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First Edition: May 7, 2014

Today's headlines include a story noting that insurers say about 80 percent of new enrollees have paid their first premiums for new insurance coverage under the health law.

7 May 2014

Triple-S Management reports consolidated revenues of $584.8 million for first quarter 2014

Triple-S Management Corporation, the leading managed care company in Puerto Rico, today announced consolidated revenues of $584.8 million and consolidated operating income of $10.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

6 May 2014

First Edition: May 6, 2014

Today's headlines include news from Massachusetts that the state is scrapping efforts to fix its troubled health exchange and will start over -- from scratch.

6 May 2014

Viewpoints: Battle for Medicaid; GOP's report on enrollment off base; need for kidney donations

The final battle of the war over the Affordable Care Act is being waged today over expanding Medicaid. ... The refusal of more than half the states to cover so many of their neediest citizens - the number who have fallen into the "coverage gap" is estimated at 5 million - amazes and frustrates health experts.

6 May 2014

Highlights: High Colo. insurance rate changes; La. hospital plan rejected; VA delays in care

A selection of health policy stories from Colorado, Louisiana, Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan.

6 May 2014

Standard test that measures everyday activities may help prevent rapid return to inpatient care

Patients freshly discharged from acute care hospitals with low scores on a standard test that measures how well they perform such everyday activities as moving from a bed to a chair are far more likely to need readmission to a hospital within 30 days than those who score better, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

6 May 2014

Teva's SYNRIBO for injection receives FDA approval for home administration

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE:TEVA) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SYNRIBO® (omacetaxine mepesuccinate) for injection, for subcutaneous use, to include home administration, and also approved a related Medication Guide and Instructions for Use.

6 May 2014

Health law will factor into North Carolina primary

GOP leaders are lining up in support of North Carolina's House Speaker Thom Tillis in hopes that he can unseat Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., who has faced heavy criticism for her support of the health law.

6 May 2014

Researchers find links between hospital readmission rates and social factors

Factors like the level of poverty in a neighborhood, living alone, and age affect a patient's chances of being readmitted to a hospital after discharge, even after possible variations in quality of care in the hospital have been taken into account.

6 May 2014

First Edition: May 5, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about how President Barack Obama poked fun at the health law during his White House Correspondents' Dinner speech.

5 May 2014

Research roundup: Compounding pharmacies; marketplace details; changes in insurance coverage

Outraged over a 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak traced back to Framingham, Massachusetts-based drug compounder New England Compounding Center (NECC) that left sixty-four people dead and more than 700 sickened, Congress passed the Compounding Quality Act .

5 May 2014

Newly released enrollment data highlight last-minute sign-up surge

The Obama administration's final report on insurance enrollment under the health law offered the most complete picture so far regarding who signed up, the degree of state-by-state variation and what impact these numbers could have on rates.

5 May 2014

Cigna profits are up but costs from early marketplace customers also higher than expected

The insurer also said "effective medical management" in its employer plans and Medicare Advantage business was helping rein in expenses, The Wall Street Journal reports.

5 May 2014

Docs often say colleagues prescribe unnecessary care

Elsewhere, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services sets a new date for doctors to adopt a new coding practice and Medicare may follow advice against giving smokers annual CT scans.

5 May 2014

Peach State Health Plan wins 2014 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management

Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today that its Georgia subsidiary, Peach State Health Plan, received the 2014 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

5 May 2014

CVS Caremark net revenues increase 6.3% to $32.7 billion in Q1 2014

CVS Caremark Corporation today announced operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

2 May 2014

First Edition: May 2, 2014

Today's headlines include coverage of the latest round of health insurance enrollment data released by the Obama administration.

2 May 2014

Home visits by nurse practitioner following cardiac surgery can reduce patient's risk of hospital readmission, death

Home visits by a cardiac surgery nurse practitioner (NP) following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery can dramatically reduce a patient's risk of hospital readmission and death 30 days after surgery, according to a study in the May 2014 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

2 May 2014

GOP report finds two-thirds of enrollees have paid premiums

The Obama administration questioned the accuracy of the numbers, saying they do not reflect reports from insurance companies themselves, most of which have indicated that 80 to 90 percent of enrollees have paid up.

2 May 2014

Viewpoints: Health overhaul doesn't necessarily help the sick; single payer doesn't mean cheaper

Now that it's clear that Obamacare is here to stay, its supporters should focus on making the program better. Fixes are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of responsiveness and of good management. And the Affordable Care Act does have its flaws. Here's a big one: It favors screening over diagnosis.

2 May 2014

Medicare News and Research

First Edition: May 7, 2014

Triple-S Management reports consolidated revenues of $584.8 million for first quarter 2014

First Edition: May 6, 2014

Viewpoints: Battle for Medicaid; GOP's report on enrollment off base; need for kidney donations

Highlights: High Colo. insurance rate changes; La. hospital plan rejected; VA delays in care

Standard test that measures everyday activities may help prevent rapid return to inpatient care

Teva's SYNRIBO for injection receives FDA approval for home administration

Health law will factor into North Carolina primary

Researchers find links between hospital readmission rates and social factors

First Edition: May 5, 2014

Research roundup: Compounding pharmacies; marketplace details; changes in insurance coverage

Newly released enrollment data highlight last-minute sign-up surge

Cigna profits are up but costs from early marketplace customers also higher than expected

Docs often say colleagues prescribe unnecessary care

Peach State Health Plan wins 2014 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management

CVS Caremark net revenues increase 6.3% to $32.7 billion in Q1 2014

First Edition: May 2, 2014

Home visits by nurse practitioner following cardiac surgery can reduce patient's risk of hospital readmission, death

GOP report finds two-thirds of enrollees have paid premiums

Viewpoints: Health overhaul doesn't necessarily help the sick; single payer doesn't mean cheaper

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