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Version 5010 transaction standards on Jan. 1 could be the culprit. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)

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Greg Hatcher On What Health Care Reform Is Missing (Executive Q&A)

Arkansas Business - Health Care — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Little Rock insurance agency owner Greg Hatcher works where business and fitness intersect: the health insurance industry. (Source: Arkansas Business - Health Care)

Lymphoma Study Group of JCOG

Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The Lymphoma Study Group (LSG) of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) was initiated in 1978 by five institutions and now has 47 members. JCOG-LSG has focused on combined modalities, dose intensification and the incorporation of new agents for major disease entities of lymphoid malignancies. More than 30 trials including 10 randomized trials have been conducted for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), adult T-cell leukemia–lymphoma (ATL), lymphoblastic lymphoma/acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), multiple myeloma, NK/T-NHL and indolent B-NHL, and correlative epidemiological and pathological studies have been performed on human T-lymphotropic virus type-I and T/B cell phenotypes. The first trials for aggressive NHL revealed significant differences in the pro...

Could the PPACA's Medicaid Expansion be Unconstitutional?

Forbes.com Healthcare News — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:54:03 +0100

While most of the public debate on the constitutionality of the health reform law has centered on the “individual mandate” – the requirement to obtain government-approved health insurance or pay a penalty – the Supreme Court has also agreed to consider another, far less discussed issue: whether the law's expansion of Medicaid eligibility might be an unconstitutional federal infringement on state legislative authority. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)

Older Prisoners Mean Rising Health Costs, Study Finds

NYT Health — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:20:07 +0100

More Americans older than 55 are being imprisoned, and many prisons are unprepared to provide them with health care, Human Rights Watch said in a new report. (Source: NYT Health)

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eHealth Literacy: Extending the Digital Divide to the Realm of Health Information

Journal of Medical Internet Research — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The present study documented differences between respondents high and low in eHealth literacy in terms of background attributes, information consumption, and outcomes of the information search. The association of eHealth literacy with background attributes indicates that the Internet reinforces existing social differences. The more comprehensive and sophisticated use of the Internet and the subsequent increased gains among the high eHealth literate create new inequalities in the domain of digital health information. There is a need to educate at-risk and needy groups (eg, chronically ill) and to design technology in a mode befitting more consumers. (Source: Journal of Medical Internet Research)

Usage and Attitudes of Physicians in Japan Concerning Traditional Japanese Medicine (Kampo Medicine): A Descriptive Evaluation of a Representative Questionnaire-Based Survey

Journal of Oncology — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:25:09 +0100

This article aims to provide information about the extent to which Kampo is now used in clinics throughout Japan and about physician's current attitudes toward Kampo. We used the results of a 2008 survey that was administered to physicians throughout Japan (n = 684). The data showed that 83.5% of physicians currently use Kampo in the clinic, although the distribution of physicians who use Kampo differ widely depending on the specialty and provided a breakdown of Kampo usage by specialty. It will be interesting to see how each specialty incorporates Kampo into its respective field as Kampo continues to play a pertinent role in Japanese medical system. (Source: Journal of Oncology)

Health Insurance Premiums, the ACA, and a Third Way

Forbes.com Healthcare News — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:28:10 +0100

Almost two years after the ACA was passed, it astounds me the number of people who still don't understand two important points regarding health insurance under the health care law: (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)

Obama on Health Insurance Reform: 'I Won't Go Back' (State of The Union Excerpts)

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Kaiser Health News article reports that in his State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama made just one explicit mention of the 2010 health law and offers a transcript of the few parts of his speech that mentioned health care issues. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Geographic variation in the cost of ambulatory care in Switzerland

Journal of Health Services Research and Policy — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions There are persistent regional differences in the per capita cost of ambulatory care that are not explained by demographic factors, access to care, or needs. It is likely that higher access to care leads to greater inappropriate use, particularly of specialists. Implementing gatekeeping systems and financial incentives that encourage better coordination of primary care may slow growth in costs and improve care. (Source: Journal of Health Services Research and Policy)

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Risk factors of underutilization of childhood immunizations in ultraorthodox Jewish communities in Israel despite high access to health care services.

