Less of a split among voters

Philadelphia Inq reports:
The debate over health care exposes a curious divide between votes on Capitol Hill and attitudes about reform among voters. The partisanship between Republicans and Democrats in Congress is much more intense than it is among voters themselves. Even more intriguing is that the divide between Capitol Hill and citizens is much sharper [...]

Medicare drug gap brings challenges

Philadelphia Inq report:
WASHINGTON – Six years after Congress added a prescription-drug benefit to Medicare, Democrats in the House and Senate are poised to make a central change that they and most older Americans have wanted all along: getting rid of a quirk that forces millions of elderly patients with especially high expenses for medicine to [...]

FDA approval comes with a price for drug

Philadelphia Inq report:
Doris Webb was diagnosed earlier this year with a rare disease called Familial Mediterranean Fever, a hereditary condition that causes fevers, arthritis attacks, and inflammation of the lining of the lungs and abdomen. Debilitating pain in her joints and bones was relieved by a prescription drug called colchicine.
Webb, of Morristown, Tenn., takes two [...]

Antismoking investment pays off

Philadelphia Inq report:
The nation’s battle against smoking and its many health-related perils has had more ups and downs than a patient fever chart: Tobacco revenues go up, but government spending on antismoking programs declines, as smoking rates creep up.

The challenge is to drive those numbers in the right direction to improve public health.
 
But on the [...]

Zeroing in on Medicare Advantage cuts

Philadelphia Inq reports:
MIAMI – Insurers constantly caution seniors that Medicare Advantage benefits such as hearing aids, dental payments, and gym memberships will fizzle if Democrats get their way and cut government subsidies for them.
But tens of billions of Medicare dollars funneled through insurers also pay for extras that never reach beneficiaries: multimillion-dollar salaries, executive retreats [...]

House backers of public insurance option may yield

Philadelphia Inq reports:
WASHINGTON – Two House Democrats who favor a government insurance plan, a central element of health care legislation passed in their chamber, acknowledged Sunday it might have to be sacrificed as negotiators work out a final agreement with the Senate.
Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat in the House and [...]

CDC: Autism rate is increasing

Reports the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Autism affects about 1 in every 110 American children, a 57 percent increase over the last estimate in 2002, according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disturbing trend reflects greater awareness and diagnosis of “autism spectrum disorders,” but may also mean more children are [...]

Hospitals round-up for 12/21

News on UPMC Braddock, Hanover Hospital, the former Mayview State Hospital, Falling Spring Nursing and Rehab Center, Williamsport Regional Medical Center, and Laurel Crest Nursing Home.

Highmark looking to send jobs overseas

The health insurer is looking to hire workers in other countries to take care of administrative work.

Senate vote to advance care bill

Philadelphia Inq report:
With 60 on their side, Democrats have just enough to end a filibuster. More wrangling lies ahead.
WASHINGTON – The Senate was poised late yesterday to take a giant step closer to enacting a sweeping health-care bill – a watershed moment that finally has united a fractious Democratic majority after months of debate over [...]