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Obama Administration Proposes Big Changes In Medicare Payment Oversight
Determined to cut Medicare costs, the White House unveiled a plan that would shift much of the power over Medicare payment rates from Congress to the executive branch.

Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Identified Along Texas-Mexico Border
PAHO on Monday announced it had found Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 (swine) flu along the Texas-Mexico border, Agence-France Press reports. The discovery of several cases in El Paso and McAllen, Texas, adds the U.S. to a growing list of countries with antiviral-resistant H1N1, such as Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong and Japan. "Experts had gathered in La Jolla on Monday to discuss the response to the outbreak, and warned that resistant strains were likely emerging because of overuse of antivirals like Tamiflu," the news service writes (8/3).
News of the day
Joint Replacement Patients With Diabetes Greatly Benefit From Controlled Glucose
Diabetics undergoing total joint replacement often are at a higher risk of experiencing complications after surgery due to various pre-existing health conditions. According to a new study published in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), those complications are less likely to occur when a diabetic patient has glucose levels under control.
Mental Health

Next Year's Rising Health Costs May Not Be Slowed By Reform

"Employers who offer health insurance coverage could see a 9 percent cost increase next year, and their workers may face an even bigger hit, according to a report Thursday from consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers," the Associated Press reports. Workers concerned about losing their jobs" and their insurance, while it lasts - are using more health care than usual, contributing to rising costs, the report says. As the costs increase, employers are also likely to shift more of the burden to employees. "A total of 42% of employers surveyed said they would increase employees" share of costs," the AP reports. Health overhaul legislation being considered by Congress this year may be little help to employers and employees in this situation because it "will have little impact on next year"s costs" (Murphy, 6/18). "President Obama"s plan to rein in federal spending on health care could end up shifting costs to the private sector," the Washington Post reports. "Unless doctors and hospitals are able to respond to the government cuts by becoming more efficient, the result could be higher costs for insurers, employers, and people with private medical coverage." While there are many efficient providers currently practicing, a Congressional Budget Office report says experts don"t yet know how to spread that efficiency throughout the system. Policy makers won"t be able to do so "through fiat or good intentions," the CBO said (Hilzenrath, 6/18). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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