Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 17, 2008. The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday released the “2009 Statistical Abstract of the United States,” which includes some data on health care, the New York Times reports. The report contains data from the Census Bureau and other sources. Most of the data “had been previously released, but not necessarily in […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 17, 2008. As part of its occasional series “The Evidence Gap,” the New York Times on Wednesday examined how Medicare coverage of certain treatments varies by location because CMS leaves “many reimbursement decisions to the discretion of 15 regional contractors around the country.” According to the Times, coverage disparities between states have […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 16, 2008. The resolution of privacy and security concerns might prompt more physicians nationwide to adopt electronic medical records, electronic prescribing and other forms of health care information technology, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said on Monday in an address to the Nationwide Health Information Network Forum, CQ HealthBeat reports.  Click title to […]

While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics. To provide complete coverage of health policy issues, the […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 16, 2008. California Republican lawmakers on Monday released a plan to address the state’s projected $41.8 billion budget deficit in part by redirecting funds for mental health services and children’s health care, the Los Angeles Times reports (Rau, Los Angeles Times, 12/16). The $22 billion plan is an effort by state Republicans […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 16, 2008. The number of physicians in the U.S. who have adopted electronic prescribing technology may have doubled to more than 70,000 this year, up from 35,000 in December 2007, according to estimates by the e-prescription network management firm SureScripts-RxHub, the AP/Boston Globe reports. The number of paperless prescriptions also has been […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 16, 2008. States faced with declining revenue are cutting overall spending for the first time since 1983 and Medicaid funding could face serious shortfalls in some states if the federal government does not provide relief, according to a survey released Monday by the National Association of State Budget Officers and the National […]