by TINA IRGANG
Capital News Service
Women are discriminated against under the current health care system, said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md, and therefore have a particularly high stake in reform.
Mikulski, using a wheelchair after surgery on a broken ankle in July, was speaking at a news conference she organized to call attention to women's health issues under the proposed reform legislation. She was joined by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., as well as Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center.
The speakers pointed out that, under the current system, women are often charged higher premiums than men.
"A 22-year-old woman can be charged one-and-a-half times the premium of a 22-year-old man just for being a woman," Shaheen said. "The insurance companies should be ashamed."
Several speakers drew attention to the fact that women are often denied coverage due to narrow definitions of pre-existing conditions.
"(A pre-existing condition) could mean that you had a baby with a C-section or it could mean, in some companies, that you're a victim of domestic violence," Mikulski said.
Hagan shared the story of a constituent diagnosed with breast cancer who remained in an abusive relationship with her husband because she feared that her pre-existing condition would preclude her from buying individual health insurance.
The speakers expressed outrage over remarks by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., last week, who argued at a Senate Finance Committee meeting that insurers should not be required to pay for maternity care.
"I don't need maternity care," Kyl said. "So requiring that on my insurance policy is something that I don't need and will make the policy more expensive."
"My rebuttal to the man who said 'I don't need to pay for reproductive health care' is: you don't get pregnant by yourself," Mikulski said. "Men are a part of the reproductive process."
In a question-and-answer session after the event, Mikulski also said she would prefer a health care bill that includes a public option, but expressed openness toward other proposals.
"If there is a good idea that will get the necessary votes on a bipartisan basis I will consider it on the basis of merit for coverage as well as cost," Mikulski said.
The public option would add a government-funded alternative to the private insurance market. The proposal has been criticized by many Republicans and some moderate Democrats, and may be dropped from the final reform bill.
Mikulski rejected the idea of health insurance co-ops, which has been suggested by some moderate Democrats. This model would allow individual consumers to form groups and buy health insurance collectively at reduced rates.
"I think co-ops have served the nation well when you sell commodities, so I could understand why there are senators from agricultural states who like co-ops," Mikulski said. "But health care is not like selling soy beans."
by SHARMINA MANANDHAR
Capital News Service
September 30, 2009
County health officials say they are prepared for the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic despite layoffs and service cuts necessitated by the state budget shortfall, but they remain worried about the effects on other programs.
The health departments hope to combat the staff shortage by hiring temporary nurses for the H1N1 vaccination campaign. These nurses will be paid using the federal Public Health Emergency Response grants provided to states through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials said.
The H1N1 vaccines are expected to be available by mid-October, and Maryland's MedImmune will be the first vaccine manufacturer to provide the vaccines in the form of nasal sprays, CDC announced two weeks ago.
by CHRISTOPHER M. MATTHEWS
Capital News Service
September 29, 2009
Lawyers from the Maryland Attorney General's office and the NAACP clashed Tuesday over access to Maryland State Police records related to racial profiling before a rare en banc hearing of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.
The court usually hears cases in panels of three, but the full court heard Tuesday's arguments about whether or not internal State Police investigations into racial profiling complaints are exempt under the Maryland Public Information Act.
Since 2003, there have been roughly 100 complaints of racial profiling made by Maryland motorists against the state police. According to protocol, the state police conducts an internal investigation into these complaints. But none of the investigations have determined the officers involved used racial profiling.
by MEGAN E. GUSTAFSON
Capital News Service
September 25, 2009
If you come down with a nasty cough, a fever over 100 and other flu-like symptoms this fall, do you have the new 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus or the regular, get-it-every-year seasonal flu?
Your doctor might take a culture, but, chances are, you might never know the results.
If you're not part of a group that's traditionally considered at high risk for flu complications, such as those with chronic respiratory illness or the immune-compromised, it's unlikely your doctor will need to determine which specific virus is making you sick. Knowing what you have isn't likely to make a difference in how you will be treated, anyway.
by KAREN ANDERSON
Capital News Service=
September 22, 2009
The weak economy and the resulting budget deficit remain the most pressing concerns facing the state and solutions might require sacrifices Marylanders don't support, according to a statewide poll released on Tuesday by Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies.
In other states such a contradiction might create a problem for incumbent office holders, but that may not be the case in Maryland where Democrats hold an overwhelming majority.
"Any time the economy is weak, any time people feel insecure, an incumbent has to be worried because they're the natural venting point for the public," said Todd Eberly, an assistant professor of political science at St. Mary's College of Maryland. "But the party advantage enjoyed by Democrats in Maryland gives them a great deal of cushion."
by SHARMINA MANANDHR
Capital News Service=
September 22, 2009
As part of a two-day effort in Maryland to sell President Obama's health care plan, Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday told the National Association of Insurance Commissioners basic "ground rules" are needed for insurance companies.
At minimum, Biden said, insurance companies should be prohibited from: discriminating for preexisting conditions; charging exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or copays; charging co-payments for preventive care; dropping coverage of the seriously ill; discriminating by gender; or capping lifetime coverage.
