Insurers flocking to ObamaCare
The Hill
June 15, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209358-health-insurers-new-message-on-obamacare-count-us-in
Health insurance companies suddenly want in on the ObamaCare action. With a difficult launch year out of the way, insurers are seeing a moneymaking opportunity in the federal healthcare program and are lining up to offer plans on the ObamaCare exchanges in 2015. In the 10 states where data is available, at least 27 new insurers have indicated they will offer plans on the marketplaces in 2015. Each additional carrier will expand the number of plans sold on the exchanges, since none of the carriers already offering plans have indicated they will drop out. The surge in participation is being touted by the White House, and indicates that many of the ObamaCare exchanges are taking root despite the broader unpopularity of the law and opposition from Republicans on Capitol Hill. Healthcare experts, who had long predicted that more insurers would join ObamaCare in the second year, say major players in the industry can’t afford to stay on the sidelines after more than 8 million people signed up for coverage in 2014.
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Thousands to Be Questioned on Eligibility for Health Insurance Subsidies
The New York Times
June 15, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/us/thousands-to-be-questioned-on-eligibility-for-health-insurance-subsidies.html?ref=politics&_r=0
The Obama administration is contacting hundreds of thousands of people with subsidized health insurance to resolve questions about their eligibility, as consumer advocates express concern that many will be required to repay some or all of the subsidies. Of the eight million people who signed up for private health plans through insurance exchanges under the new health care law, two million reported personal information that differed from data in government records, according to federal officials and Serco, the company hired to resolve such inconsistencies. The government is asking consumers for additional documents to verify their income, citizenship, immigration status and Social Security numbers, as well as any health coverage that they may have from employers. People who do not provide the information risk losing their subsidized coverage and may have to repay subsidies next April.
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In Virginia, the road to a budget comes with twists and turns
The Washington Post
June 15, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/in-virginia-the-road-to-a-budget-comes-with-twists-and-turns/2014/06/15/7eb111f8-f4a5-11e3-8f20-f3a5fed7f3c4_story.html
Virginia seemed hopelessly locked in a partisan budget and Medicaid standoff, careening toward its first-ever government shutdown. Yet for weeks behind the scenes, a handful of lawmakers were hammering out a deal. They were wrapping up that work when a Democratic state senator suddenly resigned, giving one side in the stalemate a convenient — if numerically unsound — excuse to cave. The budget drama was over. For about a day. Then an obscure bit of budget language that has been on the books for a year incited fear among rank-and-file Republicans that they were about to get snookered — by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and maybe even members of their own party.
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Electronic health records: A 'clunky' transition
Politico
June 15, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/health-care-electronic-records-107881.html?hp=l7
The government-led transformation of health information is driving doctors to distraction, igniting nurse protests and crushing hospitals under debt. Most health care professionals accept the inevitability of going electronic and see its value. But they have a message for the administration’s multibillion-dollar push: not so fast. The government has already delayed parts of the program, but the American Medical Association and others want more relaxation of the rules, and warn of disaster if they aren’t heeded. Doctors largely supported the Obama administration’s $30 billion incentive program to switch the nation’s medical records from paper to electronic starting in 2009. They understood the potential of using health IT to reduce medical errors, increase efficiency and give patients and caregivers access to complete, portable and up-to-date records.
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Device Maker Medtronic Agrees to Merger and Will Move to Ireland
The New York Times
June 15, 2014
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/medtronic-to-buy-covidien-for-42-9-billion/?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar
Medtronic agreed on Sunday to buy Covidien for $42.9 billion, combining two of the world’s biggest medical device makers and helping Medtronic lower some taxes by gaining access to cash held overseas. The deal, which is being structured as a so-called inversion, will relocate Medtronic from its headquarters in Minneapolis to Covidien’s corporate home in Ireland, where the tax rate is significantly lower than in the United States. But Medtronic argues that its tax rate will remain roughly the same, at about 18 percent. Together, the two companies will become one of the biggest providers of medical devices in the industry, with 87,000 employees in over 150 countries. The deal is the biggest-ever foreign acquisition by an American company, according to Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ, ahead of Kraft’s $19.5 billion takeover of the British confectioner Cadbury.
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After hours of strife, lawmakers pass budget without Medicaid expansion
The Washington Post
June 13, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/in-virginia-senate-panel-approves-budget-without-medicaid-in-effort-to-avert-shutdown/2014/06/12/326d071a-f1b3-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html
The Virginia General Assembly adopted a long-delayed state budget late Thursday, acting after an hours-long debate among newly ascendant Senate Republicans who fought among themselves over whether the plan threw up sufficient barriers to Medicaid expansion. The Republicans, who gained control of the Senate Monday when a Democrat resigned from what had been an evenly split chamber, approved a spending deal hashed out by a bipartisan group of House and Senate negotiators. But they first amended it in a way intended to make it harder to expand the federal-state healthcare program for the poor under the federal Affordable Care Act — Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s top legislative priority.
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Poll: Fixing VA health care top issue
Politico
June 13, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/poll-veterans-issues-va-107819.html?hp=r2
The most widespread legislative concern for Americans is improving health care for veterans, a new poll says. According to a Gallup poll released Friday, 87 percent of Americans say it is extremely or very important for the White House and Congress to address health care services for veterans. Among the nine options presented in the survey, improving care for veterans scored 15 percent higher than the second-place issue, equal pay legislation for women. The poll comes as the Obama administration and Congress begin to address what a VA inspector general report called “systemic” problems within the department. After outrage over that report, as well as earlier media reports that as many as 40 veterans might have died while waiting for health care in the Phoenix VA system, President Barack Obama accepted the resignation of Secretary Eric Shinseki last month.
