Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell is threatening to veto a bill that could delay her affordable health insurance program. In addition to creating the new Charter Oak Health Care Plan for uninsured adults, Rell wants to change the state's existing HUSKY health insurance program by moving patients into a managed care organization. The Human Services Committee has voted to separate the two proposals, which Rell says could delay Charter Oak by six months.
A legislative committee has removed a roadblock to an effort to make health insurance more affordable for Connecticut municipalities. Because of a revision to the bill, the Municipal Employees Health Insurance Plan will be converted to a self-funded plan unregulated by the Connecticut Insurance Department. State Comptroller Nancy Wyman testified at a hearing that language in the bill enabling the department to amend or reject the proposed plan could cripple the effort to make healthcare more affordable.
Medical imports from China are raising safety concerns worldwide, with hundreds of deaths being attributed to deaths from Chinese-made drugs. Despite the safety lapses, the Massachusetts' life sciences industry has been forging closer business relationships in China over the past few years.
During her campaign for President, Hillary Clinton has frequently described herself as playing a pivotal role in forging a children's health insurance plan. But several lawmakers, staffers, and healthcare advocates involved in the issue now say she had little to do with crafting the landmark legislation or ushering it through Congress. Privately, some lawmakers and staff members have been fuming over what they see as Clinton's exaggeration of her role in developing SCHIP, including campaign ads claiming she "helped create" the program.
According to a Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive poll, Americans are split on whether they can count on Democrats to improve U.S. healthcare. Of those surveyed, 45% said they trust Democrats on the issue and 44% saying they do not. By comparison, 63% don't trust Republican to lead health reform, compared with 25% saying they do.
A federal jury convicted five former executives of National Century Financial Enterprises, a healthcare finance company, in a $1.9 billion scheme to defraud investors. National Century Financial Enterprises was described as the nation's largest healthcare financing firm before its 2002 bankruptcy. The five executives were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud. Prosecutors argued National Century executives authorized millions of dollars of unsecured loans to those healthcare providers, then misled investors about the loans.
Many health insurance companies rely on data supplied by Ingenix--a division of UnitedHealth Group--to establish rates for healthcare provided outside of its own network. Physicians have long complained about the arrangement and accused insurers of conspiring to lower rates for out-of-network services. Now New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has furthered the controversy after announcing a sweeping industry-wide investigation specifically focused on out-of-network pricing.
Not having health insurance accounts for deaths of 650 Michiganders a year, or nearly two every day, according to a report from national nonprofit consumer health organization Families USA. The problem is growing in Michigan as more employers drop health coverage and people find insurance premiums too costly to purchase their own coverage, said Families USA representatives.
A Colorado House committee has delayed action a bill that would increase the amount juries can award in some medical malpractice suits after doctors warned it could force them to stop practicing and increase healthcare costs. The state's largest medical malpractice insurer and many doctors opposed the bill, and flooded lawmakers with calls and e-mails before the delay was announced.
