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Computerized warning system alerts harmful drug orders for older hospital patients

Adverse drug events, such as dizziness or confusion occur in an estimated 40 percent of all hospital patients and can be the result of inappropriate medications being ordered. Not surprisingly, elderly individuals are particularly vulnerable to these adverse events, which not only result in longer hospitalizations, but can also pose a threat of serious complications and even death.

10 Aug 2010

Obama: Health reform law boosts future of Medicare

The Washington Post: "President Obama on Saturday took credit for placing Medicare on a more certain fiscal path and pledged to American seniors that they would see more help soon paying for drug costs in a direct appeal to an important segment of the midterm electorate. Citing a report issued this week by the Medicare trustees, Obama said the health-care overhaul he pushed through Congress this year has added at least a dozen years to Medicare's solvency".

9 Aug 2010

Affordable Care Act improves strength of Medicare, Social Security: Report

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the report released today by the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees, http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TRSUM/index.html. The report shows that the Affordable Care Act has improved the strength of both Medicare and Social Security.

7 Aug 2010

Myths and realities of Medicare bidding program for durable medical equipment

Providers of home medical equipment and services across California are proposing a fiscally responsible alternative to the mislabeled "competitive" bidding scheme currently under way in Medicare that will actually discourage competition, reduce access to care for many of California's 4.6 million Medicare beneficiaries, and put thousands of California homecare providers out of business.

7 Aug 2010

Emeritus announces closure of Sunwest purchase and sale transaction

Emeritus Corporation, a national provider of assisted living and memory care services to seniors, today announced that the Sunwest purchase and sale transaction has closed. The previously announced joint venture between affiliates of Emeritus, Blackstone Real Estate Advisors (an affiliate of The Blackstone Group), and Columbia Pacific Advisors, completed the transaction on August 5, 2010.

7 Aug 2010

Driving for Quality Care petition tour for securing stable Medicaid, Medicare funding

As the extension of emergency Medicaid relief moves from the Senate to the House of Representatives, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living's nationwide Driving for Quality Care petition tour for securing adequate, stable Medicaid and Medicare funding for long term and rehabilitative care for America's seniors and disabled citizens continues to draw significant support from legislators and coverage from local media.

7 Aug 2010

Upbeat Medicare solvency report quickly finds doubters

The new health law will buttress Medicare for a dozen more years than previously expected, according a report issued Thursday by the program's trustees, The Washington Post reports. But, "[t]he relatively bright picture of Medicare's future triggered immediate debate over whether the forecast by the trustees, all members of President Obama's Cabinet, is realistic.

7 Aug 2010

Health reform provisions on abortion, IRS reporting requirements stirring up Capitol Hill

The Hill reports that Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, introduced legislation Thursday "designed to eliminate a controversial provision of the Democrats' new healthcare reform law that allows subsidized plans to offer abortion coverage if patients pay separately, and with their own money, for that portion of the coverage.

7 Aug 2010

State news: Kansas facing Medicaid shortfall; Indiana to expand coverage for low-income adults; Maryland's medical home experiment

Sen. Sam Brownback, the Kansas Republican who is running for governor, "faced new questions Thursday about joining fellow congressional Republicans in opposing legislation that would prop up state budgets as his Democratic opponent in the race for governor criticized him. Brownback said he is against a plan that includes extra Medicaid dollars for states because it wasn't drafted in a fiscally responsible way. Kansas' share is $131 million, and its current $13.7 billion budget won't balance without the money, which covers health care for the poor and disabled" (Hanna, 8/5).

7 Aug 2010

New York Attorney General investigating health care credit cards

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating health care credit cards peddled by doctors and dentists.

6 Aug 2010

House to return after Senate approves extension of enhanced Medicaid funds

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring the House back from its recess next week to vote on an extension of enhanced state Medicaid funds the Senate is poised to approve as soon as Thursday afternoon, Politico reports.

6 Aug 2010

Penn. effort fades to override cuts to family planning; Ill. faces budget cuts to health care; Mich. focuses on high cost of chronic disease

The Philadelphia Inquirer: "As two Democratic state lawmakers initiated a campaign to override the governor's veto of $7.5 million for family-planning health centers, six Republican state senators who previously voted to restore the funding reversed course, most likely ending any hopes of restoring the money. Democrats would need at least four Republican votes for an override in the Senate, which now appears unlikely.