Vaccine — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors of under-immunization are in part modifiable, by means of health education on the risks of vaccine preventable diseases and by improving the trust in the MOH. The leaders of the ultraorthodox communities could play an important role in such interventions. PMID: 22285273 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Vaccine)

Children’s and Blue Cross Blue Shield usher in new age of quality-based benchmarks in pediatrics

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:27:29 +0100

Sandra Fenwick, president and COO I’ve worked at Children’s Hospital Boston for more than a decade, and I’m still inspired every day by the hope and strength I see on the faces of our patients and their families. As Children’s navigates a challenging and evolving health care landscape, I draw on that inspiration and determination, especially when many in our industry seem to imply that cost is the only measure of a hospital’s worth. At Children’s, our worth—our value—is so much more than just dollars and cents. It means being treated by pediatric experts—doctors, nurses and support staff—who understand that children are not small adults and their care needs to reflect that fact. It’s a commitment to care and innovation that produces programs like our Community As...

Changing trends of surgical approaches for uterine prolapse: an 11-year population-based nationwide descriptive study

International Urogynecology Journal — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:45:56 +0100

Conclusions There has been a considerable change in the surgical approach for uterine prolapse in Taiwan over the past 11 years. Patient age and concomitant anti-incontinence surgery, surgeon age and gender, and hospital accreditation and ownership may correlate with the choice of surgery for women with uterine prolapse. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s00192-011-1647-1Authors Ming-Ping Wu, Division of Urogynecology and Pelvic Floor Reconstruction, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chi Mei Foundation Hospital, Tainan, TaiwanCheng-Yu Long, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanKuan-Hui Huang, Division of Gynecology, Departme...

QuickStats: Health Care Visits* for Children Aged 1-17 Years, by Health Insurance Status{dagger}--National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2006-2010 [From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]

JAMA — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

U.S. consumers tell insurers to cover experimental drugs

Reuters: Health — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:42:33 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters) - When your health insurance provider denies an experimental treatment or a high-cost drug, how much are you willing to pay for the care you believe you need? (Source: Reuters: Health)

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Health insurance company preys upon the poor with junk food reward program for vaccinating your baby

NaturalNews.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

"Will vaccinate my baby for food!" That seems to be the goal of a program launched last year by the UnitedHealthcare health insurance company of Michigan. It has resorted to enticing parents with junk food to convince them to inject their infants with potentially deadly... (Source: NaturalNews.com)

Should Everyone Be Required to Have Health Insurance?

WSJ.com: Health — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:43:52 +0100

Yes, says Karen Davenport of George Washington University, because it's the key to making health care more affordable and accessible. No, says Michael F. Cannon from the Cato Institute, because it will make health care more costly and scarce. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

Opinionator: What We Give Up for Health Care

NYT Health — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:41:04 +0100

If liberals care about middle-class salaries, public education and other state-funded services, they need to care about controlling health care costs as much as conservatives do. (Source: NYT Health)

The correlation of antidepressive agents and the mortality of end‐stage renal disease: a Health Insurance Research Database Study in Taiwan

Nephrology — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:51:21 +0100

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that (1) the mortality rate of ESRD patients was not affected by the diagnosis of depression, and (2) exposure of antidepressive agents in ESRD patients was associated with a higher mortality rate. The high mortality rate in ESRD patients exposed to antidepressive agents can be a bias by indication. Equally, a true contribution of the antidepressive agents cannot be ruled out and this needs for clarification.© 2012 The Authors. Nephrology © 2012 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology (Source: Nephrology)

Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinomas in Watershed Segments: Utility of C-Arm Computed Tomography for Treatment Planning

Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology : JVIR — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:07:51 +0100

We describe the impact C-arm CT can have on determining a dual blood supply in watershed region tumors and, more importantly, its ability to portray incomplete treatment at the time of the procedure itself. An exemption from obtaining informed consent was provided by the institutional review board for this retrospective report. All data were handled in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. (Source: Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology : JVIR)

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Administration Rules Insurers Must Cover Contraceptives

NYT — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:24:38 +0100

In ruling for free coverage for women, the administration rejected a broad exemption for employees of Roman Catholic hospitals, colleges and charities. (Source: NYT)

