Top Stories

Top news stories from the past 14 days. Please visit the News Archive for earlier stories.

$10 Million in Grants Aimed at Enrolling American Indian, Alaska Native Kids in Health Care to be Awarded
Nov 20, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $10 million in grants to help reach American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children who qualify for, but are not yet enrolled, in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Learn more about: CHIPRA Outreach to and Enrollment of Indians

Highest Rates of Obesity, Diabetes in the South, Appalachia, and Some Tribal Lands
Nov 20, 2009 -- Wide sections of the Southeast, Appalachia, and some tribal lands in the West and Northern Plains have the nation′s highest rates of obesity and diabetes, according to estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

House Moves to Block Doctors' Medicare Pay Cuts
Nov 20, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News reports that the House voted largely along party lines Thursday to permanently end annual cuts in doctors' Medicare payments, which the Congress has temporarily averted from year to year,

Medicare Program: Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Final Rule     Federal Register 
Nov 20, 2009 -- This final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from their continuing experience with this system. In addition, it updates the revised Medicare ambulatory surgical center payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from their continuing experience with this system.

New Report Finds Only 25 Percent of Adults Aged 50-64 Get Recommended Preventive Screenings
Nov 20, 2009 -- Only about 1 in 4 Americans aged 50–64 regularly take advantage of preventive services such as screenings and immunizations, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with AARP and the American Medical Association (AMA).

Reid Says Senate Will Hold First Health Bill Vote on Saturday
Nov 20, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday the Senate will vote Saturday on a procedural move to begin debate on the Senate's health care reform bill.

Senate Passes Rural Vets Health Care Bill
Nov 20, 2009 -- KULR8 News, (MT) reports that the Senate has unanimously passed the Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act, sponsored by Senator Jon Tester.

Dealing with Broadband's Rural Downside
Nov 19, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how broadband will benefit rural communities, but it has downsides, too. Rural communities should plan now to make this new technology serve their interests.

FDA Teams with Everyday Health to Expand Reach of Health Information
Nov 19, 2009 -- On November 17, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Everyday Health announced a partnership that will expand the delivery of FDA’s vital consumer health information to the 30 million unique users who visit Everyday Health (www.EverydayHealth.com) each month.

Reid Releases Senate Health Reform Bill, Includes Tax on Wealthy Americans
Nov 19, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that Democratic leaders in the Senate unveiled their proposal on Wednesday for overhauling the health care system, outlining landmark legislation that they said would cover most of the uninsured while reducing the federal budget deficit.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Launches Commission to Look Beyond Medical Care System to Improve the Health of All Americans
Nov 19, 2009 -- Shortfalls in health take years off the lives of all Americans and hurt our nation's economy, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which today announced the new Commission to Build a Healthier America, a national, independent and nonpartisan health commission that will focus on factors outside the health care system and identify non-medical, evidence-based strategies—both short- and long-term—to improve the health of all Americans.

Secretary Sebelius Statement on New Breast Cancer Recommendations
Nov 19, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued a statement yesterday on new breast cancer screening recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, saying that the guidelines were the product of an outside, expert panel that does not "set federal policy and they don't determine what services are covered by the federal government."

Analysis Finds Stimulus Confusion
Nov 18, 2009 -- USA TODAY reviewed several stimulus reports to determine the number of jobs created or saved per stimulus dollar. The review found 14 recipients that reported saving or creating more than 100 jobs for less than $1,500 per job suggesting they overreported the number of jobs.

HHS Employs New Tougher Standards in Calculation of Improper Medicare Payment Rates for 2009
Nov 18, 2009 -- CMS announces that as part of the Obama Administration's goal of reducing waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) significantly revised and improved its calculations of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) error rates in 2009, reflecting a more complete accounting of Medicare's improper payments than in past years.

Information Exchanges Let Doctors Share Patient Data Efficiently
Nov 18, 2009 -- InformationWeek Healthcare Newsletter reports that several new networks are being launched across the country, and while they vary in size, scope, and clientele, the goals and challenges are similar.

New Technology Helps Elderly Stay Healthy at Home
Nov 17, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News tells how devices that measure blood pressure and other health information may help the elderly and people with chronic conditions stay in touch with doctors while remaining at home, cutting health spending by catching problems before they escalate into crises.

Poll Finds Americans Think Disease Prevention Central to Health Reform
Nov 17, 2009 -- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health have released a new poll showing that 71 percent of Americans favor an increased investment in disease prevention and that disease prevention is one of the most popular components of health reform.

