Medical Health Animation

A National Disability Insurance Scheme Must Be At The Core Of Any National Disability Strategy, Australia
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, called on the major parties to commit to introducing a national disability insurance scheme. Dr Pesce said a national disability insurance scheme must be at the core of any National Disability Strategy and should be one of the first decisions of the next Government...

Insurers Post Strong Earnings, But May Hold Back On Bragging Rights
Two leading insurers reported second-quarter earnings with rising profits this week. First, on Tuesday night, Aetna said its second-quarter profits rose 42 percent, with a net income of $491 million, compared with $346.6 million for the same quarter last year, The Associated Press reports...

Hospitals Focus On Forming ACOs, Resolving Insurer Disputes
News outlets report on hospital issues, including forming accountable care organizations and disputes with insurers. Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx "is pioneering a new model of healthcare delivery, endorsed by the architects of health reform, that promises to radically change the current fragmented system in which the family doctor may have no idea what happens during a hospital stay," U...

Company Health Plans May Increasingly Demand Proof Family Is Family
CNNMoney: "Think your whole family is covered by your company health plan? Get ready to prove they're actually your kin." Under the new health overhaul law, starting next year "employers will have to provide coverage for dependents of employees [until] age 26...

Dispensary Of Hope Welcomes Sanofi-Aventis U.S. As Latest Participant In The Continued Access Program
The Dispensary of Hope is pleased to announce that sanofi-aventis U.S., the U.S. affiliate of sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, has become the latest pharmaceutical company to participate in the Dispensary's Continued Access Program, which provides uninsured patients with access to medicines that they otherwise couldn't afford...

GOP Continues Call For Health Law Repeal; Census Releases Uninsured Data
The Washington Post: New census data reveal big differences among states in the rate of uninsured people under age 65. Massachusetts has the lowest rate, 7.8 percent, and Texas the highest, 26.8 percent. "The statistics are for 2007 and show health insurance coverage by state and for each of the country's roughly 3,140 counties...

College Of GPs Welcomes New Regulations For Collaborative Care, Australia
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed the new regulations for collaborative care arrangements contained in the Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2010. These changes provide further clarity regarding the nature of the collaborative care arrangements between medical practitioners, nurse practitioners and midwives...

Today's Opinions: Exchanges Reach Beyond Political Squabbles; Missouri's Choice On Nullification; Losing Jobs For Health Reform
A Fair Exchange The New York Times The battle over health care reform won't end just because Republicans and Democrats find they can cooperate on exchanges...

Study Reveals Nearly 1 In 5 Californians Report Need For Mental Health Services
In a comprehensive new study of mental health status and the use of mental health services by Californians, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that nearly one in five adults in the state - about 4.9 million people - said they needed help for a mental or emotional health problem...

AHIP Statement On Coverage For Children
America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) President and CEO Karen Ignagni today released the following statement on the announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services to clarify that health plans may use a structured open enrollment period implementing health reform's provision eliminating pre-existing condition exclusions for children under age 19: "Today's anno...

Rite Aid Agrees To Pay $1 Million To Settle HIPAA Privacy Case
Rite Aid Corporation and its 40 affiliated entities (RAC) have agreed to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today...

Advocacy Groups Target Campaigns Of Anti-Choice Democrats Who Voted For Health Reform
Some advocacy groups that traditionally oppose abortion rights but were divided on health care reform are now trying to influence the re-election of Democrats, who oppose abortion rights and voted for the health care reform law (PL 111-148), Politico reports...

Abortion Coverage Concerns Prompt West Virginia To Decide Against Running High-Risk Pool
West Virginia last week announced that it would not administer its own high-risk insurance pool because GOP members of the state's House of Delegates said the program might fund abortion care, the Charleston Gazette reports (Knezevich, Charleston Gazette, 7/22)...

California's Anthem Blue Cross Names New President
Anthem Blue Cross of California has named former Aetna executive Pam Kehaly to head the insurer after its president resigned a week ago, Los Angeles Times reports. "Kehaly will take the helm Aug. 30. Anthem, a unit of Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc., is California's largest for-profit health insurance company...

Maryland Sees Savings In Federal Health Law, For A While At Least
Maryland could spend $829 million less than expected on health care between next year and 2020 because of the federal health overhaul law, according to an analysis by a state-convened committee, The Associated Press/Washington Post reports...