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Schwarzenegger to sign budget Tuesday - 85 days late
Los Angeles Times - 09-23-2008 - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign the state budget Tuesday morning, his office said. That would make the budget law 85 days after the fiscal year began, a record in state tardiness. Schwarzenegger is expected to veto line items amounting to millions of dollars in spending.
Aetna to let outside doctors decide on rescissions
Los Angeles Times - 09-23-2008 - Aetna Inc., the third-largest U.S. health insurer, will let outside doctors decide whether to cancel coverage for sick customers suspected of obtaining policies through false or incomplete information. The Hartford, Conn., company will give three-member physician panels the final say on rescinding individual and family policies starting today. Aetna is the first of more than 1,300 insurers to set up binding outside reviews in every state where they do business, said California Insurance Department spokesman Darrel Ng.
Worried sick over our health care
Chicago Tribune - 09-23-2008 - Polls show voters worry a lot about health care and how much they spend on it. Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama have responded by peddling plans they claim will help more Americans attain and afford care.
Heart attack care often delayed for the poor
Washington Post - 09-23-2008 - Poorer Americans, including those on Medicaid, may be at greater risk for missing a time-sensitive window for care following a heart attack, according to a new study. In an analysis of more than 6,700 medical records, households with lower incomes were more likely to report delays in reaching their hospital for critical care.
Infection control turns from hands to clothes
Washington Post - 09-23-2008 - Amid growing concerns about hospital infections and a rise in drug-resistant bacteria, the attire of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers is getting more attention. While infection control experts have published extensive research on the benefits of hand washing and equipment sterilization in hospitals, little is known about the role that ties, white coats, long sleeves and soiled scrubs play in the spread of bacteria.
Sharp Rise in Employee Health Costs in Store for Next Year
Wall Street Journal - 09-23-2008 - As American workers watched their health-care costs double over the past six years, they could at least take consolation in the fact their employers’ share of the cost was rising even faster.
Well, that’s over. A survey from Hewitt Associates confirms what other recent studies have suggested: It’s now employees’ portion of the costs that are rising at the faster clip.
