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Economic Recession Prompting California Women To Seek Health Care In Clinics
The current economic recession has prompted more women in California to seek health care -- including routine gynecological exams, contraceptives and abortions -- at clinics and family planning agencies, the Los Angeles Times reports. Many of the services, such as contraception and abortion, are related to avoiding or ending pregnancies as women experience job losses and subsequent loss of insurance coverage amid the recession, according to the Times. For example, Planned Parenthood clinics report that they are performing a record number of abortions, while other women"s health agencies report higher call volumes, more visits and additional requests for abortion funding. Clinic officials also report that women increasingly are switching their contraceptive methods to longer-term options than can last five to 10 years.According to the Times, the increased demand for reproductive health services -- particularly abortions funded by Medi-Cal, the state"s Medicaid program -- are putting a strain on some clinics. In addition, paying for an abortion can be difficult for women who already are struggling financially. The Times reports that as women attempt to raise the money for abortions, thereby postponing the procedure, the cost increases from about $450 during the first trimester to $1,200 during the second trimester. Delays in abortion funding also can cause more difficult choices for some women. Destiny Lopez -- executive director of ACCESS, a group that helps low-income women seeking reproductive health care -- said that some women who decided to terminate an early pregnancy are forced to decide between a second-trimester abortion or continuing an unwanted pregnancy because of funding delays. "It"s not like women are making these decision at the drop of a hat," she said, adding, "They are considering their life situations."Stephanie Poggi, executive director of the National Network of Abortion Funds, said, "We are seeing poor women get poorer and we"re also seeing low-wage women become poor," adding, "The economy is definitely having an impact. ... We see a greater demand for assistance." According to clinic officials, pregnant women who call in for assistance increasingly are considering the costs of raising a child when deciding how to proceed with their pregnancies. Lopez said, "Women are really having to make thoughtful decisions whether now is the right time to get pregnant or not."According to a recent Gallup Organization survey conducted on behalf of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, nearly one in 10 married women reported that the recession is a contributing factor in a decision to postpone a planned pregnancy; one in five women reported being more concerned now than one year ago about an unintended pregnancy; and about one in five women reported being more conscientious about using contraceptives (Yoshino, Los Angeles Times, 5/20).
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British Medical Association Concerned About NHS Preparedness For New Working Time Regulations
With just days to go before the implementation of the 48-hour working week for junior doctors, the BMA"s junior doctors" leader warns that not all of the NHS is prepared for the European Working Time Directive.
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Senate HELP Committee's Health Reform Bill Gives Needed Relief For America's Families
Senator Christopher Dodd, who is presiding over the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee during the absence of Committee Chair Edward Kennedy, today released the remaining portions of the health care reform bill that the Committee will consider when the July 4th recess ends. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, about the bill:
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HIVMA Supports Public Plan Option To Ensure Patients' Needs Are Met

As Congress drafts health care reform legislation, HIV clinicians urge lawmakers to include a public plan option to ensure affordable access to comprehensive care for HIV patients - nearly 30 percent of whom have no insurance. The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) believes that a public plan option can help offer everyone the chance to benefit from early and reliable access to lifesaving HIV care and treatment. "HIV treatment is one of the most effective medical interventions available today, but it requires ongoing access to high-cost medications and services over the course of a patient"s lifetime," said Michael S. Saag, MD, FIDSA, HIVMA chair-elect. "People with chronic conditions like HIV are not attractive to most private insurers." HIVMA is particularly concerned that private insurers will discourage HIV patients from enrolling in their plans by excluding HIV clinicians and programs from their provider networks. HIV treatment delivered by an experienced HIV provider results in better patient outcomes and more cost-effective care. Only 17 percent of HIV patients have private insurance coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Fifty-four percent rely on Medicaid and/or Medicare, while 29 percent are completely uninsured. Even if potential safeguards were in place requiring private insurance plans to include HIV health care providers, it would be difficult to ensure the adequacy of HIV provider networks in the numerous private plans that likely will be available across the country. "The availability of a public plan option will ensure a reliable coverage option is available to people with HIV no matter where they live in the U.S.," said Arlene Bardeguez, MD, MPH, HIVMA chair. "A public plan option will better ensure all of our patients have the opportunity to benefit from HIV treatment and live healthy and productive lives." Today, HIVMA released a position statement, which has also been adopted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), outlining additional reasons a public plan option is so important for people with HIV: * A public plan option would offer greater dependability, consistency and security than private plans, which can close, merge or change benefits at will. * Even in a well-regulated private insurance market, such as the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, private plans have limited patients" access to drugs by charging high co-payments for HIV medications and imposing burdensome prior authorization requirements on non-HIV medications. The purchasing power of a public plan option would offer greater opportunities to lower the cost of these drugs and other services. * Traditionally, public programs, such as Medicare, have been leaders in developing and supporting innovative chronic disease management approaches, such as the medical home model. The coordinated, comprehensive approach offered by medical homes is critical to keeping many people with HIV in treatment and addressing their complex health care needs. HIVMA also released a set of health care reform principles for meeting the needs of people living with HIV. The principles outline the needs any national health care reform plan must meet to ensure HIV patients receive the proper care, stem the spread of the epidemic, improve care quality, and reduce costs. HIVMA is the professional home for more than 3,600 physicians, scientists and other health care professionals dedicated to the field of HIV/AIDS. Nested within the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), HIVMA promotes quality in HIV care and advocates policies that ensure a comprehensive and humane response to the AIDS pandemic informed by science and social justice. IDSA is a professional society representing more than 8,600 physicians and scientists who specialize in infectious diseases. For more information, visit our websites: www.hivma.org and www.idsociety.org. John Heys Infectious Diseases Society of America


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