healthcare reform

AARP investigated for false advertising of member insurance

Anne Zieger — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:12:20 -0500

The AARP prides itself on being an adamant watchdog for consumers' rights, especially on healthcare--but sometimes gods have feet of clay. The billion-dollar elderly advocacy group is now accused of false advertising on its own insurance policies.

AARP partnered with UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest insurers, to give members limited-benefit policies. The investigation is trying to discover whether they marketed them as true insurance policies, which would have been deceptive since the maximum payment for many procedures falls far below what hospitals charge.

Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) has called for the AARP to disclose the profits it has made from selling the insurance policies. Meanwhile, the AARP has responded by launching its own investigation into its marketing to see whether it was deceptive in any way. Perhaps it can discover as much in investigating itself as it does investigating others.

To learn more about the limited-benefit policies:
- read this New York Times piece

Study: Universal coverage won't solve primary care shortage

Anne Zieger — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:59:02 -0400

Regardless of whatever other benefits it might offer, universal coverage isn't going to solve health system problems created by the primary care provider shortage, a new study has concluded. The study, issued by the National Association of Community Health Centers, notes that these problems include 56 million Americans with no regular doctor. To help ease the primary care crunch, it recommends using federal community health centers as primary care anchors in communities that aren't able to attract or keep providers. It's also calling for a boost in funding for programs like the National Health Service Corps., which offers scholarships or repays student loans for providers who are willing to practice primary care in underserved areas. At present, there are seven applicants for every NHS scholarship offered, yet funding has been reduced frequently, noted Gary Wiltz, an NHS scholarship recipient who heads a public health group.

To get more data from the report:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
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$300M grant from RWJF intended to reduce health disparities

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:59:56 -0400

Today the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is expected to announce a $300 million initiative designed to reduce significant regional and ethnic care disparities across the U.S.--and ultimately, if successful, provide a model for healthcare reform. The study, which will be conducted by researchers at Dartmouth Medical School, will target 14 communities and regions across the country. One major goal of the project is to cut down on hospital admissions for certain conditions. For example, right now, states like West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi have high hospitalization rates for problems like poorly-controlled diabetes or worsening heart failure, exceeding 100 discharges per 1,000 beneficiaries. Also, blacks often get worse care than whites; in Memphis, black Medicare beneficiaries are almost six times as likely as whites to have a leg amputated due to vascular disease and diabetes.

To learn more about the initiative:
- read this Seattle Times piece

PLUS: Racial care disparities are widespread among patients with kidney disease, according to a new study. Article

Related Articles:
Why are men dying earlier than women?
Study: Hispanics get lower-quality medical care
CMS hopes to close Medicare race, ethnicity gap

Study: Acute shortage of adult primary care MDs coming

Thu, 01 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

A new study appearing in the journal Health Affairs attaches some numbers to a problem we all see coming--the growing U.S. shortage of primary care physicians. According to the study, by 2025 the U.S. will see a shortage of 35,000 to 44,000 family or general internal medicine physicians who care for adults. Worse, with population growth and an aging population figured in, existing family physicians and general internists will see their workloads grow by a substantial 29 percent by 2025 (versus 2005 levels) if nothing is done.

To learn more about the study:
- read this Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report item
- check out the study abstract

Related Articles:
'Dr. Nurse' might help with primary care shortage
Primary care shortage blocks healthcare reform
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Lack of PA reform bill leads to higher med mal costs

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:55 -0400

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) is taking a unique tack on healthcare reform--one which, in essence, holds doctors hostage. He's telling the state's physicians that until there's an agreement on legislation to provide healthcare to the uninsured, they'll have to pay more for their medical malpractice insurance. Rendell says he won't approve another round of the state's MCare malpractice insurance abatement program until there's legislation in place helping to provide affordable health insurance. For doctors in high-risk specialties like neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and obstetrics, this means an additional $15,000 payment for medical malpractice insurance, while doctors in lower-risk specialties would pay an average of about $1,500 more.

Gov. Rendell is pushing to see state legislators take action on a bill, approved by the state House last week, which would provide subsidized coverage to adults earning up to 200 percent of the poverty level, as well as giving grants to small employers who already offer health insurance to low income workers.

To learn more about the legislative dispute:
- read this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette piece

Related Articles:
PA gov proposes universal health coverage. Report
PA bill requires healthcare pricing disclosure. Report

MA lawmakers mull ban on pharma gifts to doctors

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Packaging it as part of a larger healthcare reform bill, a Massachusetts legislator is proposing a measure that would bar pharmaceutical companies from giving gifts and freebies to doctors. Senate President Therese Murray's proposal would forbid the pharmas from giving doctors, as well as their family members or employees, any payments, entertainment, travel, meals, honorariums, subscriptions or even pens marked with drug company logos. It would make an exception for drug samples, as long as those samples were for the exclusive use of patients. Anyone who violated the rule would be fined $5,000 and face two years of prison time. While other states have set some gift limits, or required pharmas to disclose the value of such gifts, Massachusetts would be the first state to ban such gifts entirely.

To learn more about the proposal:
- read this piece from The Boston Globe

Related Articles:
NJ mulls pharma, device maker gift reporting. Report
Psychiatrists getting largest pharma gifts. Report
NY bill would require pharmas to report MD gifts. Report
Doctors weigh in on pros and cons of accepting drug/device freebies. Letters
States tighten screws on pharma marketers. Report

WA governor proposes tougher patient safety rules

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:59:57 -0500

Washington state governor Chris Gregoire (D) has introduced a proposal which would call for hospital safety data disclosures. The plan also features tougher provider credentialing standards, more in-depth investigation of complaints against providers and a new state online database which provides centralized information on prescriptions an individual receives. In addition to these measures, Gregoire would like to see the state legislature pass a measure giving consumers more information on hospital adverse events. Her plan, which would cost about $8 million, comes as part of her larger take on state healthcare reform.

To get more information on Gov. Gregoire's plans:
- read this Seattle Post-Intelligencer article

Related Articles:
WA governor wants MRSA reporting. Report
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Study: U.S. health consumers demand transparency. Report
Transparency takes center stage. Report
Reassessing healthcare transparency. Report
Solving the price transparency puzzle. Report

SPOTLIGHT: Romney fights attacks on MA health reforms

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:59:52 -0500

Everyone knows that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) comes with considerable healthcare industry baggage, given her involvement in the failed healthcare reform scheme backed by her husband. Now, it's Mitt Romney's turn. The presidential hopeful is facing attacks from rivals, claiming that the Massachusetts health reforms he helped to champion, like Sen. Clinton's stillborn efforts, are "socialized medicine." Article

SPOTLIGHT: Clinton health plan gets some nods

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:59:52 -0400

Though it's been more than a decade after her healthcare initiative failed, health reform proposals by presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton still get more attention than most. And while the industry jury is still out, it looks like her plan (built around required health plan buy-in for consumers) is winning some support in the court of public opinion. Article

ALSO NOTED: P.A. sentenced in fraud case; Union maps bargaining strategy; and much more...

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 06:59:50 -0400

> A Brooklyn, N.Y., physician assistant has been sentenced to six months in jail plus 4 1/2 years of probation and was ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution for overbilling Montefiore and North Central Bronx Hospitals in New York City. Article

> Northeast Georgia Health System has completed the expansion of its year-old Braselton Clinic. Article

> Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) stumps for healthcare reform, despite heated opposition. Article

And Finally ... Can you say "oops" in a medical clinic if nobody gets hurt? Article