> The federal mental health parity bill [1] continues to progress, with the pivotal House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee holding a hearing on the matter. Article [2]
> Aetna is rolling a program under which patients will have physician-specific pricing information. Article [3]
> A group of Connecticut medical, public health and law students have gotten together to lobby for a bill creating a single health insurer for the state. The insurer would make sure coverage available to all non-Medicare patients. Article [4]
> Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) lay out their arguments for broader implementation of personal health records. The two are co-sponsoring a bill [5] which would have HHS pay incentives to doctors who implement PHRs. Article [6]
And Finally... How to battle the rise of the "superbug." (Hint: rewards are involved.) Article [7]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/competing-mental-health-parity-bills-duke-it-out/2007-03-20
[2] http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hpolicy.cfm#43888
[3] http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2007/03/26/daily25.html?b=1174881600^1438432
[4] http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/viewcontent/88318.html
[5] http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/kennedy-to-file-phr-legislation/2007-03-05
[6] http://www.healthdecisions.org/News/default.aspx?doc_id=111677
[7] http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?id=10482