Medicare News and Research

RSS

Computers can be as good as doctors and nurses in predicting patient discharges

A computer can do as good a job of predicting how many patients will be discharged from a hospital unit on a given day as doctors and nurses can, according to new research from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and Johns Hopkins University. In some cases, the computer does even better.

15 Oct 2015

Rogosin selected to participate in new Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease Care Model

The Rogosin Institute, a NYC-based non-profit provider of comprehensive kidney care, including dialysis for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), has been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the new Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease Care (CEC) Model established by CMMI, CMS's Center for Innovation.

15 Oct 2015

Diabetic patients who use nurse practitioners for primary care have lower rates of preventable hospitalization

New research from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston indicates that diabetic patients who got their primary care from nurse practitioners did not have an increase in potentially preventable hospital admissions.

14 Oct 2015

SilverScript announces new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan options for 2016

SilverScript Insurance Company, a CVS Health company, today announced the company's new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) options for 2016. Medicare beneficiaries can choose from two SilverScript plans that offer $0 deductibles, lower premiums than the 2015 SilverScript plans in many states and low co-pays for several frequently prescribed drugs.

13 Oct 2015

Frost & Sullivan recognizes hc1.com with 2015 North American Award for Product Leadership

Based on its recent analysis of the use of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions in the $70 billion US diagnostic laboratory market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes hc1.com with its 2015 North American Award for Product Leadership.

13 Oct 2015

Gensignia gets CLIA certification to establish clinical laboratory in San Diego

Gensignia Life Sciences, Inc. (Gensignia) announced today that it received certification under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA).

13 Oct 2015

BLS transported patients more likely to survive than ALS transported patients

Patients with trauma, stroke, heart attack and respiratory failure who were transported by basic life support (BLS) ambulances had a better chance of survival than patients who were transported by advanced life support (ALS) ambulances, a study of Medicare patients in urban counties nationwide found.

13 Oct 2015

Magnet hospitals have higher patient ratings of care than other hospitals

Patients' experience with healthcare has become the focal point for quality improvement among hospitals and care providers. The Affordable Care Act incentivizes hospitals to improve patient satisfaction by paying a financial incentive to hospitals that achieve high ratings from patients.

12 Oct 2015

Many early-stage breast cancer patients still not getting life-saving treatment, new study finds

Accelerated partial breast irradiation was designed to be a faster, more convenient, and potentially safer way for many women with breast cancer to reduce their mortality risk and help keep their cancer from returning after surgery. But a new study shows that the availability of the approach is failing to reduce the percentage of early-stage breast cancer patients who do not receive the radiation treatment that could save their lives.

12 Oct 2015

Thousands of older, disabled Connecticut residents successfully transitioned from nursing homes to community setting

The State of Connecticut's Department of Social Services, with its state evaluator UConn's Center on Aging, successfully transitioned more than 2,200 older and disabled Connecticut residents from nursing homes and other institutions to their own home or a community setting between 2008 and 2014, as part of the federal "Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration."

12 Oct 2015

Cancer survival outcomes can vary widely among U.S. hospitals

Decades of research have shown that cancer survival outcomes can vary widely depending on where patients receive care. But efforts to rank hospitals by long-term survival rates have been hindered by the readily available administrative data derived from Medicare claims, which lacks information about cancer stage. Two hospitals providing equally good care may have different survival rates if one hospital treats sicker patients, for example.

12 Oct 2015

Myriad Genetics and Tufts Health Plan sign agreement to cover Prolaris® for members with localized prostate cancer

Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN) has announced that it has signed a three-year contract with Tufts Health Plan through which the plan will provide coverage of Prolaris® for members diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. Prolaris is the first and only biopsy test validated against prostate cancer specific mortality.

7 Oct 2015

Testosterone therapy not associated with increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer: Study

A new population-based study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston showed for the first time that exposure to testosterone therapy over a five-year period was not associated with an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Further, risk of high-grade prostate cancer did not increase according to the total number of testosterone injections.

5 Oct 2015

LDCT lung cancer screening does not lead to unnecessary treatment

Lung cancer screening programs that utilize standardized reporting and include cardiothoracic surgeons as part of a multidisciplinary team can successfully be adopted into clinical practice without an increase in surgical intervention for non-cancerous disease, according to an article in the October 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

1 Oct 2015

Catasys starts enrolling members in OnTrak Program

Catasys, Inc., a provider of proprietary big data based analytics and predictive modeling driven behavioral health management services for health plans, announced today that it has begun enrolling members in its OnTrak Program with Health Alliance Medical Plans (Health Alliance) in Illinois. In April, Catasys and Health Alliance announced a multi-year agreement for the OnTrak Program.

30 Sep 2015

$Study suggests that high-volume nursing facilities better for hip fracture patients$

Study suggests that high-volume nursing facilities better for hip fracture patients

There isn't a lot of information available to help family caregivers choose the best skilled nursing facility for an elderly loved one who breaks a hip, but a new study suggests a potentially useful quality indicator: the facility's number of hip fracture patients during the prior year.

30 Sep 2015

ACR and SBI encourage women to get annual mammograms

The American College of Radiology, Society of Breast Imaging and major medical organizations experienced in breast cancer care continue to recommend that women start getting annual mammograms at age 40.

30 Sep 2015

Study: Bright light therapy reduces depression and agitation in dementia sufferers

Dementia is most often associated with memory loss, but seniors who suffer from the condition also experience depression and agitation. These symptoms are often treated with medication.

29 Sep 2015

UTSCAP and GAPN aim to improve patient care, reduce costs through unique ACO affiliation

Covering a patient area of 400 square miles, a new accountable care organization (ACO) affiliation between UT Southwestern Clinically Affiliated Physicians and Genesis Accountable Physician Network is set to offer exceptional and comprehensive care to patients across North Texas.

26 Sep 2015

Prevalence of frailty in older people varies by region and race

A large-scale survey of older Americans living at home or in assisted living settings found that 15 percent are frail, a diminished state that makes people more vulnerable to falls, chronic disease and disability, while another 45 percent are considered pre-frail, or at heightened risk of becoming physically diminished.

25 Sep 2015

Medicare News and Research

Computers can be as good as doctors and nurses in predicting patient discharges

Rogosin selected to participate in new Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease Care Model

Diabetic patients who use nurse practitioners for primary care have lower rates of preventable hospitalization

SilverScript announces new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan options for 2016

Frost & Sullivan recognizes hc1.com with 2015 North American Award for Product Leadership

Gensignia gets CLIA certification to establish clinical laboratory in San Diego

BLS transported patients more likely to survive than ALS transported patients

Magnet hospitals have higher patient ratings of care than other hospitals

Many early-stage breast cancer patients still not getting life-saving treatment, new study finds

Thousands of older, disabled Connecticut residents successfully transitioned from nursing homes to community setting

Cancer survival outcomes can vary widely among U.S. hospitals

Myriad Genetics and Tufts Health Plan sign agreement to cover Prolaris® for members with localized prostate cancer

Testosterone therapy not associated with increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer: Study

LDCT lung cancer screening does not lead to unnecessary treatment

Catasys starts enrolling members in OnTrak Program

Study suggests that high-volume nursing facilities better for hip fracture patients

ACR and SBI encourage women to get annual mammograms

Study: Bright light therapy reduces depression and agitation in dementia sufferers

UTSCAP and GAPN aim to improve patient care, reduce costs through unique ACO affiliation

Prevalence of frailty in older people varies by region and race

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

Latest News