proposal

Pennsylvania state Senators have agreed to continue a malpractice subsidy already in place for doctors and hospitals, while sidestepping a proposal to take money out of the malpractice reserve fund... Read more...

A new plan under discussion in Texas would redistribute DSH funding to fund a program subsidizing health insurance for the poor. The $246 million fund would subsidize health policies on a sliding... Read more...

Nursing and hospital advocacy groups hit the Hill last week to lobby for an increase in funding for nursing education in fiscal 2008. They're hoping to begin to address the emerging nursing shortage,... Read more...

In an entirely predictable move, the American Hospital Association (AHA) has come forward to say that it isn't pleased with CMS's new proposal to base Medicare hospital payments on quality measures.... Read more...

A powerful healthcare standards group plans today to launch an initiative promoting a new model for primary care which would help employers and health plans identify high-performing primary care... Read more...

An editorial in the conservative Washington Times newspaper has taken a particularly tough stance on the issue of preventable hospital-based conditions. Not only should hospitals not get paid for... Read more...

> Under a new proposal, some California hospitals may get a break from expensive earthquake safety upgrades. Right now, under current law, about 1,100 hospitals would be required to upgrade, at a price of about $50 billion. Article

> Atlanta-based Grady Health System may be on the verge of collapse, according to a report. If it does, woe betide the other hospitals in …

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You probably won't be surprised to hear that the president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is hoping to foster cost-effective medical practices. What's a bit more unusual, however, is his proposal for making that happen. BCBSA head Scott Serota--and others--would like to see the federal government, rather than commercial health plans, play the central role. Article

The New Jersey state legislature should soon begin considering a measure under which it would become the first state to require both pregnant women and newborns to be tested for HIV disease. The pending measure, which was unveiled by state Senate President Richard J. Codey (D) yesterday, would require that all expectant mothers and newborns get the test unless the mother rejects the testing in writing. The pending bill would require providers to educate women on HIV, offering information …

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Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (D) has released his plans to extend health coverage to the state's 1.4 million residents. The linchpin of his proposal is the "Illinois Covered Choice" health plan--privately issued health insurance made affordable by pooling members across the state. Uninsured individuals without access to coverage would be able to buy in regardless of health status--and families who buy in could save more than $10,000 per year, state officials said. In addition, …

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