Capitol Hill Watch - House Subcommittee Debates Bill To Allow FDA To Approve Generic Versions of Biotechnology Medications The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Wednesday held a hearing on a bill sponsored by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) that would allow FDA to approve generic versions of biotechnology medications, CQ HealthBeat reports (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 5/2). Companion bills (HR 1038 and S 623) introduced www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=44672

2007-05-03

Politics and Policy - Bush in State of the Union Address Urges Congress To Reauthorize Ryan White CARE Act, Pledges To Fight AIDS Among Blacks President Bush during the State of the Union address on Wednesday 'surprised many in Congress' by outlining an agenda aimed at U.S. inner cities, including a pledge to fight the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African-American community, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Coile, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=27941

2005-02-03

Capitol Hill Watch - House Passes Economic Stimulus Package Without Medicaid Funding; Senator To Introduce Amendment To Include Funding in Senate Package The House on Tuesday voted 385-35 to approve a $146 billion economic stimulus package (HR 5140) that does not include a temporary increase in the federal medical assistance percentage for states' Medicaid programs, the AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The bill faces a 'murky future in the Senate,' as sena www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=50121

2008-01-30

State Watch - Louisiana Launches Program To Attract Medical Professionals to Greater New Orleans Area The Greater New Orleans Health Service Corps, a program developed by Louisiana, is working to attract health care professionals to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 by offering financial incentives, including student loan repayment and income guarantees, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Sinc www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=45531

2007-06-12

Coverage & Access - Not-for-Profit Hospitals Increasingly Moving From Cities to Suburbs Not-for-profit hospitals moving from low-income areas of cities where the majority of patients are uninsured to more affluent areas, often in the suburbs, where a larger portion of patients have private coverage has become an 'increasingly common strategy,' the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the J www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=54975

2008-10-14

State Watch - Lawmakers in Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania Consider Health System Changes Several newspapers recently published articles related to lawmakers' efforts in Iowa, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York state to expand health care services. Summaries appear below. Iowa: Iowa Democrats are considering expanding several health programs next year and establishing a health commission to re www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=41642

2006-12-13

Coverage & Access - Costs Pose Challenge to Massachusetts Health Insurance Law One Year After Deadline for Residents To Obtain Coverage One year after the deadline for Massachusetts residents to obtain health coverage under the state's health insurance law, the percentage of uninsured has declined but the law 'still faces a huge challenge: costs,' USA Today reports. The law requires most state residents to obtain health coverage or face a ta www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=53031

2008-06-30

State Watch - Boston Globe Examines Discrepancies in Massachusetts Hospitals' Insurance Reimbursement Payments Some hospitals in Massachusetts receive payments from insurers that on average are about 15% to 60% more than payments for the same procedure at competing hospitals, even when there is no evidence that higher-priced care leads to better patient outcomes, according to a Boston Globe review of private insuranc www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=55594

2008-11-17

Medicare - CMS Seeks To Address Concerns About Medicare Beneficiaries' Oxygen Equipment Laurence Wilson of CMS on Monday attempted to address concerns that Medicare beneficiaries could lose access to oxygen equipment next year because of a change in federal law scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2009, the AP/Boston Globe reports. The change will limit to three years the length of time that Med www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=56135

2008-12-17

State Watch - Illinois Governor Proposes Health Coverage Expansion Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) on Sunday unveiled a plan to expand access to health insurance to the 1.4 million uninsured state residents at an estimated cost of $2.1 billion per year, the Chicago Tribune reports (Graham, Chicago Tribune, 3/4). Blagojevich's plan, called Illinois Covered, is based in par www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=43390

2007-03-06