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Medicare physician pay cut delayed as Senate clears logjam amednews Share     Senate Democrats late on March 2 were able to overcome a procedural roadblock that led to an unprecedented 21 percent cut in Medicare physician pay taking effect the day before. But the development bought Congress only about a month to approve a longer-term solution before the reduction comes back. The Senate passage, by a 78-19 vote, of the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 stops the across-the-board doctor pay cut and freezes current rates through March 31. The bill, which the House passed Feb. 25, also extends numerous unemployment and health assistance programs through the end of March. President Obama signed the bill immediately. More
Federal unemployment benefits, Cobra subsidy extended for one month San Francisco Chronicle Share
President Obama late Tuesday signed a bill extending federal funding for unemployment benefits and the Cobra health care premium subsidy for one month. Eligibility for both had expired after Feb. 28. Last week the House passed the one-month extension, but the bill got held up in the Senate by Jim Bunning, R-Ky, who wanted Congress to find a way to pay for the $10 billion package. Bunning relented on Tuesday, the Senate passed the bill and Obama quickly signed it. As a result, workers who become involuntarily terminated no later than March 31 and remain in their former employer's group health plan could be eligible for the Cobra subsidy, which pays 65 percent of the premium for up to 15 months. More 'Perverse incentive' in current health care system, says expert CNN Share
Even as the health care debate turns to blood sport in Washington, some analysts say the debate is ignoring one of the leading causes of rising costs: the way health care providers are paid. "They are rewarded for more services, not better services. They are rewarded for more care, not better care," said Dr. Elliott Fisher, a lead researcher for the Dartmouth University Atlas of Health. "Most of the U.S. health system is paid simply for each service, regardless of the results of that service." More Obama eyes Easter deadline for health reform Financial Times Share
Easter is turning into the new Christmas for Barack Obama's signature health care reform. Late last year senators worked round-the-clock until Christmas eve to pass the $871bn 10-year bill before the president’s Yuletide deadline. But things went sour for the final stages of the bill when the Democrats lost their controlling Senate super-majority in January. More Reconciliation showdown ahead on health care? CNN Share
With the health care summit showing no sign of getting either side to budge, lawmakers are staking out positions in the battle many believe is imminent: a presidential effort to push legislation through without Republican support. On the political talk shows Sunday, Democratic and GOP leaders fought over budget reconciliation, the parliamentary procedure that could allow a vote in the Senate and circumvent a GOP filibuster. More Four precautions to prevent ED violence Health Leaders Media Share
When it comes to workplace violence in hospitals, emergency departments (EDs) act as a potential powder keg. "The emergency department is a funnel into your institution," says Fredrick Roll, MA, CHPA-F, CPP, president of Healthcare Security Consultants, Inc., of Frederick, Colo., and one of the country's leading experts on hospital security. Undiagnosed psychiatric cases also pose a threat to the 24/7 environment of an ED. Whereas patients with behavioral health issues might have used standalone clinics before, the failings of these "doc-in-a-box" settings during the recession have driven more behavioral patients to the ED, he says. More |
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