House OKs cigarette tax hike; Money needed for health insurance.
Byline: John J. Monahan BOSTON - Officials celebrated the second anniversary of the state's health insurance reform law yesterday, and the House voted 131-23 to impose an additional $1 per pack on cigarettes to help meet spiraling, unanticipated costs of the program. In addition, the...

Health pool backed; O'Brien unveils savings package.
Byline: Nick Kotsopoulos WORCESTER - Looking to put the city in position to buffer potential cuts in state aid that would wreak havoc on municipal finances, City Manager Michael V. O'Brien is seeking to have the city join the state's health insurance pool. The recommendation...

3-year teachers contract signed; Pay raises in Uxbridge.
Byline: Aaron Nicodemus UXBRIDGE - The teachers union and School Committee have agreed on a three-year contract that will give teachers a boost in pay, but will require union members to pay more for health insurance. The contract, signed by the School Committee this week...

Don't hike premium for elderly, SC warns health insurance firms.
Byline: Dhananjay Mahapatra NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of senior citizens who are often refused renewal of their mediclaim policies even by public sector insurance firms only because they need frequent hospitalization, leading to higher reimbursement claims. The court also...

Many college students lack health insurance, report says.
RESEARCH PAPERS, homework, exams, tuition expenses and competition for top jobs and internships are but a few of the many challenges facing today's college students. On campuses around the nation, however, another worry is taking a toll on students' health and safety: uninsurance. According to a report...

Internists call for health insurance mandate.
The American College of Physicians has for the first time called for legally mandated universal coverage for all U.S. residents and has urged lawmakers to consider a single-payer system as one option for achieving that goal. In a lengthy analysis and health care reform proposal, the ACP...

Health-cost woes; Senate bill aims to buttress new insurance law.
COLUMN: IN OUR OPINION Unveiling a comprehensive health care cost-containment bill in Worcester yesterday, Senate President Therese Murray stated the need for action in the starkest terms: "There's going to be a climate of change, and there's got to be a climate of change, or the system...

Rescinding health insurance.
When he was asked about corporate America during one of his speeches on the presidential campaign trail, former Democratic candidate John Edwards noted, "They don't give the layperson anything; it has to be taken from them." How true this admonition and observation is when it comes to the plight...

Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program: Medicaid and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD).
"Americans with disabilities such as MR/DD [mental retardation/developmental disabilities] are some of the most vulnerable Medicaid recipients." (1) In 2006, Congress passed legislation containing major changes to Medicaid, as well as trimming federal Medicaid spending by $4.7 billion over five years and $26.4 billion over ten years....

Rescinding health insurance.
When he was asked about corporate America during one of his speeches on the presidential campaign trail, former Democratic candidate John Edwards noted, "They don't give the layperson anything; it has to be taken from them." How true this admonition and observation is when it comes to the plight...