Rewiring an Old Fund for Rural Broadband
Nov 17, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article reports that over the past two weeks, as health care legislation passed by a hair through the U.S. Congress, other policy changes have steadily unfolded that will improve the fortunes of rural community broadband.

Secretary Sebelius Releases $1.2 Million in Recovery Funds to Support Health Professions Faculty from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
Nov 17, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced awards totaling nearly $1.2 million to help health professions faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds repay their student loans. The funds are part of $500 million appropriated to HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) to address workforce shortages and encourage greater diversity in the health professions.

Task Force Recommends Fewer Breast Cancer Screenings
Nov 17, 2009 -- KTVB Boise, (ID) article reports that a federal task force came out with new recommendations Monday regarding breast cancer screenings with guidelines that differ from what women have long been told.

Uninsured Twice as Likely to Die in ER
Nov 17, 2009 -- CBS News reports that uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a troubling new study.

"Better Ways to Pay for Health Care" Recommended by National Health Care Quality Coalition
Nov 16, 2009 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation article discusses that as Congress and the Obama Administration search for ways to reform health care, a new report demonstrates that rationing and price controls are not the only ways to control health care costs.

AIDS Patients to President: Send More Money South
Nov 16, 2009 -- Associated Press article via Jackson Sun, (FL) reports that Mississippi is just one of several mostly rural states across the South with a dearth of resources for HIV and AIDS patients.

CDC Issues New Estimate of H1N1 Cases, Hospitalizations
Nov 16, 2009 -- AHA News reports that as of mid-October, an estimated 63,000-153,000 Americans have been hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday.

Comment Sought on Health Care Delivery Elements of National Broadband Plan
Nov 16, 2009 -- Comments are being sought by the FCC on the health care delivery elements of the national broadband plan, as well as seeking input relating to the universal service rural health care support mechanism and the rural health care Pilot Program, specifically as such programs may assist in the deployment and adoption of broadband services.

Eagle Valley Tests Health Care Reform Model
Nov 16, 2009 -- Vail Daily, (CO) article tells of the Community Paramedics program where you take a resource that is already available in the community, link it with existing health care services and provide expanded patient care including treatment delivered directly to patients in their homes.

Free Land the Key to Small Towns' Growth?
Nov 16, 2009 -- Des Moines Register, (IA) article via Center for Rural Affairs tells how the small town of Manilla, Iowa, offers free land and suspends property taxes for five years for those who build a home in their developments, a throwback to how plains states were homesteaded in the 1800s.

Medicare Paid Over $92 Million in Incentives for 2008 Under the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative
Nov 16, 2009 -- More than 85,000 physicians and other eligible professionals who successfully reported quality-related data to Medicare under the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) received incentive payments totaling more than $92 million, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today, well above the $36 million paid in 2007.

No Psychiatrist Nearby? Turn on the Screen
Nov 16, 2009 -- Detroit Free Press, (MI) article tells how videoconferencing -- telepsychiatry -- is an effective way to treat families where doctors may be an hour away, and as crucial as telemedicine is in meeting health needs in underserved areas, U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, a Menominee Democrat, has cosponsored a bill increasing funding and reimbursement for health providers to expand these services.

2010 Open Enrollment for Medicare Prescription Drug and Health Plan Coverage Begins November 15th
Nov 13, 2009 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announces that the next general open enrollment starts on November 15, 2009, where during this time, people with Medicare can add, drop or change their prescription drug coverage, and can also select a health plan for their 2010 coverage.

HHS Secretary Appoints Members to AHRQ National Advisory Council
Nov 13, 2009 -- Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appointed seven new members to the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a council that provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and the director of the agency on priorities for a national health services research agenda.

In Rural Kentucky, A Surprising Twist on the Health Debate
Nov 13, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News article reports that bad as most health measures appear in lower Appalachia, there are enduring models in places like Hazard that could prove instructive to rebuilding healthy communities across the nation, both rural and urban, according to Dr. Forest Callico, former director of the Appalachian Regional Hospitals and a rural health advisor to both the Clinton and second Bush administrations.

Kris Sparks Elected President-Elect of National Rural Health Association
Nov 13, 2009 -- The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) congratulates Kris Sparks, director of the Washington State Office of Rural Health and a long-time NOSORH leader, on being elected president-elect of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) by the organization’s members.

