Michigan lawmakers still are working toward consensus on how to change rules guiding Michigan's health insurance market for individuals, such as whether there should be a high-risk pool to cover people who get turned down for coverage elsewhere. The state Senate passed its version of legislation, which is different from legislation approved last year by the House. The two chambers must resolve their differences before the law could be changed for the market covering people who buy their own insurance because they aren't covered by employer or government plans.
Illinois lawmakers are planning to introduce legislation that would make the state the first in the country to cap the amount that the uninsured pay for hospital care in any 12-month period. The bill would also limit how much hospitals could charge people without insurance and reduce medical bills by up to 50 percent or more. The bill is supported by the Illinois Hospital Association, although it opposed a similar effort last year.
Aetna Inc. has announced it will begin requiring its more than 1,300 vendors that supply Aetna with food, design work, cleaning services, paper and other products and services to provide employees with health insurance. Aetna sees the move as "both an opportunity and an obligation" to help reduce the number of uninsured workers, said Chief Executive Ronald Williams. Aetna's goal is to have at least 80 percent of its vendors offering benefits by 2010 and all vendors offering benefits by 2011.
The Court of Appeal in London has ruled the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence must reveal how it calculated that certain Alzheimer's drugs weren't cost-effective for some patients. The court said the institute had acted unfairly by not fully disclosing how it evaluated the drugs, and the move highlights a rising tension between cash-strapped entities that pay for healthcare against patients and drug companies.
Congress has passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which forbids employers and insurance companies from using genetic tests showing people are at risk of developing cancer, heart disease or other ailments to reject their job applications, promotions or healthcare coverage, or in setting premiums. Data from the American Management Association showed that in 2001, nearly two-thirds of major U.S. companies required medical examinations of new hires. Some Americans have been refusing to take genetic tests or have been using false names and paying cash because they didn't want the information used against them by their employer or insurance company, said supporters of the bill.
Remote monitoring can improve the condition of mobile heart failure patients and may reduce hospital readmissions, according to a pilot study. The study examined 150 patients admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The patients, average age 70, were randomly selected to receive usual care for heart failure or remote monitoring. Hospital discharges for the heart failue increased from 400,000 in 1979 to 1.08 million in 2005, an increase of 171%.
The increasing number of federal employees serving in Iraq and Afghanistan may not receive the best medical care or the most appropriate benefits, according to a report released by the House Armed Services Committee. The report examined the incentives and medical coverage being provided to civil service employees. Federal employees also may not have access to the latest medical advances for treating combat wounds, said one lawmaker.
A bipartisan plan for universal healthcare coverage would pay for itself and eventually could create modest budget surpluses, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation. The healthcare plan could be fully operational by 2012 and bring in as much revenue as it costs to implement by 2014. The report showed it is possible to provide healthcare coverage for all Americans without a large tax increase, said one supporter.
College students and lawmakers gathered at the University of Maryland student center to tout the change in Maryland state law which allows many young people to stay on their parents' health plans until age 25. Previously, young adults dropped off their parents' insurance policies at age 19. In some cases, students could stay on until 23. Under the new law, those whose parents work for the federal government or for small businesses are not eligible. But the advocates said they hope eventually to expand the coverage.
Soon after presidential contender John McCain proposed driving down healthcare costs through tax credits to help those without insurance buy policies, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty floated a similar idea. At a meeting with legislators seeking to overhaul Minnesota's healthcare system, Pawlenty suggested their bill should include health savings accounts and tax credits for buying private health insurance. The credits would go to individuals and small employers as alternatives to expanding current public programs. Pawlenty is believed to be high on McCain's list of possible running mates.