5 Aug 2010

Harden Healthcare acquires Voyager HospiceCare, combined company to provide healthcare services in 13 states

Harden Healthcare announced today the purchase of Voyager HospiceCare. Headquartered in Austin, the combined company will provide healthcare services in 13 states and will employ approximately 32,000 full-time and part-time associates in nearly 200 locations.

5 Aug 2010

Andy Griffith Medicare ad prompts showdown with GOP

Veteran television star Andy Griffith appeared in a new commercial for Medicare that promotes health law changes the administration says should help seniors, such as free wellness visits and lower drug costs, U.S. News & World Report writes. "The commercial, launched on the 45th anniversary of Medicare last week, is part of a public education campaign about changes to Medicare benefits. Retirees' knowledge about the health reform law's impact on Medicare remains mixed.

5 Aug 2010

Powered by Medicare Advantage, Humana profits jump 21% in second quarter

The Louisville, Ky., health insurer both "increased its Medicare Advantage membership," "benefited from patients' recent lower demand for health-care services" and also "sought to get out in front of an anticipated effect of the federal health-care overhaul, taking a charge related to new requirements for its medical-loss ratio," in attaining 21 percent profits, The Wall Street Journal reports.

4 Aug 2010

Administration touts Medicare savings report; Republicans complain it misleads seniors

A report issued Monday by the Obama administration found that the new health care law "will save Medicare $8 billion by the end of 2011, and $575 billion over the next decade, largely by improving care quality and preventing waste and fraud." The report also predicts that the overhaul will "extend the life of the program more than a decade.

4 Aug 2010

White House predicts overhaul will save $8 billion for Medicare by the end of 2011

The White House says the new health law will save Medicare about $8 billion by the end of next year and $575 billion during the rest of the decade, according to a new report the Obama administration is releasing Monday, The Associated Press reports.

3 Aug 2010

White House report predicts immediate health law benefits for Medicare's solvency; GOP lawmaker reacts

In a report released Monday, the Obama administration said "[t]he new health overhaul law will start producing savings for Medicare right away, and over time add 12 years of solvency to the program's giant trust fund for inpatient care." According to the report, Medicare savings by the end of next year will tally about $8 billion. Savings for rest of the decade would be an estimated $575 billion.

3 Aug 2010

GE, Intel enter joint venture to create new healthcare company

GE and Intel Corporation have announced the entry into a definitive agreement to form a 50/50 joint venture to create a new healthcare company focused on telehealth and independent living. The new company will be formed by combining assets of GE Healthcare's Home Health division and Intel's Digital Health Group, and will be owned equally by GE and Intel. Pending regulatory and other customary closing conditions, the joint venture is expected to become operational by the end of the year. Financial terms were not disclosed.

3 Aug 2010

Disparities in cardiovascular disease risk linked to socioeconomic differences between races: Study

A new UCLA study suggests that disparities in cardiovascular disease risk in the United States are due less to race or ethnicity than to socioeconomic status.

2 Aug 2010

Seniors News and Research

Computerized warning system alerts harmful drug orders for older hospital patients

Obama: Health reform law boosts future of Medicare

Affordable Care Act improves strength of Medicare, Social Security: Report

Myths and realities of Medicare bidding program for durable medical equipment

Emeritus announces closure of Sunwest purchase and sale transaction

Driving for Quality Care petition tour for securing stable Medicaid, Medicare funding

Upbeat Medicare solvency report quickly finds doubters

Health reform provisions on abortion, IRS reporting requirements stirring up Capitol Hill

State news: Kansas facing Medicaid shortfall; Indiana to expand coverage for low-income adults; Maryland's medical home experiment

New York Attorney General investigating health care credit cards

House to return after Senate approves extension of enhanced Medicaid funds

Penn. effort fades to override cuts to family planning; Ill. faces budget cuts to health care; Mich. focuses on high cost of chronic disease

Harden Healthcare acquires Voyager HospiceCare, combined company to provide healthcare services in 13 states

Andy Griffith Medicare ad prompts showdown with GOP

Powered by Medicare Advantage, Humana profits jump 21% in second quarter

Administration touts Medicare savings report; Republicans complain it misleads seniors

White House predicts overhaul will save $8 billion for Medicare by the end of 2011

White House report predicts immediate health law benefits for Medicare's solvency; GOP lawmaker reacts

GE, Intel enter joint venture to create new healthcare company

Disparities in cardiovascular disease risk linked to socioeconomic differences between races: Study

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