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 policy'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:24:01 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050499&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F21%2Flarsen-praises-state-progress-on-exchanges-at-ha-newsmaker-breakfast%2F States are making progress in varied ways toward creating the health insurance exchanges provided for in the Affordable Care Act, a senior official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said at a Health Affairs Newsmaker breakfast this morning. The state exchanges, which must be up and running by January 1, 2014, will provide [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050499 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:40:00 +0100 5050499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036215&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F15%2Fthe-insurance-exchanges-open-enrollment-and-switching-plans%2F The Department of Health and Human Services released proposed regulations this week on the new health insurance exchanges that the Affordable Care Act will set up.  While they don’t address all of the important policy issues related to how these new entities will work, they do lay out when people can sign up for exchange [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036215 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:03:50 +0100 5036215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028118&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F13%2Fimplementing-health-reform-health-insurance-exchanges-part-3%2F Editor’s Note: Below, Timothy Jost continues his Health Affairs Blog series analyzing regulations implementing the Affordable Care Act. Health Affairs Blog will also offer additional perspectives on the newly released regulations governing the state health insurance exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act. Although the proposed exchange rule released by HHS on July 12 was [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028118 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:03:23 +0100 5028118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028119&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F12%2Fimplementing-health-reform-health-insurance-exchanges-part-2%2F Editor’s Note: Below, Timothy Jost continues his Health Affairs Blog series analyzing regulations implementing the Affordable Care Act. Health Affairs Blog will also offer additional perspectives on the newly released regulations governing the state health insurance exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act. This is the second part of a three part analysis of the [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028119 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:18:05 +0100 5028119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968445&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fimplementing-health-reform-the-appeals-process-amended-rule%2F Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of posts by Timothy Jost on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  Earlier posts have analyzed some important guidances, as well as provisions governing state waiver requests, student health plans, premium review (proposed rule and final rule), medical loss ratios, insurance exchanges, coverage for pre-existing conditions, appeals [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968445 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:32:42 +0100 4968445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847932&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F20%2Fimplementing-health-reform-the-preview-review-final-rule%2F Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of posts by Timothy Jost on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  Earlier posts have analyzed some important guidances, as well as provisions governing state waiver requests, student health plans, premium review, medical loss ratios, insurance exchanges, coverage for pre-existing conditions, appeals of coverage denials, coverage for [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847932 Fri, 20 May 2011 14:34:47 +0100 4847932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631458&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F24%2Fwhy-is-there-a-problem-with-health-care-quality%2F Editor’s Note: In addition to John Goodman (photo and bio above), this post was coauthored by Gerald Musgrave and Devon Herrick. Go to the web site of the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and you will learn that DMC facilities rank among the “nation’s best hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report and that they have [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631458 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:08:58 +0100 4631458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600509&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F16%2Fhealth-affairs-receives-award-from-employers-health-group%2F John Iglehart and Susan Dentzer, Health Affairs’ founding and current editors-in-chief, received the Health Policy Innovation Leadership Award from the National Business Group on Health, a non-profit group of more than 300 large employers. The award was presented March 10 at the Business Group’s Health Agenda Conference in Washington, D.C. In presenting the first-ever award [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600509 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:10:36 +0100 4600509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575038&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F11%2Fhealth-reform-and-federalism-henry-aarons-view%2F Seven years ago, Stuart Butler and I joined together, a conservative/liberal “odd couple,” to endorse the idea that states should be empowered to take the lead on health reform.  