Cost-utility analysis of adjuvant goserelin (Zoladex) and adjuvant chemotherapy in premenopausal women with breast cancer

BMC Cancer — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Goserelin therapy results in better survival and higher utility-weighted life-years, and is more cost-effective than TC or TEC chemotherapy. (Source: BMC Cancer)

Nurses Paying Their Share of Medical Benefits

NurseZone.com Nursing News — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:23:50 +0100

January 18, 2012 - Across the country, employers are asking their workers to contribute more to the ever-growing cost of health insurance, and health care organizations are no exception. (Source: NurseZone.com Nursing News)

Most health plans to cover birth control

Health News - UPI.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:29:46 +0100

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. government officials say a final rule requires most health insurance plans to cover contraceptive services for women without additional charges. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

White House Keeps Rule on Birth Control

WSJ.com: Health — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:51:28 +0100

The Obama administration moved ahead with plans to require most employer health insurance to cover birth control without copayments, but gave religious employers an extra year to make the change. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

Administration Rules Insurers Must Cover Contraceptives

NYT Health — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:37:23 +0100

In ruling that health insurance plans must cover contraceptives for women without charge, the administration also rejected a broad exemption for employees of Roman Catholic hospitals, colleges and charities. (Source: NYT Health)

A SCOTUS Ordered End To Health Insurance Mandates Means Big Trouble For GOP Presidential Candidate

Forbes.com Healthcare News — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:19:00 +0100

Image via Wikipedia Despite the bravado exhibited by the GOP presidential candidates—each angling to outdo the other when promising to enter the White House with guns ablazin’ for the Affordable Care Act—their rhetoric is fraught with some very real dangers to their party—not to mention the nation—when it comes to actually (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)

Does Junk Food in Schools Matter?

RWJF News Digest - Health Insurance Coverage — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:46:05 +0100

Junk food sales in schools, long blamed for contributing to childhood obesity, do not make a difference overall in the weight of middle school students, according to a new study. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Health Insurance Coverage)

Health records access expanded for federal employees

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:01:48 +0100

Source: Maureen McKinney, ModernHealthcare Content: “Health insurance carriers that provide coverage for federal employees must soon begin offering their members additional downloading and data-sharing capabilities. The more than 200 plans that participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program are now required to add “Blue Button” functionality to their online personal health records, the U.S. Office [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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U.S. Says 28 States Acted on Health Insurance ExchangesU.S. Says 28 States Acted on Health Insurance Exchanges

Medscape Medical News Headlines — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:05:38 +0100

The Obama administration said that 28 U.S. states have taken steps to establish insurance exchanges under the 2010 healthcare law, despite the legal and political uncertainties threatening the overhaul. Reuters Health Information (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)

Why Did Americans Reject Compulsory Health Insurance after WWI? An Application of the Lifecycle Model

Journal of Nanomaterials — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:27:25 +0100

Progressive reformers failed to gain support to implement compulsory health insurance in the US after WWI. Modeling results presented in this paper, using a lifecycle model with sickness risk and precautionary savings, support the conclusion that existing voluntary insurance plans were adequate and welfare-enhancing in the US, that compulsory health insurance as proposed would not be welfare-enhancing, and that Americans' preference to self-insure during most of their working lives was rational, utility-maximizing behaviour. (Source: Journal of Nanomaterials)

States put tech to work on Medicaid enrollment

Healthcare IT News — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:23:44 +0100

More than half of states expanded and simplified their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs’ eligibility, enrollment and renewal procedures in 2011, often using technology to streamline and automate processes. That efficiency helped states to continue their coverage for low-income adults and children at the same level as the previous year. Enhanced federal funding drove many states to begin major development work to modernize decades-old eligibility and enrollment systems. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Medicaid Enrollment Steady in 2011, Report Finds

MedPage Today Public Health — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Enrollment in state Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) remained steady in 2011 and into 2012, and some states made it easier for low-income people to have coverage, according to a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

[Low-income patients: Perception and determinants among medical students.]