"I want them (insurance companies to) continue to do their job and make a profit," Biden said during his speech at the National Harbor complex in Prince George's County. "But I also want them held accountable."
by CHRISTOPHER M. MATTHEWS
Capital News Service
September 18, 2009
Concerns about gang activity at Maryland schools is prompting law enforbement officials, prosecutors and House Speaker Michael E. Busch, D-Anne Arundel, to look into ways to make it easier for police and school officials to share information.
"[Gangs] are one of the biggest threats to the quality of life in Anne Arundel, and other counties across the state," said Lt. J.D. Batten, commander of the school safety division for the Anne Arundel County Police.
But, while there is consensus that greater cooperation is needed, the purpose and nature of that cooperation remains controversial. There are concerns about the privacy and confidentiality of student records, as well as questions about to what extent students would be labeled as gang members.
by DAVID M. JOHNSON
Capital News Service
September 18, 2009
The Senate Thursday approved $4 million for the Baltimore Red Line Light Rail that will connect East and West Baltimore as part of the Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill.
That's just a drop in the bucket for the Red Line's $1.6 billion budget. Most of its federal funding is expected to be carved out of the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2009.
To assure that the Red Line, and other transportation projects, get their funding, the Maryland Transit Administration relies on communication with the state's congressional delegation, said Jo Greene, communications director for the Maryland Transit Administration.
by ALEKSANDRA ROBINSON
Capital News Service
September 17, 2009
Algae blooms and dead zones in America's waterways -- including the Chesapeake Bay -- represent a significant health risk for Americans, as well as a threat to the nation's economy, said Robert Magnien, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Silver Spring-based Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research.
Magnien testified Thursday before the House Committee on Science and Technology's Energy and Environment Subcommittee. Legislators were taking testimony on a draft bill to reauthorize a 1998 bill and form an action plan for addressing harmful algae blooms (HABs) and hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in waterways frequently referred to as "dead zones."
by TINA IRGANG, SHARMINA MANANDHAR, and CHRISTOPHER M. MATTHEWS
Capital News Service=
September 17, 2009
President Obama's health care rally at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center Thursday drew thousands of bright-eyed college students who chanted and cheered as they waited in massive lines to enter the venue, while small but vocal groups of protesters gathered outside.
Once inside, cameras flashed and the crowd roared throughout the president's speech, even coming to Obama's defense when a heckler tried to shout him down.
On the rest of the 1,200-acre campus, students mostly went about business as usual, going to class and finishing homework.
by BOBBY MCMAHON
Capital News Service
September 17, 2009
Maryland officials will need to make at least $233 million more in cuts to balance the state's current budget, according to projections released Thursday at a Board of Revenue Estimates meeting.
Eloise Foster, secretary of Budget and Management, said the state would need to make those cuts to break even. The latest budget news comes on top of the $750 million in cuts made since July 1.
"What we're faced with is that we've made a number of deep cuts," Foster told reporters, "and once again we're going to be asked to go back to the drawing board to come up with another budget balancing plan to do that."
by KAREN ANDERSON
Capital News Service
September 16, 2009
Maryland's Board of Public Works got through its Wednesday meeting without making additional cuts to the state's budget, but the long-term repercussions of the $700 million that have already been cut dominated the meeting's agenda.
An additional $300 million in cuts may be needed, Gov. Martin O'Malley told reporters after the meeting.
"Our state government is one of the first entities to feel the squeeze across the range of services we provide," said O'Malley, "and one of the last to see the pressure ease up and see some alleviation as the recovery starts to happen."
by CATHERINE KRIKSTAN
Capital News Service
September 16, 2009
For some, the recent wave of Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts has left out a crucial component of the watershed - watermen, who depend on the bay for their livelihoods, and who have suffered as it has declined.
Watermen are "fundamental to the Chesapeake Bay region's identity," said Tommy Landers, a policy advocate with Environment Maryland. The environmental advocacy group released a report Wednesday arguing that restoring the bay's ecosystem must include restoring the bay's communities.
The bay once supported commercial fisheries for oysters, soft shell clams, blue crabs and rockfish. Watermen rotated among these four fisheries, according to the season.
by CHRISTOPHER M. MATTHEWS
Capital News Service
September 15, 2009
Calls for a tougher Maryland Gang Prosecution Act got a lukewarm response from Democrats at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday.
Maryland's Gang Prosecution Act was passed in 2007 in the hopes of curtailing growing gang membership. But the law has only resulted in one conviction and fewer than 10 cases have been prosecuted under the statute.
by BOBBY MCMAHON
Capital News Service
September 11, 2009
If you can work a stethoscope, Uncle Sam could want you very soon.
The U.S. government will need to hire more than 50,000 new doctors, nurses and other health professionals nationwide in the next three years, according to a new study from the Partnership for Public Service, a non-partisan group that advocates for the importance of government service.
According to the study, the government will need these health workers and others to replace retiring baby boomers as well as to address the challenges created by two ongoing wars.
by BOBBY MCMAHON
Capital News Service
September 11, 2009
Maryland will need to spend an additional $315 million to $470 million on transportation projects around three military sites, according to a new study by the Government Accountability Office.