As with many positions endorsed by strange bedfellows, our reasons for supporting that position differed. Stuart’s view, as I perceived it, was that states should act [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575038 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:25:18 +0100 4575038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495171&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F18%2Fthe-future-of-consumer-directed-health-care%2F Over the next decade I believe we are going to see a major transformation of American medicine. It won’t be the kind of transformation that is normally discussed at health care conferences and at inside-the-Beltway briefings. Nor will it be the kind of change anticipated by the people who gave us the Affordable Care Act [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495171 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:51:44 +0100 4495171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489622&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F17%2Fdefining-essential-benefits-congress-once-and-future-role%2F A non-governmental advisory body has begun to define one of the most important elements of last year’s health reform law. A committee of the Institute of Medicine will develop recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services on how to define an “essential health benefit.” The ultimate resolution of this question, which may not [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489622 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:38:46 +0100 4489622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459931&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F10%2Fthe-individual-mandate-neither-essential-nor-enough%2F All eyes are focused on the many state challenges to health reform.  Florida’s recent federal court decision held the entire health reform law unconstitutional, based on the unconstitutionality of the mandate requiring all U.S. citizens to maintain a minimum level of health insurance coverage beginning in 2014, or pay a penalty.  Virginia’s earlier decision severed [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459931 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:48:36 +0100 4459931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441969&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F06%2Fronald-williams-nhpc-presentation-available-via-webcast%2F The success of health reform depends on the efforts of both the public and private sectors. At the 2011 National Health Policy Conference (NHPC), to be held February 7 and 8 in Washington D.C., confirmed speakers include leading players in both of those realms. Don Berwick, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441969 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:11:27 +0100 4441969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4200549&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2F23%2Fimplementing-health-reform-medical-loss-ratios%2F Editor’s Note: The post below, on the “medical loss ratio” (MLR) rule issued yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services, is the latest in a series of posts by Timothy Jost on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  Earlier posts by Jost provide analyses of regulations and guidance implementing provisions of the Act governing health insurance exchanges, coverage for pre-existing conditions, appeals [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4200549 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:38:27 +0100 4200549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183272&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2F19%2Fimplementing-health-reform-emerging-guidance-on-insurance-exchanges%2F Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of posts by Timothy Jost on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  Earlier posts by Jost provide analyses of regulations implementing provisions of the Act governing coverage for pre-existing conditions, appeals of coverage denials, coverage for preventive services, a patient bill of rights, grandfathered plans, tax exempt hospitals, the small employer tax [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183272 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:29:55 +0100 4183272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4162911&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2F12%2Fhigh-risk-pool-premiums-to-decline-pollitz-says%2F Premiums for new high-risk pools established under the Affordable Care Act will decrease roughly 20 percent in January in the 23 states and the District of Columbia in which the federal government operates the pools, Karen Pollitz, head of the Health and Human Services Office of Consumer Support, said at a Health Affairs media breakfast this morning. The [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4162911 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:38:52 +0100 4162911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118854&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2F29%2Fwhat-is-an-essential-benefit%2F A central feature of health reform is the state exchanges, through which a variety of plans will be offered. Each of those plans will be required to offer a package of “essential benefits” as defined in the Affordable Care Act.  