Medicare News and Research

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First Edition: July 7, 2014

Today's headlines include a range of stories related to the implementation of the health law, and the politics surrounding it.

7 Jul 2014

Medicare proposes to slightly raise kidney care payments

The CMS is proposing changes to payment policies for the treatment of end-stage renal disease that the agency estimates would increase payments by about 0.3 percent, or $30 million, in 2015.

4 Jul 2014

Preventive placement of ICDs improves survival in patients with less severe heart failure

An examination of the benefit of preventive placement of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in patients with a less severe level of heart failure, a group not well represented in clinical trials, finds significantly better survival at three years than that of similar patients with no ICD, according to a study in the June 4 issue of JAMA.

4 Jul 2014

Digital mammograms may not be better at diagnosing older women, study finds

The Yale review adds to the mixed report card on digital mammography, reports NPR. Meanwhile, big increases in vaccination prices are straining public health budgets and creating dilemmas for some doctors, finds The New York Times.

4 Jul 2014

Highmark, Horizon issued positive coverage policies for Afirma Gene Expression Classifier

Veracyte, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company pioneering the field of molecular cytology, today announced that two Blue Cross Blue Shield–affiliated organizations, Highmark Inc. and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, have issued positive coverage policies for the company's Afirma Gene Expression Classifier (GEC).

3 Jul 2014

State highlights: Ore. mediation for medical errors; Mich. home-help aides

A mediation program spearheaded by Gov. John Kitzhaber went into effect Tuesday, giving patients and their families an option besides suing when medical errors happen. But questions remain over how the mediation program will develop, including whether hospitals, doctors and other providers will take advantage of the program, or candidly discuss errors if they do. The result of a compromise between trial lawyers and the Oregon Medical Association approved in SB 483 last year, the Early Discussion and Resolution program is intended to cut down on lawsuits and boost the reporting of medical errors to help improve health care practices (Budnick, 7/1).

3 Jul 2014

Medicare proposes home health payment reductions, savings

Officials say the moves would save the agency $58 million next year by changing how much it pays for some services and requiring agencies to prove their effectiveness.

3 Jul 2014

New meta-analysis highlights significant gaps in hepatitis C care

A new meta-analysis published online in PLOS ONE by infectious disease and epidemiology specialists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania highlights significant gaps in hepatitis C care that will prove useful as the U.S. health care system continues to see an influx of patients with the disease because of improved screening efforts and new, promising drugs.

3 Jul 2014

Testosterone therapy does not increase men's risk for heart attack, shows UTMB study

Testosterone prescriptions for older men in the United States have increased more than three-fold over the past decade. Recent studies linking testosterone use with increased risk of heart attack and stroke have caused widespread concern among patients and their families.

2 Jul 2014

Forest Laboratories completes acquisition of Furiex Pharmaceuticals

Actavis plc today announced that its subsidiary Forest Laboratories, LLC has successfully completed its acquisition of Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion, and up to approximately $360 million in a Contingent Value Right (CVR) that may be payable based on the status of eluxadoline, Furiex's lead product, as a controlled drug following approval.

2 Jul 2014

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act can improve health of the US population

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by US President Barack Obama in 2010, can advance public health in the USA by supporting increased emphasis on prevention, and reversing the historic division between public health and private health care services, according to the authors of new research published in The Lancet as part of a new Series, The health of Americans.

2 Jul 2014

USA witnesses dramatic slowdown in health spending growth over last decade

Growth in health expenditure in the USA slowed dramatically between 2000 and 2011, bringing the growth rate of the country’s health budget in line with other high-spending countries, according to new research published in The Lancet as part of a new Series, The health of Americans.

2 Jul 2014

Viewpoints: Hobby Lobby decision celebrated and panned; gender and religious politics explored

In ruling 5 to 4 that "closely held" companies can refuse on religious grounds to include contraceptives in their employees' health plans, the Supreme Court has needlessly interfered with an important provision of the Affordable Care Act. And it has done more than that (7/1).

1 Jul 2014

Viewpoints: Nothing in health care is free; Obamacare opponents lack facts; 'Nurse Jackie' and the ER

The Department of Health and Human Services released a report Friday declaring that 76 million Americans with private insurance became eligible for more preventive services with no out-of-pocket fees as a result of the 2010 healthcare law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare). Because Democrats are counting on female voters to help them at the polls in November, the report highlighted how women had been helped by that aspect of Obamacare.

1 Jul 2014

First Edition: Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including numerous reports about the Supreme Court's decision on the health law's contraception mandate and its effect for coverage and on national politics.

1 Jul 2014

Medical boards draft plan to allow greater use of telemedicine

Amid predictions of a growing doctor shortage, state medical boards have drafted a model law that would make it easier for physicians licensed in one state to treat patients in others, whether in person, by videoconference or online. Meanwhile, former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius acknowledges she made mistakes in the health law's rollout by spending "too little time clearly on the technology side."

1 Jul 2014

NCCN Policy Summit to address impact of health care reform on academic oncology practice

On July 10, 2014, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) will host the NCCN Policy Summit: The Impact of Health Care Reform on Academic Oncology Practice, at The Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, Virginia, as part of the NCCN Oncology Policy Program.

1 Jul 2014

Special enrollment periods could help Medicare Advantage members with dropped doctors

For more than 40 years, Mary Anne Catalano and her family have gone to Dermatological Care Inc., a practice in St. Louis County. ... Now, at 68 and in the middle of her contract term, UnitedHealthcare is kicking the entire Dermatological Care staff out of her Medicare Advantage network. ... At the beginning of June, UnitedHealthcare notified almost 10 percent of Missouri physicians in its Advantage network that they will be terminated -- almost 1,000 doctors.

1 Jul 2014

Modified classification system finds over one-third of knee replacements as inappropriate

New research reports that more than one third of total knee replacements in the U.S. were classified as "inappropriate" using a patient classification system developed and validated in Spain. The study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), highlights the need for consensus on patient selection criteria among U.S. medical professionals treating those with the potential need of knee replacement surgery.

30 Jun 2014

New Brightree Document Management simplifies storing and access to reimbursement documents

Brightree, the leading provider of cloud-based clinical, billing and business management software solutions for the post-acute care industry, announced today the release of new Brightree Document Management capabilities that strengthen a home medical equipment (HME) provider's ability to protect reimbursements and respond more efficiently to additional documentation requests (ADRs).

28 Jun 2014

Medicare News and Research

First Edition: July 7, 2014

Medicare proposes to slightly raise kidney care payments

Preventive placement of ICDs improves survival in patients with less severe heart failure

Digital mammograms may not be better at diagnosing older women, study finds

Highmark, Horizon issued positive coverage policies for Afirma Gene Expression Classifier

State highlights: Ore. mediation for medical errors; Mich. home-help aides

Medicare proposes home health payment reductions, savings

New meta-analysis highlights significant gaps in hepatitis C care

Testosterone therapy does not increase men's risk for heart attack, shows UTMB study

Forest Laboratories completes acquisition of Furiex Pharmaceuticals

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act can improve health of the US population

USA witnesses dramatic slowdown in health spending growth over last decade

Viewpoints: Hobby Lobby decision celebrated and panned; gender and religious politics explored

Viewpoints: Nothing in health care is free; Obamacare opponents lack facts; 'Nurse Jackie' and the ER

First Edition: Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Medical boards draft plan to allow greater use of telemedicine

NCCN Policy Summit to address impact of health care reform on academic oncology practice

Special enrollment periods could help Medicare Advantage members with dropped doctors

Modified classification system finds over one-third of knee replacements as inappropriate

New Brightree Document Management simplifies storing and access to reimbursement documents

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