proposals news from FierceHealthcare

We knew we would probably get some kind of new healthcare plan when Obama made it into office; now it looks like it might be a little sooner. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) has introduced a blueprint for... Read more...

In a move that could set back national physician efforts to control the evolution of retail clinics, the Federal Trade Commission has labeled retail clinic regs backed by Illinois doctors as... Read more...

SPOTLIGHT... Broader health coverage could reduce disparities, lawmakers sayWhile it wouldn't eliminate health disparities entirely, proposals to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents could... Read more...

According to a recent poll, one-third of Americans are taking a pass on necessary medical care due to rising costs; even more shocking, this number includes those who have health insurance.... Read more...

No less a mainstream group than The American College of Physicians has issued a call to the federal government to relax its ban on medical marijuana use and foster research into the drug's... Read more...

Over the last several months, health system reforms in Massachusetts have drawn national praise, and have played a role in shaping the healthcare proposals put forth by the current slate of... Read more...

During this election cycle it's obligatory for presidential candidates to offer a detailed health reform proposal, rather than making the vague pronouncements of previous years. Yesterday, it was... 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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Policy experts meeting at a Mayo Clinic-sponsored forum are recommending some significant changes to health plan reimbursement practices which they say could improve care and reduce costs. The experts, who met this week at Dartmouth, are suggesting that plans institute shared decision making programs for major elective surgery, in which medical centers are awarded bonuses for involving patients effectively. Another of their proposals is to develop a model for a single "chronic condition …

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Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards has come forward with his plan for health reform. While some of his proposals are the same old boilerplate, a few--such as removing patents for breakthrough drugs and requiring health plans to spend 85 percent of premiums on patient care--could generate a few interesting debates. Article