When most people think of benefits, they think of monthly premiums, annual deductibles and co-pays for [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118854 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:21:14 +0100 4118854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118922&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F9tVaEnjTt_Q%2F Related posts:REMINDER: “Health eGaming, Healthy Patients” Event Next Week The NHMA Forum on Health Care Reform offers an opportunity to impact health reform legislation Health Reform: Tinkering with the Health of Children with Pre-Existing Conditions. (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118922 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0100 4118922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118857&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2F27%2Finterstate-insurance-sales-questioning-the-race-to-the-bottom%2F The House Republican “Pledge to America” calls for opening up the health insurance marketplace by allowing people to purchase insurance across state lines. Families USA director Ron Pollack objects that this would cause a “race to the bottom,” with consumers buying insurance in states with the fewest consumer protections (read: regulations) and, therefore, the lowest [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118857 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:10:48 +0100 4118857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118858&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2F27%2Fthe-politics-of-health-reform-will-it-get-better-for-democrats%2F In next week’s elections, voters will punish Democrats for passing health reform legislation that focused on expanding coverage rather than controlling costs, Republican pollster Whit Ayres said at a Health Affairs media breakfast this morning. Democratic pollsters Stan Greenberg and Celinda Lake argued that the issue of health reform would play better for Democrats in [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118858 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:53:41 +0100 4118858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074011&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2F14%2Fplugging-into-the-future-of-health-care%2F Lonny Reisman, Aetna’s chief medical officer, was a participant in an August 5  National Press Club briefing on steps the private sector can take to promote meaningful use of health IT. The briefing was cosponsored by Health Affairs and the Health Industry Forum at Brandeis University. The post below highlights some aspects of Reisman’s presentation and supplements his discussion. Too often, [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074011 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:37:14 +0100 4074011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876734&cid=t_182451_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fhospitals-versus-insurance-companies.html Today's Times of India is full of reports about how doctors in private practise in Mumbai are no longer going to honour cashless policies from patients who have been insured by public sector insurance companies.This is a battle ( doctors and hospitals versus insurance companies) which was simmering for a long time, and has now come to a head. Let's look at this dispassionately.It's the doctor's duty to provide medical care to his patients. However, paying for this medical care is the patient's responsibility. Typically, this was a "fee for service" model . The doctor provided the services, and the patient paid for them. If the patient could not afford to do so , the doctor would reduce his fees - and even offer free services for poor patients who were deserving of financial assistance.Howe... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876734 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:42:00 +0100 3876734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733083&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdr-insurance-broker%2F2010.07.07 Call it sweet, delicious vindication. It was clinic day yesterday. No longer had I completed my rant in this blog about UnitedHealthcare’s program to require all cardiac elecrophysiologists to obtain a “notification number” before performing any pacemaker or defibrillator procedure, I discovered my letter from them dated June 3, 2010, on my desk stating that this requirement will begin September 1, 2010, for all Illinois electrophysiologists for “all electrophysiology procedures.” Not longer than an hour later I was seeing a 67-year-old patient in the clinic who asked me: “I just got my Medicare (Part A) card and must decide about which insurer I should use for Part B, C, D, E, and F,” he said jokingly. “Since I have the medical problem and... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733083 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:00:00 +0100 3733083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695527&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2F24%2Fsame-sex-couples-face-inequities-in-access-to-health-coverage%2F Partnered gay men in California are only 42 percent as likely as married heterosexual men to get employer-sponsored dependent health insurance. Partnered lesbians in the state have an even smaller chance (28 percent) of getting that same coverage, compared to married heterosexual women. Those findings are contained in a Web First article released online today by Health Affairs; the study will also appear in the journal’s August issue. The work by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund in Los Angeles is the first to quantify 1) the gap between dependent coverage received by heterosexual employees and coverage received by lesbian and gay employees, and 2) the greater extent to which the dependent partners of l... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695527 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:39:21 +0100 3695527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652378&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2F10%2Ffleshing-out-the-concept-of-insurance-exchanges%2F The idea of a health insurance exchange is broad enough to encompass many interpretations, and that can be both a good thing and a bad thing, Jon Kingsdale said Tuesday. He spoke at a Health Affairs briefing on implementing health reform, which was keynoted by Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform. The briefing marked the release of the journal’s June issue, “Moving Forward On Health Reform,” published with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “One of the political assets of [the term exchange] is that the concept is so mutable,” said Kingsdale, an independent consultant who until recently was the executive director of the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority in Massachusetts, the nation’s highest profile insurance ex... