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Six-month Medicare patch slows Medicare meltdown for now

“The six-month Medicare patch Congress passed today is a very temporary reprieve for seniors and baby boomers who rely on the promise of Medicare. Delaying the problem is not a solution. It doesn’t solve the Medicare mess Congress has created with a long series of short-term Medicare patches over the last decade – including four to avert the 2010 cut alone.

24 Jun 2010

Ventas enters definitive agreement to acquire Lillibridge

Ventas, Inc. said today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of Lillibridge Healthcare Services, Inc. and real estate interests in 95 medical office buildings and ambulatory facilities ("MOBs"). Lillibridge, a premier Chicago-based, fully-integrated healthcare real estate company, owns, develops and manages MOBs, and offers strategic, financial and operational real estate advisory services, principally for highly rated, not-for-profit healthcare systems nationally.

24 Jun 2010

Warren Mosler signs pledge to never vote for any reductions in Medicare benefits

Warren Mosler, a leading voice in the fight against the bipartisan move to slash Social Security and Medicare, has signed a University of Missouri Kansas City economics department pledge to never vote for any reductions in Social Security or Medicare benefits, or any delays in eligibility.

24 Jun 2010

United Seating & Mobility launches new redesigned website, expands e-commerce store

United Seating & Mobility, the nation's largest privately-owned mobility and rehab equipment supplier, has launched a newly redesigned website at www.UnitedSeating.com. The new site features in-depth information for clients and families, providing easy to follow information on today's mobility options, as well as background company information and coverage explanations for healthcare professionals and health care plan employees.

24 Jun 2010

BCBSM launches new website to help people understand health care reform requirements, impacts

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan today launched a new website, www.bcbsm.com/healthreform, designed to help everyone in Michigan understand how national health care reform will affect them. As Michigan's leading health plan, BCBSM is committed to serving as a trusted source for information on reform and all issues related to health across the state.

24 Jun 2010

Going barefoot in home may contribute to falls among elderly: Study

As summer rolls around, elderly people may want to think twice about taking their shoes off when they get home. Going barefoot in the home, or wearing slippers or socks with no shoes, may contribute to falls among the elderly, according to a new study from the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife.

23 Jun 2010

Health reform includes changes to denied claims, health savings accounts

News outlets examine some changes to the health care system that health reform will bring, including help for those with denied insurance claims and health savings account modifications.

23 Jun 2010

Improving health care for Saskatchewan patients remains a challenge: HQC report

In October 2008 the province's Health Quality Council released its first "state of health care quality" report, called Quality Insight. Key messages in that inaugural report were that limited access to timely data and the absence of an electronic health record were making it hard for HQC, health providers, and system leaders to improve health care for Saskatchewan patients.

22 Jun 2010

Health reform implementation: Risk pool nears enrollment date; Seniors anxious about Medicare changes; Benefits reportable

As high-risk insurance pools are preparing to enroll the chronically ill July 1, officials should heed the Florida experience. "Plagued by exorbitant medical costs and skimpy revenue, the Florida Comprehensive Health Association, by order of the Legislature, stopped accepting new enrollees in 1991, eight years after it was created." The pool once covered about 7,000 Florida residents; now only a few hundred remain as premiums are double the standard rate.

22 Jun 2010

Doctors, Pelosi pan Senate-passed 'doc fix' plan

USA Today: Doctors are limiting the number of new Medicare patients they are seeing, concerned about reimbursements pay from the federal program. "Recent surveys by national and state medical societies have found more doctors limiting Medicare patients, partly because Congress has failed to stop an automatic 21% cut in payments that doctors already regard as too low.

21 Jun 2010

MN HIE to conduct pilot project with Aging Services of Minnesota

The Minnesota Health Information Exchange (MN HIE) will conduct a pilot project with Aging Services of Minnesota at 12 of their member settings. This select group of care centers and assisted-living providers will use MN HIE's stand alone web services to view long term care patient's clinical information.

19 Jun 2010

Medicare begins 21% payment cuts to physicians

Today, Medicare begins processing physician payments with the drastic 21 percent cut that Congress failed to stop, and now seniors and physicians are paying the price of Congress' Medicare mismanagement.

19 Jun 2010

Senate reaches deal, passes short-term "doc fix"

The Senate passed a bill Friday to block the 21 percent cuts to Medicare physician pay for six months, after failing Thursday to pass a larger bill extending tax and jobless benefits that also included the Medicare provision, The Hill reports.