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Report: HHS attorney predicts spike in HIPAA fines
The Hill
June 13, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209293-report-hhs-attorney-predicts-spike-in-hipaa-fines
Penalties under federal health privacy laws are likely to increase substantially in the coming year, according to a high-ranking attorney in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS Chief Regional Civil Rights Counsel Jerome Meites made the prediction at an American Bar Association conference on Thursday in Chicago. His remark raised eyebrows because the previous year already saw record fines by the Obama administration under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Law360, the publication that first reported the comment, said HHS received more than $10 million for alleged HIPAA violations since June 2013. "Knowing what's in the pipeline, I suspect that that number will be low compared to what's coming up," Meites said, clarifying later that he spoke for himself and not HHS.
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Virginia Legislature rejects Medicaid expansion
The Hill
June 13, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209287-virginia-legislature-rejects-medicaid-expansion
The Virginia Legislature passed a two-year budget late Thursday night that rejects expanding Medicaid coverage to its citizens under ObamaCare. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) had pressed for Virginia to join other states in expanding Medicaid coverage, but a Senate taken over by Republicans this week rejected the bid. The state Senate approved the budget in a 21-18 vote, with one Democrat voting for it. Before that vote, the Senate voted 21-19 in favor of a floor amendment that the blocked funding of Medicaid’s expansion without the approval of Virginia’s Legislature. The budget bill was then immediately approved in a 69-31 vote by Virginia’s GOP-controlled House. McAuliffe could veto the budget, but that would cause a government shutdown.
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Fixing the VA: Beyond the usual suspects
The Hill
June 13, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/209201-fixing-the-va-beyond-the-usual-suspects
If the ongoing scandal in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system provides evidence of anything — in addition to our ongoing failure to provide adequate care for our veterans — it's that Washington's response is sadly predictable. The first instinct in Washington is to look for scapegoats, or at least a sacrificial lamb. Accordingly, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has resigned. No doubt he should have, since he was apparently clueless about the ongoing problems in his department. But the keyword here is "ongoing." The problems within the VA health system go back decades, long before the current administration. In fact, as long ago as 2001, there were warnings that veterans were waiting more than two months to be seen, and the VA's inspector general had warned about problems with the waiting lists as far back as 2005. For that matter, back in 1945, then-Secretary Frank Hines resigned after reports of shoddy care at VA-run hospitals.
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Wyden and Grassley Seek Next Steps on Health Care Transparency
Senate Finance Committee
June 12, 2014
http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/chairman/release/?id=d31e8e26-0c94-4bcd-afb5-f2d996edd390
Building on their work to make Medicare cost and quality data more transparent, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and senior Finance Committee member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, are asking providers, patients, advocates, insurers, entrepreneurs and others for new ideas for improving overall transparency in health care. “Health care-related data, specifically, is a growing but largely untapped resource for accelerating improvements in health care quality and value,” the letter states. “This data has great potential for use by consumers who can be empowered to choose providers that best fit their specific needs; by providers who can improve and deliver higher-quality care; and by payers who can design the most efficient and effective delivery models.”
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Wyden Remarks at Joint AARP-BRT Event on Data Transparency in Health Care
Senate Finance Committee
June 12, 2014
http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/chairman/release/?id=ba940933-bfa9-4d81-8678-d88214a5b848
I have had a real interest in health care data transparency for years. The way I see it, data has the capacity to completely change the health care landscape in this country. Data can personalize care in ways that have never been done before. We already know that the same treatment can have very different impacts on patients based on their genes, their behavior and where they live. With access to big datasets about patients they treat, doctors are beginning to find ways to tailor their treatments to meet these unique needs. Giving these innovators access to Medicare data will surely increase their analytic firepower. Sometimes proprietary rights over datasets and analyses can create silos, limiting access to information those who treat us should have. In the blink of an eye, big data can knock down these health care silos connecting providers across settings and states. It can put patients and consumers in the driver seat of their own care. And it can help doctors identify patterns, in real time, to deliver better care.
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Alexander: Dems dodge ‘tough’ votes on O-Care funding bill
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/209236-alexander-dems-dodge-tough-votes-on-o-care-funding-bill
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) chided Democrats for canceling a markup on the bill that would fund ObamaCare in 2015. “Our markup was indefinitely postponed ... because some senators don’t want to vote on difficult or tough amendments,” Alexander said on the Senate floor Thursday. “That’s what we do.” The Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill was supposed to be marked up in the full Senate Appropriations Committee this week, but Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) postponed it indefinitely. Harkin denied that leaders have taken the bill off the schedule because vulnerable Democrats feared it would provoke "gotcha" amendments that could hurt their reelection chances in November. But Alexander said that was precisely the reason the hearing was canceled. He said he hoped to offer at least four amendments at that hearing, one of which would have required the administration to provide weekly reports on who is enrolling in the ObamaCare health exchange.
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Obama healthy, still chews nicotine gum
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209234-doctor-obama-occasionally-chews-nicotine-gum-drinks
President Obama chews nicotine gum and drinks alcohol on occasion, according to a report from an official checkup that declared Obama was in excellent health. The details follow a brouhaha over Obama visibly chewing gum last week at a ceremony in France honoring the 70th anniversary of D-Day. While the European press made a field day of Obama's habit, some U.S. outlets suggested that chewing nicotine gum sets a better example than smoking. Obama's doctor, Ronny L. Jackson, said Thursday that the president remains tobacco-free and very healthy, noting that he eats well and exercises daily. The report revealed that Obama suffers from mild Vitamin D deficiency and "intermittent" plantar fasciitis, a disorder affecting the heel and causing foot pain. The president undergoes a periodic physical exam with results released by the White House.
