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New Jersey Senate, Assembly Panels Advance Autism Coverage Bill
Committees in the New Jersey Senate and Assembly on Monday unanimously approved a bill that would provide insurance benefits of up to $36,000 annually for autism treatments, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The funding, provided to developmentally disabled individuals younger than age 21, would go toward diagnostic services and early behavioral intervention, as well as occupational, physical and speech therapies. The Assembly could vote on the bill as early as Thursday, while the Senate bill is being considered by the state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D), who sponsored the Senate bill, said, "I don"t know of any parent who wouldn"t do everything in their power to give their autistic or developmentally disabled child every chance to excel. However, the enormous cost of behavior intervention ... makes it out of the realm of possibility for many families." Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D), who sponsored the Assembly bill, said, "In this economy, every New Jersey resident is struggling, but families with kids with special needs are struggling even more," adding, "They"re maxing out their credit cards and taking out second mortgages" to cover gaps in health insurance benefits.Citing cost issues, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association and the New Jersey Association of Health Plans were among those opposed to the bill. Christine Stearns, NJBIA vice president for health and legal affairs, said that the bill would make employer-sponsored insurance more costly and cause firms to drop such coverage, adding, "How, who and what is part of a basic health plan is all part of that." Stearns added that the bill is preferable to previous versions because it mandates that covered services be medically necessary and prescribed, places a reasonable cap on prices and ensures that the cost of educational services provided by schools is not shifted to insurers. Roberts said the bill would save money by delivering earlier treatment that could prevent more costly problems in the future (Henry, Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/19).
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Juggling Cells Using High-Precision Laser Tweezers
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have developed a new method to study single cells while exposing them to controlled environmental changes. The unique method, where a set of laser tweezers move the cell around in a microscopic channel system, allows the researchers to study how single cells react to stress induced by a constantly changing environment.
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Obama, Health Insurers Clash On Public Plan
"President Obama made a detailed case on Tuesday for a new government-administered health insurance plan, but he did not rule out signing a bill that lacks such an option if he cannot win enough support from Democrats in Congress," The New York Times reports. "In a White House news conference, Mr. Obama dismissed as "not logical" the suggestion that a public plan, which is intended to create more competition and therefore act as a brake on the rise of health insurance costs, would undermine the private insurance market. He argued that a government-run plan competing with private insurers would be an "important tool to discipline insurance companies" and scoffed at complaints that it could drive some out of business."
Cardiovascular

Do The Swiss Have The Answer To America's Health Care Dilemma?

With the health care debate heating up in Washington, and with no apparent solution in sight, it has been suggested that America might want to take a page from the Swiss playbook. In a nutshell: -- Switzerland has a mandate requiring everyone to be covered by private insurance. -- Poor people are subsidized as necessary to meet the mandate. -- There is no employer-provided or government-managed coverage. -- Sick persons pay the same price for health insurance as healthy persons in the same demographic category. According to its proponents, the Swiss system results in health care which is comparable to that in the most affluent U.S. states, while its per capita health costs are 40 percent lower than in the U.S. Switzerland currently has 80-plus separate health plans competing for business, from which Swiss citizens can freely choose. The government"s primary (if not only) role is to subsidize lower-income people. A primary advantage of such a consumer-controlled system, proponents say, is that it spreads risk across the full population spectrum, thereby lowering loss ratios and enabling lower premiums. It also keeps a proven health care delivery system in place, which government-controlled plans would necessarily disrupt. Opponents to such a free market health idea argue that choosing the right medical insurance plan is too complicated for ordinary citizens to understand or navigate. When asked, Vicki Rolens, managing director of the Federation of American Consumers and Travelers (FACT), says that the consumer association neither supports nor opposes the "Swiss Solution." "However," she says, "we do believe, when it comes to a matter as important as health care, that everyone should seriously consider all the possible avenues which might be taken. We think this is particularly true of an avenue which has apparently been successfully traveled elsewhere." FACT is a nonpartisan not-for-profit corporation, formed a quarter-century ago in the District of Columbia. The group furnishes information of interest and importance to the American consumer without any political bias or hidden agenda. "We urge everyone who has a particular viewpoint concerning this or any consumer-related issue to share it with us," says Rolens. "We will in turn share it with the decision-makers in Washington, and with our members nationwide." The association currently serves more than 1 million consumers in all 50 states. This news release is issued as a service of the Federation of American Consumers and Travelers (FACT). Additional information on FACT may be found in the Encyclopedia of Associations, and by visiting the association"s Web site. Informative, unbiased news bulletins are regularly disseminated by FACT to help its members remain current on matters which might seriously impact their lives. In addition to publishing consumer-related reports, the association provides more than 30 benefits for its members, ranging from dental discounts and prescription drug savings to scholarships and roadside assistance. FACT"s administrative office is located at 318 Hillsboro Avenue, Edwardsville, IL 62025. Federation of American Consumers and Travelers


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