SAMHSA's Weekly Financing News Pulse - April 13, 2009

Table of Contents

National Health Financing News

• Lawmakers Prepare for Budget Resolution, Health Reform Reconciliation Key Topic
• Executive Order Officially Establishes White House Office of Health Reform
• GAO Appoints First 13 Members of Health IT Advisory Committee
• CMS Announces Funding for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs
• CMS Announces Medicare Advantage Payment Rate Cuts for 2010
• Thomson Reuters Study Says Efficiency Improvements Could Save Hospitals $4 Billion
• Senator Asks NAMI to Disclose Financial Contributions
• Mental Health America Receives Grant to Create Culturally Appropriate Support for Native Americans with SMI
• Tennessee Group Suggests Health Reform Model, Tennessee as Pilot
• Lewin Group Study Examines Public Plan Option for Health Care Reform, Effects on Private Insurance
• Study Finds Health Insurance Contributes to American Income Disparity
• Kaiser Family Foundation Releases Brief Examining CHIP Performance Bonus Payments
• Study Finds Fewer Consumers Filling Prescriptions in Recession
• Defense Budget Includes More Funding for Health Programs, Electronic Health Records
• Employers and Recipients Distressed About COBRA Subsidies
• Anheuser-Busch Plans to Alter Employee Retirement Benefits
• Recession Temporarily Resolved Nursing Shortage

Around the Hill: Hearings on Health Financing

• Congress is in spring recess.  The House and Senate reconvene April 20. 
• Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee: Health-Related Legislation
  2:30 p.m. April 22, 418 Russell
• House Veterans’ Affairs Committee: Mental Health Needs of Veterans
  10:00 a.m. April, 30 334 Cannon

Around the States: State and Local Behavioral Health Financing News

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