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More insurers joining ObamaCare
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209233-more-insurers-joining-obamacare
growing number of insurers say they intend to offer coverage on the ObamaCare exchanges next year. Insurance plans in New Hampshire, Michigan and Illinois are planning to enter into the federal marketplaces after deciding not to participate during ObamaCare’s first enrollment period, according to news reports. In New Hampshire, the number of ObamaCare insurers is set to rise from one to five next year; from 13 to 18 in Michigan; and from six to 10 in Illinois. The White House seized on the growing participation in ObamaCare to argue the law is succeeding.
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Finance Committee chairman seeks input on health data transparency
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209196-finance-chairman-seeks-input-on-health-data-transparency
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is asking the healthcare world for its input on how big data could promote reform. In a letter to roughly 100 stakeholder groups and individuals, Wyden and Finance Committee ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) posed broad questions about how data transparency could benefit their work. "Increased access to data is already giving providers, consumers, payer and others with powerful resources for improving our healthcare system, and yet significant data gaps continue to exist and limit the full potential," the letter stated. "What reforms would help reduce the unnecessary fragmentation of healthcare data? What reforms would improve the accessibility and usability of healthcare data for consumers, payer and providers?" The letter provides a glimpse into one of Wyden's interests and priorities as the new Finance Committee chairman.
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Floor votes unlikely on ObamaCare funding, senator says
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/209217-floor-votes-on-obamacare-approps-bill-unlikely-harkin-predicts
Legislation funding ObamaCare for 2015 is not likely to come to the Senate floor as a standalone measure open to amendment, the subcommittee chairman in charge of the legislation said Thursday. The Labor, Health and Human Services bill was supposed to be marked up in the full Appropriations Committee this week, said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), but now it is at the back of the line. He said because of the difficulty in securing floor time and in getting agreements on amendments with Republicans, it is unlikely to be considered separately on the floor and will end up in an omnibus package. “That is likely what will happen,” he said.
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CDC: Costs of cancer don't end for survivors
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/209141-cdc-costs-of-cancer-dont-end-for-survivors
Even after fighting off cancer, survivors often face severe challenges, such as high medical costs and productivity loss from missed work, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC analyzed cancer survivors' medical cost data between 2008 and 2011 and found they face serious financial burdens because of clinical follow-ups, managing long-term and late effects of their treatments, and monitoring for recurrence of the disease and other cancers because of increased risk. Survivors also missed wages from a number of factors, such as taking sick days or shortening their hours. “Cancer survivors face physical, emotional, psychosocial, employment and financial challenges as a result of their cancer diagnosis and treatment,” said Donatus Ekwueme, a senior health economist at the CDC and lead author of the study.
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Issa slams O-Care co-ops
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209163-issa-slams-o-care-co-ops
People aren’t signing up for many of the nonprofit health insurance cooperatives created by ObamaCare, according to Republicans on the House Oversight Committee. In a report, Republicans on the panel said 14 of 23 co-ops had significantly lower enrollment than they projected for 2014. The low enrollment will make it tougher for them to pay back $2 billion in federal loans they received to help boost their enrollment, the Republicans argue. “We know that most of the CO-OPs failed to meet their expected enrollment numbers with 11 CO-OPs spending more than $10,000 for each person they ultimately enrolled,” said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the Oversight Committee. “Enrollment figures to date raise serious questions about how these CO-OPs plan on staying solvent and that taxpayers will ever be repaid.”
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Poll: Most oppose O-Care but want to keep the law
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209190-poll-most-oppose-o-care-but-want-to-keep-the-law
A majority of people oppose President Obama's healthcare law, but only 1 in 3 believes Congress should take it off the books, according to a new poll from Bloomberg News. The findings highlight Americans' contradictory opinions about ObamaCare. The law remains unpopular as the midterm election cycle heats up, posing a challenge to some red-state Democrats. But only a plurality of adults, 42 percent, oppose it because they feel it went too far, and polling on individual parts of the law shows that nearly all have support from a majority of the public. Sixty-five percent believe that insurance companies should be prohibited from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, while 55 percent believe in eliminating lifetime caps on how much insurers can pay for medical care. Only the individual mandate — the rule that everyone must carry health insurance — garnered opposition from a majority, 52 percent. Forty-six percent expressed support for the mandate.
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Time to bring back the public option — Medicare in all exchanges
The Hill
June 12, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/208825-time-to-bring-back-the-public-option-medicare-in-all-exchanges
Now that Republicans have all but given up the ghost of repealing the Affordable Care Act, we can begin to focus on improving the law, which is what the American people overwhelmingly want. Here's a way to quickly bring more competition into all the exchanges and guarantee people a choice of doctor and hospital: Bring back the public option by having Medicare offer coverage in all of the exchanges. A study released last month found that competition in healthcare exchanges does lead to lower premiums. If every exchange had a major health insurer, rates would be 11 percent lower. It is true that more insurers plan to enter exchanges in 2015, which will be helpful in controlling premiums. But that still does not guarantee the major competitor needed in every health market in the country.
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PhRMA, Advocates: Specialty Drug Costs For Patients Too High
Kaiser Health News
June 12, 2014
http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2014/06/phrma-advocates-specialty-drug-costs-for-patients-too-high/
Here’s the next salvo in the back and forth between insurers and the drug industry over drug prices: the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America are pushing the Department of Health and Human Services to take action to protect consumers who have gained insurance via the health law’s online marketplaces from high, out-of-pocket costs for specialty drugs. Specialty drugs are most often prescribed for complex, chronic and often costly health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C that require continuous monitoring by a health care provider. At a June 11 press event, PhRMA, the drug industry’s trade association, and five patient advocacy groups, ranging from the Colon Cancer Alliance to the Immune Deficiency Foundation, pointed to an analysis by the consulting firm Avalere Health — commissioned by PhRMA — as reason for worry regarding these medicines.