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652378 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:46:41 +0100 3652378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529743&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2F03%2Fpolicy-brief-near-term-changes-in-health-insurance%2F In March 2010, Congress enacted substantial health reform measures intended to increase access to affordable insurance, reduce the number of uninsured people, and reform both the health insurance market and the health care delivery system. The lion’s share of these reforms will take effect in 2014. However, some reforms go into effect well before that time. The latest health policy brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation summarizes immediate reforms to the private health insurance market that will take effect in 2010 and 2011. This is the most recent in a series of briefs that offer more context than fact sheets but provide quicker reads than most background papers. The information in the briefs is objective and reviewed by Health Affairs authors and o... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529743 Mon, 03 May 2010 18:03:16 +0100 3529743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511509&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2F28%2Fcredit-scores-juicing-up-the-mandate%2F Americans carry large amounts of consumer debt.  They are directly affected by credit scores, because the scores affect the interest rates they pay, and the amount of credit they are offered.  One late payment of a bill:  a 60- to 110-point score reduction.  Simply hitting the limit on a credit card:  a 10- to 45-point reduction.  A foreclosure:  an 85 to 160 point reduction.  And the grand finale, a medical bankruptcy: a 130- to 240- point reduction.  When new coverage standards are implemented under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the resulting “creditable” coverage will place caps on consumer cost sharing.  This can dramatically reduce medical bankruptcies, helping both consumers and their lenders.  Because of this, credit scores can poten... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511509 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:41:58 +0100 3511509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366169&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F15%2Fthree-cheers-for-individual-health-insurance%2F The most significant and most radical change to the health care system that President Obama is proposing is to virtually eliminate the market for individual insurance and replace it with a highly-regulated health insurance exchange. But why would anyone want to do that? One reason is the persistent myth that the market for individual insurance is broken. An extreme version of the myth is contained in an article in Health Affairs during the 2008 election by Sherry Glied and others, attacking John McCain’s proposal to replace all the subsidies for health insurance with a lump sum refundable tax credit of about $5,700 for every nonelderly family. You would think this proposal would be an enormous boon to the currently uninsured. But Glied’s complaint was that some 20 million people would ... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366169 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:47:27 +0100 3366169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354321&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FJIMisnOmNIc%2F By Stephanie Cohen. This month’s health insurance nightmare: You believe the cost of your policy is too high and the benefits too low. The situation: Sara E. was looking at new insurance options because she was concerned that her current policy cost too much and covered too little. A case in point was a recent eye exam. She had to pay for the appointment because she hadn’t yet met the $1000 deductible on her current policy. The solution: It was clear that Sara did not understand the details of the policy she had purchased. It’s not unusual, but can prove problematic. In fact, we recommend that all of our customers make a list of the medical services they will likely need throughout the year. Before buying anything, we tell them to read the fine print on the policy and ask... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354321 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:14:15 +0100 3354321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302289&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2F24%2Fshould-we-be-able-to-buy-insurance-across-state-lines%2F I live in Texas. Right now, the only health insurance I can buy is insurance regulated under Texas law. But if bills before Congress (most notably, one sponsored by Arizona Republican Congressman John Shadegg), are enacted, I would be able to buy insurance regulated, say, by the laws of Virginia, or the laws of Delaware, or 47 other states. Proponents claim this would greatly increase competition. Opponents claim it would undermine “consumer protections.” I think both claims are mainly wrong. I would not expect the number of insurance companies trying to sell me insurance in Dallas, Texas to change at all. And if I am worried about consumer protections, I can continue to buy Texas-regulated insurance, just as I did before. In fact, far from losing consumer protections, I would gain acc... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302289 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:50:41 +0100 3302289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3178752&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2F15%2Fdont-handicap-the-reform-protecting-integrated-care-systems%2F Conclusion Meaningful reform is an extraordinarily challenging process.  But in developing the exchanges and creating solutions for financing, Congress should return to the evidence that is abundantly clear from months of scrutiny.  