President Obama began an aggressive White House public relations blitz to sell his newly signed healthcare overhaul to the public, calling the measure "pro-jobs" and "pro-business" and taunting Republicans who are vowing to repeal it. With polls showing the public still uncertain about the law, Obama will make a series of stops around the country in the coming weeks to tout its more popular provisions, including allowing young people to stay on their parents' health insurance plans until they turn 26, barring insurers from discriminating against people with pre-existing medical conditions, and granting tax credits to help small businesses cover their workers.
The New York State Department of Health has recommended approvals for Medina Memorial Health Care Facility and Mount St. Mary Hospital and Health Center into the state stroke center program. The State Hospital Review & Planning Council are expected to accept the recommendations at its April 8 meeting. With the approval, the total designated centers statewide will grow to 120. Currently, Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital is the only hospital in Niagara, Orleans, or Genesee counties designated in the state program.
Congress has agreed to amend the nation's new healthcare law, and prepared to head home for a two-week recess and to hear from skeptical voters about the legislation, the Washington Post reports. The last legislative hurdle to clear before recess was a reconciliation bill that contained a number of "fixes" to the healthcare law. Senate Republicans forced 41 votes to strip or alter provisions—although Democrats won every one—and identified 20 words that violated procedural rules, requiring the bill to return to the House to be approved a second time, the Post reports.
Temple University Hospital and 1,500 of its employees are preparing for a strike that could start March 31. Both sides are running radio ads touting their positions, and the hospital has hired 850 temporary workers from around the country. The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents 1,000 registered nurses and 500 staffers such as respiratory therapists and social workers, has set 7 a.m. March 31 as its strike deadline. The last bargaining session was held March 15, and the talks are in mediation, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
An increasing portion of young physicians, burdened by medical school debts and seeking regular hours, are deciding against opening private practices. Instead, they are accepting salaries at hospitals and health systems. And a growing number of older doctors—facing rising costs and fearing they will not be able to recruit junior partners—are selling their practices and moving into salaried jobs, too.
The use of auditors who pore over physician Medicare claims to identify and recover past overpayments will be expanded under the Obama administration's latest crackdown on fraud, waste, and abuse. The president on March 10 announced a new effort to improve federal payment accountability through the use of payment recapture audits. An executive memorandum directs the White House Office of Management and Budget to develop guidance within 90 days on actions agencies across the government should take to expand the use of these reviews.