Advocates Help Patients Navigate Health Care Maze
from NPR
Jonathan Fine didn't intend to be a patient advocate. But when an 85-year-old friend wasn't getting what he needed, he couldn't just stand by. More

Every Patient's Advocate: Insist that You Get Your Money's Worth
from The Post-Standard
Have your prescriptions been accurately filled? Did your hospital bill reflect a $100 box of tissues or some other ridiculous charge? Demand accuracy and fairness. More

Healthcare Firms Load Up on Lobbyists
from The Boston Globe
The nation’s largest insurers, hospitals, and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues, according to an analysis of lobbying disclosures and other records. More

Congress Back to Wrestle with Healthcare Reform
from Reuters
After a week of holiday barbecues and hometown parades, the U.S. Congress returned to work Monday to face what could be the year's most severe test -- finding common ground on a huge and costly U.S. healthcare overhaul. More

SHCA Online Education Presents:Cultural Competency in Patient Centered Care - Webinar Wednesday, July 22, 2009 1:00 p.m. CST Participants will hear the vital importance of effective communication with persons who have limited English proficiency, as well as persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and the national initiative that the Office of the Civil Rights in collaboration with the AHA has launched to provide technical assistance and share resources that aid hospitals in effectively communicating to all cultures. Learn more
from Bloomberg
Medicare, the U.S. health-insurance program for elderly and disabled people, proposed fee changes designed to increase payments to family doctors, general practitioners and others who give primary care. More

Medicare’s Mixed Legacy
from The New York Times
Should the government get in the health insurance business? The question will be debated fiercely in coming months as President Obama and some Democratic lawmakers push for the creation of a government-run plan to compete with private insurance companies for the business of nearly 50 million people who are without insurance. More

As Health Data Becomes Available, Patients Can Demand Better Care
from The Dallas Morning News
Light is starting to peek into the dark confusion of health care quality and costs. For consumers who want to know, there are now ways to compare cost estimates for surgeries. You can learn how often hospitals lose patients, and how often they get them back after less than a month because of complications and mistakes. More