Integrated health care systems are a critical part of the solution to our chronic health care problems: efforts at reform must preserve their opportunities to grow and compete.  We need a level playing field, not one that favors the problem and handicaps the solution. Copyright © 2010 Health Affairs Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. All material published on Health Affairs blog, excluding links, is covered under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - No Derivs 2.5 license.Plugin by Taragana (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3178752 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:41:31 +0100 3178752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156463&cid=t_182451_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F01%2Fhealthcare-for-some%2F On one hand, times like these try mens’ souls. On the other hand, times like these can show you the goodness in people’s hearts and the desperation that some patients face with medical illness. As the number of rural health clinics has fallen from 500 to 316 in Texas, here’s a story about a small group of docs who do their best to care for patients in rural Texas. They even have a van packed with portable medical supplies that they use to perform house calls on patients too frail to make the trips into town. The story is both somber and heartwarming. Then there is another story about a group called Remote Area Medical that organizes events to provide free medical care to uninsured and underinsured patients. In Tennessee, the lines for free health care begin the night befo... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156463 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:23:28 +0100 3156463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3118846&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F12%2F24%2Fwill-health-reform-tactics-mean-a-pyrrhic-victory%2F With the passage of health legislation in both the Senate and House, the presumption now is that reform will happen.  Still, let’s not forget that there is the daunting task of reconciling several significantly different provisions –for example,  on financing, a public plan, or abortion – while maintaining 60 votes in the Senate.  But for now let’s assume that high hurdle is crossed.  What can we say about the tactics used to accomplish the major health reform goals and their implications? Well, let’s note first that it is not 100 percent clear what long-term goals will have been accomplished.  This legislation will have restructured one-sixth of the entire U.S. economy in a series of political deals that makes sausage-preparation visually appealing by comparison.  The U.S... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3118846 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:31:33 +0100 3118846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015264&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2F20%2Fthe-senate-bill-abortion-and-the-individual-mandates-constitutionality%2F Editor’s Note: In the post below, Tim Jost looks at how the Senate Democratic health reform bill treats abortion coverage, and also at the question of the individual mandate’s constitutionality. In earlier posts, Jost took a first look at the Senate legislation and provided a detailed look at several issues that arise under the bill’s insurance reforms. Abortion. Early drafts of the health reform legislation attempted to ignore the issue of abortion, but in American politics, abortion is an issue that refuses to be ignored.  The problem is that current federal law only permits public funding for abortions involving rape, incest, or physical endangerment to the life of the mother.  Many private plans, however–perhaps most—cover all medically necessary abortion.  Once... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015264 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:56:44 +0100 3015264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015265&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2F20%2Fthe-senate-bill-getting-into-the-details%2F Editor’s Note: In the post below, Tim Jost provides a detailed look at several issues that arise under the insurance reforms included in the Senate Democratic health reform bill. In an earlier post, Jost provided a first look at the bill. In a third post, Jost looks at how the bill treats abortion coverage and also at the question of the individual mandate’s constitutionality. My first post presented a broad overview of the Senate bill, HR 3590 and a more detailed analysis of the bill’s provisions that go into effect prior to the 2014 general effective date.  This post will examine in detail four additional issues that arise under the bill’s insurance reforms.  There are 1) how the bill addresses implementation, administration, and enforcement; 2) the different categorie... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015265 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:29:56 +0100 3015265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943746&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2F30%2Fa-compromise-proposal-on-financing-health-reform%2F Both the new House health reform bill and the Senate Finance Committee bill, despite their best efforts, have to impose some taxes on some taxpayers; they cannot get all of a trillion dollars of subsidies for insurance out of Medicare.  But they differ on what and whom to tax: the House proposes to tax well-off people by limiting their tax deductions for things unrelated to health care or insurance, while Senate Finance proposes to levy an excise tax on high cost health plans.  As a card-carrying health economist, I am programmed to believe that the best choice for limiting health spending is to curtail the current open-ended exclusion of employment based health insurance premiums (whether nominally paid by employer or worker) and the flexible spending account loophole.  As an economist... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943746 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:02:43 +0100 2943746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890606&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2F14%2Fthe-insurance-exchange-in-health-reform-essential-characteristics%2F Insurance exchanges, or “Gateways” as they are called in the Senate HELP bill, are a key element in all of the congressional health reform proposals, as well as the proposal outlined by President Obama in his speech to Congress. The exchange is not some new heavy-handed government regulatory body. Rather, the purpose of the exchange is to make the private market work better and more efficiently. In this post, I set forth several design principles and insurance market reforms that are necessary if the exchange is to achieve its desired objectives. I then discuss how well these criteria are met in the health reform bills approved by the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and three committees in the House of Representative... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890606 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:46:41 +0100 2890606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846334&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2F30%2Fa-tax-that-targets-health-insurance-innovation%2F The Senate Finance Committee is now considering a proposal that would impose an aggregate tax of $6.7 billion dollars per year on “any U.S. health insurance provider,” in proportion to market share, whether for profit or not for profit, but not on employers who “self fund” their employees’ coverage. About 160 million Americans have private health coverage through employment, 55% or 88 million of whom receive their coverage through employer “self funded” arrangements. “Self funded” means that the employer is the insurer.  Employers hire “administrative service providers” (often just an arm of an insurance company) to process the claims, but they write the checks to providers on the employer’s bank account. Government actions are biased in favor of self insurance: em... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846334 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:41:16 +0100 2846334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846335&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2F29%2Findividual-mandate-is-focus-of-new-health-policy-brief%2F The complex health care overhaul underway in Congress would require nearly all Americans to have health insurance – a provision known as “individual responsibility” or an “individual mandate.” Supporters warn other reforms are not possible without this requirement.  But many opponents say such a mandate is unaffordable, and unacceptable in a free society.  A new Health Policy Brief  from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the latest in a series of briefs, examines this issue. The leading health reform bills in Congress would impose this new national individual mandate in the context of many other changes as follows: New rules would determine what minimal coverage is acceptable and spell out how much people should pay for it out of their own pockets.  Cov... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846335 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:59:53 +0100 2846335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807563&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2F17%2Fwhy-a-public-health-insurance-option-is-essential%2F The biggest flashpoint in the ongoing debate over the future of the U.S. health system is whether Congress should change the balance of power that now favors the private health insurance industry. Opponents of the idea argue that a public health insurance plan competing with private insurers would lead to inferior health care, harm providers, and drive the multibillion dollar for-profit health plans out of the market. Fears of Armageddon are without merit and inconsistent with reality. The U.S. has a health care crisis created by the private insurance companies that some are so worried about protecting.  Health care costs are out of control, threatening the viability of American businesses and the hopes of millions of American families. More than 47 million Americans are uninsured, and ac... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807563 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:56:34 +0100 2807563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2765988&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2F04%2Fhealth-exchanges-different-political-railroad-tracks-to-the-same-station%2F One by one, various cars are falling off the chugging legislative locomotive of Obama-style health “reform” as it tries to climb hills that are too steep.  The public plan option has checked in for rehab as a co-op and even some end-of-life counseling.  Bending-the-cost-curve measures were turned upside down by the Congressional Budget Office in July.   Plans to raise taxes didn’t square with a deep recession that reduced the supply of deep pockets to pick and increased the supply of voters more worried about restoring economic growth and reducing debt.  Mandatory universal coverage dreams have been downscaled in size, scope, and speed.  But remaining relatively unscathed and drawing little critical attention is the seemingly benign design offered by President Obama and congre... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2765988 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:55:23 +0100 2765988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757712&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2F02%2Funstable-ground-the-need-for-better-data-to-make-better-health-care-policy%2F Imagine the following. You are the senior White House health policy adviser, and you’ve been told to brief the president and his cabinet officials about the number of Americans who lack health insurance. The president turns to you, and you say: “Mr. President. The government has four different national surveys that count the uninsured. Unfortunately, each survey has different estimates that range from 18.9 million to 45 million. Each one measures things distinctly, and we’re not sure which, if any, of them is correct.” That was the situation facing Doug Badger, then the White House health policy adviser, in the middle of 2004. Following passage of the Medicare Modernization Act, the Bush administration was contemplating new polices for dealing with the uninsured. He... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757712 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:09:16 +0100 2757712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737714&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2F27%2Fsenator-edward-kennedy-a-tireless-legislator-and-courageous-man%2F Editor’s Note: During his 47 years in the Senate, the late Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts was a lion of U.S. health care and health policy. We at Health Affairs, along with much of the rest of America, grieve at his passing.  We recently asked Democratic and Republican politicians, policy experts, and former Senate staff to write for us about the senator’s many contributions.  We now publish several of these on the Health Affairs Blog, including the piece by David Blumenthal below, and will also issue Web Exclusive versions for the archives in the weeks to come.  – Susan Dentzer, Editor-in-Chief When I learned of Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s death,  I shared with millions around the world a deep sense of personal and professional loss. Inevitably, the personal dom... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737714 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:47:53 +0100 2737714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712088&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2F18%2Faffordable-access-for-modest-income-workers-eligible-for-group-coverage%2F In conclusion, sliding-scale tax credits and associated policies would better target federal tax spending and better align incentives to avoid crowd-out of employer financing. It could also assure convenient, affordable, and more stable coverage for many modest-income workers who have suffered disproportionate costs and wage concessions to participate in employer coverage, or have remained uninsured due to unaffordable contribution requirements. We believe this would help fulfill the promise that reform will make coverage more easily accessible and affordable for working Americans. Copyright © 2009 Health Affairs Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. All material published on Health Affairs blog, excluding links, is covered under a Creative Commons Attribution - Non... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712088 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:27:59 +0100 2712088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695352&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2F12%2Fwhat-people-don%25e2%2580%2599t-know-about-health-insurance-exchanges%2F Editor’s Note: For more on health insurance exchanges and health reform, see Building A Health MarketPlace That Works by Alain Enthoven. Much of the heat so far in the debate over how health care reform will expand coverage to uninsured Americans has been about whether or not there should be a public plan option.  That has overshadowed one of the most important issues – how to design effective health insurance exchanges to meet the needs of small employers and individuals.  Both houses of Congress have now proposed frameworks for expanding coverage that rely on exchanges.   A health insurance exchange is simply a structured marketplace where people can choose among health plan options.  The exchange offers information to help people make informed choices, and it provides admin... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695352 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:23:20 +0100 2695352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2625946&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FNWMxvdU1wFQ%2F As the New York Times reported, House Democrats proposed a hotly debated bill where families who make $500,000 would have to pay an extra $1,500 to help subsidize health insurance for the poor. (And if a family makes more than $1 million, they would have to pay $9,000.) Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2625946 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:59:05 +0100 2625946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570356&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Fassets%2Fdocuments%2FCEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf The following guest post is penned by Lisa Korin, Graduate Student, Masters of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Barack Obama’s grassroots organization, Organizing for America (OFA), called for a series of health reform kick-off meetings on June 6 (coincidentally my birthday), to brainstorm ideas on the public option notion and plan a healthcare day of service for June 27. I attended a meeting at a stranger’s home that I found on the OFA website. As the attendees went around the room sharing their healthcare stories, it quickly became apparent that most everyone at the meeting was for a single payor system, in which there is only one public payor for all, and not interested in discussing the Obama plan that was to be the meeting’s ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570356 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:32:37 +0100 2570356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522907&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2F19%2Fpros-and-cons-of-a-public-insurance-plan%2F Should Americans be able to enroll in a newly created, publicly administered health insurance option as the nation works to expand health coverage? That question is at the center of the current health reform debate. It is also the subject of the latest health policy brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which was released today.     