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Obamacare Hill subsidy case to go to court
Politico
June 12, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/obamacare-hill-staff-lawmakers-coverage-107801.html?hp=l9
A long-running fight involving Obamacare coverage for Hill staff and lawmakers is getting its day in court this summer. Sen. Ron Johnson’s lawsuit against the Obama administration policy that allows the federal government to pay for a portion of lawmakers’ and staffers’ health insurance policies in the Obamacare exchanges will go before a Wisconsin district court judge on July 7. The Wisconsin Republican is hoping to overturn the Obama administration’s decision to allow the federal government to pay for a portion of its employees’ health insurance. Most other federal workers — as well as many Americans who work in the private sector — have part of their health insurance paid by their employer. But the health law required most Hill staff and all lawmakers to go into the Obamacare exchanges, instead of staying in the regular federal employees health program.
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Subcommittee Examines President’s Broken Promise of “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor.”
Energy and Commerce Committee
June 12, 2014
http://energycommerce.house.gov/press-release/subcommittee-examines-president%E2%80%99s-broken-promise-%E2%80%9Cif-you-your-doctor-you-will-be-able
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), today held a hearing to examine how, “The President’s Health Care Law Does Not Equal Health Care Access.” Pitts noted that the president’s repeated promise of “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period,” remains on WhiteHouse.gov, despite the fact that it is widely agreed that the president would never be able to uphold this promise under this law. As Scott Gottlieb, M.D., Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute explained, “Coverage doesn’t necessarily equal access. … Just giving someone health care coverage doesn’t necessarily guarantee that they are going to get care.”
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Abortion becomes issue in Louisiana Senate race
Politico
June 12, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/louisiana-abortion-mary-landrieu-bill-cassidy-107779.html?hp=l17
Louisiana’s rightward tilt on abortion rights is opening up one of the brightest political contrasts in the race between Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and GOP Rep. Bill Cassidy. The rivals have, for now, battled to a stalemate on some of Louisiana’s parochial issues like flood insurance and energy expansion. But Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) Thursday signing of restrictive abortion rights legislation is underscoring the yawning gap between the two candidates on social issues. In an interview, Landrieu ripped Jindal’s stewardship of the abortion measures as fuel for his burning desire to be president in 2016, calling his record “very troubling” and not in line with “serving the people of Louisiana.”
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Louisiana: Governor Signs New Abortion Restrictions
The New York Times
June 12, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/us/louisiana-governor-signs-new-abortion-restrictions.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C%5B%22RI%3A6%22%2C%22RI%3A17%22%5D&_r=0
Gov. Bobby Jindal on Thursday signed into law new restrictions against abortion, saying they will protect women and the unborn. The biggest change will require doctors who perform abortions to be able to admit patients to a hospital that is within 30 miles of where the procedure is performed and that provides obstetric or gynecological health services. Abortion-rights groups say the rule will shutter at least three of Louisiana’s five abortion clinics. The groups say doctors who perform abortions have difficulty getting admitting privileges because hospitals do not want the negative attention.
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Congress takes step to extend children’s healthcare program
The Hill
June 11, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209061-congress-eyes-extension-of-childrens-health-program
Congress is taking its first step toward extending the popular Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) past next year, when more than 8 million children will lose their health coverage unless lawmakers take action. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) introduced legislation Wednesday that would fund CHIP through 2019. While the program is currently authorized through that year, its budget is set to expire next September. Rockefeller, who helped craft the program in 1997, praised CHIP for helping reduce the number of uninsured children. "CHIP has been hugely successful in West Virginia and across the country because it has given children and pregnant women access to care and services that have greatly improved health outcomes," he said in a statement. Advocates for children roundly praised the legislation and vowed to help move it through the process.
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Cantor makes no mention of ObamaCare replacement bill
The Hill
June 11, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209065-cantor-makes-no-mention-of-obamacare
Outgoing House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) made no mention of an ObamaCare replacement bill on Wednesday in another sign that the House may not pass an alternative before the August recess. At a Capitol Hill press conference, Cantor failed to bring up future plans for healthcare as he discussed his legislative priorities for the next seven weeks, before he steps down as majority leader on July 31. Cantor was unexpectedly defeated Tuesday night in a primary election that stunned political observers. His looming departure from leadership has triggered a wave of jockeying among House lawmakers eager to rise in the ranks. Passage of an ObamaCare alternative plan was already seen as unlikely despite numerous GOP promises to "repeal and replace" the healthcare law. A busy floor schedule and an imminent leadership transition further complicate the possibility.
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AHIP: PhRMA wants to talk about anything but drug prices
The Hill
June 11, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209026-ahip-phrma-wants-to-talk-about-anything-but-drug-prices
The top health insurance lobby group says drugmakers are trying to distract people from the rising price of drugs. A blog post headline by America’s Health Insurance Plans says it all: “Wow, this drug is really expens — Look! A squirrel!!” Brendan Buck, an AHIP spokesperson and former aide to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) known for his aggressive style, wrote the post firing back at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America for trying to deflect the issue of rising drug prices. “Indeed, whenever the high price of pharmaceuticals is in the news, drugmakers try desperately to change the subject and distract from the issue,” Buck wrote. “Now more than ever, that strategy is on full display as the industry is under increasing fire for the prices of specialty pharmaceuticals – some priced at more than $100,000 for a single course of treatment.”
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Survey: Employers fear O-Care costs
The Hill
June 11, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209057-survey-employers-fear-o-care-costs
Most employers are worried the Affordable Care Act will have a detrimental affect on their business and raise their health insurance costs this year, according to a new survey. A study by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) of some 700 human resources and benefits professionals found more than half of employers are concerned ObamaCare will have a negative effect on their company and 90 percent expect the law to increase their cost of covering health insurance for their employees. “We are seeing firsthand how the Affordable Care Act has had major implications on employers and their employees,” said Michael Wilson, CEO of IFEBP. “Employers are taking a variety of actions to mitigate costs and in most cases are sharing the cost impact with their workforce.”
