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Michigan Lawmakers Introduce Bills Package To Expand Access To Health Care To State's Uninsured
Michigan lawmakers introduced health reform packages this week, the Detroit News reports. On Thursday, state senators introduced a bipartisan package of health care bills aimed at expanding health insurance coverage to the state"s 1.2 million uninsured residents. The package, named MI Health, would establish two state health plans that provide the residents with more affordable and accessible coverage options.MI Access would expand the state Medicaid program to include residents with annual incomes under 200% of the federal poverty level, and beneficiaries would contribute copayments for services and medications. MI Coverage would provide subsidized coverage options for residents with annual incomes at 200% to 300% of the poverty level. Fees for residents under MI Coverage would be set according to their health levels and habits (Bouffard, Detroit News, 5/14). The proposed legislation package also would create a state fund that pays for insurance claims exceeding $25,000, or up to $250,000 per year, with health plans making contributions to the fund. In addition, the package proposes to bar commercial insurers from rejecting coverage for applicants with chronic conditions or increasing their premiums if they have been previously diagnosed with a chronic condition (Anstett, Detroit Free Press, 5/15).

Closer Working Between GPs And Community Pharmacists Would Save Lives And Improve NHS Cost Effectiveness And Care Quality
The NHS Chief Executive has recently warned that the NHS could have to
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House Democrats' Health Bill Would Tax Rich To Finance Insurance Expansion
House Democratic leaders Tuesday unveiled their bill to reform America"s health care system - and insure an additional 37 million Americans over the next 10 years - to the tune of more than $1 trillion, funded mostly through an up-to-5.4 percent surtax on income for the wealthiest Americans, The Washington Post reports.
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U.N. Reports $4.8B 'Record' Aid Funding Shortfall

The U.N. on Tuesday said "it is running a record funding-shortfall of $4.8 billion for its aid operations in 16 crisis-ridden countries" and has received "less than half of the $9.5 billion it needs to carry out it humanitarian operations this year," VOA News reports (Schlein, 7/21). At a mid-year review, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said although the organization"s emergency appeals had received more funds compared with the same time last year, poverty and need are increasing due to the economic crisis, the Guardian writes (7/21). Holmes said extra money is needed because violence and food insecurity worsened living conditions for millions of people during the first half of the year, according to CNN. "It is clear that the global recession puts pressure on the aid budgets of all donor governments, but of course it puts immeasurably more pressure on crises-stricken people in poor countries," he said (7/22). Reuters reports that a financing review highlighted that "some 43 million people need assistance this year, up from 28 million in 2008." The 2009 shortfall "affects all major U.N. humanitarian projects, which involve supplying water, food, medical care and shelter, clearing landmines, and helping vulnerable people improve their agricultural output," the news agency writes. The countries with the biggest funding gaps include: "Sudan ($916 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo ($505 million), Zimbabwe ($458 million) and Somalia ($428 million)," Reuters reports (MacInnis, 7/21). Holmes also highlighted the situation in Pakistan, VOA News writes: "Pakistan has seen probably the most dramatic and dramatically changing humanitarian situation this year with up to two million people fleeing the military operations ò€¦ That has meant scaling up ò€¦ a major aid operation with a consequence of large figure of dollars attached to it," he said. According to Al Jazeera, Holmes said "the main contributing countries have stuck to their promises which was to maintain their aid budgets, both development and humanitarian budgets, despite the recession" (7/22). This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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