Democrats sent to the House floor a package of FDA and drug policy legislation containing the most sweeping safety and regulatory changes to the agency in years, despite a number of compromises during the committee process that moderated parts of the bill. Read more »
A Senate panel approved by voice vote a bill that would create grant and loan programs to help health care providers buy and adopt new information technology products. The bill (S 1693) would require government purchases of health IT to meet basic standards on information exchange. A panel of government and private-sector stakeholders would set the standards. Read more »
When Congress returns from the July 4 recess, House Democratic leaders of the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees are promising to renew and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), prevent a scheduled 10 percent cut in Medicare physician payments, and improve Medicare reimbursements for rural physicians, hospitals and other providers. Read more »
The Senate passed a three-month extension of a program that prevents the sudden loss of health coverage for poor families as their incomes increase. The bill (S 1701), passed by voice vote, would extend until Sept. 30 the Temporary Medical Assistance program. A Senate aide said the House is likely to follow suit before the July Fourth recess. Read more »
Good communication between health plans and doctors is critical to ensuring the success of payment for performance programs, a study by Mathematica Policy Research shows. The study, posted on the Web by the journal Health Affairs, focused on a demonstration project that involved seven California Medicaid managed care plans operating in different regions. Five of the plans implemented various new incentives for physicians and other primary care providers, while two did not. Read more »
Just as his decades-long research has reached its pinnacle of prominence in the health care debate, John E. Wennberg is stepping down as director of the center at Dartmouth College where he did his pioneering work relating geography and health care. Wennberg isn't ending his affiliation with the center, however. Read more »