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Koch group attacks Dems on ObamaCare, Keystone
The Hill
June 11, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/209013-koch-group-attacks-dems-on-obamacare-keystone
A conservative group backed by Charles and David Koch is targeting Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) for supporting ObamaCare and voting against the Keystone XL Pipeline. Americans for Prosperity on Wednesday began a television ad campaign against the two Democrats, who are critical figures in the battle for the Senate. Shaheen is facing a tough reelection battle, while Braley is seeking to win the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). The first 30-second spot attacking Shaheen blasts her support of the Affordable Care Act. “Things got much worse after Sen. Shaheen cast the deciding vote for ObamaCare,” says the ad. “There were radical reductions in the number of hospitals we had access to. Now 10 of our state’s 26 hospitals are cut off, yet she’s proud of supporting ObamaCare?”
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No Eric Cantor, no Obamacare ‘replace’ vote
Politico
June 11, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/eric-cantor-obamacare-107746.html?hp=f3
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s shocking primary loss Tuesday night all but kills any chance of the House voting on an Obamacare replacement bill this year. The prospects of Republicans rallying around a replacement policy and scheduling a vote was already an uphill endeavor — one that few expected to actually happen. After all, the House GOP had been trying to agree to a plan for several years already. But the loss of the House leader who was most closely allied with the lawmakers seeking a vote is probably an insurmountable obstacle. The fight over an Obamacare replacement is both ideological and tactical. The House Republicans are split on what policies should be part of any legislative package. And they disagree on whether they are better off going on record in favor of specific proposals before November or sticking to less-specific health reform principles.
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Va. leaders may vote on stripped-down budget
The Washington Post
June 11, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/va-leaders-may-vote-on-stripped-down-budget/2014/06/11/1f371cbc-f181-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html
House and Senate budget leaders hope to end a months-long standoff Thursday by passing a state budget stripped not only of Medicaid expansion but also of teacher raises and other spending increases. House budget leaders on Wednesday unveiled a two-year, $96 billion spending plan that their Senate counterparts indicated they would be willing to accept and fast-track to Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D). But at least a few Republicans are expressing concern that the long-stalled budget process is suddenly moving too quickly. They fear that there could be language buried deep in the budget bill that would authorize the governor to expand Medicaid, McAuliffe’s top legislative priority.
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Treasury Secretary Points to Lackluster Economy and a Need for Action
The New York Times
June 11, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/business/treasury-secretary-jacob-lew-on-economic-stagnation.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140611&nlid=58462464&tntemail0=y&_r=0
Has Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew just become the most prominent member of the secular stagnation club? In a speech before the Economic Club of New York on Wednesday morning, Mr. Lew discussed the “questions about whether America can maintain strong rates of growth and doubts about whether the benefits of technology, innovation and prosperity will be shared broadly.” That refers to an argument posited by Lawrence H. Summers, the former Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton who also served as an adviser to President Obama, and the Northwestern economist Robert J. Gordon, among others. The capsule version is this: Absent an asset bubble, large demographic changes or extreme intervention in the economy by the government authorities, growth and employment will be lackluster for the indefinite future.
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Healthcare groups urge passage of antibiotics bill
The Hill
June 10, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/208861-healthcare-groups-urge-passage-of-antibiotics-bill
Medical industry and patient advocacy groups are calling on lawmakers to pass a bill that would let the Food and Drug Administration approve antibiotics based on smaller clinical trials. Twenty organizations wrote to lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday asking that they advance the Antibiotic Development to Advance Patient Treatment (ADAPT) Act. The bipartisan bill would provide more incentives to drugmakers to develop new antibiotics. The medical community is concerned about the rise of antibiotic-resistant infections as new antibiotics have been slow to get to the market over the past few decades. Under the bill, antibiotics may be approved based on one mid-sized clinical trial instead of two large trials that are typically required by the FDA.
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O-Care '15: CMS spends $60M on navigators
The Hill
June 10, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/208852-obamacare-2015-cms-to-spend-60m-on-navigators
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said Tuesday it will spend at least $60 million on ObamaCare navigators for the 2015 enrollment period. Navigators are counselors who help consumers register for plans under federal and state health insurance exchanges. “Navigators have been an important resource for the millions of Americans who enrolled in coverage in 2014,” said CMS administrator Marilyn Tavenner. “This funding ensures this work will continue next year, including during the open enrollment period for the Marketplaces.” According to CMS, navigators will be required to have a physical presence in the marketplaces they serve so consumers can have face-to-face interactions. Companies that are approved to receive funds will be asked to do background checks on their navigator staff because they will be handling sensitive patient data.
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Senate bill hikes funding for medical research, fraud prevention
The Hill
June 10, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/208870-senate-bill-bumps-funding-for-medical-research-fraud-prevention
A Senate Appropriations subcommittee voted to increase funding for medical research and a program to fight fraud in public and private health plans. The Appropriations subpanel governing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), approved the increases in a mark-up Tuesday. The $605 million increase for the National Institutes of Health would effectively cancel the sequester's cut to the institution when combined with a $1 billion increase appropriated for this fiscal year. The move won praise from research advocacy groups who urged lawmakers to continue efforts to increase funding for meaningful research. "We strongly hope this modest boost to the NIH budget is the start of a new trend for federal research support," said American Heart Association President Mariell Jessup in a statement.