Presse Medicale — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

DISCUSSION: To improve these perceptions, the main proposals are increased contacts with underprivileged populations and the close supervision of the students by their course tutors. PMID: 22264932 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Presse Medicale)

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Walker returns federal health exchange grant

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:33:19 +0100

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced he will not pursue the implementation of a health insurance exchange and has turned down $38 million Early Innovator Grant funding from the federal government. Walker also announced Wednesday he will repeal the executive order that created the Office of Free Market Health Care created by Gov. Jim Doyle. “Stopping the encroachment of ObamaCare in our state, which has the potential to have a devastating impact on Wisconsin’s economy, is a top priority," Walker said... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Appendicitis racial disparities mostly unexplained

Reuters: Health — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:15:33 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Poverty and unfavorable health insurance account for only a small portion of the gap in the number of white versus Hispanic or black children who end up with a burst appendix, according to a new study. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Appendicitis Racial Disparities Mostly Unexplained

MedlinePlus Health News — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:15:23 +0100

Poverty and unfavorable health insurance account for only a small portion of the gap in the number of white versus Hispanic or black children who end up with a burst appendix, according to a new study.Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Pages: Appendicitis, Health Disparities (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Primary Issues Impacting Rural Health in North Dakota and Contributing Factors

Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:10:35 +0100

Lists issues that impact rural health in North Dakota, including health care access, quality of care, HIT, health insurance, and workforce. -- University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)

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Influence of the drug exposure definition on the assessment of the antipsychotic metabolic impact in patients initially treated with mood‐stabilizers

British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The definition of exposure to antipsychotics in epidemiological studies exploring their metabolic impact is of paramount importance in understanding this association. Different definitions can lead to opposite and seemingly nonsensical results.Not taking into account past exposure, in order to minimize the depletion of susceptibles effect, may lead to absurd results.© 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society (Source: British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology)

Persistence at 1 Year of Oral Anti-osteoporotic Drugs: a Prospective Study in a Comprehensive Health Insurance Database.

European Journal of Endocrinology — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion.Overall persistence at 1 year was low, but intermittent regimens were associated with higher persistence rates, along with women who had therapy monitoring. PMID: 22258112 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: European Journal of Endocrinology)

Health Sector Takes On Childhood Obesity

NYT Health — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:10:19 +0100

Health insurers and employers must now pay to screen children for obesity and provide them with counseling. Experts say creating such programs will be a challenge. (Source: NYT Health)

Study Reveals 1 In 10 Canadians Cannot Afford Prescription Drugs

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0100

One in ten Canadians cannot afford to take their prescription drugs as directed, according to an analysis by researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto. The study, published in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) is the first to examine the relationship between drug insurance and the use of prescription drugs in Canada. Researchers from UBC's Centre for Health Services and Policy Research reviewed data from 5,732 people who answered Statistics Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey. They found that 9... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Delayed and Forgone Care for Families with Chronic Conditions in High-Deductible Health Plans

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:03:12 +0100

Conclusions Among families with chronic conditions, reporting of delayed/forgone care due to cost is higher for both adults and children in HDHPs than in traditional plans. Families with lower incomes are also at higher risk for delayed/forgone care. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ResearchPages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1970-8Authors Alison A. Galbraith, Center for Child Health Care Studies, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USAStephen B. Soumerai, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USADennis Ross-Degnan, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inst...

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Learning to Be Lean

NYT Health — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:09:25 +0100

Health insurers and employers must now pay to screen children for obesity and provide them with counseling. Experts say creating such programs will be a challenge. (Source: NYT Health)

Declines in Employer‐Sponsored Insurance between 2000 and 2008: Examining the Components of Coverage by Firm Size

Health Services Research — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

ObjectiveTo examine trends in employer‐sponsored health insurance coverage rates and its associated components between 2000 and 2008, to provide a baseline for later evaluations of the Affordable Care Act, and to provide information to policy makers as they design the implementation details of the law.Data SourcesPrivate sector employer data from the 2000, 2001, and 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey‐Insurance Component (MEPS‐IC).Study DesignWe examine time trends in employer offer, eligibility, and take‐up rates. We add a new dimension to the literature by examining dependent coverage and decomposing its trends. We investigate heterogeneity in trends by firm size.Data CollectionThe MEPS‐IC is an annual survey, sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and co...

