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Advocacy group publicizes child deaths from accidental shootings

Almost two children a week were killed in unintentional shootings during the 12 months that followed the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to a report by the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety.

28 Jun 2014

Weak hospice oversight makes safety problems hard to identify

The typical hospice undergoes a full government inspection about once every six years, according to The Washington Post, making it one of the least scrutinized areas of U.S. health care.

28 Jun 2014

Bill would bar Medicare advantage plans from dropping doctors mid-year

The proposal, introduced by Democrats in the House and Senate, would require insurers to finalize their doctor networks 60 days before autumn enrollment begins.

28 Jun 2014

Alaska to be hit hard with hospital infection penalties

Elsewhere, medical marijuana's usefulness in treating pain is questioned after New York lawmakers legalized it.

27 Jun 2014

HHS says marketplace customers can automatically renew their plans

The announcement says people getting subsidies will be allowed to renew for 2015 without filing an application or going back on healthcare.gov. But consumer advocates caution that may not be the best option for those customers.

27 Jun 2014

High-risk surgery patients who visit primary care physician have lower risk of hospital readmissions

Patients who have post-operative complications following high-risk surgery have a significantly lower risk of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days if they go see their primary care physician soon following discharge, a new study in JAMA Surgery shows.

27 Jun 2014

Research roundup: Role of primary care in reducing readmissions; air transport for wounded soldiers; hospital prices

Follow-up with a primary care provider (PCP) in addition to the surgical team is routinely recommended to patients discharged after major surgery despite no clear evidence that it improves outcomes.

27 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 27, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports on an HHS announcement detailing some of the marketplace enrollment plans for next fall.

27 Jun 2014

USA Today: Mental health system is 'in shambles'

The failure to provide treatment has led to crowded emergency rooms and jails and thousands of untreated people living on the streets, the newspaper reports.

27 Jun 2014

State roundup: Troubles in Kentucky; MD. hospital under review

The team at The Upshot, a Times news and data-analysis venture, compiled six basic metrics to give a picture of the quality and longevity of life in each county of the nation: educational attainment, household income, jobless rate, disability rate, life expectancy and obesity rate.

27 Jun 2014

HOC pleads guilty for selling misbranded, unapproved chemotherapy drugs

Hematology and Oncology Center (HOC) PLLC of Somerset, Kentucky has pleaded guilty to federal charges that the firm purchased and sold unapproved and improperly labeled chemotherapy drugs.

27 Jun 2014

Medicare boosts anti-fraud efforts, but problems are still rife

Medicare officials recovered about $19.2 billion in fraudulent payments over the past five years, including $210 million through a new system that uses analytics to probe billing patterns, CQ Healthbeat reports. But the recovered sum is dwarfed by the size of the problem, projected to be up to $50 billion a year.

27 Jun 2014

Study proposes moving open enrollment season

Researchers suggest consumers are not willing to spend money on insurance in the busy fall season as they plan for the holidays so sign-ups in the spring after tax returns are received might be better. Also, a look at consumers' reluctance to shop for insurance

27 Jun 2014

Argus Dental & Vision signs new vision contract with Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare

Argus Dental & Vision, a premier benefits organization, announced a new vision contract with Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare. Beginning July 1, 2014, Argus Dental & Vision will administer vision benefits to eligible Medicare Advantage members of Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare plans in Florida as well as America's 1st Choice in North Carolina and South Carolina.

26 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 26, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the effects of lower health spending on the economy.

26 Jun 2014

House approves trauma care programs, newborn screening changes

The House on Tuesday passed legislation by voice vote to reauthorize trauma care programs. Traumatic injury is the top cause of death for people under age 45, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One of the bills, H.R. 4080, would reauthorize Trauma Care System Planning Grants to boost access to trauma care through fiscal 2019 (Marcos, 6/24).

25 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 25, 2014

Today's headlines include a report about a recent analysis that finds new health plan enrollees are showing high rates of serious health conditions.

25 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Overlooked costs for insurers; Medicaid disparities; dropping doctors from Medicare Advantage

In a Think Tank post Thursday, I wrote about how insurers deciding to participate next year in the health exchanges established under Obamacare could be expecting funds that the federal government may not have legal authority to disburse. But that's not the only potential pitfall for carriers: They could also end up on the hook for payment reductions caused by sequestration (Chris Jacobs, 6/23).

25 Jun 2014

Virginia House obstructs governor's effort to expand Medicaid

Virginia's Republican House Speaker William J. Howell killed a line item veto from Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe that would have allowed the governor to use federal funds to expand the low income health care program.

25 Jun 2014

SEC sues after House Resists insider trading probe

The Securities and Exchange Commission has sued a House committee and its staff director in federal court to enforce subpoenas for documents and testimony about possible tipping of confidential government information about a planned change in Medicare reimbursement rates that reached investors and sent health insurance stocks soaring.

25 Jun 2014