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About 11.1 percent of Nebraskans had no health insurance in 2008, according to new figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The latest update by census officials put the national percentage of uninsured for last year at 15.1 and ranked Nebraska 16th lowest in the nation among states.
Nebraska's overall percentage of 11.1 is down from the 11.9 percent that turned
up in a Current Population Survey last September.
Read more.
— Lincoln Journal Star, September 22, 2009
The Omaha Chapter of the Safety and Health Council will have a booth
providing information on the Kids Connection program during the Community Safety and Wellness Festival on Sunday, October 4 at the LaVista Conference Center
in Omaha.
Kids Connection is health care coverage for qualified children developed by the State of Nebraska. It includes both the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Nebraska Medical Assistance Program (also known as Medicaid). Its purpose is to provide health care to low-income and low-income uninsured children all across the state.
If you are knowledgeable about the program and would like to be a volunteer,
please contact Lynne Anderson (402) 305-3292.
Vice President Joe Biden and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today hosted a town hall meeting with seniors in Silver Spring, Maryland, and released a new report, Health Insurance Reform and Medicare: Making Medicare Stronger for America’s Seniors. The report, authored by HHS, outlines how health insurance reform will help seniors and answers key questions about President Obama’s health insurance reform plan. The complete report is available now at
www.HealthReform.gov.
— U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, September 23, 2009
McCOOK—Community Hospital has invited the public to a lunch and groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, September 27,
2009. The ceremony will feature McCook native and U.S. Senator Ben Nelson as the main speaker.
“We hope the community will come and celebrate the completion of our planning, and anticipate with us the beginning of the construction phase of our new patient wing, surgery wing and dedicated outpatient space,” said Jim Ulrich, Community Hospital President
and Chief Executive Officer.
“Through this project, we are investing in both the economic future and future health care of our community and the region,” Ulrich said. “The construction will certainly be a boost to economic development activities and the product of a new patient wing, new surgery wing and dedicated outpatient space will go a long way toward furthering our ability to care for the patients in need of quality health care services for years to come.”
The ceremonial groundbreaking begins a hospital construction project which will expand the facility to 98,000 square feet. Phase 1 is a 14-month project constructing a new 25-bed acute patient wing housing five nursing support areas, two labor-delivery-recovery rooms, a waiting area and nursery on the west side of Community Hospital, and two isolation/hospice respite rooms and a healing garden on the southern end.
— Community Hospital press release, September 21, 2009
SCOTTSBLUFF—During an open house on September 24, the newest photograph to grace the Acute
Rehab Unit (ARU) Wall of Fame will be unveiled at Regional West Medical Center (RWMC).
John Flint suffered a traumatic accident in June of 2008, which necessitated the amputation of his right leg six inches below his knee. Flint spent a month on the ARU, learning how to adapt to his amputation and his prosthesis while recovering from his accident. Flint says he was determined to have a positive attitude, and recovered—with a mission to help others by volunteering his time to assist other amputee patients on the unit.
Read more.
—
RWMC press release, September 21, 2009
LINCOLN—Thirteen-year old Derek Ruth of Malcolm, Neb., is a champion to those who know him, both on and off the football field or baseball diamond. During a midget football game on September 6, 2008, Derek ran with the football toward the end zone, then he suddenly straightened out his arm and dropped
the ball. He'd been tackled in a couple plays during the game, yet on the
sidelines Derek responded appropriately to questions.
A few minutes later, he removed his helmet and fell from the bench, clutching his head. An emergency crew responded within minutes, providing medical care and transporting Derek to BryanLGH West where a CT revealed a devastating traumatic brain injury. After two surgeries to save Derek's life, which involved removing portions of his skull on both sides, he was transferred to Madonna's inpatient pediatric rehabilitation program.
Derek was unable to walk, verbally communicate or eat on his own and was not fully aware of his surroundings. He could, however, respond to his mom and dad, with a weak thumbs up or down to their questions.
With the help of his Madonna team, the constant support of his family, and his faith and determination, Derek has made incredible progress.
Read more.
—
Madonna Independent, September 18, 2009
WASHINGTON—Democrats and Republicans formed battle lines as the Senate Finance Committee opened the debate on health care legislation proposed by the panel's chairman. Both sides found plenty to criticize in Senator Max Baucus's bill, particularly its requirement that all U.S. citizens must buy health insurance at potentially high costs, according to the
Washington Post.
Read more.
— Washington Post, September 23, 2009
WASHINGTON—A national health bill released by Democratic Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus includes a proposal from Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa to "improve the community service, transparency and billing practices of nonprofit hospitals." The legislation also would require hospitals to adopt and "widely publicize" written financial assistance policies, which are now largely voluntary. Grassley has also raised questions about hospital missions, looking at tax exemptions and floating ideas about mandating levels of charity care.
Read more.
— Chicago Tribune, September 22, 2009
WASHINGTON—Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) last week introduced the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act (S. 1681), which would limit the federal antitrust immunities available for health and medical liability insurers. These insurers would no longer be immune for activities that constitute price fixing, bid rigging or market allocation.
“The lack of affordable health insurance plagues families throughout our country, and the rising prices that hospitals and doctors pay for medical malpractice insurance drains resources that could otherwise be used to improve patient care,” Leahy said. “Antitrust oversight in these industries will provide consumers with the confidence that insurance companies are operating in a competitive marketplace.”
The AHA is supportive of the legislation as a good first step to providing more antitrust oversight for insurers who abuse their market position to harm providers and patients. A companion measure (H.R. 3596) was introduced in the House by Representative John Conyers (D-MI).
— AHA News Now, September 21, 2009
WASHINGTON—Deborah Peel, MD, founder of the Coalition for Patient Privacy, asked the Health Information Technology (HIT) Policy Committee to “set a really high bar for privacy" during a hearing last Friday.
“We’re asking you to meet Americans’ expectations of what it takes to trust these [electronic health record] systems,” Peel said.
Read more.
— HealthImaging.com, September 21, 2009
NHA 2009 Annual Convention
October 14-16, 2009 - Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, Lincoln
Follow-Up RAC Webinars
September 24, 2009 - Webinar
October 8, 2009 – Webinar
Hospital Pharmaceutical Waste 3-Part Webinar Series
October 7, 2009 - Part 2
October 21, 2009 – Part 3
NHA Noon Briefing: 2009 Compensation Survey Product Demonstration
September 28, 2009 – Webinar
Federal Grant Management Class
Offered
November 19-20, 2009 – Lincoln
Click here
for a list
of upcoming NHA audioconferences and Webinars.
Visit thee
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submit it to Heather Bullock, Marketing and Events Coordinator, at
hbullock@nhanet.org. Send news items to Kelley Porter, Director of
Communications, kporter@nhanet.org.
NHA Newslink is published by the Nebraska
Hospital Association, 3255 Salt Creek Circle, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68504-4778.
Phone 402/742-8140, Fax 402/742-8191. Contact Kelley Porter, Director of
Communications, at 402/742-8151, or email,
kporter@nhanet.org.
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