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First Edition: April 25, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about a recommendation that Oregon switch its troubled health exchange from a state-run marketplace to healthcare.gov.

25 Apr 2014

LifePoint Hospitals' first quarter 2014 revenues up 8.2%

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2014.

25 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: Blum's departure is a serious loss; GOP fighting Medicaid expansion with new tactic

The official who matters most when it comes to controlling U.S. health-care spending has just resigned, leaving behind a program with serious fiscal problems that badly needs further reform.

25 Apr 2014

CBO lowers spending forecast for states that expand Medicaid coverage

The Congressional Budget Office updated its February forecast, which pegged the cost at $70 billion over the next 10 years. The new figure puts the cost at $46 billion. In other Medicaid expansion news, Virginia's charged debate on this question appears to be spilling over to other issues before the General Assembly, Louisiana rejects expansion again and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer continues to confront opposition.

25 Apr 2014

Amedisys to pay $150 million to settle Medicare fraud case

Amedisys Inc., one of the nation's largest home health providers, will pay $150 million to settle claims that it exaggerated Medicare billings and had improper financial relations with referring physicians, the Department of Justice revealed. Meanwhile McClatchy is reporting that, based on an analysis of Medicare's list of banned providers, Miami is at the top for Medicare fraud.

25 Apr 2014

Poll finds dislike of health law, but lack of support for its repeal

In the run up to the midterm congressional elections, this and other polls find hope for Democratic incumbents while also probing the difficulties that continue to make the health law unpopular among many Americans. Also in the headlines, new ads from Americans for Prosperity take on the overhaul.

25 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: Health spending ready to start climbing again; Cruz's 'nightmare' comes true

Standing before a roomful of economists, policy makers and health care experts earlier this month, Amitabh Chandra, director of Health Policy Research at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, closed a presentation about the slowdown in health care spending over the last decade by citing an article in The New York Times.

25 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 24, 2014

Today's headlines include a number of reports about how the health law is playing in midterm election campaigns.

25 Apr 2014

NeoGenomics' revenue up 16.1% in first quarter 2014

NeoGenomics, Inc., a leading provider of cancer-focused genetic testing services today reported its results for the first quarter of 2014.

23 Apr 2014

American Health Network live using eClinicalWorks CCMR for population health management

eClinicalWorks®, a leader in ambulatory healthcare IT solutions, today announced American Health Network (AHN) is live using eClinicalWorks Care Coordination Medical Record® (CCMR) for population health management to manage three Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) - American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization, Franciscan AHN ACO and Indiana Care Organization.

23 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 23, 2014

Today's headlines include a range of health policy news reports, including developments related to the health law, to the marketplace and at the state level.

23 Apr 2014

Report recommends that medical insurers use prescription monitoring data to reduce opioid abuse

The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Center of Excellence at Brandeis University has issued a ground-breaking report recommending that medical insurers use prescription monitoring data to reduce the overdoses, deaths and health care costs associated with abuse of opioids and other prescription drugs.

23 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: The case against Jenny Mccarthy's vaccine stand; apathy on HIV; defeating Alzheimer's

What do you call someone who sows misinformation, stokes fear, abets behavior that endangers people's health, extracts enormous visibility from doing so and then says the equivalent of "Who? Me?" I'm not aware of any common noun for a bad actor of this sort. But there's a proper noun: Jenny McCarthy (Frank Bruni, 4/21).

23 Apr 2014

Stronger incentives for medical innovators can reduce health care spending, say researchers

To help rein in massive health care spending, a new RAND study concludes that U.S. policy makers should urgently find ways to incentivize pharmaceutical companies and device makers to develop products that produce more value.

23 Apr 2014

Hospitals ask officials for easier ACO bonuses

The American Hospital Association is lobbying the CMS Innovation Center to make it easier for accountable care organizations to earn Medicare bonuses and delay potential penalties as the agency looks to expand the initiative (Evans, 4/18).

22 Apr 2014

Health law a tough sell, although millions gain benefits

A New York Times analysis points out that many of those helped most by the health law are the least likely to cast votes to preserve it. CNN notes that Obamacare is a tough sell for embattled Democrats and a political analyst questions GOP strategy to run against the law.

22 Apr 2014

New approach may help reduce use of antipsychotics and other psychiatric drugs in dementia patients

A new approach to handling agitation, aggression and other unwanted behaviors by people with dementia may help reduce the use of antipsychotics and other psychiatric drugs in this population, and make life easier for them and their caregivers, a team of experts says.

22 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 21, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a GAO report on how the Obama administration raised money from outside groups to promote the health law.

21 Apr 2014

$Viewpoints: The number keeps rising; new fears about census fracus; patients lose as insurers 'play games'$

Viewpoints: The number keeps rising; new fears about census fracus; patients lose as insurers 'play games'

Obamacare's critics have had a bad week. On Thursday, President Obama announced that 8 million people have enrolled in new health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces, and a significant portion of them are young Americans.

21 Apr 2014

Medicare News and Research

First Edition: April 25, 2014

LifePoint Hospitals' first quarter 2014 revenues up 8.2%

Viewpoints: Blum's departure is a serious loss; GOP fighting Medicaid expansion with new tactic

CBO lowers spending forecast for states that expand Medicaid coverage

Amedisys to pay $150 million to settle Medicare fraud case

Poll finds dislike of health law, but lack of support for its repeal

Viewpoints: Health spending ready to start climbing again; Cruz's 'nightmare' comes true

Top CMS official to leave post

First Edition: April 24, 2014

NeoGenomics' revenue up 16.1% in first quarter 2014

American Health Network live using eClinicalWorks CCMR for population health management

First Edition: April 23, 2014

Report recommends that medical insurers use prescription monitoring data to reduce opioid abuse

Viewpoints: The case against Jenny Mccarthy's vaccine stand; apathy on HIV; defeating Alzheimer's

Stronger incentives for medical innovators can reduce health care spending, say researchers

Hospitals ask officials for easier ACO bonuses

Health law a tough sell, although millions gain benefits

New approach may help reduce use of antipsychotics and other psychiatric drugs in dementia patients

First Edition: April 21, 2014

Viewpoints: The number keeps rising; new fears about census fracus; patients lose as insurers 'play games'

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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