MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'insurance legislation'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:55:09 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318376&cid=t_274621_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYB9U3Y7eSzg%2F By Michael F. CannonFrom my health care reform oped in today’s Daily Caller: President Obama wants to work with Republicans on health care reform. “I am going to be starting from scratch,” he says, “in the sense that I will be open to any ideas that help promote” controlling health care costs and making health insurance more widely available. As it happens, many of the worst ideas are in the legislation Obama supports. Republicans have embraced some of the best ideas, but also some of the worst. The best health care reform ideas ideas give consumers the money, let them choose a health plan regulated by a state of their choice, and reduce the federal government’s role in providing medical care to the needy.  The worst ideas?  Creating or expanding government health car... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318376 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:44:40 +0100 3318376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204835&cid=t_274621_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fd8BAbrjpHac%2F By Michael F. CannonThe American people don’t want President Obama’s health care plan (see below). Massachusetts voters don’t want it. The White House knows that the people don’t want it.  In Ohio last week, President Obama said: the process has been less than pretty. When you deal with 535 members of Congress, it’s going to be a somewhat ugly process…when you put it all together, it starts looking like just this monstrosity. And it makes people fearful. And it makes people afraid. And they start thinking, you know what, this looks like something that is going to cost me tax dollars and I already have insurance so why should I support this. Yet Democrats still want ObamaCare to become law, and they are very close to making it happen.  If Speaker Nancy... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204835 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:42:38 +0100 3204835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645266&cid=t_274621_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi7W1qQskV3k%2F According to Don Johnson of The Health Care Blog: Speculators seem to be betting that a watered down health insurance reform bill won’t hurt health insurers, hospitals, drug makers or medical device and supply manufacturers. Stocks for almost all of these health sectors and for exchange trade funds that track health stock indexes turned higher last week. In other words, those with real money at stake don’t believe that health reform will hurt the firms that make a living off of America’s highly inefficient health sector — President Obama’s assurances notwithstanding. Johnson provides seven possible explanations for this development, including: 3. If the very liberal Coastal Democrats who lead Congress and most of the five committees drafting health insurance l... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645266 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:14:36 +0100 2645266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630047&cid=t_274621_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIBK96jTDjOc%2F The First Amendment guarantees our freedom to petition the government, which is one of the reasons why the statists who wants to restrict or even ban lobbying hopefully will not succeed. But that does not mean all lobbying is created equal. If a bunch of small business owners get together to lobby against higher taxes, that is a noble endeavor. If the same group of people get together and lobby for special handouts, by contrast, they are being despicable. And if they get a bailout from the government and use that money to mooch for more handouts, they deserve a reserved seat in a very hot place. This is not just a hypothetical exercise. The Hill reports on the combined $20 million lobbying budget of some of the companies that stuck their snouts in the public trough: Auto companies and eigh... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630047 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:37:15 +0100 2630047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441164&cid=t_274621_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fbz5bpMFLQqA%2F Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has begun circulating drafts of his proposed health care reform legislation. Initial reports, including an op-ed in the Boston Globe by Kennedy himself, suggest that the bill will contain every one of the bad ideas that I outlined in my recent Policy Analysis on what to expect from Obamacare. Among other things, the Kennedy bill will call for: An employer mandate; An individual mandate; A so-called “Public Option,” a Medicare-like plan that will compete with private insurance; The use of comparative-effectiveness/cost-effectiveness research to restrain costs; Subsidies for families earning as much as 500% of the poverty level ($110,250 for a family of four). Insurance regulation, including guaranteed issue and community rating. (He would also establish a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441164 Fri, 29 May 2009 18:39:29 +0100 2441164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074315&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FjsxVi4TrMdc%2F I would say I wrote a lot, and probably too much, about Jenny McCarthy in 2008 (and writing less about her, and about the whole vaccine-autism idea, is making its way higher and higher up onto my list of New Year’s resolutions). Nonetheless, vaccines dominated discussions about autism in March in the wake of announcements about the case of Hannah Poling, whose “pre-existing mitochondrial disorder…. was ‘aggravated’ by her shots” and led to symptoms of autism, as conceded by the U.S. Federal Court of Claims. A lot of debate followed about the Vaccine Court, to the point of general vaccine fixation. Some mentions of birdsong and fish, and then, in the course of yet again saying it’ not the vaccines, some thoughts about why this is such a personal matter. Also: Insur... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074315 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:10:30 +0100 2074315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056135&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FJ0IxVrYoaWA%2F You could call 2008 a year of autism legislation, with bills proposed and (in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas) passed for insurance coverage for children with autism (of varying ages; for instance, Texas’ House Bill 1919 calls for coverage for autistic children between two and six; efforts are being made to pass House Bill 451, to require certain insurance plans coverage to autistic individuals up to age 18). Via the National Council of State Legislatures, you can access the NCSL Autism Legislation Database, which provides information about legislation in different states. Autism Bulletin also has a map of autism legislation, and here are various posts I’ve written on legislation concerning autism and disabilities. Military famil... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056135 Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:30:20 +0100 2056135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046916&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FhaC9uTz-zfE%2F With legislation for insurance for “autism treatment” under consideration around the country (in Virginia, in Florida, in Illinois), a question: The “treatment” called for is principally in the form of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). What other treatments might you wish to see covered and how might they be justified as the sort of treatment and therapy that health insurance must provide for? Tags: ABA, asd, asperger syndrome, autism, florida, illinois, Insurance, pdd-nos, virgniaShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046916 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:24:31 +0100 2046916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011192&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYUR4HtQYKtc%2F Via Cynthia Samuels On Special Education blog at EdWeek, I found this Autism Legislation Database on the National Conference of States Legislatures website. You can also access a state-by-state database on autism legislation here. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, database, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Health, Insurance, Legislation, policy, statesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011192 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:01:14 +0100 2011192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856124&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FUHIZ8zdv7QA%2F Included in the economic bailout bill signed by President Bush last Friday, October 3, was a new law requiring equal coverage of mental and physical illnesses. Go here to read H.R. 1424, SEC. 512. MENTAL HEALTH PARITY, Subtitle B–Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. The October 5th New York Times quotes Dr. Steven E. Hyman, a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, as saying that “it was impossible to justify insurance discrimination when an overwhelming body of scientific evidence showed that ‘mental illnesses represent real diseases of the brain.’” More specifically: “Genetic mutations and unlucky combinations of normal genes contribute to the risk of autism and schizophrenia…..Th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856124 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:00:23 +0100 1856124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837288&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FGOGEHuBTAag%2F In Massachusetts, Michael Mayes, an 18-year-old senior at Marshfield High School who plays baseball and football, is one of 28 students who will serve on Governor Deval Patrick’s Statewide Youth Council, today’s Boston Globe reports: The panel was established by the governor to allow young people to weigh in on issues important to their communities and to them personally - such as soaring college costs, violence prevention, and healthcare. The opinions and concerns, voiced during council meetings, will be relayed to state legislators. The council has two representatives from each county in the state. They serve for two years. Mayes is autistic and recalls that “‘In elementary school, everyone always underestimated me.’” Not any more…… And acr... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837288 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:30:31 +0100 1837288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1652391&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F345132884%2F Today Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell signed House Bill 5696, which requires insurance companies to cover physical, speech and occupational therapies for autism, if their policies cover these treatments for other conditions, and also House Bill 5590, which calls for a statewide plan to teach autistic children. In Virginia, parents are seeking to get House Bill 83—which would mandate insurance coverage for autism—passed, according to WTOP News. Said Gov. Rell in Norwalk Plus “As parents we take great joy in our children’s ‘firsts.’ Their first smile. Their first steps. Their first words…..We are also the first to sense a problem. This new law open doors to more treatment – and sooner.” Having written earlier today about Charlie’s being diagnosed 9 years... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1652391 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:13:36 +0100 1652391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1622227&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F335345781%2F Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich rewrites bill for autism coverage is the headline of a July 13th Associated Press story. The governor and other advocates want insurance companies to cover up to $36,000 a year for diagnosis and treatment, including speech therapy and behavioral services and for individuals up to 21 years old. If I may step back a bit and reflect on how many states have sought to pass legislation to provide insurance coverage for autism therapies, I think back to 1999 when Charlie had just been diagnosed. It was pay for it yourself or sue that school district; people talked about getting insurance, but hesitated because therapies like ABA were considered educational, rather than medical. There are disputes and problems about what gets covered under legislation — but ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1622227 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:11:44 +0100 1622227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1484948&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F302397208%2F After legislators in Oklahoma did not pass Nick’s Law (which called for insurance coverage for autism treatments) at least one family is leaving the state to get services for their autistic child in another part of the country. Doug and Caroline Hall are moving to Cincinnati for the sake of their 4 1/2 year old son, Dougie. According to the May 30th News OK, the state of Ohio provides up to $20,000 a year for either private school or autism treatment. We’ve moved and moved in search of the right educational placement and services for Charlie. The biggest move was when we left St. Louis (where Charlie was born) to go back to New Jersey (where my husband is from and where there are a lot of well-established autism schools). While we’ve now found a school district that provi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1484948 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:00:44 +0100 1484948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1480747&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F301363578%2F Those are the very words that Rep. Ron Peterson (R-Broken Arrow) used to refer to autistic children in a “puff piece” profile distributed by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), according to the May 28th OKC Business.com (the profile can also be read on Nick’s Law and Autism Legislation in Oklahoma). There’s a fight going on in Oklahoma about getting “Nick’s Law”—which would require health insurance policies cover diagnosis, treatment and therapy for autism spectrum disorders — passed. Peterson is quoted as “belittling” treatment for autistic children: Peterson said in the profile that the treatment that would be covered by Nick’s Law is clinically unproven. “The medical profession has stated there’s no reaso... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1480747 Fri, 30 May 2008 16:34:21 +0100 1480747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405398&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F279761777%2F So what do you do if your state passes autism legislation (as my state, New Jersey, did in September of 2007) and then it gets stalled by budget cuts—-when the bill gets passed but there’s no funding as it’s an austere buget year” ? In Florida, the Window of Opportunity Act was passed by the Senate last week—and today’s Palm Beach Post reports on the hurdles it now faces in the House: State House leaders acknowledged Monday that the state doesn’t have the money to have Medicaid and Healthy Kids cover all Florida children with autism. But they still oppose the Senate plan that would immediately require private health insurers to cover autism treatment. Instead, the House wants to “put a mechanism in place” to have autistic kids get coverage through ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405398 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:41:13 +0100 1405398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405399&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F279633182%2F Below is the press release about the new autism legislation that New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez unveiled this morning in Weehawken, in Hudson County in northern New Jersey. The legislation has three parts: The creation of “autism navigators” to help families “navigate” their way through services, treatment options, and much more; the development and implementation of autism training for first responders (police, fire departments, emergency medical technicians and other volunteers); the creation of an HUD Task Force to address the “serious lack of sufficient housing” for autistic adults. The legislation is specifically about services and community supports. The need for housing for autistic adults is underscored in a story from KGW.com in Washington s... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405399 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:06:26 +0100 1405399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1338052&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F261456852%2F Up to 80 percent of autistic children could hold jobs and become independent, according to Sandra Hastings, a certified behavioral analyst, who has worked with autistic children since 1989 and is now working in the Santa Rosa County schools in Florida. Hastings is quoted in an article in the Northwest Florida Daily News about the costs of autism and specifically for intensive therapy using Applied Behavior Analysis. A new piece of legislation in Florida, “The Window of Opportunity Act,” would require large group health insurance plans to provide diagnostic screening, intervention and treatment of autism. It would prohibit insurance companies from denying autistic children therapy. Two separate bills, SB 2654 and HB 1291, are working their way through House and Senate committees. The Au... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1338052 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:00:50 +0100 1338052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321127&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F256114285%2F Yesterday Governor Janet Napolitano signed legislation that will eventually require insurance companies in Arizone to provide coverage for autism, the Yuma Sun reports. Only companies with at least 50 works and with employer-purchased insurance for companies will have to provide the coverage, and children up to the age of 8 can receive up to $50,000 in coverage per year, while children aged 9-16 would benefits capped at $25,000. Gretchen Jacobs, who has a 4-year-old autistic daughter, says that the “higher figure for younger children makes sense as there is evidence that early and intense intervention can make a difference.” Being the parent of an older child, I’m inclined to think that parents with older children might feel somewhat shortchanged by the distinction. Thera... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321127 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:49:45 +0100 1321127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1309081&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F253228139%2F Ever felt like you’ve been caught between a rock and a really hard place? And in particular (if you are a parent like me) trying to arrange and rearrange your finances to provide therapies for your autistic child? Parents of autistic children in Wisconsin like Cindy Brimacombe have found themselves in such a situation in the wake of the state’s Legislature leaving bills that would have affected how services for autistic children are funded and delivered “by the wayside,” as the March 16th Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Republicans and Democrats both had differing plans to help autistic children but were unable to compromise: Brimacombe said she wished the two sides had been able to pass a bill helping children like hers. She preferred the autism bill promoted b... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1309081 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:00:09 +0100 1309081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271482&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F244173697%2F Education and advocacy. Education and advocacy and legislation, and how to make these happen in order to make a real and practical impact on the lives of autistic persons and of their families in New Jersey, and how COSAC—–the New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community—might best achieve this: This was what was talked about at the COSAC Strategic Planning retreat that I was fortunate to be present at for most of Saturday. A lot of the conversation was about the needs of autistic adults and especially about housing, and about how COSAC might best focus its efforts. A good deal of talk was about the autism bills that have been passed in New Jersey, and that have yet to be voted on—-and on how to make sure that the programs and services spelle... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271482 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:27:41 +0100 1271482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1247918&cid=t_274621_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F238831932%2F Last September, New Jersey Governor Joseph Corzine signed a package of seven bills relating to autism; go here for details about the bills. Next Monday, the New Jersey State Legislature will consider a second round of autism bills, again sponsored by Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, D-Camden. Under the new legislation, New Jerseyans with autism would have their own government advocate, insurance coverage for promising treatments, help with living arrangements, and a student peer program for students in grades 7-12 to interact with autistic students. Today’s Bergen Record provides specifics—-am glad to be here and home in Jersey. The Legislature and Corzine have identified autism as a prime concern. In September, the governor approved the state’s most comprehensive auti... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1247918 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:46:03 +0100 1247918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=572351&cid=t_274621_131_f&fid=34975&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FThePersonalGenome%2F%7E3%2F112158485%2Fvideo_rep_louis.html Here is Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY) discussing the importance of GINA on the House floor yesterday: (If you're reading via RSS, you might need to go to my site to view the embedded video) The bill passed in the House 420-3.  If you're curious, the 3 Nays were Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Representative Ed Royce (R-CA), and Representative Ron Paul (R-TX). --H.R. 493, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act  (PDF) Full proceedings from the Congressional Record, April 25, 2007, ~20 pages (PDF) (Source: The Personal Genome) The Personal Genome blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=572351 Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 572351