Minister seeks time limit for health insurance sign-offs

The Irish Times - Health — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:20:58 +0100

THE GOVERNMENT is to seek new provisions to have hospital consultants sign off on health insurance forms in a timely manner as part of new talks planned on efficiencies under the Croke Park agreement. (Source: The Irish Times - Health)

Appendicitis Perforation Rates Are A Misleading Indicator Of Health Care Access

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0100

A study published in the January issue of the Archives of Surgery suggests that using appendicitis perforations rates as an indicator of access to healthcare is misleading and inappropriate. The research finds that only a small percentage of the disparity in rates of perforation between minority and white children can be explained by their socioeconomic or health insurance status. Previous analysis indicated that higher perforation rates are found among poor and minority patients, or those who have an insufficient amount of access to health care. The study, led by Edward H... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Making the Most of Your Health Care Dollars

Disabled World — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:02:54 +0100

You can help lower your out-of-pocket health care costs by understanding what your health plan covers, what it does not cover and how to make the most of every dollar spent on health care and health insurance. (Source: Disabled World)

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Insured Americans have healthier lifestyles than uninsured

American Medical News - PROFESSION — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

People without health insurance are more likely to smoke and generally have less healthy habits than people with coverage, Gallup reports show. (Source: American Medical News - PROFESSION)

Possible effects of anaesthetic management on the 1 yr followed-up risk of herpes zoster after Caesarean deliveries

British Journal of Anaesthesia — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions In this series, there was a small increased risk of herpes zoster in the year after Caesarean delivery with general anaesthesia. Future studies are needed to further investigate these findings. (Source: British Journal of Anaesthesia)

Cancer Risk in Patients With Chronic Urticaria: A Population-Based Cohort Study [Evidence-Based Dermatology: Study]

Archives of Dermatology — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Patients with chronic urticaria are at increased risk of cancer, especially hematologic malignant tumors. Further studies are needed to delineate the associations. (Source: Archives of Dermatology)

Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Population-Based Case-Control Study [Original Article]

Archives of Otolaryngology — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Male patients with SSNHL had a higher proportion of prior OSA than non-SSNHL-diagnosed controls; no such association was found among female patients. Further study will be needed to confirm our findings, explore the underlying pathomechanisms, and investigate the difference between sexes. (Source: Archives of Otolaryngology)

Little Effect of Insurance Status or Socioeconomic Condition on Disparities in Minority Appendicitis Perforation Rates [Original Article]

Archives of Surgery — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions A very small amount of the gap between minority and white children's appendicitis rates is explained by the proxy factors for health insurance and poverty status that might relate to health care access. Appendicitis perforation rates are not an appropriate indicator of health care access. (Source: Archives of Surgery)

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The Severity of Disparity: Increasing ISS Accentuates Disparate Outcomes Following Injury

Journal of Surgical Research — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:29:12 +0100

Introduction: Multiple studies have demonstrated disparities in trauma mortality based on race and health insurance status. the underlying causes of these disparities are still largely unknown. Elucidating what groups are most at riskmay help in understanding these mechanisms. Given the predictable effect injury severity has on mortality, we sought to determine if injury severity modifies previously reported race and insurance status based disparities in survival after blunt traumatic injury. Methods: Adults (ages 18-64) in the 2003-2008 National Trauma Data Bank were stratified into six groups based on race and insurance status. Patients with Injury Severity Score (ISS) >=9 were included. Multivariable logistic regression compared the odds of death between the six race/insurance groups wi...

Epic Systems, Digitizing Health Records Before It Was Cool

NYT Health — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:58:45 +0100

In the growing business of electronic medical records, Epic Systems is far from a newcomer: it started more than 30 years ago, and now helps keep track of 40 million patients. (Source: NYT Health)

Coakley Files Brief Backing Federal Health Care Law

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:15:20 +0100

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a key provision in the federal health care law. The high court is expected to hear arguments this year on the constitutionality of a requirement in the 2010 law that individuals must buy health insurance if they can afford to or pay a penalty. Coakley argues in the brief filed Friday that a similar provision in Massachusetts’ first-in-the-nation health care law has been highly successful. She says 98 percent of state residents now have health coverage, the highest percentage in the country, and the cost of providing free care to the uninsured has dropped by $235 million per year. The attorney general says the 2006 Massachusetts law served as a “blueprint”...

