RWJF News Digest -

Americans Eat More Fresh Foods Than They Did Five Years Ago

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

As Congress debates whether to trim the food stamps budget as part of the massive Farm Bill reauthorization, lawmakers might want to consider this striking statistic from a new W.K. Kellogg Foundation survey: Three-quarters of Americans say they support a national program that would double Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or food stamp) benefits at farmers markets.

A Long View on Health Care: Think Like an Investor

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Could health care costs be reined in by improving access to preventive care?

Republicans Pounce on CDC Director Over Stimulus Funds for Healthcare Programs

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The House Majority Whip had a loaded question for the director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday.

Casinos and American-Indian Health

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The influence of casinos on American Indian politics culture — and American culture more generally — has often been debated.
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Few States Set for Health Exchanges

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

When health insurance exchanges open in 2014, it is now clear that the federal government will be playing the lead, not the understudy.

Hospice Being Marketed as a Cost-Cutter for Hospitals

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Hospice marketers, exploring possibilities for new revenue to help continue the industry's remarkable growth, are looking to exploit a provision in the 2010 health care law by persuading hospitals to send Medicare patients into end-of-life hospice care instead of readmitting them to the hospital.

What Could Revolutionize Health Care? This Database.

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Think of it as a health policy wonk’s dream: Football stadium after football stadium packed to the brim with...health insurance claims data.

Hospitals Struggle to Provide Translators for Patients Who Don’t Speak English

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A visit to the emergency department or a physician’s office can be confusing and even frightening when you’re trying to digest complicated medical information, perhaps while you’re feeling pain or discomfort.

Notre Dame, Catholic Institutions Sue Obama Over Contraception Mandate

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The University of Notre Dame joined other Catholic institutions Monday in suing the Obama administration over its contraception mandate.

Jon Gruber on Obamacare, Premium Support and Health Policy Dreams

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Jonathan Gruber has a dream. Actually, he has a few of them. And, even for an M.I.T. economist, they get pretty wonky.

Diabetes on the Rise Among Teenagers

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Nearly one in four American adolescents may be on the verge of developing Type 2 diabetes or could already be diabetic, representing a sharp increase in the disease’s prevalence among children ages 12 to 19 since a decade ago, when it was estimated that fewer than one in 10 were at risk for or had diabetes, according to a new study.

More Than Half of Overweight and Obese Adolescents Have Heart Disease Risk, CDC Study Says

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Half the nation’s overweight teens have unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels that put them at risk for future heart attacks and other cardiac problems, new federal research says.

Higher Prices Charged By Hospitals, Other Providers, Drove Health Spending During Downturn

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Higher prices charged by hospitals, outpatient centers and other providers drove up health care spending at double the rate of inflation during the economic downturn– even as patients consumed less medical care overall, according to a new study.

Data Trove May Shed Light on Health-Care Uncertainties

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

How much do hospitals and doctors actually charge insurers for their services?

Your Stories Of Being Sick Inside The U.S. Health Care System

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

To get a feeling for what being sick in America is really like, and to help us understand the findings of our poll with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, NPR did a call-out on Facebook.

Doctors Seek New Approach for Jailed

webmail@rwjf.org — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A group of prominent addiction doctors has mounted a quiet legal campaign on behalf of Cameron Douglas, the troubled son of the actor Michael Douglas, in hopes of finding a sympathetic ear for their view that drug addiction is best handled with more treatment, not more prison time.

The Fatter the Nation is, the More You Pay

webmail@rwjf.org — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Ever wonder why health care costs keep rising faster than inflation?

Medicaid Gets a Rehab

webmail@rwjf.org — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

If you're having trouble affording medical care, Medicaid might be an option you haven't considered.
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GOP Ready to Pounce after Health Ruling

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Thirty minutes. That’s the roughly time it took for conservatives to jump all over Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his leadership team after the GOP’s game plan for dealing with President Barack Obama’s health care law leaked to the media.

Is Healthy Food Really More Expensive?

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Contrary to popular belief, it can actually cost more to eat badly.

