Today's Health News
Today's Health News is a free, daily compilation of select health news in Colorado and nationally. Subscribe, unsubscribe or manage your RSS News Feeds and automatic email notifications.
Anthem Customers in Colorado Face Higher Rates During Inquiry
Denver Post
Thousands of Colorado consumers insured by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will have to stomach huge premium increases for at least the next four months while a state review of the rate hike takes place.
Democrats Pare Differences Over Health Overhaul
Associated Press
Top Democrats say they are resolving disputes over President Barack Obama's health overhaul plan, but they face decisions on subsidizing coverage and are still hunting votes to push the vast package through Congress.
Christian Groups Find Way Around High Health Costs
National Public Radio
As policymakers in Washington, D.C., debate overhauling health care, several evangelical Christian groups have found a way of getting around the high cost of health insurance. Instead of paying premiums, they simply agree to pay each other's medical bills.
Health Reform Myths
New York Times - Opinion
Health reform is back from the dead. Many Democrats have realized that their electoral prospects will be better if they can point to a real accomplishment.
Democrats Struggle to Finish Health Bill
New York Times
House and Senate Democratic leaders struggled Thursday to stitch together pieces of a final health care bill as rank-and-file Democrats demanded more information about the contents of the bill and its cost.
Montana Governor Wants to Get Drugs From Canada
New York Times
Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Thursday that he is seeking federal permission to import cheaper drugs from Canada for use in state insurance programs. Schweitzer said he thinks the move could chop 40 percent off the $100 million the state spends each year on prescription drugs for Medicaid, the children's health insurance program, state employees, and inmates at the prison.
Obama Increasing Healthcare Reform Support
United Press International
When healthcare reform is described as the "Obama plan" and contrasted with the Republican plan, support rises, a U.S. survey indicates.
More Health Costs Could Shift to Workers
Washington Post
Most big employers plan to shift a larger share of health-care costs to their workers next year, according to a survey released Thursday.
Democrats Move to Grouping Key Bills
Washington Post
Democratic leaders said Thursday that they were increasingly inclined to release a final health-care bill that could accomplish two of President Obama's top domestic priorities: guaranteeing coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans and vastly expanding federal aid for college students.
NEW PUBLICATIONS:
A Partisan Divide on the Uninsured
Health Affairs
The partisan split in Congress over health reform may reflect a broader divide among the public in attitudes toward the uninsured. Despite expert consensus over the harms suffered by the uninsured as a group, Americans disagree over whether the uninsured get the care they need and whether reform legislation providing universal coverage is necessary.
CHIP TIPS: Children's Oral Health Benefits
Kaiser Family Foundation & Georgetown University
This brief is the sixth in a series of implementation briefs called "CHIP Tips," which examines new opportunities for covering children following the CHIP reauthorization.
The Cost of Uncompensated Care With and Without Health Reform
Urban Institute
In this report the authors estimate that under the health reform bill passed by the Senate, the cost of uncompensated care will fall from $62.1 billion in 2009 to $46.6 billion in 2019. If no health reform is enacted, they project that uncompensated care would rise to between $107 and $141 billion in 2019.