Smart Partner for the Broadband Dance
Nov 13, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article tells how innovations in utility data-tracking (now backed with federal funds) can take rural broadband efforts several jazzy steps forward.

U.S. Adult Smoking Rates Remain Stalled
Nov 13, 2009 -- Despite progress in some areas, smoking rates among U.S. adults remained stalled in 2008, halting the nation’s progress in ending the tobacco epidemic, according to a CDC study.

Broadband Grants to be Made More Quickly
Nov 12, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article reports that the Obama Administration promised that it would work more quickly to issue money under the $7.2 billion broadband deployment grant program.

Getting Authorized Health Care Benefits to Veterans in Rural Areas Gaining Attention
Nov 12, 2009 -- Bradford Era, (PA) article reports that getting the authorized health care benefits to veterans in rural areas is an issue that is gaining attention from the various levels of government.

Joint Commission, HHS Team Up in Language Access Education Effort
Nov 12, 2009 -- Amid growing concerns about racial, ethnic and language disparities in health care, The Joint Commission and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights have released a video, entitled “Improving Patient-Provider Communication,” which supports language access in health care organizations.

Sebelius Announces Release of Recovery Act Funding to Improve Care in Nation’s Ambulatory Surgical Centers
Nov 12, 2009 -- To reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in stand-alone or same-day surgical centers, the HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $9 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to state survey agencies in 43 states.

Speak Your Piece: A Rural Medical Miracle
Nov 12, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article tells of the city owned Summersville Regional Medical Center in West Virginia that provides great care and it is among the lowest cost hospitals in the U.S.

Senator Kaufman Introduces Health Care Fraud Enforcement Act
Nov 10, 2009 -- Medicare Update article reports that in an effort aimed to strengthen the U.S. government's capacity to investigate and prosecute waste, fraud and abuse in government health care programs and private health insurance, Senator Ted Kaufman has introduced the Health Care Fraud Enforcement Act of 2009 (S.1959).

Study: Rural Health Care Costs Rising at an ‘Unsustainable Trajectory’
Nov 10, 2009 -- Iowa Dependent article tells of a new white paper released by The Iowa Policy Project that focuses on the disparities at play when rural residents seek health care insurance.

US Department of Labor’s OSHA Provides Workplace H1N1 Influenza Precaution and Protection Information for Workers and Employers
Nov 10, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued commonsense fact sheets that employers and workers can use to promote safety during the current H1N1 influenza outbreak.

Democrat Defectors from Rural Districts
Nov 9, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article reports that Congressional legislation to reshape the U.S. health insurance system, H.R. 3962, passed by a tiny five-vote margin late Saturday night, as 39 Democrats – most of them representing rural districts -- broke with the president and opposed the sweeping bill.

What a Rural Medical Co-op Could Be
Nov 9, 2009 -- Daily Yonder article tells of the Wilson Health Planning Cooperative, now forming in an 11-county region of western North Dakota, and how it is what Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota had in mind when he insisted that the health care reform bill in Congress contain provisions for medical co-ops?

Write a Successful SAFER Grant for Your Fire Department
Nov 9, 2009 -- Associated Content article tells how on November 16, 2009, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant application period will open, and discusses how to write a successful grant.

Campaign Launches to Sound Alarm about the Misuse of Prescription Drugs Among Teens
Nov 6, 2009 -- The National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and representatives from 15 nationally recognized prevention, health professional and child advocacy organizations, are launching Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer: What You Can Do to Help Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse.

CBO Releases Cost Estimate for Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act
Nov 6, 2009 -- Medicare Update reports that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a cost estimate for the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 (H.R.3961), which would repeal the now 21.2 percent Medicare payment rate reduction for physician services in 2010 and restructure the sustainable growth rate (SGR).

CMS to Host Call on H1N1 Waivers
Nov 6, 2009 -- AHA News reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a Nov. 10 conference call on Section 1135 waivers, which hospitals can request to help meet patient needs during the H1N1 flu pandemic.

Pelosi Says House Will Pass Health Bill; Measure Gains AARP, AMA Backing
Nov 6, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says she will have enough votes to pass Democratic health care legislation by Saturday, and the American Medical Association and AARP also announced they will support the health reform bill.

Udall Introduces Bill to Increase Health Care Access for Rural New Mexicans
Nov 6, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M. today introduced legislation, the Rural TECH (Telemedicine Enhancing Community Health) Act of 2009, to increase access to health care for rural Americans who often don’t have medical specialists in their communities or must travel long distances for care.