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Recommendations aim to enhance health and quality of life for frail and vulnerable patients in nursing home care

More than 1.5 million adults live in nursing homes in the United States, and approximately 30 percent of people will diewith a nursing home as their last place of residence. As this population continues to increase, so will the need for physicians to assist those patients with proper care and guidance in making end-of-life decisions.

21 Nov 2011

State roundup: Provider groups merging - or not

A selection of health policy stories from California, Illinois, Georgia, Connecticut, Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts.

21 Nov 2011

Conn. Gov.'s orders on home and child care workers raise concerns; Calif. lawmakers explore long-term care costs

Gov. Dannel Malloy established a way for home care and child care workers to unionize. Meanwhile, in California, a legislative committee looked at the financial burden of long-term care.

11 Nov 2011

Human body better at fighting gum disease when fat cells disappear

Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine researchers found the human body is better at fighting gum disease when fat cells, which trigger inflammation, disappear.

10 Nov 2011

Survey finds nursing homes plan layoffs because of Medicare cuts

The move follows a decision by Medicare in July to reduce reimbursements to nursing homes by 11 percent.

9 Nov 2011

Medicare beneficiaries file class action suit over hospital 'observation status'

The lawsuit challenges Medicare's use of this practice, which classifies certain hospital patients as not having been formally admitted for billing purposes, even though they might have been in the hospital for days.

5 Nov 2011

CLASS Act provision of health care reform depicts a practical but disappointing reality

The Obama Administration's recent decision not to implement the Community Living Assistance and Services Act provision of health care reform represents a practical but disappointing reality - voluntary enrollment in health and long-term care insurance programs is anything but a sure bet among Americans.

5 Nov 2011

Calif. Hospital Association sues over Medi-Cal provider cuts

The trade group for California's hospitals has sued state and federal officials to block a 10 percent cut in government reimbursements for health care providers who treat low-income patients. The California Hospital Association said in its suit, filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, that cuts to the Medi-Cal insurance program will threaten the ability of many hospitals to continue operating skilled nursing facilities.

4 Nov 2011

Long-term care insurance gets boost from federal workers

In September, the Office of Personnel Management announced that it had added 45,000 people to its long-term care insurance rolls -; a 20 percent jump after a three-month enrollment period. It's the largest long-term care plan in the country, with 297,000 enrollees -; all government employees or their families. The surge is notable because long-term care insurance has attracted so few new customers in recent years, even though an estimated 15 million people will need long-term services by 2020.

3 Nov 2011

Home health payments will fall 2.3% in 2012

The pay cut for home health agencies was announced in a regulation that was issued Monday. Although this reduction is less than initially proposed and will be phased in over two years, industry voices described it as "severe."

2 Nov 2011

NYC settles Medicaid suit; Wis. officials face deadline for new plan for health care for poor

New York City will pay the federal government $70 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the city of overbilling Medicaid by improperly approving home care for frail and elderly clients, both parties said on Monday.

2 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 1, 2011

Today's headlines include a report that the health law's early retirees' health insurance fund may be running out.

1 Nov 2011

National lupus organizations urge NICE to recommend Benlysta for coverage

National lupus organizations in more than 28 countries, and individuals with lupus and their families around the world, are rallying to protect access to new treatments and the development of future therapies to treat lupus.

1 Nov 2011

Study: Many older Ontarians are not visiting dentists regularly

Forty-five per cent of Ontarians 65 years and older did not see a dentist in the last year, increasing their risk of chronic diseases and a reduced quality of life , a new study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital, Women's College Hospital and the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (ICES) shows.

28 Oct 2011

Roundup: Mass. offers plan to cut costs for dual eligibles; Oregon's high hopes for coordinated care organizations

The governor of Massachusetts wants to hire private insurers or other third parties to manage care for the poor and chronically ill patients who use a disproportionate share of public health-care dollars. The proposal comes as state and federal officials search for a cheaper way to deliver health care to people known as "dual eligibles." These are the 9.2 million in the U.S. who receive both Medicare, the federal program for those 65 and older or disabled, and Medicaid, the joint state-federal health plan for the poor.

28 Oct 2011

Largest study on diabetes and foot ulcers

What's crucial for a diabetic's foot sore to heal is that the ulcer is superficial, blood circulation is normal, and the person has had diabetes for short time. This is shown in the world's largest diabetes study regarding foot ulcers, which has been carried out by the researcher Magdalena Annersten Gerhater at Malmö University in Sweden.

27 Oct 2011

First public showcase of Ascom's Home Care Services

This summer Ascom Wireless Solutions launched their brand new line of Home Care Services - which is now getting ready for its first public showcase. In a couple of weeks attendees at Manchester's Healthcare Estates Exhibition will get the first opportunity to experience innovations ready to redefine independent living.

24 Oct 2011

First Edition: October 7, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about what the Institute of Medicine recommends in terms of the criteria and methods the Department of Health and Human Services should follow in developing the health law's essential benefits package.

7 Oct 2011

Cuomo aides pressed NYC to support Medicaid deal

The Bloomberg administration was reluctant to agree to execute a deal brokered by state officials and a powerful union, The Wall Street Journal reports. In other Medicaid news, Kansas officials describe efforts to revamp its program and Wisconsin boosts campaign against fraud.

7 Oct 2011

Loyola participates in Pink Glove Dance competition to raise breast cancer awareness

Not since the likes of Fame, Flashdance or Fred Astaire has the Chicago area seen such dancing talent as is showcased in Loyola University Health System's new Pink Glove Dance video. This video is part of the Pink Glove Dance phenomenon that is sweeping the nation.

7 Oct 2011