Healthcare Policy

Well, you've got to admit that they're not going for half-measures. In a move that exceeds the ambition of many states, Democratic leaders and state Governor Chris Gregoire committed this week to bringing universal healthcare to the state within five years. Their methods will include cutting down on emergency department overuse, improving use of technology, reducing costs and expanding the state-subsidized plan which helps to cover working poor residents. By implementing these strategies, …

Particularly in Pennsylvania, where thousands of Amish and other similar religionists shun modern medicine, lay midwives have become an important part of the birthing practices of many women. These midwives have no formal medical training, but are instead trained through an apprenticeship process. In Pennsylvania, however, only midwives with nursing degrees can be licensed. This makes the practice of lay midwifery illegal in some regulators' eyes, though state law doesn't specifically …

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards has done what it seems all presidential candidates will need to do this season. He's come out with a broad-based plan to expand health coverage, a plan which would, in his case, require all employers to provide their employees with health care coverage.

In addition to requiring employers to pony up, his plan would also take other steps currently …

The state of New York is making two Buffalo-area hospitals an offer they can't refuse. If they can't complete a contentious merger, the state may close one of their facilities. Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) have talked merger on and off for years, but the talks have never progressed beyond the chatting stage. Now, with the two discussing a merger again, the state has gotten involved, with terms that put the two on the spot in a way that few hospitals ever face. …

While medical liability limits are still a top priority for lobbyists with the AMA and other physician specialty groups, lobbyists are beginning to make peace with the idea that their approach will have to shift as Democrats take power in Congress (and potentially the White House). Historically, Democratic lawmakers haven't been terribly sympathetic when it comes to tort reform efforts, and nothing suggests that the upcoming session is going to be any different. While …

Sure, the idea that Louisiana already has enough money to cover most low-income residents may sound good from the 50,000 foot view enjoyed by HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt. But down on the ground, things looked different to state legislators, who strongly disapprove of the idea of moving money from the state's Charity Hospital System into government-subsidized private health insurance. The legislators, who listened to Leavitt speak on Wednesday, aren't even willing to consider the idea …

As of yesterday, Houston's six stand-alone psychiatric hospitals will lose their Medicaid reimbursement, cutting off funding for treating many mentally-ill adults. The hospitals say that the cutoff will bar dozens of mentally-ill people a day from receiving treatment, because the psych wards in the region's acute-care hospitals often don't have space to take them in. "It's going to be a huge issue," said Dr. George Santos, medical director of freestanding psychiatric facility West Oaks …

Angering those who don't support its backbone--a doubled tobacco tax--Maryland lawmakers are going ahead with their proposal to cover more of the state's roughly 780,000 uninsured. The plan, which would double the state's tobacco tax to $2, would cover low income workers and subsidize small business coverage. The idea would be to bring far more poor residents into coverage plans, …

It's hard to keep count these days of how many states are planning universal health initiatives. One of the latest is New Jersey, which, in its case, would eventually require all residents to carry health insurance. State officials predict that the plan's first year costs could hit $1.7 billion, a number that might not get past the legislature, but should, given the costs of caring for the uninsured inefficiently, proponents say. After all, they note, the state already pays almost $600 …

New research from The Lewin Group, a non-partisan research organization, has concluded that the health insurance tax restructuring proposed by President Bush could indeed save money for some families, and cut the number of uninsured in the U.S.  Lewin researchers also noted that the plan could accomplish one of its main goals, cutting increased health spending; in fact, it could cut such spending by about $24.5 billion in 2009, said vice group president John Sheils. …