Adam V. Russo | September 29, 2009
SIIA, www.siia.org
Senate Finance Committee Continues Consideration of Healthcare Reform
The Senate Finance Committee, the last Congressional Committee with jurisdiction over healthcare reform yet to formally pass out of Committee their bill, continues to debate the reform package and have begun the amendment consideration progress. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 29, 2009
AHIP, www.ahipwire.com1) Senate Finance Committee Begins Health Reform Markup
The Senate Finance Committee began its health reform markup this week, considering approximately 50 amendments over a four-day period. The committee recessed shortly before noon today and is scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday morning.
The starting point for the markup was a “Chairman’s Mark” for the “America’s Healthy Future Act.” Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the committee chairman, released this Mark on September 16 and announced modifications on September 22. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 29, 2009
Thank you to Attorney Gary Wickert of Matthiesen, Wickert, Lehrer, S.C. for bringing this case to our attention in his latest newsletter. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 29, 2009
Benefits Link, www.benefitslink.com
Washington, D.C. — The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), the Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing America’s major employers, on September 21 filed with the U.S. Supreme Court an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief urging the Court to reverse an appeals court ruling for failure to provide judicial deference to a plan administrator in interpreting the plan under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) (Conkright v. Frommert). The American Benefits Council joined ERIC on the brief. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 29, 2009
by David S. Hilzenrath of The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com
A proposal to make preexisting health conditions irrelevant in the sale of insurance policies could help not just the seriously ill, but also people who might consider themselves healthy, documents released Friday by a California-based advocacy group illustrate. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 29, 2009
by Vanessa Fuhrmans of The Wall Street Journal, www.wallstreetjournal.com
BOSTON — President Barack Obama and his congressional allies have made insuring nearly all Americans a major goal of overhauling the nation’s health-care system. One of their toughest challenges will be trying to cover people like Ron Norton of Worcester, Mass. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 24, 2009
EBRI Publications
“Sources of Health Insurance and Characteristics of the Uninsured: Analysis of the March 2009 Current Population Survey.” Author: Paul Fronstin. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 24, 2009
EBRI Publications
“Social Security Reform: How Different Options Might Affect Future Funding.” Author: Craig Copeland. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 24, 2009
Tuesday September 22nd, Adam V. Russo, Esq. along with Jason Davis of Global Excel Management and Stacy M. Borans, MD of Advanced Medical Strategies shared their presentation ”Flaws and Disorder: Never Event Unit”at the 2009 SIIA National Educational Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL.
Click here to see the entire presentation
Adam V. Russo | September 24, 2009
Submitted by Boris Senic of The Phia Group, LLC
Monday I attended the Legislative Update session which discussed the progress of the healthcare reform on Capitol Hill and SIIA’s lobbying involvements. The speakers included Armando Baez (current SIIA president), Mike Ferguson (Chief Operation Officer), Cliff Roberti (Director, Government Relations) and Jay Fahrer (Manager, Government Relations). Due to our industries jeopardy, this session, which normal takes place in the middle of the conference, was moved to the very beginning as a soft opener. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 23, 2009
America’s Health Insurance Plan (AHIP), www.ahip.org
1) Baucus Releases Chairman’s Mark for “America’s Healthy Future Act”
(2) Energy and Commerce Committee To Consider Additional Health Reform Amendments
(3) AHIP’s Medicare and Medicaid Conferences Focus on Role of Public Programs in Health Reform
(4) HHS to Support Demonstrations for Medical Liability Reform
(5) AHIP Studies Demonstrate Value of Medigap and Medicare Advantage
(6) AHIP Study Shows Medicare Advantage Enrollees Benefit From Private Sector Innovations (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 18, 2009
by Roy Harmon, III, www.healthplanlaw.com
A typical plan will contain an exclusion for accidents or injuries resulting from intoxication, unlawful conduct and so forth. How the plan states the exclusion can vary quite a bit, and the distinctions can make a significant difference in outcomes.
Adam V. Russo | September 17, 2009
Submitted by Paul J. Gitnik:
“Attached is an interesting article that indicates how many dollars have been contributed by health related entities to our local congressmen. Please note that Congressman Doyle is a key member of the subcommittee that is addressing the proposed amendment.”
Adam V. Russo | September 16, 2009
SIIA, www.siia.org
Senate Finance Committee Releases Formal Healthcare Reform Plan
After weeks and months of negotiations, the long-awaited healthcare reform plan will be officially released very shortly by the Senate Finance Committee. (more…)
Adam V. Russo | September 15, 2009
by Rick Paul, USBenefits Insurance Services, LLC
This article speaks to the heart of the problem of US Healthcare, the cost derived from discriminatory billing practices by healthcare providers. Note how Maryland addresses the problems of the uninsured care with a relatively flat trend line and ends the discriminatory billing practices that healthcare providers use to charge patients various amounts for the same care with the poor uninsured being charged the most out of all. Maryland ended the discriminatory billing practice of hospitals and requires everyone to pay the same amount for a specific level of care that is set by an independent agency that has been setting rates since 1977. In a way, it is like the agriculture’s weight and measures regulation but in the realm of health care. This simple paradine shift has resulted in significant savings because it impacts everything from malpractice (over 80% of malpractice costs are for the healthcare costs of repairing failed healthcare procedures) and helped hospitals be profitable in bad economic times as well as in boom times.
