BCBSA Releases Medical Cost Reference Guide; NEJM Perspective Examines Problems Related to Community Health Center Expansion
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2008 Medical Cost Reference Guide, BlueCross BlueShield Association: The annual guide provides a snapshot of major trends affecting health care quality, affordability and access, as well as objective, peer-reviewed information using research available from BCBSA and leading government, academic and business sources (BCBSA release, 3/26).
- "Spreading the Safety Net -- Obstacles to the Expansion of Community Health Centers," NEJM: The perspective by NEJM national correspondent John Iglehart discusses how although both Democrats and Republicans support President Bush's pledge to double the number of community health centers, difficulties in expanding these facilities remain. "Despite good intentions on both sides of the aisle," Iglehart writes that CHCs face a number of challenges, including declines in the number of physicians providing charity care; difficulties attracting physicians to CHCs; a shortage of primary care physicians, especially in rural areas; and Medicaid and SCHIP budget cuts (Iglehart, NEJM, 3/27).
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