Rural Health Reform resources related to rural health and human services, with information provided by the Rural Assistance Center Copyright 2010 Rural Assistance Center http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/hot_topics/health_reform/ Associated Press article via WCAX News, (VT) discusses how it took lawmakers a year to shape President Barack Obama's health care bill, but if it finally passes Congress, it will take the better part of a decade to write the user manual for consumers and doctors, employers and insurance companies. http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=12140775 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:27:26 CST http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=12140775 Without significant reform to the current health care system, the number of uninsured Americans could grow by 10 million people in just five years, and spending on government health care programs for the poor could more than double by 2020, according to a new report released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/product.jsp?id=57468 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:12:19 CST http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/product.jsp?id=57468 Kaiser Health News reports that President Barack Obama took his closing arguments for health care reform to the St. Louis area Wednesday, promoting "a new initiative to reduce waste in Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs." http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/March/11/Missouri-obama-health-reform-Fraud.aspx Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:42:54 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/March/11/Missouri-obama-health-reform-Fraud.aspx The American Hospital Association (AHA) has compiled a document summarizing the Senate's health reform bill and noting elements that President Obama has suggested changing as part of a final reform package. http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews_app/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_030910_chart&domain=AHANEWS Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:16:34 CST http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews_app/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_030910_chart&domain=AHANEWS Kaiser Health News reports that President Obama is delivering his "closing argument" for health care reform in St. Louis today as Democratic leaders strategize on moving the bill through the House and Senate. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/March/10/health-Reform-Big-Picture.aspx Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:23:15 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/March/10/health-Reform-Big-Picture.aspx Kaiser Health News article reports that long excluded by Medicaid programs in most states, millions of low-income, childless adults could qualify for coverage under Democratic health overhaul proposals. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/March/08/childless-adults-health-reform.aspx Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:30:16 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/March/08/childless-adults-health-reform.aspx David Wahlberg, a reporter with the Wisconsin State Journal, offers a series of articles discussing the rural health care gap and how good, consistent health care is hard to come by in rural areas across America. http://host.madison.com/special-section/rural_health/ Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:00:12 CST http://host.madison.com/special-section/rural_health/ In a letter to the CEOs of UnitedHealth Group Inc., WellPoint Inc., Aetna Inc., Health Care Service Corporation and CIGNA HealthCare Inc., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called on the executives to publicly justify proposed health insurance premium increases. Sebelius letter comes after a meeting last week with these executives at the White House. http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=13241 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:32:42 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=13241 Washington Post, (DC) article reports that it may have taken over a year, but President Obama finally told Congress and the public Wednesday what he wants in a health care bill, when he wants it and how he thinks it should pass. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/03/rundown---030410.html?wprss=44 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:42:58 CST http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/03/rundown---030410.html?wprss=44 Kaiser Health News article reports that Thursday's bipartisan health summit ended with the partisan rift intact, increasing the possibility that President Barack Obama will try to unify Democrats to pass legislation without GOP support. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/February/26/health-Summit-morning-after.aspx Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:58:56 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/February/26/health-Summit-morning-after.aspx Business Week article discusses how President Barack Obama may be creating the best chance to push through his stalled health-care plan by summoning his political foes to a summit tomorrow. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-24/obama-summit-may-give-democrats-chance-to-jumpstart-health-bill.html Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:04:09 CST http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-24/obama-summit-may-give-democrats-chance-to-jumpstart-health-bill.html Examines the key characteristics of the 17.1 million low-income uninsured adults who might gain health coverage through an expansion of the Medicaid program under health reform. -- Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8052.pdf Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:44:24 CST http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8052.pdf The latest Kaiser Tracking Poll finds the public still split on health care reform legislation, with 43 percent in favor and 43 percent opposed, however, the poll also finds that majorities of Americans of all political leanings support several provisions in the health reform proposals in Congress and most attribute delays in passing the legislation to political gamesmanship rather than policy disagreements. http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/posr022310nr.cfm Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:15:02 CST http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/posr022310nr.cfm Los Angeles Times, (CA) article reports that four days before his planned health summit with congressional leaders, President Obama on Monday morning unveiled his proposal to overhaul the nation's healthcare system, building on the gargantuan legislation developed by Senate Democrats last year. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-na-obama-healthcare23-2010feb23,0,6084606.story Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:54:37 CST http://www.latimes.com/business/la-na-obama-healthcare23-2010feb23,0,6084606.story U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today unveiled a new report that highlights health insurance premium increases in states across the country and comes shortly after Anthem Blue Cross announced plans to raise rates on its California customers by as much as 39 percent, even after its parent company took in a profit of $2.7 billion in the previous quarter. http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=13122 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:17:27 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=13122 Medicare Update article reports that in a recent post, The White House Blog includes a letter from Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius outlining the agenda for the upcoming February 25, 2010 health care summit. http://medicareupdate.typepad.com/medicare_update/2010/02/whitehousehealthcaresummit.html Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:53:47 CST http://medicareupdate.typepad.com/medicare_update/2010/02/whitehousehealthcaresummit.html Report based on seven concurrent surveys completed in October 2009 by healthcare leaders in seven segments across the industry: CEO, finance, technology, physician, health plan, marketing, and quality leaders. This survey section presents issues of priority concern in rural health care, describes the differences between rural and urban priorities, and relays opinions on the health care reform initiatives. -- HealthLeaders Media http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/pdf/survey_project/2010/COMMRURAL_pages_2010.pdf Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:24:27 CST http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/pdf/survey_project/2010/COMMRURAL_pages_2010.pdf Examines the Congressional health care reform proposals and their potential impact on rural families, businesses and communities as well as the rural consequences of inaction. -- Center for Rural Affairs http://files.cfra.org/pdf/Why-Health-Reform-Cant-Wait.pdf Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:04:34 CST http://files.cfra.org/pdf/Why-Health-Reform-Cant-Wait.pdf Reviews the general advantages and disadvantages of a Medicare buy-in program in relation to the population in their 50s and early 60s and discusses geographic variation in Medicare spending and unsubsidized premiums. -- AARP Public Policy Institute http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/health/i29_buyin.pdf Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:33:55 CST http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/health/i29_buyin.pdf Offers a broad range of recommendations for reforms that address some of the most significant obstacles to health, health care, disease prevention, and health promotion for people with disabilities in rural and urban environments. -- National Council on Disability http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2009/pdf/HealthCare.pdf Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:46:19 CST http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2009/pdf/HealthCare.pdf Discusses how the nation can take steps in reforming the U.S. health care system to cover the uninsured, improve the quality of health care, cut overall costs and secure an adequate health care workforce. -- Center for American Progress http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/01/pdf/health_care_workforce_execsumm.pdf Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:19:03 CST http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/01/pdf/health_care_workforce_execsumm.pdf An analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Coverage Act (as amended on December 19, 2009 by the Senate Majority Leaders Managers Amendment) using statistics and data to identify how it would reduce the number of uninsured in non-metropolitan areas. -- RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis http://www.rupri.org/Forms/McBride_Insurance_Amended_Dec09.pdf Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:05:39 CST http://www.rupri.org/Forms/McBride_Insurance_Amended_Dec09.pdf Identifies how current efforts to reform the health care system provides an opportunity to address the disparities in access to services and quality of services to racial and ethnic minorities in the United States particularly African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians, andPacific Islanders. -- Center for American Progress http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/12/pdf/racialhealthdisparities.pdf Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:34:48 CST http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/12/pdf/racialhealthdisparities.pdf Contains the American College of Physicians recommendations aimed at comprehensive reform of the payment system to physicians and that improves coordination of care across providers including rural practices. -- American College of Physicians http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/policy/reforming_pp.pdf Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:04:39 CST http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/policy/reforming_pp.pdf Reports that resources are needed to increase and sustain the number of primary care providers and reduce financial barriers to care in all rural primary care HPSAs. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center http://depts.washington.edu/uwrhrc/uploads/Persistent_HPSAs_PB.pdf Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:12:15 CST http://depts.washington.edu/uwrhrc/uploads/Persistent_HPSAs_PB.pdf Reviews the full range of individual state activity on health reform during 2008 and provides facts about the number and percent of uninsured Americans. -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation http://www.academyhealth.org/files/publications/SCI_SoS09.pdf Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:30:28 CST http://www.academyhealth.org/files/publications/SCI_SoS09.pdf This data brief contains summarized results from a survey of leaders in health care and health care policy on the topics of Medicare and legislative reform measures. -- Commonwealth Fund http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Data%20Brief/2009/Nov/1335_Stremikis_HCOL_Medicare_Reform_112.pdf Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:48:26 CST http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Data%20Brief/2009/Nov/1335_Stremikis_HCOL_Medicare_Reform_112.pdf Reports that rural residents have a higher uninsured rate than their urban counterparts, and describes health care reform initiatives that can help improve coverage of rural Americans. -- Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Rural Health Panel http://www.rupri.org/Forms/Health_ReformBrief_Oct09.pdf Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:39:20 CST http://www.rupri.org/Forms/Health_ReformBrief_Oct09.pdf Argues through statistical analysis and research that health insurance reform will lower premiums for small businesses and lead to additional benefits. -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/smallbusiness2/smallbusiness2.pdf Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:14:19 CST http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/smallbusiness2/smallbusiness2.pdf Details issues facing rural Americans in the Health Care reform debate through researched feature reporting and interviews. -- Center for Rural Affairs http://files.cfra.org/pdf/Sweet-the-Bitter-Drought.pdf Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:03:53 CST http://files.cfra.org/pdf/Sweet-the-Bitter-Drought.pdf