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Texas Medicaid rolls grow even without expansion

More than 80,000 Texans have enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program since the rollout of the Affordable Care Act last fall, despite the state's decision not to participate in the health law's expansion of eligibility. Enrollment and marketplace developments in Colorado and Maryland are also tracked.

17 Jul 2014

Verus Healthcare completes 85th acquisition of CPAP business

Verus Healthcare, Inc. recently completed its 85th acquisition of CPAP business within the durable medical equipment (DME) industry.

16 Jul 2014

First Edition: July 16, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about the Congressional Budget Office's latest estimate on federal health care spending.

16 Jul 2014

HHS offers $100 million in funds for states Medicaid programs to improve payment systems

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is offering the assistance in hopes that states will be able to streamline processes in ways that will ultimately lead to better patient care.

16 Jul 2014

Florida hospital to pay $1M settlement in false claims case

The settlement comes in what has been a closely watched Medicare overbilling case filed against Halifax Hospital.

15 Jul 2014

Feds scrutinize Medicaid backlogs in 7 states

Health and Human Services officials have demanded remediation plans from at least seven states -- California, Michigan, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Georgia and Alaska -- to resolve application backlogs.

15 Jul 2014

"Seniors Advocate" Democrat launch new website

A "Seniors Advocate" Democrat from Indiana launched the new website www.ObamacareHurtsSeniors.com.

15 Jul 2014

Johnson & Johnson sales increase 9.1% to $19.5 billion in second quarter 2014

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $19.5 billion for the second quarter of 2014, an increase of 9.1% as compared to the second quarter of 2013. Operational results increased 9.4% and the negative impact of currency was 0.3%.

15 Jul 2014

First Edition: July 15, 2014

Today's headlines include news about how some states are planning to address their backlogs of new Medicaid enrollees.

15 Jul 2014

Study: 27% of hospice patients still take antibiotics in the final week of their life

New research suggests that use of antibiotics is still prevalent among terminal patients who have chosen hospice care as an end-of-life option, despite little evidence that the medications improve symptoms or quality of life, and sometimes may cause unwanted side effects.

15 Jul 2014

New research explores why active surveillance underused in patients with prostate cancer

New research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is shedding light on the important role a diagnosing urologist plays in whether older men with low-risk prostate cancer receive treatment for their disease, and if so, the type of treatment they receive as a result.

15 Jul 2014

Hospitals, consumer groups object to Medicare rule on observation care

They say the government's effort to set rules for when someone is considered an admitted patient compromises care and still leaves many seniors with costly bills. In other Medicare news, a look at the unraveling of one scam and coverage of sex-reassignment surgery.

15 Jul 2014

HealthPlanOne plans to open new location in Phoenix

HealthPlanOne, one of the nation's leading Medicare and under-65 health insurance sales and customer acquisition companies, has announced plans to open a new location in Phoenix.

15 Jul 2014

Battle of the Medicare ads in Kentucky Senate race

Media organizations parsed ads by both Democratic challenger, Alison Lundergan Grimes, and GOP incumbent, Sen. Mitch McConnell, and found both sides making inaccurate claims about Medicare.

15 Jul 2014

National Medicaid enrollment nears 7 million

The Obama administration released new enrollment figures showing 56 percent of those on the program are children. Meanwhile, Tennessee faces a deadline today for a plan to fix enrollment problems.

14 Jul 2014

CVS Caremark enters into definitive agreement to acquire Navarro Discount Pharmacy

CVS Caremark today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacy, the largest Hispanic-owned drugstore chain in the U.S. The transaction includes Navarro's 33 retail drugstore locations and Navarro Health Services, a specialty pharmacy serving patients with complex or chronic diseases.

14 Jul 2014

PLI's Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions Answer Book 2014 released

Practising Law Institute announces the release of their newest title, Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions Answer Book 2014. Co-edited by two experts from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Andrew L. Bab and Kevin A. Rinker, Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions Answer Book 2014 is a specialized Q&A guide to the legal aspects of health care M&A transactions.

14 Jul 2014

NLC awards grants to eight cities to help enroll children, families in Medicaid and CHIP

To help implement local outreach efforts to enroll children and families in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, the National League of Cities today awarded grants and technical assistance to eight cities.

14 Jul 2014

First Edition: July 14, 2014

Today's headlines include coverage of Medicare, the health law and veterans' care policy issues as well as reports from the campaign trail.

14 Jul 2014

Research roundup: Clinics and electronic records; young adults baffled by exchange; Medicare spending slowdown

We found that in 2012 nine out of ten health centers had adopted a EHR system, and half had adopted EHRs with basic capabilities. Seven in ten health centers reported that their providers were receiving meaningful-use incentive payments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

14 Jul 2014