Health care expenditure for hospital-based delivery care in Lao PDR

BioMed Central — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Substantially higher delivery care expenses were incurred for caesarean section compared to vaginal delivery. Three-fourths of the women who were not insured needed to be responsible for their own health care payment. Women who had higher family incomes were able to pay for more non-medical care expenses. The effect of health insurance on service utilization was noted by women and SBAs. To achieve the goal of utilizing delivery care in the hospitals, coverage of health insurance needs to be expanded. (Source: BioMed Central)

13 States File Brief in Support of ACA

MedPage Today Primary Care — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:15:59 +0100

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- A group of 13 state attorneys general filed a brief Friday in support of the Affordable Care Act arguing that the federal government has the right to require everyone to buy health insurance. (Source: MedPage Today Primary Care)

Capitol Business: GOP lawmaker’s health-exchange repeal unlikely to get very far

bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:41:04 +0100

A freshman Republican state senator introduced a bill Friday that would repeal Colorado’s health benefits exchange if any part of the federal health care reform law is struck down — a bill more notable for its political implications than its minuscule chances of passing. Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton, said he sponsored Senate Bill 53 because he does not believe in the state or federal government mandating health care purchases or setting minimal requirements that must be in a health insurance plan... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)

[Study of incidence and treatment of acute myocardial infarction by evaluating the financing database: 2004-2009].

Orvosi Hetilap — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:00:34 +0100

Conclusions: Authors conclude that the financing database is suitable to evaluate the major aspects of care and to support healthcare management decisions, while the appropriateness of treatment and the effectiveness of different interventions can be assessed by prospective databases satisfying the needs of special aspects and can therefore be used for detailed assessments. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 102-112. PMID: 22236416 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Orvosi Hetilap)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

HHS rejects Trustmark's proposed 13% rate increase

Cardiovascular Business News — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:43:52 +0100

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as allowed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has deemed health insurance premium increases in five states “unreasonable.” (Source: Cardiovascular Business News)

Tanzania: Public Health Insurance Funds Reach 15 PC of Population Only

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:03:50 +0100

Citizen (Dar es Salaam)-Public health insurance schemes in the country are marred by low membership, with the rural population being the most affected. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Rwanda: Medics Seek Inclusion of Parents in Health Insurance

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:44:07 +0100

New Times (Kigali)-Health workers in Nyagatare District have appealed to the government to consider including their parents in civil servants' health insurance scheme, RAMA. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Ghana: Private Hospitals Withdraw From NHIs in Ashanti

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:43:15 +0100

Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)-AN ATMOSPHERE of uncertainty appears to be hanging over the National Health Insurance Scheme in the Ashanti Region, following the withdrawal of services by accredited private health facilities in the region. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

White House Calls Increases in Health Insurance Rates Too High

NYT — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:13:09 +0100

The Obama administration ordered a health insurance company to rescind the rate increases it sought or justify its refusal to do so. (Source: NYT)

Affordable Care Act Holding Insurers Accountable for Premium Hikes

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Health insurance premium increases in five states have been deemed unreasonable by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced yesterday. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Phototherapy in France: Quantitative data from the National Health Insurance register.

The British Journal of Dermatology — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Aubin F, Weill A, Allemand H PMID: 22242886 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The British Journal of Dermatology)

White House Calls Increases in Health Insurance Rates Too High

NYT Health — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:50:46 +0100

The Obama administration ordered a health insurance company to rescind the rate increases it sought or justify its refusal to do so. (Source: NYT Health)

Health Spending Held Down by Recession

NYT — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:04:58 +0100

The economic downturn reined in the growth of health spending as many people lost jobs, income and health insurance, the government said in a report. (Source: NYT)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Multi‐modal quantitative MRI investigation of brain tissue neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis

Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion:Using a standardized multimodal qMRI acquisition and analyses that accounted for lesion distribution we demonstrate that cerebral pathology is widespread in RRMS. Our analysis of CC and neocortex qMRI metrics in relation to disability points to a neurodegenerative injury component that is independent from lesions. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Enhancing Mental Health Care for Suicidal Individuals and Other People in Crisis.

Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Gould MS, Munfakh JL, Kleinman M, Lake AM Abstract Linking at-risk callers to ongoing mental health care is a key goal of crisis hotline interventions that has not often been addressed in evaluations of hotlines' effectiveness. We conducted telephone interviews with 376 suicidal and 278 nonsuicidal crisis callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) to assess rates of mental health care utilization following Lifeline calls and to assess attitudinal and structural barriers to service utilization. Postcall utilization rates were approximately 50% for suicidal and crisis callers who received mental health care referrals. Lack of health insurance and callers' perceptions about mental health problems emerged as significant barriers to accessing continued help....

Self‐Castration by a Transsexual Woman: Financial and Psychological Costs: A Case Report

The Journal of Sexual Medicine — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. From a financial standpoint, an elective orchiectomy could have cost the health care system significantly less than a hospital admission with its associated additional costs. From a patient safety standpoint, elective orchiectomy is preferable to self‐castration which carries significant risks such as hemorrhage, disfigurement, infection, urinary fistulae, and nerve damage. Healthcare providers of transsexual women should carefully explore patient attitudes toward self‐castration and work toward improving access to elective orchiectomy to reduce the number of self‐castrations and costs to the overall health care system. Further research on the financial implications of self‐castration from different health care systems and from a series of patients is needed. St. Pe...

A Population‐Based Study on the Association between Gastric Ulcers and Erectile Dysfunction in Taiwan

The Journal of Sexual Medicine — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion. Our findings suggest a positive association between prior GU and a subsequent diagnosis with ED. Keller JJ, Lin H‐Yu, Chung S‐D, and Lin H‐C. A population‐based study on the association between gastric ulcers and erectile dysfunction in Taiwan. J Sex Med **;**:**–**. (Source: The Journal of Sexual Medicine)

MedWorm: Health Insurance

Senior U.S. Catholic cites Obama "promises" on birth control

VOLUNTARY PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE AMONG THE OVER 50s IN EUROPE

A case–control study of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and colorectal cancer

Justifying Insurance Coverage For Orphan Drugs

Health Reform to Require Insurers to Use Plain Language in Describing Health Plan Benefits, Coverage

Malignancies after renal transplantation in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study

GOP Takes Aim at Contraception Rule

Prescriptions Blog: Drug Costs Pose Smaller Financial Burden Amid Generic Boom

Boehner Vows to Fight Contraception Rule

Colorado shows bipartisan HIX support even amid dispute

Video: Catholic groups balk at covering birth control

The Future of mHealth: Putting Patients in the Driver’s Seat

ASC X12 not recommending 6020 TR3s to DSMO for HIPAA adoption

Obama Addresses Ire on Health Insurance Contraception Rule

New Study: Small Businesses Could Buy Health Insurance for Nearly 10 Million Workers Through the Affordable Care Act's Small Business Health Insurance Exchanges

Obama Addresses Ire on Health Insurance Contraception Rule

Utilizing risk-adjustment strategies to navigate an equitable road toward health-care reform

Employers And The Exchanges Under The Small Business Health Options Program: Examining The Potential And The Pitfalls [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

How Small Business Health Exchanges Can Offer Value To Their Future Customers--And Why They Must [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Health Insurance Exchanges Of Past And Present Offer Examples Of Features That Could Attract Small-Business Customers [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

How Choices In Exchange Design For States Could Affect Insurance Premiums And Levels Of Coverage [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Large Employers See Scenarios Under Which They Could Move Workers And Retirees To Exchanges [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Adjusting For Risk Selection In State Health Insurance Exchanges Will Be Critically Important And Feasible, But Not Easy [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Regulating Stop-Loss Coverage May Be Needed To Deter Self- Insuring Small Employers From Undermining Market Reforms [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Small Firms' Actions In Two Areas, And Exchange Premium And Enrollment Impact [Small Business Insurance Exchanges]

Colorado's Health Insurance Exchange: How One State Has So Far Forged A Bipartisan Path Through The Partisan Wilderness [Report From The Field]

