In his first official national press conference, President Barack Obama touched on the importance of an electronic medical health record infrastructure as a way to both help patients and get the economy...
Senate passes stimulus bill, reconciliation with House bill to begin
Feb 11, 2009
The Senate Tuesday passed an $838 billion economic stimulus package by a vote of 61-37. The bill now moves to a dual-chamber committee to resolve differences between the legislation and a recently passed...
Sebelius reportedly top choice as nominee for HHS secretary
Feb 10, 2009
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) of Kansas has emerged as the front-runner in the race to replace former Senator Tom Daschle as President Obama’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human...
Senate expected to vote on economic stimulus package today
Feb 10, 2009
Senate leaders have scheduled a vote on the economic stimulus package today. It follows weeks of hard-fought negotiations and compromises between the parties.
Speculation swirls–second time around–over nominations for HHS post
Feb 06, 2009
After the unexpected withdrawal of former senator Tom Daschle as nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, beltway insiders are speculating about a possible replacement.
GAO: Each state would receive Medicaid increase under economic stimulus package
Feb 06, 2009
The economic stimulus package under debate in Congress would boost each state’s federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) by 7.6% from the first quarter of fiscal year 2009 through the end of...
Grassley amendment in stimulus bill would protect nursing home reimbursements
Feb 06, 2009
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) is drawing praise from nursing homes for introducing an amendment to the economic stimulus package. The amendment would preserve provider payments under the proposed $87 billion...
Obama reiterates need to pass economic stimulus bill
Feb 05, 2009
As the Senate works to amend the economic stimulus bill, President Obama has indicated that he will go only so far in compromising with Republican critics of the legislation.
Daschle withdraws nomination for secretary of HHS
Feb 04, 2009
Tom Daschle, former senate majority leader, withdrew his nomination for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday amid questions about his failure to pay back taxes and potential...
State Medicaid cuts enacting tolls on low-income people, including elderly
Jan 29, 2009
Even as Congress considers a stimulus package that would increase the federal medical assistance percentage by $87 billion, half of all states have either enacted or proposed significant reductions to...