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Details -- and limits -- of Medicare billing data emerge

News outlets begin to analyze the wealth of information now available as a result of Wednesday's release by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services of a trove of payment records. They also note the limits.

11 Apr 2014

Study explores benefits of medication therapy management in Medicare patients

Low-risk Medicare patients entering home health care who received medication therapy management by phone were three times less likely to be hospitalized within the next two months, while those at greater risk saw no benefit, according to a study led by Purdue University.

11 Apr 2014

Special Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation conference to focus on issues surrounding addiction

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Professionals in Residence program in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and the Scaife Family Foundation will host a special conference June 20-21 in Minnesota for primary health care providers to learn more about the issues surrounding addiction.

11 Apr 2014

N.H. Senate hopeful makes anti-health law motto cornerstone of campaign

The former Massachusetts senator, running now for Senate in New Hampshire, says the health law forces people to "live free or log on," a variation of New Hampshire's "Live Free or Die" motto.

11 Apr 2014

New procedure helps curtail complication rate associated with bone grafting

UT Arlington and Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital are investigating whether bone grown from the body's own stem cells can replace traditional types of bone grafting.

11 Apr 2014

Analysis of Medicare pay shows variations in drugs used and earnings by specialists

The Washington Post examines how drugs administered by doctors is different in various regions of the country. Other outlets look at other issues, including how eye doctors are among the highest paid specialty.

11 Apr 2014

Scientists identify enzyme that could be a useful target in treating asthma, cancer

In experiments with mice, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have identified an enzyme involved in the regulation of immune system T cells that could be a useful target in treating asthma and boosting the effects of certain cancer therapies.

11 Apr 2014

Sebelius resigning, OMB director Burwell tapped to head HHS

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning from the Obama administration after the rocky rollout of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, a White House official said Thursday.

11 Apr 2014

New Dartmouth study offers roadmap for better risk adjustment in Medicare

The methodology Medicare uses to adjust the billions of dollars it pays health plans and hospitals to account for how sick their patients are is flawed and should be replaced, according to a new study by Dartmouth investigators published in the journal BMJ that weighed the performance of Medicare's methodology against alternatives.

11 Apr 2014

Taking a close-to-home look at the Medicare billing data

Other news outlets offer localized takes on the Medicare data, including the Miami Herald's coverage of a physician who emerged as the federal program's top-paid doctor, the Philadelphia Inquirer's look at an ambulance business' billing patterns and the Seattle Times' examination of ophthalmologists.

11 Apr 2014

White House admits 'worrying about the wrong thing'

Top officials say they focused too much on whether enough insurance companies would participate and not enough on the smooth rollout of the exchange website, The New York Times reports.

11 Apr 2014

Oregon, Minnesota exchanges weigh next steps

Officials overseeing the troubled exchanges examine what went wrong this year and debate how to proceed. Meanwhile, a small business exchange in Georgia gets few enrollees and The Denver Post reports that more residents signed up for Medicaid than for private insurance.

11 Apr 2014

Loyola University Medical Center designated as Comprehensive Hypertension Center

Loyola University Medical Center has been approved as a Comprehensive Hypertension Center by the American Society of Hypertension. This designation recognizes centers that have demonstrated the highest level of expertise in treating patients with complex hypertension and co-existing medical conditions such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

11 Apr 2014

New ACP policy offers strategies to reduce firearms-related violence, injuries and deaths in the US

A new policy paper from the American College of Physicians offers nine strategies to address the societal, health care, and regulatory barriers to reducing firearms-related violence, injuries, and deaths in the United States. Reducing Firearm-Related Injuries and Deaths in the United States is published today in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Annals of Internal Medicine.

11 Apr 2014

House rejects health law fix

The bill, which was surprisingly defeated, would have exempted expatriates' insurance plans from the health law.

11 Apr 2014

Eliza receives grant by Workforce Training Fund to broaden training efforts and create new jobs

Eliza Corporation ("Eliza"), the pioneer and recognized leader in Health Engagement Management, has been awarded a grant by the Workforce Training Fund through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

10 Apr 2014

Researchers win 2014 Joint Team Science Award to improve care for depression in low-income areas

A team of community leaders and researchers from UCLA and RAND has been awarded the 2014 Joint Team Science Award in recognition of a 10-year effort to conduct community engaged, population-based translational science to improve care for depression in low-income areas.

10 Apr 2014

President of ASN urges Congress to spur scientific innovation in kidney research through federal prize competition

Today the President of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) urged Congress to spur scientific innovation in kidney research through a federal prize competition.

10 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 10, 2014

Today's headlines include a range of stories taking additional looks at the Medicare physician payment data released yesterday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

10 Apr 2014

Rite Aid announces acquisition of Houston-based RediClinic

Rite Aid Corporation announced today it has acquired Houston-based RediClinic, one of the nation's leading operators of retail clinics. RediClinic currently operates 30 clinics in the greater Houston, Austin and San Antonio areas. Through the acquisition, RediClinic will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Rite Aid. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

10 Apr 2014

Health Care News and Research

Details -- and limits -- of Medicare billing data emerge

Study explores benefits of medication therapy management in Medicare patients

Special Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation conference to focus on issues surrounding addiction

N.H. Senate hopeful makes anti-health law motto cornerstone of campaign

New procedure helps curtail complication rate associated with bone grafting

Analysis of Medicare pay shows variations in drugs used and earnings by specialists

Scientists identify enzyme that could be a useful target in treating asthma, cancer

Sebelius resigning, OMB director Burwell tapped to head HHS

New Dartmouth study offers roadmap for better risk adjustment in Medicare

Taking a close-to-home look at the Medicare billing data

White House admits 'worrying about the wrong thing'

Oregon, Minnesota exchanges weigh next steps

Loyola University Medical Center designated as Comprehensive Hypertension Center

New ACP policy offers strategies to reduce firearms-related violence, injuries and deaths in the US

House rejects health law fix

Eliza receives grant by Workforce Training Fund to broaden training efforts and create new jobs

Researchers win 2014 Joint Team Science Award to improve care for depression in low-income areas

President of ASN urges Congress to spur scientific innovation in kidney research through federal prize competition

First Edition: April 10, 2014

Rite Aid announces acquisition of Houston-based RediClinic

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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