Tim Jost Of Washington & Lee And The Duty Of Health Reform [People & Places]

Lessons For Coverage Expansion: A Virginia Primary Care Program For The Uninsured Reduced Utilization And Cut Costs [Coverage Issues]

Two Responses To A Premium Hike In A Program For Uninsured Kids: 4 In 5 Families Stay In As Enrollment Shrinks By A Fifth [Coverage Issues]

How Foundations Are Helping States Implement Health Insurance Exchanges [GrantWatch Outcomes]

Individual-Mandate Foes Warn of Affordable 'Car' ActIndividual-Mandate Foes Warn of Affordable 'Car' Act

White House says open to compromise over contraception

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare

Study Quantifies Families Without Health Insurance

White House open to compromise over contraception: adviser

New Commonwealth Fund Survey Finds Profound Income Divide in Health Insurance and Access to Health Care; Health Reform Could Nearly Eliminate Gaps When Fully Implemented in 2014

A case‐control study on the association between chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and erectile dysfunction

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare Payments to Doctors

A case of IgG4-related pulmonary disease with rapid improvement

Medical debt keeps rising, new report shows

Birth-control fight unlikely to hurt Obama, his strategists say

Medical debt keeps rising, new report shows

The Weill Cornell Community Clinic Insurance Enrollment Program (Weill Cornell Community Clinic)

Ghana: Capitation Talks End in Deadlock as Ashanti Group Gears Up for Demonstration

Health Insurance Stocks For a Republican Win

Variation in State Unintended Pregnancy Rates In the United States

Ethnic Differences in Prevalence and Barriers of HBV Screening and Vaccination Among Asian Americans

Risk of new acute myocardial infarction hospitalization associated with use of oral and parenteral non-steroidal anti-inflammation drugs (NSAIDs): a case-crossover study of Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims database and review of current evidence

Reducing the burden of morbidity and medical utilization of older patients by outpatient geriatric services: Implications to primary health‐care settings

The Effect of HIFA Waiver Expansions on Uninsurance Rates in Adult Populations

Saving Medicaid: A Path to Comprehensive Medicaid Reform

Health insurance counseling, other health events, Feb. 2-9

[Reliability of morbidity data reported by GPs : Results of a longitudinal study in primary care].

[Implementation of the new German job role code and its application in claims data analysis : Possibilities and limitations].

[Palliative care in the light of legal and regulatory requirements in Germany].

Bill would prohibit mandatory health insurance contracts

Massachusetts coverage rate nearly universal

Med Sci Monit 2012; 18(2):CR72-77 "Persistence of initial oral antidiabetic treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus"

A Comparison of Two Approaches to Increasing Access to Care: Expanding Coverage versus Increasing Physician Fees

PPACA's affordability definition remains unclear

Adherence with Migraine Prophylaxis in Clinical Practice

Non-Specialists Expand Into Lucrative Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

Portland Archbishop blasts U.S. gov't over contraception

The impact of health insurance mandates on drug innovation: evidence from the United States

Images: States With The Most Uninsured

Examining factors influencing patient satisfaction with nurse practitioners in rural urgent care centers

Exploring and Comparing the Characteristics of Nonlatent and Latent Composite Scores: Implications for Pay-for-Performance Incentive Design

Opinionator: The End of Health Insurance Companies

Are Your Claims Being Rejected?

Greg Hatcher On What Health Care Reform Is Missing (Executive Q&A)

Lymphoma Study Group of JCOG

Could the PPACA's Medicaid Expansion be Unconstitutional?

Older Prisoners Mean Rising Health Costs, Study Finds

eHealth Literacy: Extending the Digital Divide to the Realm of Health Information

Usage and Attitudes of Physicians in Japan Concerning Traditional Japanese Medicine (Kampo Medicine): A Descriptive Evaluation of a Representative Questionnaire-Based Survey

Health Insurance Premiums, the ACA, and a Third Way

Obama on Health Insurance Reform: 'I Won't Go Back' (State of The Union Excerpts)

Geographic variation in the cost of ambulatory care in Switzerland

The Effect of HIFA Waiver Expansions on Uninsurance Rates in Adult  Populations