Led by President Bush, administration officials said they are opening a sustained campaign to fuel a national discussion of the Medicare prescription drug benefit that starts Jan. 1. Acknowledging that beneficiaries will face a potentially confusing array of choices, officials said they are getting an early start on perfecting Internet and other tools to help Medicare enrollees sort through their choices. Beneficiaries will have until May 15, 2006 to pick a drug coverage plan after the open enrollment period begins Nov. 15. Read more »
Sens. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., both potential presidential candidates for 2008, joined forces to introduce legislation to create a nationwide electronic medical record system they said would improve the quality of care and save billions in health care costs. The Frist–Clinton alliance, along with ongoing efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services to create electronic standards that would allow health information technology systems to share information, plus a call from President Bush for most Americans to have electronic medical records within the next decade, have raised hopes that "Health IT" legislation will move this year. Read more »
The nation's governors brought their recommendations for an overhaul of the Medicaid program to Capitol Hill, seeking flexibility to change what types of medical benefits are covered and asking beneficiaries to pay more for them. On a day that effectively marked the opening of what is likely to be an historic debate this summer over the fate of the Medicaid health care entitlement for the poor, House Democrats condemned Republicans for launching what they called an "immoral" attempt to fund tax cuts for the rich by increasing the suffering of the most vulnerable Americans. Read more »
The House passed legislation aimed at helping low-income patients learn about and take advantage of health care resources available to them. The bill (HR 1812), which passed by voice vote, aims to improve outreach and coordination of health care services for chronically ill, uninsured patients in low-income and rural areas. Sponsored by Robert Menendez, D-N.J., the bill would authorize $25 million over five years for grants to "patient navigator" programs. Read more »
Millions of Americans have health insurance that does not adequately protect them against catastrophic health care expenses, according to a study released by the Commonwealth Fund, which studies health and social issues. In addition to the 45 million uninsured adults in the United States, another 16 million were "underinsured" in 2003, according to the study published in the journal Health Affairs. An estimated total of 61 million adults, or 35 percent of individuals ages 19 to 64, had either no insurance, sporadic coverage, or insurance that exposed them to high health care costs during 2003, Commonwealth officials said in a news release. Read more »