News in brief - Oct. 10, 2011

Alternative to health system reform law proposed

Rep. Tom Price, MD (R, Ga.), has introduced a bill to repeal and replace the health system reform law.

Dr. Price said his proposal would make the purchase of health care feasible for all Americans. The bill preserves employer-based coverage and includes tax credits for the uninsured to purchase plans on the individual market. Credit amounts would be tied to averages for insurance on the market and adjusted for inflation.

The bill also would promote wellness and prevention by offering discounts that encourage healthier lifestyles. The legislation would provide medical liability reform by setting a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages.

"The Empowering Patients First Act would provide the opportunity for all Americans to have health coverage, solve the insurance challenges of portability of health insurance and preexisting illnesses and injuries, end the practice of defensive medicine with robust lawsuit reform, all without putting the government in charge," Dr. Price said.

The bill had seven co-sponsors at this article's deadline.

Back to top

Relatively few D.C. doctors actively practice there

Although nearly 9,000 physicians are licensed to practice in the District of Columbia, far fewer actively practice in the district, according to the 2010 District of Columbia Board of Medicine Physician and Physician Assistant Workforce Survey.

The survey, released Sept. 28, was offered to physicians and physician assistants who were renewing their licenses in D.C. between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2010. Nearly 7,000 renewing physicians responded to the survey, of whom 2,821 said they were practicing in the district more than 20 hours per week. An additional 273 doctors did not specify their clinical hours but said they practice in the city.

The work force survey is an attempt by the D.C. Board of Medicine to prepare for the health system reform law's expansion of coverage to about 32 million people, slated to begin in 2014. The survey also found that physicians in D.C. tend to cluster around hospitals and that nearly 40% of the respondents have patient panels that are at least a quarter Medicaid. More than three-quarters of respondents plan to continue practicing for at least the next two years.

The report is available online (hpla.doh.dc.gov/hpla/lib/hpla/medicine/bomed_workforce_survey_report-final.pdf).

Back to top

Judge denies injunction against Kansas abortion law

A federal judge has refused to temporarily block a Kansas law restricting insurance coverage for elective abortions.

The law, signed in May by Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, prevents private insurers from providing abortion coverage unless a woman requires the procedure to save her life. Women and employers can purchase individual abortion coverage at an additional cost. The American Civil Liberties Union requested that the court block the law while a legal challenge was pending.

In his September opinion on the injunction, U.S. Senior District Judge Wesley Brown said the ACLU could not prove that the law was created to stop women from seeking abortions.

Back to top

Plaintiffs in stem cell research lawsuit file appeal

Opponents of embryonic stem cell research are challenging a district court opinion allowing the government to continue funding the research.

Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 27 dismissed Sherley v. Sebelius, which argued that federal law prohibits the Dept. of Health and Human Services from funding any research that results in the destruction of human embryos. The debate started in August 2010, when Lamberth issued a preliminary ban against the funding.

The ban forced the National Institutes of Health to freeze funding temporarily for about 50 grants. But the injunction was halted in September 2010 and overturned in April 2011 by a three-judge appeals court panel, leading to the July dismissal by Lamberth.

The lawsuit's plaintiffs, which include the Christian Medical and Dental Assns., on Sept. 19 appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia seeking another attempt to block the funding.

Back to top

HHS provides $1.9 billion for HIV/AIDS treatment

The Dept. of Health and Human Services has released $1.9 billion for HIV/AIDS health services for patients who lack coverage or financial resources to treat the disease.

About $1.2 billion will be sent to the states through the Ryan White Program, named for a teenager who contracted HIV through a blood transfusion in the 1980s. White died in 1990 at the age of 18.

More than 50 cities also will share $645 million to provide medical and support services through the program. Most of the grants will fund outpatient primary care services, prescription drug assistance, insurance and medical nutrition therapy. The remaining 25% goes toward respite care, medical transportation and linguistic services.

"These grants will help make a real difference in the lives of Americans living with HIV/AIDS, especially those in underserved rural and urban communities, ensuring they get access to quality health care and support systems," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Back to top