Two key Senate committee chairmen announced the introduction of legislation to create what a wide cross-section of the Washington health policy establishment says is essential to controlling health costs and covering the uninsured--a public-private institute to foster research into "what works" in medicine. Read more »
One thing seemed perfectly clear at a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week--Chairman Max Baucus sees tax code changes as a rich vein of revenue to fund coverage of the uninsured in any health system overhaul plan he unveils in the next Congress. Read more »
Politicians must consider dental care as important as other areas of care when evaluating health policy, said speakers at a recent briefing on dental care access. Read more »
Small specialty health care practices are feeling the pinch of implementing a costly electronic health records system, which could possibly prevent greater adoption and widespread use of information technology services, said witnesses and lawmakers at a House Small Business Committee hearing. Read more »
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the release of four payment regulations, choosing to emphasize provisions to reduce medical errors in a telephone press briefing on the regulations. Read more »
The number of working-age adults with major chronic conditions has increased by 25 percent over the last 10 years, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Read more »