One Shareholder's Lonely Pro-Smoking Battle

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

This time of year, shareholders bombard corporations with suggestions about executive pay, governance and other arcana.

California City Puts Soda Tax on November Ballot

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Voters in Richmond are set to decide whether to make the San Francisco Bay area city the nation's first municipality to tax soda and other sugary beverages to help fight childhood obesity.

Nearly 62,000 ‘Uninsurable’ Patients Could Lose Coverage If the Health Care Law Is Overturned

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Cancer patient Kathy Watson voted Republican in 2008 and believes the government has no right telling Americans to get health insurance.

More Doctors Are Ditching the Old Prescription Pad

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Dropping a paper prescription at the drugstore is becoming old-school: More than a third of the nation's prescriptions now are electronic, according to the latest count.

Study: Healthcare Law Would Save Consumers Nearly $300 Per Year

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

If the Affordable Care Act had been in place between 2001 and 2008, people in the individual insurance market would have saved about $280 per year on out-of-pocket costs, the study says.

Panel Passes Domestic Partner Benefits Bill

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A week after President Barack Obama publicly proclaimed his support for same-sex marriage, a Senate panel easily passed a measure that would extend benefits to gay and lesbian partners of federal workers.

Doctors Ditching the Prescription Pad as More than a Third of Prescriptions Now are Electronic

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Doctors increasingly are ditching the prescription pad: More than a third of the nation’s prescriptions now are electronic, according to the latest count.

Senate Panel Looks at Innovative Health Care Strategies

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

No matter how the Supreme Court rules next month on the challenges to the 2010 health care law, there will be a continued focus on making the health care system more efficient, and senators looked at some promising options Wednesday.

Opinion: African-American Women and Fat? Consider Context, Choices

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Talking about being overweight is always an uncomfortable topic, no matter what color you are.

Bloomberg Gives to Calif. Tobacco Tax Campaign

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has given half a million dollars to a campaign supporting a California initiative that would raise the state's cigarette tax to fund cancer research.

Targeting Diabetes Prevention Among Medicare Beneficiaries

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Recent studies might suggest an increase of Type 2 diabetes among children and young adults, but the real low hanging fruit, according to diabetes and policy experts, may be among the Medicare population.

Health Food No More Costly Than Junk, Government Finds

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Contrary to popular belief, many healthy foods are no more expensive than junk food, according to a large new government analysis.

Study: 96% of Restaurant Entrees Exceed USDA Limits

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

If you plan to chow down tonight at a big chain restaurant, there's a better than nine-in-10 chance that your entree will fail to meet federal nutrition recommendations for both adults and kids, according to a provocative new study.

States Must Submit Plans for Insurance Marketplaces by Nov. 16

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

States must provide details to the federal government by Nov. 16 – just 10 days after the presidential election – on how they will run online insurance marketplaces, according to guidance released Wednesday.

Bid to Coax States on Health Exchanges

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The Obama administration on Wednesday made a fresh bid to coax reluctant governors to work with the federal government to help enact the health-overhaul law.
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Soda Makers Scramble to Fill Void as Sales Drop

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

In much the same way their ancestors on the prairie had to check their guns at the door of the saloon, the 320 students in the Faulkton Area School District in tiny Faulkton, S.D., will be required to dispose of all carbonated soda containers before stepping into school buildings.

Higher Education Linked to Longer Life, CDC Report Shows

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Education may not only improve a person's finances, it is also linked to better health habits and a longer life.

Immigration Status Is a Health Policy Challenge

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The Obama administration’s drive to cut down on America’s uninsured is about to get multilingual.

U.S. Task Force Issues Blood Pressure Guidelines

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

"Team-based care" should be used to improve patients' blood pressure control, the U.S. Task Force on Community Preventive Services recommended on Tuesday.

The Weight of the Nation

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Last week, obesity took center stage in Washington, D.C. with the conference "The Weight of the Nation," sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that convened researchers, advocates and clinicians to tackle the epidemic facing our country today.

