Managed Care News and Research

RSS

BioScrip announces revenues of $341.6M for fourth-quarter

BioScrip, Inc. today announced fourth quarter revenues of $341.6 million and net income of $40.7 million, or $0.99 per diluted share, which includes the reversal of the Company’s deferred tax valuation allowance of $41.1 million, expenses of $1.8 million associated with BioScrip’s pending acquisition of Critical Homecare Solutions, Inc. and $4.3 million of incentive compensation expense relating to the Company’s employee compensation program.

26 Feb 2010

Doctors work fewer hours, study finds

A new study finds that doctors are working fewer hours even as the shortage of primary care physicians persists.

25 Feb 2010

Hospitals maintain dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions: Study

A study by USC researcher Vivian Wu finds that despite the increasing clout of HMOs in the 1990s, hospitals maintained a dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions.

24 Feb 2010

Hudson Health Plan deploys Health Integrated Synergy Targeted Population Management program

Hudson Health Plan, a not-for-profit managed care organization that services New York's Hudson Valley, has selected Health Integrated, Inc., a leading provider of Health Management Solutions, as its partner to provide enhanced care management services for Medicaid members with co-morbid chronic illness.

24 Feb 2010

Tenet Healthcare announces 9.0% increase in fourth-quarter EBITDA

Tenet Healthcare Corporation today reported adjusted EBITDA of $218 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009, an increase of $18 million, or 9.0 percent, as compared to $200 million for the fourth quarter of 2008.

24 Feb 2010

Prednisolone associated with recurrence of CAP after its withdrawal

Patients hospitalized with mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) should not be routinely prescribed prednisolone, a corticosteroid, as it is associated with a recurrence of symptoms after its withdrawal, according to the first randomized double-blind clinical trial to address the subject.

24 Feb 2010

Gross sales of Acorda Therapeutics' ZANAFLEX CAPSULES and tablets increase 9.1% to $58.3M in 2009

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

23 Feb 2010

Florida faces fight over Medicaid reform expansion; In Kansas, cuts hurt a mental health clinic

Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration may broaden that state's Medicaid-reform pilot program to include 19 more counties to save more than $58 million by requiring Medicaid beneficiaries enroll in managed-care plans, Health News Florida reports.

19 Feb 2010

Loxogon's new healthcare software application integrates multiple hospital information systems in real-time

Loxogon, Inc. today announced the release of a new healthcare software application specializing in operational intelligence solutions.

19 Feb 2010

BioTrends' Stelara second wave report finds increase in prescribing among dermatologists

BioTrends published the second wave of LaunchTrends®: Stelara, highlighting dermatology market trends at three months post launch. The report is based on 76 survey responses and 20 qualitative phone interviews with U.S. dermatologists.

19 Feb 2010

States struggle to find solutions as Medicaid programs swell budget gaps

The (Louisville) Courier-Journal: "Passport Health Plan, often praised for its efficiency as Kentucky's only Medicaid managed care venture, costs the state far more per person than the state's regular Medicaid program.

19 Feb 2010

Centene to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan

Centene Corporation today announced that its South Carolina subsidiary, Absolute Total Care, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan (CCHP), the state's largest non-profit Medicaid managed care organization, from University Health Services, Inc. (UHS). CCHP serves more than 40,000 Medicaid members in 46 counties across the state.

18 Feb 2010

Portico Systems, SDI announce new partnership to improve health plans

Portico Systems, the leader in Integrated Provider Management (IPM) solutions, and SDI, a leader in healthcare informatics, are announcing a new partnership. This partnership will integrate Portico’s provider management platform with SDI’s extensive provider data and managed care analytics to enable health plans to intelligently target providers for recruitment, enhance provider performance management programs, and increase decision support to members via enhanced provider profiles.

18 Feb 2010

Patient-centered medical home concept to benefit pharmaceutical industry

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that the pharmaceutical industry stands to gain from the patient-centered medical home concept that continues to gain traction across the country. According to the recent New England Health Plan Analysis, medical home projects seek to maintain costs and improve health through better treatment compliance, including prescription drug regimens.

18 Feb 2010

MBF to invest nearly $50M of equity capital to support Florida HMO

MBF Healthcare Partners, L.P. (“MBF”), a healthcare services focused private equity firm, announced its plans to invest up to $50 million of equity capital to support Simply Healthcare Plans of Florida, Inc. (“SHP”), an HMO based in Coral Gables, Florida. The equity investment will be used to fund expansion and acquisition efforts in Medicare and Medicaid. SHP is a licensed HMO in Florida that has been approved by the State to expand into the Medicare and Medicaid markets.

17 Feb 2010

Lack of comprehensive insurance coverage is barrier for smoking cessation: Study

As a new year and decade begin, many Pennsylvanians have made an important resolution to quit smoking. Wanting to quit is a good first step, but it's not nearly enough. Smoking, we now know, is not just a "habit"; it's a true physical addiction, and, on average, most smokers try at least five times to quit.

16 Feb 2010

Healthcare thought leaders and experts to meet in MCEG 2010 Annual Forum

The Managed Care Executive Group has gathered some of healthcare's most distinguished thought leaders and experts on healthcare reform to meet March 21-24 in Fort Lauderdale Florida for their Annual Forum entitled "Reform + Evolution = Revolution".

12 Feb 2010

Sun Knowledge to attend Annual Drug Benefit Conference in Phoenix

Sun Knowledge, Ltd., a leading Healthcare Insurance provider of Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) services, will attend the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute’s Annual Drug Benefit Conference in Phoenix, Az., from February 17-19.

12 Feb 2010

MCEG and HTMS report examines potential impact of reform on regional health plans

The Managed Care Executive Group and HTMS, with the help of Health Dialog, have jointly released a new report which examines strategic and operational priorities for 2010, as well as the potential impact of reform on regional health plans which composes the majority of the MCEG membership.

12 Feb 2010

Calif. budget cuts will hit adult day care centers, prison health care; Texas and Kansas weigh Medicaid cuts

Under the most recent cost-saving budget proposals, 327 adult day healthcare centers throughout California would be eliminated. Cuts could save the state $135 million in fiscal 2011, state projections show.

11 Feb 2010

Managed Care News and Research

BioScrip announces revenues of $341.6M for fourth-quarter

Doctors work fewer hours, study finds

Hospitals maintain dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions: Study

Hudson Health Plan deploys Health Integrated Synergy Targeted Population Management program

Tenet Healthcare announces 9.0% increase in fourth-quarter EBITDA

Prednisolone associated with recurrence of CAP after its withdrawal

Gross sales of Acorda Therapeutics' ZANAFLEX CAPSULES and tablets increase 9.1% to $58.3M in 2009

Florida faces fight over Medicaid reform expansion; In Kansas, cuts hurt a mental health clinic

Loxogon's new healthcare software application integrates multiple hospital information systems in real-time

BioTrends' Stelara second wave report finds increase in prescribing among dermatologists

States struggle to find solutions as Medicaid programs swell budget gaps

Centene to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan

Portico Systems, SDI announce new partnership to improve health plans

Patient-centered medical home concept to benefit pharmaceutical industry

MBF to invest nearly $50M of equity capital to support Florida HMO

Lack of comprehensive insurance coverage is barrier for smoking cessation: Study

Healthcare thought leaders and experts to meet in MCEG 2010 Annual Forum

Sun Knowledge to attend Annual Drug Benefit Conference in Phoenix

MCEG and HTMS report examines potential impact of reform on regional health plans

Calif. budget cuts will hit adult day care centers, prison health care; Texas and Kansas weigh Medicaid cuts

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Latest News