|
Mayo Clinic publishes book detailing healthy diet and weight-loss program |
By Emily Langer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Grapefruit, bacon, cabbage soup: They're impostors, staples of fad
diets billed as Mayo Clinic weight-loss plans but never endorsed by the
Mayo Clinic.
The real Mayo Clinic diet was released in book form last week after years of research, just in time for New Year's resolutions.
The Mayo Clinic diet is divided into two phases. "Lose It" is a
two-week jump-start phase that emphasizes quick changes in habits, and
we believe it is the healthiest way to lose weight quickly. The second
phase, "Live It," continues these new habits seamlessly into a healthy
and enjoyable lifestyle program.
Another unique feature is based on the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid.
This pyramid emphasizes foods that are low in calories and,
importantly, healthy. We recommend that people eat all of the fresh or
frozen fruits and vegetables they want.
read more |
|
|
Democrats holding final intraparty talks on health-care reform |
|
January 6, 2010
Democratic leaders in Congress began a final round of health-care talks
Tuesday, pledging to overcome their remaining differences, with the aim
of sending a bill to President Obama before his State of the Union address in late January or early February.
Congressional negotiators have little room to maneuver, given the
narrow margins of support for the legislation in both chambers.
read more By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post
|
|
Insurers Brace for Sweeping Changes to Industry Landscape |
|
December 26, 2009
By Avery Johnson
Wall Street Journal
Big insurers are still hoping to influence some language in the
legislation before Congress sends it to the president. But one thing is
clear: The initiative is poised to change their industry more than any
other sector of the U.S. health-care system, with huge potential to
disrupt profitability.
Major health insurers, which decided early to support key aspects of
President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul, are now picking through
the Senate's version of the legislation and finding cause for concern.
click here to read more |
|
Reid compromise amendment passes Senate |
|
This morning, the U.S. Senate adopted the manager’s amendment to
H.R. 3590 that contains the compromise provisions developed by Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to gain the 60 votes that will be
needed to pass health system reform legislation before the holidays.
All Democrats supported the amendment, while 39 Republicans voted
against it
The manager’s amendment includes a number of provisions important to physicians, including:
- Removing the 0.5 percent offsetting payment cuts for most physician
services to partially offset a 10 percent payment bonus for primary
care and general surgery.
- Eliminating a proposed tax on elective cosmetic surgery and medical procedures.
- Eliminating a proposed enrollment fee for physicians who participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
- Clarifying that a comparative effectiveness research entity cannot
issue practice guidelines or make coverage, payment or policy
recommendations, and increasing representation for physicians on the
entity’s board of governors.
A third procedural vote on the substitute amendment to H.R. 3590,
reflecting the original merger of the bills produced by the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Senate Finance
Committee, is expected tomorrow, Dec. 23. The vote on final passage of
the bill is expected the morning of Christmas Eve.
.
|
|
Senate reaches compromise on H.R. 3590; AMA supports passage of amended bill while working for additional changes in conference committee negotiations |
|
December 21, 2009
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) unveiled his
long-anticipated manager’s amendment to H.R. 3590, the “Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act,” on Dec. 19. This amendment
reflects compromises reached during the past few weeks in order to gain
the 60 Senate votes needed for passage of the bill. The effort to
garner votes appears to have been successful, as demonstrated at 1:18
a.m. today when the Senate voted along party lines on the first of
three cloture votes that will be required to pass the bill by Christmas
Eve.
The AMA has been deeply involved in negotiations with Senate offices, advocating for changes outlined in a letter sent to Sen. Reid on Dec. 1. As a result of those negotiations, the manager’s amendment reflects the following significant changes:
- The 10 percent payment bonus for primary care and general surgery
in under served areas will no longer be offset by cuts in other
physician services to maintain budget neutrality.
- The proposed tax on elective cosmetic surgery and medical procedures has been eliminated.
- The proposed enrollment fee for physicians who participate in Medicare and Medicaid has been eliminated.
- The proposed one-year, 0.5 percent patch to Medicare’s sustainable
growth rate (SGR) formula that calls for a 21.2 percent cut in 2010 has
been eliminated, as recommended by the AMA to make funds available to
offset the costs of these changes and to keep the focus on a permanent
SGR repeal early next year. A provision in a separate Department of
Defense appropriations bill averts the cut on Jan. 1 by extending the
2009 conversion factor for 60 days. At a Dec. 19 news conference, Sen. Reid stated his intent to pass legislation to permanently repeal the SGR formula after the holidays.
In addition, the AMA secured modifications to various policy
proposals in the original bill and in amendments ultimately included in
Sen. Reid’s compromise that pertain to quality improvement and cost
containment initiatives, as well as comparative effectiveness research.
Also of interest, the manager’s amendment includes a provision to
authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to pursue
demonstration programs on alternative liability reforms.
click here to read more
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 9 of 13 |
