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Nationwide 'Medicare Fraud Strike Force' focuses on driving down cost

A "Medicare Fraud Strike Force," which started in south Florida, has now expanded across the country to indict more than 300 on fraudulent Medicare billing charges, The Washington Times reports. Officials say the strike force has broken up operations that attempted to defraud Medicare of more than $700 million.

1 Dec 2009

Questions circle over health reform's effect on rising costs

"The White House has started to aggressively push back against a growing narrative that pending health reform legislation doesn't do enough to control spiraling health costs," Politico reports. Peter Orszag said reporters who go "on buzz and sort of loose talk," instead of doing "the hard work," were partly to blame for the pending narrative.

1 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 1, 2009

Today's headlines focus on the Senate, where that chamber's official health overhaul debate started amid sharp tones and divisive issues just as the Congressional Budget Office issues a report on projected premium costs under the bill being considered.

1 Dec 2009

WellPoint's NextRx subsidiaries acquired by Express Scripts

Express Scripts, Inc., and WellPoint, Inc., announced today the closing of Express Scripts' acquisition of WellPoint's NextRx subsidiaries.

1 Dec 2009

New research highlights need for national strategy on HIV prevention education

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that well over one million people in the United States are infected with HIV/AIDS. New research from North Carolina State University shows that many of those infected are minorities and do not have health insurance, and highlights the need for a national strategy to facilitate education and prevention efforts in minority and low-income populations.

1 Dec 2009

Insurance customers have intentions to switch their Medicare coverage, finds study

A new study has found that 27% of Medicare Advantage and Supplemental Medicare insurance customers have a current intention to shop for and possibly switch their Medicare coverage.

1 Dec 2009

Verisk Health announces the release of DxCG Risk Solutions 3.0

Verisk Health, Inc., a global leader in healthcare data analytics, today announced the release of DxCG Risk Solutions 3.0, a suite of risk adjustment and predictive modeling products that enable organizations to analyze, predict, manage, and minimize healthcare risk and costs associated with commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid populations.

1 Dec 2009

New Medicare advantage plans for affordable and quality health care

HealthPlus of Michigan today announced the launch of two new HealthPlus MedicarePlus plans designed for Medicare-eligible people looking for affordable benefit choices and convenient access to quality health care.

1 Dec 2009

Senate health debate begins, Reid warns of weekend work

The Associated Press: The Senate opened debate Monday on landmark health care legislation that would extend coverage to millions of uninsured and ban onerous insurance practices, with Democrats vowing to work weekends to deliver on President Barack Obama's domestic initiative by year's end.

30 Nov 2009

South Florida Medicare fraud offers lesson for national health care reform

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that leaders in Washington are studying South Florida and its highest-in-the-nation rate of Medicare fraud for "lessons on how to stem Medicare fraud to help pay for a health care overhaul."

30 Nov 2009

Senate Democrats face rocky road on the way to the health reform finish line

"The 60 votes aren't there any more," The Associated Press reports: "With the Senate set to begin debate Monday on health care overhaul, the all-hands-on-deck Democratic coalition that allowed the bill to advance is fracturing already. Yet majority Democrats will need 60 votes again to finish."

30 Nov 2009

Massachusetts may require colleges to insure students; Hawaii plans to opt out of health overhaul

News outlets report on a proposal in Massachusetts to require colleges and universities to insure students, an insurer in Massachusetts that is expected to try to alter the "fee for service" model and a plan in Hawaii to opt out of the national health care overhaul.

30 Nov 2009

Details of the policies inside the Senate's health overhaul bill

Hot-button provisions in the Senate health Bill, such as the public option, cost controls and subsidies to expand coverage continue to get a lot of attention, while some interesting details have gone with little notice.

30 Nov 2009

Today's selection of opinions and editorials

As things stand, it's a wonder that so many people are fighting so much over something so toothless (11/30).

30 Nov 2009

Medicare prescription drug plan premiums to average 11 percent rise in 2010

Premiums for Medicare Part D plans will rise an average of 11 percent next year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The cost for all Medicare prescription plans has increased 50 percent nationally since 2006.

30 Nov 2009

Top Maryland hospitals worry about effects of health reform

Leaders at Maryland's top hospitals worry about efforts to cut hospital costs in the health care reform proposals.

30 Nov 2009

Centene announces new program to educate children on the importance of active and healthy lifestyle

Centene Corporation today announced the creation of a program called Kids' Club, aimed at educating its child members on a variety of health topics. Centene's health plans are reaching out directly to children with newsletters, contests and other innovative events, such as readings with the author of "The Adventures of Thumbs Up Johnnie(TM)."

30 Nov 2009

Royal Philips Electronics demonstrates its portfolio of dose radiation managing products

Royal Philips Electronics today announced its response to an industry need by showing its portfolio of products designed to manage dose radiation at this year's 95th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago.

From Philips Healthcare 30 Nov 2009

Rural beneficiaries more likely to undergo joint replacement surgeries than urban recipients

Southern Illinois University researchers determined Medicare beneficiaries living in rural areas were 27% more likely than urban recipients to have total knee or hip replacement surgeries.

30 Nov 2009

Public option expected to dominate Senate debate on health reform this week

The Associated Press: "... the all-hands-on-deck Democratic coalition that allowed the bill to advance is fracturing already. ... Some Democratic senators say they'll jump ship from the bill without tighter restrictions on abortion coverage. Others say they'll go unless a government plan to compete with private insurance companies gets tossed overboard.

29 Nov 2009