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headline[currentCount] = new headline ("58639","3","Daily Health Policy Report","Sen. Kennedy Circulates Draft of Health Reform Legislation","Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is circulating an outline of health care overhaul legislation that includes a requirement that all individuals obtain coverage and requires contributions from employers, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, the legislation \"closely resembles\" the Massachusetts health insurance law enacted in 2006, the Post reports. According to the draft summary, the bill calls for a public, government-sponsored health insurance option that would compete with private insurers. The measure also would expand Medicaid eligibility, according to the Post. Kennedy spokesperson Anthony Coley said that the outline is not yet finalized. He said, \"We are still actively negotiating with members\" of the Senate HELP Committee.
According to a top White House official, Kennedy is expected to introduce his measure on Monday. A timetable released by Kennedy\'s office calls for Senate HELP Committee Democrats to meet June 2 (Connolly, Washington Post, 5/29). A bipartisan walk-through of Kennedy\'s bill is scheduled for June 5 and June 9. Hearings on the bill would then take place on June 10 or June 11. The mark up of the bill is scheduled from June 16 through June 25 (Bogardus, The Hill, 5/28). If Kennedy holds to the schedule, he will be ahead of other congressional Democrats, including Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.), on proposing overhaul legislation (Washington Post, 5/29). Coley said, \"These are target dates that are not set in stone.\" Although Senate Democrats are hoping to pass health care reform legislation before the August recess, several senators have questioned whether that timeline is feasible (The Hill, 5/28).\r\rReform Supporters Call For Removal of Ad\r
\rIn related health reform news, Democracy for America and the Service Employees International Union on Thursday demanded that Washington, D.C.\'s NBC television affiliate refuse to air a 30-minute infomercial funded by Conservatives for Patients\' Rights, Politico reports.
According to a letter from SEIU to NBC4, the ad, scheduled to run after \"Meet the Press\" on Sunday, \"will be false, deceitful and a distortion.\" The union added that the station has a responsibility to pull the ad because it has a duty to protect the public from misleading advertising. In the letter, the union wrote that the conservative group has a history of running \"demonstrably false\" ads. According to Levana Layendecker, the online campaigns director for Health Care for America Now, CPR could face fines from the Federal Communications Commission if the ad is run, adding that it contains false statements.
CPR spokesperson Keith Appell said, \"It\'s no surprise that they would try to block the public from seeing any information about the dangers of government-run health care,\" adding, \"This program is full of compelling first-person accounts that every American should hear.\" He said that CPR stands by its ad. An NBC network spokesperson would not comment on the infomercial or the request, deferring questions to NBC4. The affiliate\'s general manger, Michael Jack, did not return a request for comment (Frates, Politico, 5/28). ","2009-05-29 00:00:00","May 29, 2009","1");
currentCount = 2;
headline[currentCount] = new headline ("58640","3","Daily Health Policy Report","Obama Says Health Reform Must Be Done This Year","The opportunity to enact health care reform legislation could be missed unless Congress passes it this year, President Obama on Thursday said to thousands of supporters in a phone call made from Air Force One, the AP/USA Today reports. In a call to members of his political organization, Organizing for America, Obama said, \"If we don\'t get it done this year, we\'re not going to get it done,\" adding, \"I think the status quo is unacceptable and that we\'ve got to get it done this year.\"
Obama also said that any action on overhaul legislation could be delayed unless volunteers pressure lawmakers to support the administration\'s goals for health care reform (AP/USA Today, 5/28). Obama said, \"Some of you are in states and districts where politicians are resistant to bringing about change, so we need you to get involved\" (Zeleny, \"The Caucus,\" New York Times, 5/28). Obama told volunteers that it was time to \"remobilize\" after their successful campaign to get him elected, adding that \"we have gotten a lot of things done during our first four months. But health care, that\'s a big push\" (AP/USA Today, 5/28).
David Plouffe, Obama\'s presidential campaign manager and head of Organizing for America, during the call said, \"If the country stands with the president and if the country is demanding health care reform, [then] we\'ll get it done,\" adding, \"Washington will not have any option but to follow us.\" He added, \"You need to take ownership of this\" (\"The Caucus,\" New York Times, 5/28).\r
\rOrganizing for America Campaign\r
\rThe conference call was in preparation for the launch of Organizing for America\'s health care campaign, the AP/USA Today reports (AP/USA Today, 5/28). Organizing for America has scheduled grassroots organizing events beginning June 6, when Obama will release a video message about his principal goals for reform. The ideas generated at the events will be used to plan public service events that will be held on June 27. Mitch Stewart, executive director of Organizing for America, said, \"Reforming [our] health care system is going to require each and every one [of] us to get involved\" (Davis, \"Washington Wire,\" Wall Street Journal, 5/28). ","2009-05-29 00:00:00","May 29, 2009","2");
currentCount = 3;
headline[currentCount] = new headline ("58641","3","Daily Health Policy Report","Data Ranks Insurers According to Speed of Claim Payment, Share of Denials","Aetna, Cigna and Humana ranked highest nationally on criteria including speed of health claim payments and fewest claims denied, according to the 2009 PayerView Rankings, the Boston Globe reports. The rankings -- prepared by Athenahealth in collaboration with Physicians Practice management journal -- evaluated 172 national, regional and government payers in 40 states.
According to the data, insurers paid physicians an average 5.3% faster in 2008 and denied an average of 9% fewer medical claims compared with 2007 figures. On average, national health insurers paid physicians in 33 days and denied 9.2% of claims.
According to the Globe, the rankings reveal some of the obstacles that can result from the complexities and bureaucracy involved in the medical billing process, with each insurer operating in different ways. Jonathan Bush, chair and CEO of Athenahealth, said, \"This is the biggest problem we have in health care -- the inability to close supply chains and to practically and tactically connect doctors with payers and patients,\" adding, \"These connections are broken\" (Weisman, Boston Globe, 5/28).
![\"Online\"](\"http://www.kaisernetwork.org/images/paper_icon.gif\")
The rankings are available online. ","2009-05-29 00:00:00","May 29, 2009","3");
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