Health Care Costs to Exceed a Record $20,000 Per Year for Families With Insurance, Study Says

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Health care costs for a family of four covered by workplace health insurance will exceed $20,000 for the first time ever this year -- $20,728 to be precise -- according to a new study released Tuesday.

Health Exchanges' Sharing of Patient Data Heightens Privacy Concerns

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Victor Hand, a semi-retired railway manager in Maine, grew so alarmed when he learned that his state was building a database to store all residents' medical files that he rushed to the hospital to try to opt out.

Study: Insurers to Lose $1 Trillion If Health Law Struck Down

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Nearly one-tenth of the insurance industry's total revenue through 2020 is at stake in the Supreme Court's decision on healthcare reform, a new study by Bloomberg Government says.

Health Plans Providing Detailed Cost Estimates of Doctor Visits

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Health insurers have replaced online tools that showed only rough guesses as to how much a doctor’s visit will cost with new ones that estimate specific dollar amounts for both overall and patient out-of-pocket costs.

Romney Medicare Plan Draws a Stark Contrast

webmail@rwjf.org — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

President Obama and Mitt Romney agree on one thing about Medicare: the differences between them are huge.

Bonus: Two Weeks’ Worth of Food Links

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Here is a video detailing the U.S.D.A.’s new nutrition labels for meat and poultry.

NYC's Mayor Bloomberg Ponies Up for California Anti-Smoking Measure

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Saying he wants to help fight tobacco company interests, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday kicked in up to $500,000 to support Proposition 29 on the June 5 California ballot.

It's Time to Serve Up Some Big Incentives to Curb Obesity

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

To combat the alarming obesity rate, the Institute of Medicine says the U.S. needs to overhaul everything from farm policies to zoning laws.

First Lady Has Plan to Get Kids Involved in Sports

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Michelle Obama remembers sitting in front of her television many years ago and watching Mary Lou Retton, Nadia Comaneci and Carl Lewis as they competed in the Summer Olympics.

Health Insurance Expansion Looming, Primary Care Turf Battle Heats Up

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

President Obama’s health care law is expected to expand health insurance to 32 million Americans over the next decade.

How Much Do the Nation’s Pre-Eminent Hospitals Cost Medicare?

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Can you cut health care spending without undermining the quality of care?

Is World Outpacing U.S. on Health Care?

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Even as Americans debate whether President Obama’s health-care law and its promise of guaranteed health coverage should be scrapped, many far less affluent nations are moving in the opposite direction — to provide medical insurance to all citizens.

Need for Nurses Outpaces Growth in those Entering Field

webmail@rwjf.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Yvonne Yacoub has been a nurse for half a century. In 50 years, she has seen her profession redefine itself to meet the challenges of change, yet continue to struggle with shortages of new practitioners.

Nurse Practitioners Seek to Fill New Care Demands

webmail@rwjf.org — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

President Obama’s health-care law is expected to expand health insurance to 32 million Americans over the next decade. Health policy experts anticipate that the wave of new insurance subscribers will lead to a spike in demand for medical services.

Tobacco Company Ads Take Aim at Proposition 29

webmail@rwjf.org — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Every morning when UC San Diego physicist Herbert Levine laces up his running shoes and chugs alongside Mission Bay, his earphones crackle with radio ads opposing a proposed $1-per-pack cigarette tax to raise money for cancer research.

Height, Weight — BMI? Doctors Urged to Treat Body Mass Index As A Vital Sign

webmail@rwjf.org — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Doctors assess patients’ breathing, heart rate and blood pressure routinely at office visits. Soon, they may be adding body mass index to that list.

2 States Go Own Ways on U.S. Law

webmail@rwjf.org — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

One day after President Obama signed federal health-care legislation into law, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) issued an executive order that essentially put out the welcome mat.

GOP Officials Stall on Insurance Exchanges

webmail@rwjf.org — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

In about two dozen states across the country, the insurance marketplaces at the heart of the 2010 health-care law remain in limbo, with Republican governors or lawmakers who oppose the statute refusing to act until the Supreme Court decides its constitutionality.

