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Final Senate health bill includes many last-minute changes

New outlets detailed Majority Leader Harry Reid's final changes to the Senate health care bill.

21 Dec 2009

How the Senate health reform deal happened

A number of news outlets deconstructed the activity before Senate Democrats achieved the 60th vote for their health reform bill.

20 Dec 2009

$4.2M Medicare fraud: Three Detroit-area residents plead guilty

Jackson, Mich., resident Terrence Hicks and Detroit residents Muhammed Al Mahdi and John Saunders pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan this week for their roles in a $4.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena of the FBI's Detroit Field Office and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today.

19 Dec 2009

Medica's clinic-based chronic care management program delivers promising results

Medica’s clinic-based chronic care management program with six clinic partners shows that focusing on care coordination is beginning to deliver promising results. A recent program evaluation reported that members participating in the clinical pilots had 1 percent more doctor visits and 3 percent more prescription fills than members with similar conditions seen in traditional clinic settings.

19 Dec 2009

Changes needed in healthcare reform legislation to prevent senior citizens and the disabled

Significant changes are needed in healthcare reform legislation to prevent senior citizens and the disabled from facing a difficult time obtaining homecare products through Medicare.

18 Dec 2009

Health overhaul could worsen doctor shortages

BusinessWeek: "Presuming Congress passes some version of a health-care bill and it is signed into law, some 30 million currently uninsured people will suddenly find themselves with access to doctors. But there may not be enough doctors to see them."

18 Dec 2009

Roundup of health policy research and analyses

Urban Institute/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: What Would Health Care Reform Mean for Small Employers and Their Workers? - "Small employers and their workers face a broad assortment of barriers to obtaining health insurance coverage today," such as "high administrative costs, limited ability to spread health care risk, and a low-wage workforce."

18 Dec 2009

Health industry revenue up 5.7 percent, some seniors head south for care

The Dallas Morning News reports that the U.S. Census released a report Thursday that showed health care industry's revenues grew 5.7 percent in 2008 to $1.75 trillion. The number represents 30 percent of economic activity in the U.S., according to a Census official. "The Census Bureau cites Texas as one of the most expensive states for health care.

18 Dec 2009

COBRA extension moves forward - in defense appropriations bill

Modern Healthcare: "The Senate is expected to vote on a fiscal 2010 Defense appropriations bill by this weekend that would extend a health insurance subsidy for laid-off workers through February 2010. The House has approved the subsidy extension for the COBRA program, which was tucked into the $636.3 billion Defense appropriations bill."

18 Dec 2009

White House stung by Liberal health bill backlash

The Wall Street Journal reports on the criticism emanating from the left regarding the Senate health bill. "Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is mounting a campaign of sorts against the initiative in its current form.

18 Dec 2009

Liberator Medical Holdings reports record net revenues for fiscal year 2009

Liberator Medical Holdings, Inc. announced net revenues for fiscal year 2009 of $25,818,000, representing an increase of $16,268,000, or 170.3%, compared with fiscal year 2008. The increase in sales occurred in the mail order segment of its business. The increase was due to a substantial direct-response advertising campaign to obtain new mail order customers.

18 Dec 2009

NHCAA, LearnSomething partner to develop a fraud, waste and abuse compliance training solution

The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, the leading national organization focused exclusively on the fight against health care fraud, has partnered with LearnSomething, Inc., to develop a compliance training solution that satisfies the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) requirement for fraud, waste and abuse training.

18 Dec 2009

Three New York home health agencies to pay $24M for resolving Medicaid and Medicare fraud allegations

The Department of Justice announced today that the United States and the state of New York have entered into settlement agreements with three home health agencies to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to the New York Medicaid and Medicare programs.

18 Dec 2009

Medicare expenditures less for POHs compared to non-POHs, says new study

The cost to Medicare of a patient receiving treatment at a physician owned and operated hospitals is "4.6 to 6.00% lower" than hospitals not run by physicians, according to a new study by Oxford Outcomes, an internationally respected research agency.

18 Dec 2009

Fine print of Senate health reform bill would lead to pre-emption of state patient protection laws

Key members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a warning to Senate and House leaders that the fine print of the Senate health reform bill would strip many states, including California and Maine, of hard-won patient rights and benefit requirements, reported Consumer Watchdog.

18 Dec 2009

Medicare buy-in can provide significant savings for seniors, says 2008 CBO report

A briefly considered "Medicare buy-in" proposal for 55- to 64-year-olds was apparently killed in the Senate this week by self-styled moderates who claimed it would be too costly for taxpayers.

18 Dec 2009

New issue brief discussing importance of strengthening independent Medicare commission released

Today, The Concord Coalition released a new issue brief discussing the importance of strengthening the independent Medicare commission created in the Senate legislation currently being debated.

18 Dec 2009

Survey indicates low EMR use among U.S. physicians

Washington can encourage physicians to buy electronic medical record systems, but it is the vendors and hospitals that affiliate with physicians that will ultimately determine if they go electronic, according to a new report from healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information.

18 Dec 2009

LaserBand signs agreement to provide patient ID wristbands for Premier’s ASCEND members

LaserBand LLC, a worldwide leader in patient identification wristbands, was announced as the sole source provider of proprietary patient identification (ID) wristbands and related products for Premier’s ASCEND (Accelerated Supply Chain Endeavor) members.

18 Dec 2009

IASIS Healthcare achieves DNV accreditation

IASIS Healthcare® LLC today announced the completion of a system-wide initiative to accredit all 16 of its hospitals through DNV Healthcare, the only Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved accreditation program that integrates the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System.

18 Dec 2009

Medicare News and Research

Final Senate health bill includes many last-minute changes

How the Senate health reform deal happened

$4.2M Medicare fraud: Three Detroit-area residents plead guilty

Medica's clinic-based chronic care management program delivers promising results

Changes needed in healthcare reform legislation to prevent senior citizens and the disabled

Health overhaul could worsen doctor shortages

Roundup of health policy research and analyses

Health industry revenue up 5.7 percent, some seniors head south for care

COBRA extension moves forward - in defense appropriations bill

White House stung by Liberal health bill backlash

Liberator Medical Holdings reports record net revenues for fiscal year 2009

NHCAA, LearnSomething partner to develop a fraud, waste and abuse compliance training solution

Three New York home health agencies to pay $24M for resolving Medicaid and Medicare fraud allegations

Medicare expenditures less for POHs compared to non-POHs, says new study

Fine print of Senate health reform bill would lead to pre-emption of state patient protection laws

Medicare buy-in can provide significant savings for seniors, says 2008 CBO report

New issue brief discussing importance of strengthening independent Medicare commission released

Survey indicates low EMR use among U.S. physicians

LaserBand signs agreement to provide patient ID wristbands for Premier’s ASCEND members

IASIS Healthcare achieves DNV accreditation

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