There’s a new bill in the works in California, and it stands to force health insurance companies to cover programs that would help people who smoke to try and quit. Considering there are already bills that require California healthcare companies to cover things like in-vitro fertilization, and bone-density screening, it’s hard to believe that a bill such as SB 220 has taken this long to come to possible fruition.

Understanding the language of SB-220

There is much optimism that the bill will pass, complete with provisions for copays and OTC (Over-the-counter) medications such as nicotine gum and patches. It also includes provisions for group counseling, which is very effective for some individuals. The bill is designed to make it easier for Californians who smoke to kick the habit by making treatments available at little cost to those who wish to try.

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Struggling to make it through in the midst of an ever-worsening budget impasse over Medicare reimbursement, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) couldn’t wait any longer. CMS is now implementing a 21% cut in physician payments, which will affect an estimated 50 million claims. Claims that were held back since June 1 will be the first to feel the effects of the cuts.

In the late 1990’s the funding formula for Medicare reimbursements was first enacted in conjunction with the Balanced Budget Act. However, even at that time it was thought by some to be flawed. Today the formula is thought to be seriously flawed, and is growing more and more out of sync with its original intended purposes with each passing year.

Medicare Cuts Could Affect Quality of Care

Even though Medicare has instituted this drastic cut it too may stand to be on the losing side of the board as well, considering there are already a huge number of medical practices that currently do not take on Medicare’s elderly patient population.

Participating physicians will see a direct impact of the 21% cut with the average office visit now being reimbursed at about $8.00 less than what they were in 2007. Medicare may also feel the brunt of this unresolved state of affairs.

If a resolution is indeed reached, and the cuts reversed, they are looking at having to swallow about .30 cents per claim that is reprocessed. This translates out to a staggering potential of $15 million dollars for the first 50 million claims alone.

Only time will tell how it will all play out in the end, if there ever will be an end. In the meantime, there is no way for anyone, including physicians, patients and even Medicare to avoid the huge impact of this monumental move.

California has one of the highest rates of uninsured citizens in the country with more than 6.4 million people currently without health insurance coverage. That said, it stands to reason that any additional coverage at the federal level is a huge plus for not only the California government but for the residents as well.

Positive effects of health care reform in California

When it comes to California, the federal overhaul would help those who can afford health insurance but are currently unable to get it. It will assist those who aren’t able to obtain coverage by providing them with a means to acquire health care benefits. Additionally, the bill will also go a long way in tackling the desire to provide Californians with the preventative means to uncover unhealthy conditions in the early stages, where they can be addressed promptly, and thus help everyone get more affordable California health insurance. There is a downside of this bill, however; read below to learn what it is.

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There’s a lot to try to understand about the newest health care bill signed into law this past March. There are a lot of provisions in the act, and all of them will affect every American citizen in one way or another. The Class Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program) is one of the provisions in the bill. Here’s a brief overview of the basic details of this act.

CLASS Act

The CLASS Act is a national, voluntary insurance program that is designed to provide cash benefits if you have a disability or some form of limitation in your ability to function. The idea is to provide a way for individuals who fall into this category a way to help pay for their long-term care services.

Eligibility Requirements for CLASS Act

The plan will mostly be offered by employers and paid for by employees. Self-employed individuals may also enroll in the plan. You may enroll in the act if you meet the following criteria.

• If you are actively at work
• If you are 18 years or older
• If you are not living in a nursing home or a long-term care facility at the time of your enrollment.

You cannot be excluded from the plan if you have a pre-existing condition.

Benefits of the CLASS Act

Once you have paid into the plan for 5 years you are eligible to receive cash benefits if you have a functional impairment or disability that is expected to last more than 90 days, if you have a significant cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s or if you will need substantial assistance with at least 2 daily activities of daily living that is a direct result of your impairment.

Tax-exempt hospitals will be required to meet new requirements under health reform.

There has been so much back-and-forth debate about healthcare reform it can make your head spin. The Democrats say one thing, and it seems as if the Republicans claim the polar opposite. It doesn’t matter what piece of the reform is in question, it seems as if the two parties will never see eye-to-eye. In the midst of this ongoing debating (and sometimes arguing) the general public is more confused than ever about what the individual pieces of the health reform act mean. Here’s a brief look at how the health care reform will affect tax-exempt hospitals.

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For over a year, Congress has been squabbling over the health reform bill championed by President Barack Obama.  The long effort finally came to fruition last Sunday, when congress narrowly passed (by a 219 to 212) margin of victory.  Known as HR4872, the bill was revised from an earlier bill that was passed by congress on Christmas Eve of 2009.

As a result, the nation seems even more divided than it was before the bill, with Republican John Boehner vowing to fight the bill, and adding, “The American people are angry… Shame on us!”

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One of the great ironies of the insurance system is that when you’re sick and need the protection of health insurance the most, you can expect to pay a lot more for your premiums. It’s practically one of the certainties of life, like death and taxes, that are invariably true for everyone. But is that about to change?

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Fibromyalgia is a devastating disease that causes chronic pain and other symptoms for those who are affected – but it’s a disease with no known cause and no standard treatment. Many people haven’t even heard of the condition, but if that’s the case it’s not because the drug industry isn’t trying hard enough.

Drug Companies’ Hundreds of Millions Help Raise Awareness of Fibromyalgia

Last year, drug industry giants Pfizer and Eli Lilly spent hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising to “raise awareness” of fibromyalgia. The companies donated more than six million dollars to non-profit organizations for educational campaigns and medical conferences, too.

That’s more than the companies donated for Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. And only donations made for cancer, depression, and AIDS were higher than the donations made to further the cause of fibromyalgia.

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Japan’s overcrowded, understaffed hospitals are in danger – and so are the people who rely on those hospitals when they need emergency medical care. An elderly Japanese man who sustained head injuries after being struck by a motorcycle waited ninety minutes in an ambulance – while paramedics phoned fourteen different Tokyo hospitals, trying to find a hospital that would accept the man for treatment. All the hospitals refused to admit the injured man, saying they lacked the equipment and staff needed to treat him. The paramedics arrived at the accident site just a few minutes after the 69-year-old man was injured, but ninety minutes and fourteen hospitals later, the man died just a short time after paramedics finally located a hospital that would accept him for treatment. The man died from the shock caused by the loss of a large amount of blood – a condition which the man might have survived if he had received treatment earlier.

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