Insurers Must Credit Rebates to Health Law

webmail@rwjf.org — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Health-insurance companies must tell customers who get a premium rebate this summer that the check is the result of the Obama administration's health-care law, according to federal guidelines released Friday.
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Chronicling the Pounds, Their Risks and Causes

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

During the production of “The Weight of the Nation,” a set of films about obesity that HBO will start showing this week, John Hoffman watched over and over again the commercials for sugary snacks and gut-busting meals that appear in excerpts

Battling Junk Food in High Schools

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

School food has been under scrutiny in California.

Massachusetts Wants to Cut $150 Billion in Health Costs. Can It Succeed?

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Massachusetts is inching toward health-care legislation that, if successful, could overhaul how the state pays for health care — and save billions in the process.

Overweight Nation

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

GOOD NEWS? In the Journal of Preventive Medicine on Monday, health-policy experts estimated that 42 percent of American adults will be obese in 2030.

The Tax Code Diet

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Beware of scientists who moonlight as politicians.

Massachusetts Backs Off School Bake Sale Ban

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Cupcakes, brownies and other baked goodies will be spared the chopping block at Massachusetts schools after Gov. Deval Patrick backed down from planned regulations to prohibit the sale of the treats at bake sales during school hours.

Which Hospitals’ Patients Cost Medicare The Most? A Top 10 List

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

New government data identify which hospitals’ patients cost Medicare the most.

Massachusetts Wants to Cut $150 Billion in Health Costs. Can It Succeed?

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Massachusetts is inching toward health-care legislation that, if successful, could overhaul how the state pays for health care — and save billions in the process.

Christie Vetoes Health Insurance Exchange

webmail@rwjf.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

In a swipe at President Obama’s signature health care legislation, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey vetoed on Thursday an online marketplace that the Legislature created to help residents and small businesses buy health insurance.

HHS: New Cuts to 'Red Tape' to Save Billions for Healthcare Providers

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department touted new rules easing the regulatory burden on hospitals and healthcare providers to the tune of more than $5 billion in savings over five years.

What's In A Name: Health Exchanges, Marketplaces ... Or Swap Meets

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

If a Medicare staff recommendation is approved, health insurance exchanges may be up for a rebranding.

GOP Shies Away from Offering Healthcare Reform Alternative

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Republicans might not offer a comprehensive plan to replace President Obama’s healthcare law if the Supreme Court strikes it down this summer.

Study: Privately Insured Kids Get More Care in ED

webmail@rwjf.org — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Emergency departments are required to treat everyone who comes through the doors, but that doesn’t mean they treat everyone the same way.

Obesity, a New Kind of Smoke

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The war on smoking can help guide the nation’s fight against obesity. Trash food can be the cigarette.

Have California Schools Cracked the Code on Obesity?

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

When it comes to nutrition policy, we know about a lot of things that don’t work: Soda taxes and proximity to healthy foods, for example, have relatively shaky support in the public health literature.

Type 2 Diabetes in Kids not Child’s Play

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

If ever we needed a wake-up call on the state of American children’s health, consider the growing proliferation of Type 2 diabetes in our youth, as detailed in a study recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Medicare Spotlights Hospitals with Especially Costly Patients

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The government has identified hundreds of hospitals whose Medicare patients are incurring especially high bills, a first step toward using bonuses and penalties to encourage more efficient care.

Massachusetts is Closer to Controlling Health Costs

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Massachusetts is one step closer to passing major legislation that would aim to control the state's rising health-care costs.
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Medicaid Payments to Primary Care Doctors Will Rise Under New Regulation

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Primary care doctors could get a pay raise next year for treating Medicaid patients, under a rule announced by the Obama administration Wednesday.

Health Exchanges Vex GOP

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The controversy over President Barack Obama's sweeping health-insurance law is putting the nation's 29 Republican governors in an awkward position.
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Retired Couples May Need $240,000 for Health Care

webmail@rwjf.org — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Couples retiring this year can expect their medical bills throughout retirement to cost 4 percent more than those who retired a year ago, according to an annual projection released Wednesday by Fidelity Investments.

HHS Announces Health Law ‘Innovation Awards’