19 Jun 2010

Patients' relationship with primary care physician improves health care quality: Study

Patients who report having a regular doctor either at a community health center or at the physician's office report receiving better quality health care, and have a better health care experience, than patients who have a regular place of care, but lack an established physician relationship. The findings are part of a study published in the May Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, and authored by Anne Beal, MD, MPH, head of the Aetna Foundation, and Susan Hernandez, MPA, formerly of The Commonwealth Fund.

19 Jun 2010

ActiveCare, Vista Therapeutics announce strategic relationship to develop Nano Biosensors for seniors

ActiveCare, Inc. and Vista Therapeutics, Inc. announced today a strategic relationship to develop Nano Biosensors for ActiveCare's products and services to be utilized by the elderly. These Biosensors will allow ActiveCare to continuously monitor specific chronic diseases commonly occurring in the elderly and thus preventively predict and avoid acute medical events. "This technology is designed to prolong and improve the quality of life of our senior population," stated James Dalton, President of ActiveCare.

18 Jun 2010

Proportion of substance abuse treatment admissions involving older Americans doubles: SAMHSA

A new study reveals that between 1992 and 2008 the proportion of substance abuse treatment admissions involving older Americans (aged 50 and older) nearly doubled -- from 6.6 percent of all admissions in 1992 to 12.2 percent in 2008. The study, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, also shows a sharp rise during this period in the proportion of older Americans admissions related to illicit drug abuse -- even though alcohol abuse is still the leading cause for admissions involving this age group.

17 Jun 2010

Seniorlink announces approval of Caregiver Homes

Seniorlink, Inc. has announced the approval of its Caregiver Homes subsidiary as a Shared Living Services provider for the state of Rhode Island Department of Human Services. In the Caregiver Homes' model, the client lives in the home of a paid caregiver who is supported by a clinical care team to provide 24-hour care and supervision for an elder or disabled adult.

17 Jun 2010

Wednesday's OpEds: Berwick nomination; Health reform costs and benefits; Medicaid and COBRA in jobs bill

As its real costs become clearer, Obama's program is looking even more expensive for employers, seniors, and taxpayers (Rick Santorum, 6/16).

17 Jun 2010

MainStreet Monitoring Devices announces cause marketing partnership with Special Olympics Massachusetts

MainStreet Monitoring Devices, Inc., an innovator of superior personal safety, telemedicine and wireless health solutions to advance the care and protection of children and seniors, today announces its marketing partnership with Special Olympics Massachusetts on the eve of the 2010 Summer Games. MainStreet MD will donate a portion of its proceeds in support of more than 2200 Special Olympics athletes expected to compete in the Summer Games scheduled June 18-20, at Harvard University.

16 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 16, 2010

Today's health policy headlines focus on the latest Senate developments regarding the Medicare 'doc fix' as well as continuing health reform implementation news.

16 Jun 2010

Seniors News and Research

Six-month Medicare patch slows Medicare meltdown for now

Ventas enters definitive agreement to acquire Lillibridge

Warren Mosler signs pledge to never vote for any reductions in Medicare benefits

United Seating & Mobility launches new redesigned website, expands e-commerce store

BCBSM launches new website to help people understand health care reform requirements, impacts

Going barefoot in home may contribute to falls among elderly: Study

Health reform includes changes to denied claims, health savings accounts

Improving health care for Saskatchewan patients remains a challenge: HQC report

Health reform implementation: Risk pool nears enrollment date; Seniors anxious about Medicare changes; Benefits reportable

Doctors, Pelosi pan Senate-passed 'doc fix' plan

MN HIE to conduct pilot project with Aging Services of Minnesota

Medicare begins 21% payment cuts to physicians

Senate reaches deal, passes short-term "doc fix"

Patients' relationship with primary care physician improves health care quality: Study

ActiveCare, Vista Therapeutics announce strategic relationship to develop Nano Biosensors for seniors

Proportion of substance abuse treatment admissions involving older Americans doubles: SAMHSA

Seniorlink announces approval of Caregiver Homes

Wednesday's OpEds: Berwick nomination; Health reform costs and benefits; Medicaid and COBRA in jobs bill

MainStreet Monitoring Devices announces cause marketing partnership with Special Olympics Massachusetts

First Edition: June 16, 2010

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