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GOP calls for suspension of O-Care subsidies
The Hill
June 10, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/208832-gop-calls-for-suspension-of-o-care-subsidies
House Republicans say the administration should stop all subsidies under ObamaCare until it proves it is sending the right amount to people. Rep. Charles Boustany (R- La.) warned of a “nightmare scenario” during the 2015 tax-filing season because of differences between the subsidies people are given and those they are actually eligible to receive. “Although these subsidies are going directly to insurers, next year the IRS will be in the position of recouping overpayments directly from individuals,” he said. “Many of these individuals will end up with unexpected tax debt through no fault of their own but from simply not understanding the quirks and complexities of the President’s health care law.” “Blame for this mess falls squarely on the White House,” said Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), who faulted the Obama administration’s eagerness to push through healthcare reforms regardless of the cost and also called for the payments to be halted.
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New O-Care delay allowed for 18 states
The Hill
June 10, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/208859-administration-allows-new-o-care-delay-for-18-states
The Obama administration is permitting more than a dozen states not to implement part of ObamaCare's small business health insurance exchange until at least 2016. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) granted requests for lenience from 18 states in their effort to enact "employee choice" on the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP exchange. The delays mean that small-business employees seeking to buy health insurance in the SHOP system will only have one option in those 18 states. The Affordable Care Act intended to allow customers on the SHOP exchange to pick from a variety of options, but the rollout of that feature has been delayed several times.
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Judges called to answer for disability approvals
The Hill
June 10, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/208807-judges-called-to-answer-for-disability-approvals
The House Oversight Committee chairman said Tuesday that hundreds of thousands of people wrongfully placed on federal disability are costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) released a report saying between 2005 and 2013, administrative law judges (ALJs) have put 1.3 million people on disability despite their cases being denied by the Social Security Administration at least once, and most having been denied at least twice. The report estimates the lifetime cost for supporting those people is $400 billion and criticizes the administration for not reviewing the quality of decisions made by the judges. Issa in particular targets three ALJs, Charles Bridges, David Daugherty and Harry Taylor, two of whom were called before the committee.
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Mass. Inches Toward Health Insurance For All
Kaiser Health News
June 10, 2014
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2014/June/10/Massachusetts-nears-zero-percent-uninsured.aspx
When Massachusetts passed its landmark health coverage law under Gov. Mitt Romney in 2006, no one claimed the state would get to zero, as in 0 percent of residents who are uninsured. But numbers out this week suggest Massachusetts is very close. Between December 2013 and March of this year, when the federal government was urging people to enroll, the number of Massachusetts residents signed up for health coverage increased by more than 215,000. If that number holds, the percentage of Massachusetts residents who do not have coverage has dropped to less than 1 percent. "We're thrilled that we are getting this close to universal health care access," said the Rev. Burns Stanfield, president of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization.
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Virginia Governor May Try to Expand Medicaid on His Own
The New York Times
June 10, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/us/virginia-governor-may-try-to-expand-medicaid-on-his-own.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140610&nlid=58462464&tntemail0=y&_r=1
Gov. Terry McAuliffe has lost his battle with the legislature over Medicaid expansion, an enormous retreat from the high expectations he set for a liberal agenda. However, he is thought to be studying how to press the issue by executive action — a legally and politically uncertain course. Facing a June 30 deadline to pass a state budget, Democrats gave in to Republican demands to leave out a Medicaid expansion, Senator Charles J. Colgan said. He is one of three Democrats who met with Republicans on Monday to negotiate, in effect, the terms of surrender, which denied Mr. McAuliffe his top priority.
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A Health Insurer Calls, With Questions
The New York Times
June 10, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/your-money/a-health-insurer-calls-with-questions.html?hpw&rref=health&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%5B%22RI%3A7%22%2C%22RI%3A16%22%5D
Not long after she signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, Judy Shoemaker received a phone call that puzzled her. The caller said she was welcoming new members to the insurance network and then asked Ms. Shoemaker to take a survey about health care issues, so information could be provided to her physician. Ms. Shoemaker declined, saying she didn’t understand why her insurer would be seeking medical information to give to her doctor. “I thought it was strange,” said Ms. Shoemaker, a consultant to nonprofits in Indiana. “I can talk to my doctor myself.”
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House passes VA bill
Politico
June 10, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/va-veterans-affairs-bill-pass-house-107657.html?hp=r12
The House approved legislation on Tuesday that gives veterans stuck on long wait lists for medical care the ability to seek treatment outside of the system established by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sponsored by Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), the bill passed 421-0 with overwhelming support from both parties. The legislation is a response to systemic problems at the VA outlined in an inspector general report. That study found thousands of veterans are waylaid while seeking treatment in VA facilities - a disclosure that cost Secretary Eric Shinseki his post. The VA said on Monday that more than 57,000 new patients are waiting at least 90 days for their first appointments.
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Doctors pick new chief for powerful trade group
The Hill
June 9, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/208646-health-it-expert-to-lead-us-doc-group
The American Medical Association (AMA) has selected Dr. Steven Stack, an emergency physician and expert in health information technology, as president-elect. Announced Monday, the AMA's decision indicates the importance of health IT to the group's policy outlook. Stack has advised both the AMA and the federal government on electronic health records for several years, and is considered well positioned to advocate for doctors as they work to implement the Meaningful Use program. "It is a deep honor and privilege to be named president-elect of an organization that is committed to serving as a strong physician voice and a dedicated patient advocate on the pressing health care issues confronting our nation," Stack said in a statement. "With vision and perseverance, I look forward to creating a brighter future for patients and the medical profession."
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Sebelius hands reins to successor
The Hill
June 9, 2014
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/208631-sebelius-hands-reins-to-successor
Kathleen Sebelius handed leadership of the Health and Human Services Department to her successor on Monday and wished new Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell the best of luck. Sebelius, who oversaw the passage and implementation of ObamaCare at the agency, is concluding an up-and-down tenure. “Congrats and good luck to my friend Sylvia Mathews Burwell!” she said in a message on Twitter. She also expressed her gratitude to the HHS staff. “It has been my honor to serve - I'll always be grateful for this opportunity. Working with you during this historic time has been amazing!” tweeted Sebelius. Sebelius announced her decision to step down in April, days after the administration announced 8.1 million people had enrolled in ObamaCare.