The report, released Wednesday, found that the $95 million the state has allocated to improve transportation infrastructure around Aberdeen Proving Ground, Fort Meade and the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, all of which are expanding under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)plan, is inadequate. The planned projects include improving intersections around the three sites to ease traffic congestion.
by SHARMINA MANANDHAR
Capital News Service
September 10, 2009
Experts agree that the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to the new swine flu vaccines, expected to be available in mid-October.
Those same experts recommend getting both swine flu and seasonal flu vaccines to prepare for the upcoming flu season.
"There is no scientific rationale to believe that the new vaccines are unsafe," said Dr. Wilbur H. Chen, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore and one of the researchers leading the national study of the H1N1 vaccine conducted by the National Institutes of Health. "The swine flu vaccines are manufactured exactly the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine."
by JAMES B. HALE
Capital News Service
September 10, 2009--The Environmental Protection Agency announced plans Thursday to curb pollution in the Chesapeake Bay with tighter regulations on urban, suburban and agricultural runoff and sanctions for states that don't make sufficient progress.
Required by an executive order signed by President Obama in May, the EPA and several other federal agencies released a report confronting the problem of stormwater runoff, which brings excess nutrients, chemicals and sediment into the bay, causing harmful algae blooms and creating "dead zones" that choke the water of oxygen.
by BOBBY MCMAHON
Capital News Service
September 9, 2009
After a summer of site visits and public hearings, state officials are preparing to take the next step toward choosing which locations around the state will get slot machines, a decision that has millions of dollars in tax revenue and thousands of jobs riding on it.
Yet, as the Video Lottery Facility Location Commission starts deliberations next week, significant questions remain as to where those slots will be and how many will be at each location. There's also concern among some officials and observers of a bait and switch -- namely, that citizens voted for slots in support of horse racing and received something else entirely.
by SHARMINA MANANDHAR and ALEKSANDRA ROBINSON
Capital News Service
September 9, 2009
Maryland's Democratic-dominated congressional delegation sang the praises of President Obama's health care speech Wednesday night, calling it "bold" and "powerful."
"This was an outstanding and bold speech," said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore, "one that reminded that (this issue) was bigger than politics."
Cummings said it was "impressive" that the president "continued to reach out to the Republicans who have been a part of the problem."
by MEGAN E. GUSTAFSON
Capital News Service
September 9, 2009
The increasing number of students complaining of flu-like illness is forcing some area universities to take additional steps to contain the virus, such as limiting routine health center visits and sending home or isolating sick students.
As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, the University of Maryland, College Park was reporting 256 cases of suspected H1N1, said Linda Clement, vice president for student affairs
by CATHERINE KRIKSTAN
Capital News Service
September 9, 2009
U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., wants to provide watershed states from New York to Virginia with new funding and incentives to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.
Cardin's legislation, introduced this week, would also give the Environmental Protection Agency the power to punish states that fail to meet federal water quality standards.
The bill's inclusion of both standards and penalties makes it "probably the most significant federal legislation for the Chesapeake Bay since the Clean Water Act itself was passed in 1972," said Doug Siglin, federal affairs director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
by TINA IRGANG
Capital News Service
The Census Bureau will open 11,350 temporary census jobs in Maryland this fall, for everything from staffing offices to performing field work for the next decennial survey, bureau spokeswomen said.
The next hiring phase will begin in mid-November, with another scheduled for spring 2010, spokeswoman Lisa Cochran said.
The Data Capture Center in Essex, Md., alone is expected to hire 2,500 to 3,000 people, said Sheila Collins, a spokeswoman for Lockheed Martin. Lockheed will operate the center through a subcontractor. It is one of only three in the nation, and its main task will be to process questionnaires as they are returned, Collins said.
by MEGAN E. GUSTAFSON
Capital News Service
September 8, 2009
Amid the focus on the possible threat from the H1N1 virus, health officials are urging that people remember the importance of the seasonal flu vaccine, which is now available at many doctors' offices and health departments across the state.
"H1N1 is obviously important, and we think it will have an impact on our community, but so will seasonal flu," said Dr. Jinlene Chan, acting deputy health officer for public health at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. Even with the annual emphasis placed on the seasonal flu shot, most Americans, including those most at risk, still don't receive the vaccine, Chan said.
by DAVID M. JOHNSON
Capital News Service
September 4, 2009
The place to find a job in today's lagging economy is the federal government, according to the Partnership for Public Service.
Between baby boomer retirements and new government initiatives, roughly 273,000 jobs are projected to become available within the next three years, a 40 percent increase over predictions made just three years ago, the organization said in a news conference Thursday.
While federal vacancies exist nationwide, Maryland is likely to benefit from federal hiring. Nearly 14 percent of federal positions are in Washington, D.C., or suburban Maryland.
"While much of the economy is still pretty turbulent, what we learned is there is a lot of solid opportunity, by contrast with the federal government," said Rick Hearin, who directs the University of Maryland, College Park Career Center. "This is like the sun shining on an otherwise dark day."
