The Hearing: Health Care Coverage vs. Costs
from The Washington Post
What began as an attempt to provide decent health care to all Americans has metamorphosed into a battle over health-care costs. Both Republicans and some Democrats are saying that the top priority for health-care reform, and a prerequisite for passage, will be "bending the curve"-- reducing the long-term growth rate of health-care costs. More

Healthy Habits Don’t Mean Lower Medical Bills
from The New York Times
There is a political strain of thought out there that medical costs are a personal responsibility — that high medical costs are often a result of unhealthy habits. But new data reported by our colleagues at the Economix blog indicate that clean living doesn’t necessarily mean lower medical costs. More

Registering and Using the SHCA List Serv is Easy! Step 1: Sign Up today
from The New York Times
It sounds like a simple idea for improving health care: draw up guidelines on how best to treat a particular illness and then pay doctors to follow them. That strategy, which some insurers and health plans already employ, has been embraced during the health care debate by some lawmakers in Congress who want to extend it more broadly. More

Medicare Part D to Increase Slightly
from The Lawrence Journal-World
As millions debate our nation’s health care system and the rising costs of care, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently offered a small dose of, depending on how you look at it. The majority of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in drug plans will not see significant increases in their premiums in 2010. But there is an increase. More

SHCA Online Education Presents: Improving the Patient and Family Experience, Part I Maximize the Voice of the Customer: The Power of Data Wednesday, September 23, 2009 1:00 p.m. (Central) For Patient Advocates, learning to analyze and use different sources of data to develop a clear and compelling picture of what customers (patients, families, visitors, community) want from their healthcare organization and how to present the information is the key to driving positive change. At the end of this 90-minute presentation, participants will be able to: Identify data sources – complaints, commendations, survey data and comments, community feedback Learn how to interpret and use the information Using a “real-life” example, discuss how to drill down into data to identify specifics areas for change Learn how to effectively communicate findings to leadership and drive change Register today!
from Clackamas Review
Four months ago Michelle Veenker was facing the serious prospect that her daughter, who has suffered with mental illness for about eight years, would be dropped from her support services and consequently end up on the streets, or worse. More

Hospitals Reduce Heart Attack Deaths
from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A decade-long, government-led effort has reduced the death rate for patients hospitalized for heart attacks and improved the performance of hospitals that deal with these daily emergencies, a nationwide study finds. More

SHCA Learning Network: Templates The SHCA Learning Network is a peer information sharing tool for members of the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy of the American Hospital Association. In your role, often times you are faced with questions, issues, or work that you have previously not experienced- but that doesn't mean your colleagues haven't. As a member of the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy you can not only network with fellow patient and consumer advocates, but swap best practices and share template files, worksheets, and resources with your peers! Visit the Learning Network
from Norwalk Advocate
Connecticut needs to stop shielding the identity of hospitals where serious medical errors occur and to overhaul its reporting rules, say state officials and patient care advocates. More

Neverland By Donald E. Fry, M.D., and Michael Pine, M.D. Some never events happen—even under the best of care—and refusing payment for them will hurt hospitals and patients. Payers should consider a health care warranty instead. Read here
from phillyBurbs.com
Merck has expanded access to its Patient Assistance Program, which provides uninsured patients with free Merck medications for chronic conditions. More