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Sen. Boozman returns to Capitol after April heart surgery
The Hill
June 9, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/208656-sen-boozman-returns-to-capitol-after-april-heart-surgery
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) returned to work in Washington Monday after having emergency heart surgery in April. He tweeted about his return on Monday. Boozman, 63, underwent emergency heart surgery on April 22 to correct an acute aortic dissection. Former U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke died from the same condition. Boozman had been suffering from chest and shoulder pain and was checked into a hospital in Rogers, Ark. He was elected to the Senate in 2010 after serving 10 years in the House. Before his congressional career, he worked as an optometrist.
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Did Virginia GOP outmaneuver McAuliffe on Medicaid?
The Hill
June 9, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/208644-did-va-gop-outmaneuver-mcauliffe-on-medicaid
Virginia Republicans may have pulled off a coup de grace by persuading a Democratic state senator to step down, giving them the edge to push through a budget without Medicaid expansion. The Washington Post reports Republicans convinced state Sen. Phillip Puckett (D) to step down Monday for a possible job as deputy director of the state Tobacco Commission. Puckett’s resignation means Republicans will have a 20-19 majority in the Senate, allowing them to push through their own budget without Gov. Terry McAuliffe's (D) approval because they also control the House of Delegates. McAuliffe had already injected a provision to expand Medicaid in Virginia into the state budget, threatening a government shutdown at the end of the month. Republicans oppose the expansion, which is part of the Affordable Care Act. Martha Ketron, Puckett's daughter, who is vying for a judgeship may also have influenced the resignation.
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Budget Referees Make It Harder To Evaluate Obamacare Costs
Kaiser Health News
June 9, 2014
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Multimedia/2014/June/hoth-CBO-will-not-evaluate-some-health-law-money-after-changes.aspx
The Congressional Budget Office will no longer evaluate the fiscal implications of some parts of the Affordable Care Act, partly because of all the changes made during implementation. KHN's Mary Agnes Carey and The Fiscal Times' Eric Pianin discuss. MARY AGNES CAREY: Welcome to Health on the Hill, I’m Mary Agnes Cary. One of the Obama administration’s major selling points of the sweeping 2010 health care law was a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis that the measure would expand coverage for millions of people, while reducing the federal deficit over the next decade. But recently the CBO said it could no longer evaluate the fiscal implications of all of the law’s provisions, in part because the administration has made so many changes during implementation. Eric Pianin of The Fiscal Times is with us now to discuss this development. Thanks so much for being here, Eric.
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Audit Shows Extensive Medical Delays for Tens of Thousands of Veterans
The New York Times
June 9, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/us/va-audit-finds-long-waits-for-care-are-widespread.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%5B%22RI%3A7%22%2C%22RI%3A16%22%5D&_r=0
More than 57,000 patients have been waiting more than three months for medical appointments at hospitals and clinics run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and nearly 64,000 others have been enrolled in the system for a decade but have still not been seen by doctors despite their requests, according to a nationwide audit released Monday. The audit of the 731 facilities, including all of the department’s 150 medical centers, provided for the first time a sense of the scope of the widening scandal over delays in care within the sprawling health care system for veterans. The audit, conducted by the department, concluded that in 76 percent of the department’s hospitals and clinics, there had been at least one instance of manipulated data on patient wait times, in many cases to hide delays in providing care.
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JCT Estimates Repatriation Tax Holiday Would Cost $95 Billion
Senate Finance Committee
June 9, 2014
http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/ranking/release/?id=d6ced985-e27e-4767-97dc-d9dc75e33ac7
Today, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) highlighted a letter from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) regarding the budgetary impacts of a repatriation tax holiday. In the letter, JCT estimates a temporary tax holiday would have a negative impact of $95 billion over 10 years. “A tax holiday meant to encourage U.S. companies to repatriate funds from overseas should only be considered when it makes economic sense, such as part of comprehensive tax reform,” Ranking Member Hatch said. “The Joint Committee on Taxation has clearly outlined the ramifications of a temporary tax holiday, and the outlook is not in the best interest of the American people nor for the coffers of the federal government. It is my hope my fellow lawmakers note these projections when considering options to fund future projects and programs.”
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VA audit: 57,000 veterans waiting more than 90 days for appointment at medical facilities
The Washington Post
June 9, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/va-audit-57000-veterans-waiting-more-than-90-days-for-appointment-at-medical-facilities/2014/06/09/599d26ee-f014-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html?hpid=z1
A nationwide audit by the Department of Veteran Affairs found that 57,000 veterans have been waiting more than 90 days for an appointment and that an additional 64,000 requested medical care but never made it onto VA waiting lists. “This data shows the extent of the system problems we face,” acting VA secretary Sloan Gibson said, “problems that demand immediate actions.” Gibson — who took over on May 30 after his predecessor, Eric K. Shinseki, resigned under pressure — outlined a series of emergency measures Monday to ensure that veterans stuck on long waiting lists will receive care as quickly as possible in the coming days and weeks.
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VA report: Months-long waits for 57,000-plus vets
Politico
June 9, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/veterans-affairs-audit-initial-va-visits-107594.html?hp=f1
Tens of thousands of veterans are still waiting for their first medical appointment at VA centers, according to an audit by the Department of Veterans Affairs that revealed “pervasive” deception throughout the system to hide delayed access to care. The examination of 731 VA hospitals and large outpatient clinics, released Monday, found that more than 57,000 veterans have been waiting more than 90 days for an initial appointment. Over the past 10 years, 64,000 people who enrolled in the department’s health care system never have had appointments.
