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State highlights: Diabetes telemedicine in Miss.

The homemade bombs that ripped through the crowd at the finish line of last year's Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 264, showcased the city's medical talent but also taught valuable lessons in responding to a mass disaster. By all accounts, Boston's hospitals performed well after the attacks on April 15, 2013. While many of the wounded lost limbs and a large amount of blood, all who made it to a hospital survived (Herbst-Bayliss, 4/17).

21 Apr 2014

Research roundup: Colonscopy in the countryside; retiree health benefits; what should hip surgery cost?

Rural residents who commonly seek treatment for advanced stages of colorectal cancer have been thought to lack access to cancer screening and adjuvant therapy. ... Several theories have been postulated to explain these findings, some of which include low socioeconomic status, lower educational attainment, lack of insurance coverage, underinsurance, and travel distance to health care facilities.

21 Apr 2014

UnitedHealth cites health law, costly hepatitis drug in reporting lower earnings

The health law's effect was mixed, officials said, because the company did not participate in many of the online marketplaces, but it did see more customers for its Medicaid plans. Officials are considering a bigger role in the marketplaces next year.

21 Apr 2014

Obama presses scrutiny of 2015 health insurance rates

The president made his appeal to state insurance commissioners at a meeting Thursday. Elsewhere, consumer spending related to the health law jumps, the GOP again demands to know the White House's involvement in the healthcare.gov rollout, and hospitals try their hand as insurers.

19 Apr 2014

At 8 million sign-ups, health law enrollment surpasses target

President Barack Obama hailed the latest tally of people who gained insurance as a result of the health law. News outlets also look inside this latest round of data to find out what information the administration is providing and what is still to come.

19 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: Obamacare still has more challenges; GOP needs to help make law work; census change is not Obama's decision

The first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act ended this week with roughly 7.5 million people obtaining policies through the new state insurance exchanges, including more than 1.3 million at Covered California.

18 Apr 2014

UnitedHealth's 1st quarter profit falls 7.8%

Officials blame part of the downturn on reductions in federal funding for the Medicare Advantage program and new taxes resulting from the health law.

18 Apr 2014

Quirk Healthcare donates over 800 hours of customization work to CDTC

Ben Quirk and Quirk Healthcare donated over 800 hours of customization work to the Children's Diagnostic & Treatment Center's new Electronic Health Records system that launched on Monday, April 7, 2014.

18 Apr 2014

Actavis to purchase four currently marketed products from Akorn

Actavis plc, a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has entered into agreements with Akorn, Inc. and Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co. Inc. to purchase four currently marketed products and one product under development

18 Apr 2014

Medicare pays doctors even after they're sanctioned

A ProPublica report finds that the agency continued paying doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals even after they were charged with bilking the program. Meanwhile, a report recommends that Medicare pay hospitals less for low-risk outpatient surgeries.

17 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 17, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about emerging political strategies related to the health law and the upcoming congressional elections.

17 Apr 2014

UnitedHealth Group reports strong revenue growth in Q1 2014

UnitedHealth Group today reported first quarter results, highlighted by Optum's strong growth in revenues, operating earnings and revenue backlog and UnitedHealthcare's continued strong, diversified performance despite the negative impacts of newly effective ACA taxes and regulatory provisions and sequestration cuts to Medicare.

17 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: Cooking the Census books; immigrants left off health law; abortion still a 'tripwire'

You can't manage what you don't measure, as the great Peter Drucker used to say, and for the White House that seems to be the goal. Out of the blue, the Census Bureau has changed how it counts health insurance - at the precise moment when ObamaCare is roiling the insurance markets (4/15).

17 Apr 2014

State highlights: Mass. can't ban painkiller, judge rules; Kan. and health care compact bill

A selection of health policy stories from Massachusetts, Kansas, Florida, Michigan, Connecticut, Maryland, Arizona, Hawaii, Missouri and Georgia.

17 Apr 2014

Study quantifies adherence to recommended surveillance colonoscopy in average-risk patients

According to a new study, endoscopists' recommendations for timing of surveillance colonoscopy in average-risk patients with one to two small polyps are consistent with guideline recommendations in about 90 percent of cases. T

17 Apr 2014

A heavy lift? legal challenge to Medicare's 'two midnight' rule

Modern Healthcare reports that some legal experts say it will be tough to convince judges to overturn the controversial rule on classifying Medicare in-patients.

17 Apr 2014

Enrollment extensions wind down but health law politics getting complicated

People wanting coverage on the federal and some state websites needed to sign up by Tuesday, and federal officials say they won't again extend the deadline. In addition, news outlets examine why it will take time to determine whether the overhaul is a success and how Republicans are treading carefully as they call for overturning a law that has provided benefits to millions of Americans.

16 Apr 2014

Humana's members now get access to Dignity Health facilities in Arizona

Humana Inc., one of the nation's leading health and well-being companies, has reached an agreement that provides its members access to Dignity Health facilities in Arizona.

16 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 16, 2014

Today's headlines include a report detailing how changes in the Census Bureau's annual survey could mask the health law's impact.

16 Apr 2014

Highlights: N.Y.'s $8B Medicaid waiver; Conn. Medicaid application delays settlement; managed care overpayment in Washington state

New York and federal officials report final agreement allowing the state to reinvest $8 billion in Medicaid savings to support hospital overhauls and expand primary medical care over the next five years. The goal of the Medicaid waiver is to reduce avoidable hospital use by 25 percent while helping financially struggling hospitals shift to more primary and outpatient care (4/14).

16 Apr 2014

Medicare News and Research

State highlights: Diabetes telemedicine in Miss.

Research roundup: Colonscopy in the countryside; retiree health benefits; what should hip surgery cost?

UnitedHealth cites health law, costly hepatitis drug in reporting lower earnings

Obama presses scrutiny of 2015 health insurance rates

At 8 million sign-ups, health law enrollment surpasses target

Viewpoints: Obamacare still has more challenges; GOP needs to help make law work; census change is not Obama's decision

UnitedHealth's 1st quarter profit falls 7.8%

Quirk Healthcare donates over 800 hours of customization work to CDTC

Actavis to purchase four currently marketed products from Akorn

Medicare pays doctors even after they're sanctioned

First Edition: April 17, 2014

UnitedHealth Group reports strong revenue growth in Q1 2014

Viewpoints: Cooking the Census books; immigrants left off health law; abortion still a 'tripwire'

State highlights: Mass. can't ban painkiller, judge rules; Kan. and health care compact bill

Study quantifies adherence to recommended surveillance colonoscopy in average-risk patients

A heavy lift? legal challenge to Medicare's 'two midnight' rule

Enrollment extensions wind down but health law politics getting complicated

Humana's members now get access to Dignity Health facilities in Arizona

First Edition: April 16, 2014

Highlights: N.Y.'s $8B Medicaid waiver; Conn. Medicaid application delays settlement; managed care overpayment in Washington state

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