The new brief explains the broad outlines of public health insurance plan proposals and probes the general concerns of supporters and opponents. It is the third in a series produced by Health Affairs with support from RWJF. The free, online policy briefs provide a clear overview of front-burner health issues. Alerts for the health policy briefs are available by email and RSS feed. You may also follow Health Affairs on... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522907 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:10:52 +0100 2522907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2206825&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2F22%2Fkathleen-sebelius-one-colleagues-take%2F Kansas Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius is said to be President Obama’s top choice to be the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. What will Gov. Sebelius bring to the table if she is indeed nominated and confirmed? A former close colleague of Sebelius, Terri Vaughan, highlights the value of the Governor’s experience as her [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2206825 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:03:40 +0100 2206825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2093051&cid=t_182451_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyelomablog.com%2F2009%2F01%2F10%2Fi-love-aflac%2F Before I got cancer, I made sure I had an AFLAC cancer policy. They’ve been great, and I recommend that anyone who is planning on having cancer  enrolls in one of their plans before they get it.  The trouble is, you don’t know if/when you might get cancer, so you better just plan for it. Expect the worst and hope for the best, some say. I filed my claim for 2008 a week or so ago and was really surprised when I received a check in the mail for $4600. Something wasn’t right.  It should have been $900. I’ve been filing these claims for years, so I knew a mistake had been made.  I picked up the phone and called AFLAC. They’re going to investigate it and will send a letter when they figure out what happened.  Wouldn’t it be nice if they said it was a rew... beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2093051 Sat, 10 Jan 2009 04:55:54 +0100 2093051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859723&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2F07%2Fhow-will-the-bail-out-affect-health-care%2F The current issue of the Health Wonk Review highlights a number of bloggers who are writing on the potential effects of a $700 billion financial industry bail-out on insurers and the health care system. Jason Shafrin of the Healthcare Economist hosts this edition of the biweekly round-up of the best of health policy blogging. Copyright © [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859723 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:12:16 +0100 1859723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1851168&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2F03%2Fvp-candidates-debate-health-plans-biden-uses-data-from-health-affairs%2F In the vice presidential debate last night, Democratic VP candidate Sen. Joe Biden (DE) cited an estimate from a recent article in Health Affairs that 20 million Americans would lose their employer-sponsored coverage under the health reform plan advanced by Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (AZ). The Health Affairs article, a critique of McCain’s health [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1851168 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:02:14 +0100 1851168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841199&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2F30%2Fthe-temporary-decline-in-the-number-of-uninsured%2F Two statistical “events” catalyze a lot of health reform debate every year: the Census Bureau’s annual estimate of those without health insurance, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) actuary’s estimate of the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) devoted to health care. We can argue about whether these are the two most [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841199 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:30:16 +0100 1841199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723596&cid=t_182451_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2F21%2Fharry-and-louise-are-back%2F Harry and Louise, the infamous couple concerned with President Clinton’s health reform plan fifteen years ago are back on the advertising circuit, note several bloggers in today’s Health Wonk Review, hosted by Julie Ferguson of Worker’s Comp Insider. This time, instead of representing the Health Insurance Association of America’s point of view, they are part [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723596 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:14:18 +0100 1723596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1440214&cid=t_182451_158_f&fid=36160&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeinstitute.com%2Fcaregivingminutes%2F%3Fp%3D87 The American Cancer Society offers free lodging (Hope Houses) when cancer survivors need treatment in another state. A Hope House provides a place for families to live temporarily while a loved one receives cancer treatment. The Society also provides assistance getting insurance even with a cancer diagnosis. Many insurance companies will not approve an insurance policy for a person with a diagnosis of cancer because it is considered a non covered preexisting condition. The ACS works with cancer survivors and their families to get insurance coverage. The Amercian Cancer Society helpline is available 24/7 including holidays and can be reached by calling (800) 227-2345. (Source: CaregivingMinutes™ by Pope Institute) CaregivingMinutes™ by Pope Institute blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1440214 Sun, 11 May 2008 20:39:36 +0100 1440214