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Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states.

BMC opens new opioid urgent care center to treat patients with substance use disorders

Boston Medical Center, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission, has launched a new opioid urgent care center to give patients with substance use disorders rapid access to a full continuum of treatment services.

18 Oct 2016

ACR issues statement regarding CMS final rule on MIPS and APMs

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services finalized its policy implementing the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and the Advanced Alternative Payment Model incentive payment provisions in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, collectively referred to as the Quality Payment Program.

17 Oct 2016

MSHS introduces online patient experience star ratings for its physicians

Mount Sinai Health System today began posting patient experience ratings for its doctors, becoming the largest academic health system in New York City to do so.

17 Oct 2016

New amfAR report highlights role of health plans, health care purchasers in curbing domestic HIV epidemic

Today, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research released a new report, “Curbing the HIV Epidemic by Supporting Effective Engagement in HIV Care: Recommendations for Health Plans and Health Care Purchasers,” which highlights the critical role of health plans and health care purchasers, including Medicaid and Medicare programs, marketplaces, and employers, in moving the nation toward ending the domestic HIV epidemic.

14 Oct 2016

30-day readmission rate does not accurately measure hospital quality

The 30-day window for hospital readmissions -- used by the federal government to penalize hospitals believed to provide lower-quality care because patients return to the hospital following discharge -- should be reduced to a week or less to more accurately measure factors within a hospital's control, new research from UC Davis has found.

7 Oct 2016

Researchers identify types of hospitals with high Medicaid losses from pediatric inpatient care

Freestanding children's hospitals had the largest financial losses for pediatric inpatients covered by Medicaid, suggesting hospitals may be unlikely to offset decreased Disproportionate Share Hospital payments from caring for fewer uninsured patients as a result of health insurance expansion, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.

3 Oct 2016

Experts lay out key steps to change 'one-size-fits-all' consumer cost-sharing approach

If you've tried to see a doctor, fill a prescription or get a diagnostic test lately, you've probably had to pay more out of your own pocket than you would have even a few years ago. Most insurance plans have increased their co-pays and deductibles, to keep monthly premiums from rising even faster.

30 Sep 2016

Promedica partners with Kaonsoft to accelerate development of new mobile healthcare apps

ProMedica, one of Ohio's largest healthcare systems, is partnering with Kaonsoft, an enterprise mobility software company, to form Kapios Health, a healthcare technology company that will focus on the development of medical applications created by ProMedica Innovations inventors.

29 Sep 2016

Study suggests babies born to women with hearing loss more likely to be premature and have low birth weight

Hearing loss is a marginalizing and disabling condition, resulting in various adverse social and health outcomes. Babies born to women with hearing loss were significantly more likely to be premature and have low birth weight, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

26 Sep 2016

Study looks at how incentives in Medicare Shared Savings Program may influence radiology practices

A new study by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute examines how the incentives in an alternative payment model (APM) - the Accountable Care Organization Shared Savings Program - might influence cost, quality, utilization and technological investment for radiology practices.

20 Sep 2016

U-M study finds increase in health insurance coverage for justice-involved individuals

Every year, millions of people in prison or jail struggle with mental health issues and substance use disorders. And after they get out, those issues can increase their chances of another arrest if they don't receive treatment.

19 Sep 2016

Study finds one in nine people admitted to ERs for violent injuries end up with recurrent visits

Approximately one in nine people sent to Florida emergency rooms (ERs) for injuries caused by acts of intentional violence - including shootings, stabbings, assaults, etc. - in 2010 ended up being violently injured again within two years.

16 Sep 2016

Study shows increasing healthcare costs for infections linked to premise plumbing pathogens

A new analysis of 100 million Medicare records from U.S. adults aged 65 and older reveals rising healthcare costs for infections associated with opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens--disease-causing bacteria, such as Legionella--which can live inside drinking water distribution systems, including household and hospital water pipes.

12 Sep 2016

Study finds uneven Medicaid coverage for children's key mental health services in many states

A national study by researchers at the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health--- shows an uneven picture of states' use of Medicaid to help families with young children gain access to mental health services

2 Sep 2016

Exposure to antibiotics in early life linked to increased food allergy risk

Antibiotic treatment within the first year of life may wipe out more than an unwanted infection: exposure to the drugs is associated with an increase in food allergy diagnosis, new research from the University of South Carolina suggests.

1 Sep 2016

Hospitals with high readmission rates more likely to show better mortality scores

A group of Johns Hopkins physicians and researchers today published an article in the Journal of Hospital Medicine suggesting that data on mortality and hospital readmission used by the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid suggest a potentially problematic relationship.

1 Sep 2016

Exclusion of farmworkers from standard labor protection contributes to heat-related deaths

With this summer slated to be the hottest on record, more and more people, especially farmworkers, are at even higher risks of heatstroke.

31 Aug 2016

Study highlights burden of increasing patient volume in emergency departments

The average monthly emergency department visit increased by 5.7 percent in Illinois after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, although the population remained essentially flat.

30 Aug 2016

New NCCN Imaging AUC released for eight new cancers

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-approved provider-led entity for imaging appropriate use criteria, continues to build its library of AUC and has published NCCN Imaging Appropriate Use Criteria for eight new cancer types. Launched in June 2016, NCCN Imaging AUC currently are available for 20 cancer types.

29 Aug 2016

Cleft palate repair costs the same for internationally adopted children

Since 2009, United States residents have adopted more children from China than any other country. Since China has a high prevalence of cleft lip and palate, some of these children require extra medical care early in their lives. Many prospective families are fearful of the treatment costs needed by a child affected by cleft lip and palate. However, recent research suggests that the costs are not nearly as high as previously thought.