Monthly Archives: January 2008

New Report Sizes Up Oral Health for MA Kids

Posted on January 31, 2008 by

Last week the Catalyst Institute, a research organization dedicated to enhancing oral health, released a report providing an in-depth look at children’s oral health in Massachusetts. “The Oral Health of Massachusetts’ Children” focuses on the impact dental decay, the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality | Leave a comment

GIC Joins MA Prescription Reform Coalition

Posted on January 31, 2008 by

The Massachusetts Prescription Reform Coalition, which launched earlier this month, continues to welcome new members. The coalition is excited to welcome the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Group Insurance Commission to its membership this week. Dolores Mitchell is a tireless champion for … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Market | Leave a comment

Disparities Action Network Hosts Legislative Briefing

Posted on January 30, 2008 by

The Disparities Action Network and Representative Byron Rushing hosted a health disparities briefing today in the State House. More than 75 persons packed the Member’s Lounge to view video clips following two diverse patients through their difficult experiences with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities | Leave a comment

23 Retail Clinics in Wal-Mart Stores Close Suddenly

Posted on January 29, 2008 by

From today’s Wall Street Journal blog: A New York company called CheckUps shut down 23 clinics it was operating at Wal-Marts in Florida and three other southern states. CheckUps stopped paying some of its nurse practitioners in December, and owes … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Market | 2 Comments

Why Republican Presidential Candidates Don’t Talk about the Uninsured…

Posted on January 29, 2008 by

…The answer is here. Thanks to a the Pew Research Center. A poll on what voters in each party think should be a “top priority” for the new President and the new Congress. Support for addressing the uninsured: 65% of … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Politics | 1 Comment

HCFA’s 2008 Policy and Organizing Conference, “Building Momentum, Moving Forward”

Posted on January 29, 2008 by

Conference Date March 28th Health Care For All’s annual Policy and Organizing Conference will be held this year on Friday, March 28th at the Holiday Inn Boxborough, 242 Adams Place, Boxborough MA. This year’s theme will be “Building Momentum, Moving … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Progress Report on State Health Access Reform

Posted on January 29, 2008 by

My Community Catalyst colleagues, Michael Miller & Christine Barber, and I provide a “Progress Report on State Health Access Reform” as a Health Affairs web exclusive out for release today. We found that 39 states had enacted laws in 2006 … Continue reading →

Posted in States | Leave a comment

California Health Reform Plan Is Dead

Posted on January 28, 2008 by

Click here for the letter by CA Senate President Don Perata to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabio Nunez throwing in the towel after the Senate Health Committee voted 7-1 against with 3 abstentions. And click here for the … Continue reading →

Posted in States | 2 Comments

Response to Kuttner’s “Health Law with Holes”

Posted on January 28, 2008 by

RE: Today’s Boston Globe column by Bob Kuttner: “A Health Law with Holes.” Here’s a real life parable. A major new law passes to expand affordable health insurance coverage to a large swath of uncovered folks. Within two years, the … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform | 7 Comments

Checklist Redux II: NIH Is Nuts

Posted on January 27, 2008 by

So last we heard, the incredibly promising quality intervention known as the simple “checklist” had been blocked by a National Insitutes of Health requirement for human subjects review everytime any institution wanted to use it. (Click here and click here … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Politics | 2 Comments