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GOP has claimed control of Va. Senate, forced Democrats to cave over Medicaid impasse
The Washington Post
June 9, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/amid-firestorm-of-criticism-virginia-democrats-resignation-becomes-official/2014/06/09/b04d6760-efd3-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html
Virginia Republicans snatched control of the state Senate on Monday, immediately ending a budget stalemate by pushing Democrats to agree to pass a spending plan without Medicaid expansion, Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s top priority. The power shift forced Senate Democrats to yield after a protracted standoff that had threatened to shut down state government in less than a month, according to several lawmakers with direct knowledge of the deal. Democratic negotiators agreed in a closed-door meeting Monday to pass a budget without expanding health coverage to 400,000 low-income Virginians. The developments saddled McAuliffe with a General Assembly fully in the hands of a party fiercely opposed to his agenda.
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For Virginia Democrat, Obama’s Still a Positive
The New York Times
June 9, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/us/politics/for-virginia-democrat-obamas-still-a-positive.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%5B%22RI%3A7%22%2C%22RI%3A16%22%5D
In an election season when many congressional Democrats are avoiding President Obama as if he were a quirky relative at a family reunion, Don Beyer has cast himself as an unrepentant advocate. A candidate running for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s Eighth Congressional District, which includes the suburbs outside Washington, Mr. Beyer said in a radio ad that the president was “absolutely right” about health care, and that is just the start. “In Congress, I’ll fight all efforts to repeal Obamacare, because making sure millions of Americans get affordable health care is the right thing to do,” he continued. And his television ads check through a host of progressive positions — reproductive rights, equal pay, “common sense” gun laws and a carbon tax.
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Judge Voids Expansion of Discount Drug Program
The New York Times
June 8, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/us/judge-voids-expansion-of-discount-drug-program.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140608&nlid=58462464&tntemail0=y
A federal judge has struck down a new rule requiring drug companies to offer certain drugs at discounted prices, saying the Obama administration had no authority to issue the rule. Federal officials said the decision could provide a windfall to drug makers. However, the pharmaceutical industry said that the administration was stretching the Affordable Care Act to provide discounts on more drugs for more people, and that the rule was “inconsistent with the plain language of the statute.” The administration said it was still reviewing the decision, issued in late May by Judge Rudolph Contreras of the Federal District Court here, and had not decided whether to appeal.
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More patients flocking to ERs under Obamacare
USA Today
June 8, 2014
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/08/more-patients-flocking-to-ers-under-obamacare/10173015/
It wasn't supposed to work this way, but since the Affordable Care Act took effect in January, Norton Hospital has seen its packed emergency room become even more crowded, with about 100 more patients a month. That 12 percent spike in the number of patients — many of whom aren't actually facing true emergencies — is spurring the Louisville hospital to convert a waiting room into more exam rooms. "We're seeing patients who probably should be seen at our (immediate-care centers)," said Lewis Perkins, the hospital's vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer. "And we're seeing this across the system." That's just the opposite of what many people expected under Obamacare, particularly because one of the goals of health reform was to reduce pressure on emergency rooms by expanding Medicaid and giving poor people better access to primary care.
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In Texarkana, Uninsured and on the Wrong Side of a State Line
The New York Times
June 8, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/business/economy/uninsured-on-the-wrong-side-of-a-state-line.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140608&nlid=58462464&tntemail0=y&_r=0
On a hazy, hot evening here, Janice Marks ate a dinner of turkey and stuffing at a homeless shelter filled with plastic cots before crossing a few blocks to the Arkansas side of town to start her night shift restocking the dairy cases at Walmart. The next day, David Tramel and Janice McFall had a free meal of hot dogs and doughnut holes at a Salvation Army center in Arkansas before heading back to their tent, hidden in a field by the highway in Texas. None of the three have health insurance. But had Ms. Marks, 26, chosen to sleep on the side of town where she works, or had Mr. Tramel and Ms. McFall, who are both in their early 20s, made their camp where they had eaten their dinner, their fortunes might be different.
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CareFirst seeks price hikes for individual health plans
The Washington Post
June 7, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/carefirst-proposes-hefty-rate-increases-kaiser-cuts-rates-for-individual-health-plans/2014/06/06/b4b62cca-edac-11e3-b84b-3393a45b80f1_story.html
Maryland’s dominant insurance company, CareFirst, is proposing hefty premium increases of 23 to 30 percent for consumers buying individual plans next year under the federal health-care law, according to filings released Friday. The rate proposals by CareFirst and several other carriers were posted on the Web site of the Maryland Insurance Administration and paint a mixed picture. Two other insurers, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Evergreen Health Cooperative, are proposing to lower rates for next year, by 12 percent and about 10 percent, respectively. And two new carriers — Cigna and United Healthcare — are offering plans for the first time in the state’s individual market, which serves about 200,000 of Maryland’s nearly 6 million residents.
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Cleveland Clinic Chief Out of Running for V.A.
The New York Times
June 7, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/us/cleveland-clinic-chief-out-of-running-for-va.html
Dr. Delos M. Cosgrove, the chief executive of the Cleveland Clinic, said Saturday he had been considered by President Obama for the job of secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, but had withdrawn his name and would stay at the clinic. The statement by Dr. Cosgrove came as the White House searches for a successor to Eric Shinseki to lead the troubled department. Mr. Shinseki resigned on May 30 after reports that health care officials had concealed long waiting times for veterans seeking medical care at some veterans hospitals and clinics. Finding a new secretary and cleaning up problems at the department have become urgent political matters for the president, who pledged in 2008 and 2012 to make the government more efficient.
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