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Calif. judge suspends cuts to senior services; Back pay for Wash. state home care workers?

A federal judge in Oakland issued a temporary restraining order last week, suspending the state's planned reduction of 20% to In-Home Supportive Services to 370,000 Californians. ... The judicial action came right before the state was set to send notices to IHSS participants -- most of whom are seniors -- notifying them of the reduction in services.

6 Dec 2011

Medicare tightening payments for 'big ticket' cardiology and orthopedic procedures in 11 states

In an effort to rein in costs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will in 2012 perform an audit before paying for certain cardiology and orthopedic procedures in key states, including Florida.

6 Dec 2011

Wall Street Journal examines potential implications of allegedly fake U.S. vaccination campaign in Pakistan

The Wall Street Journal reports on how "a reportedly fake vaccination campaign conducted by the U.S. to help hunt down Osama bin Laden has caused a backlash against international health workers in some parts of Pakistan and has impeded efforts to wipe out polio in the country," one of only four worldwide where polio remains endemic.

6 Dec 2011

Ark. decides to rely on feds to create state's health exchange; Minn. test drives the state-based concept

The Arkansas state insurance commissioner said the efforts to create a state-run exchange were abandoned because of legislative opposition. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, several exchange prototypes will be available online for public review.

6 Dec 2011

Health coverage increases dramatically in parts of China between 1997 and 2006

Health care coverage increased dramatically in parts of China between 1997 and 2006, a period when government interventions were implemented to improve access to health care, with particularly striking upswings in rural areas, according to new research by Brown University sociologist Susan E. Short and Hongwei Xu of the University of Michigan.

6 Dec 2011

Roundup: Calif. to drop hospital report cards; Getting a doctor in N.Y. may depend on your neighborhood

The project was considered a pioneering effort when it started in 2004, but Jan Emerson-Shea, a spokesperson for the California Hospital Association, says the report cards have outlived their usefulness. "Today there are numerous places consumers can get information on the quality of care delivered by hospitals," Emerson-Shea says.

6 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Premium support disadvantages; GOP candidates & the individual mandate; Stop fight over high court recusals?

Republican politicians are touting the virtues of market competition and calling for a "premium support" plan that would give beneficiaries a set amount of money to shop among private plans for their own insurance. What they do not say is that private plans have long been more costly than traditional Medicare and have shown far less ability to slow spending.

5 Dec 2011

Competition among institutions for doctors, scientists grabs headlines

Some big name health facilities sometimes draw entire physician or research groups from other institutions.

5 Dec 2011

Factors associated with increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery

Investigators from Hospital for Special Surgery have identified factors that are associated with an increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery.

5 Dec 2011

Medicare 'doc fix' on Congress' to-do list

News outlets report on Congress' pivotal week ahead, which could include an extension of the payroll tax break and a patch to prevent a scheduled cut in Medicare physician payments.

5 Dec 2011

Veterans' access to mental health services remains a concern

Access questions and concerns are deepening as more men and women end their tours of duty and need therapy upon returning to the U.S. In other news, NPR reports on the debate surrounding the costs of military retiree benefits.

5 Dec 2011

Hi-Tech Pharmacal second quarter net sales increase 27% to 56,875,000

Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc. today reported results for the Company's fiscal second quarter ended October 31, 2011.

5 Dec 2011

Review highlights importance of examining totality of evidence prior to use of CPRs in clinical practice

Research carried out by the HRB Centre for Primary Care Research, based in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), recently published in the journal Family Practice aims to help patients that have suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), otherwise known as a "mini-stroke" by assessing their risk of subsequent stroke.

5 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 5, 2011

In today's headlines, news reports examine the pivotal week ahead for Congress and the hurdle that challenges to the health law now will face.

5 Dec 2011

New HRSA report: 14 to 19% of U.S. children have special health care need

In the first national report that compares the health and well-being of children with special health care needs to those children without, findings revealed that 14 to 19 percent of children in the United States have a special health care need, representing more than one in five households with children.

5 Dec 2011

Candidates answer GOP attorneys general's questions at campaign forum

Six presidential candidates participated in Mike Huckabee's presidential forum in New York City Saturday, fielding questions from three Republican attorneys general - Pam Bondi of Florida, Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia, and Scott Pruitt of Oklahoma. ... Texas Governor Rick Perry asked viewers to take a "second look" at him in his closing arguments.

5 Dec 2011

Just a few days left for Medicare open enrollment

Seniors and persons with disabilities have only days left to enroll in or make changes to their Medicare coverage. Open enrollment, known as the Annual Election Period (AEP) began a month earlier this year, on October 15, and will end three weeks earlier than usual, on December 7. The open enrollment period is when recipients may change their Medicare health plan and/or make changes to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.

5 Dec 2011

Berwick's exit interview with NY Times: 'I came with an agenda' for improvement

The official in charge of Medicare and Medicaid for the last 17 months says that 20 percent to 30 percent of health spending is "waste" that yields no benefit to patients, and that some of the needless spending is a result of onerous, archaic regulations enforced by his agency. The official, Dr. Donald M. Berwick, listed five reasons for what he described as the "extremely high level of waste." They are overtreatment of patients, the failure to coordinate care, the administrative complexity of the health care system, burdensome rules and fraud.

5 Dec 2011

Obama pledges more for fighting HIV/AIDS

On the occasion of World AIDS day on 1st December, President Barack Obama vowed to boost U.S. efforts to fight AIDS with a new target of providing treatment to 6 million people worldwide by 2013, up from an earlier goal of 4 million.

4 Dec 2011

State news: Mass. seeks Medicaid waiver extension; Calif. payment reform

The Employees Retirement System of Texas removed about 5 percent of those receiving state health benefits as dependents after they couldn't prove their rights to get the aid, the pension plan said in a report, citing an audit. Health care cost the $23.6 billion fund $2.29 billion in fiscal 2011.

3 Dec 2011

Health Care News and Research

Calif. judge suspends cuts to senior services; Back pay for Wash. state home care workers?

Medicare tightening payments for 'big ticket' cardiology and orthopedic procedures in 11 states

Wall Street Journal examines potential implications of allegedly fake U.S. vaccination campaign in Pakistan

Ark. decides to rely on feds to create state's health exchange; Minn. test drives the state-based concept

Health coverage increases dramatically in parts of China between 1997 and 2006

Roundup: Calif. to drop hospital report cards; Getting a doctor in N.Y. may depend on your neighborhood

Viewpoints: Premium support disadvantages; GOP candidates & the individual mandate; Stop fight over high court recusals?

Competition among institutions for doctors, scientists grabs headlines

Factors associated with increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery

Medicare 'doc fix' on Congress' to-do list

Veterans' access to mental health services remains a concern

Hi-Tech Pharmacal second quarter net sales increase 27% to 56,875,000

Review highlights importance of examining totality of evidence prior to use of CPRs in clinical practice

First Edition: December 5, 2011

New HRSA report: 14 to 19% of U.S. children have special health care need

Candidates answer GOP attorneys general's questions at campaign forum

Just a few days left for Medicare open enrollment

Berwick's exit interview with NY Times: 'I came with an agenda' for improvement

Obama pledges more for fighting HIV/AIDS

State news: Mass. seeks Medicaid waiver extension; Calif. payment reform

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

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