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Derma Sciences' net sales increase 3% to $20.7 million in fourth quarter 2013

Derma Sciences, Inc., a tissue regeneration and burn care company focused on advanced wound care, today reported financial and operating results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2013.

14 Mar 2014

State highlights: Vt. health care costs plan; Iowa inmate coverage; Mich. abortion law takes effect

A selection of health policy stories from Vermont, Iowa, Michigan, California, Florida, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

14 Mar 2014

Study finds higher readmission rates for same-day total joint replacement surgery

As the effectiveness of anesthesia, pain management and rehabilitation continues to improve, more orthopaedic procedures are being done on an outpatient basis. In a new research study presented today at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, same-day total joint replacement (TJR) patient outcomes were comparable to those of patients admitted to the hospital and staying at least one night following surgery.

14 Mar 2014

Viewpoints: The impact of Florida's special election; drug testing for doctors; the toll from Alzheimer's

A rule of electoral politics is that when a Democratic wave is building, the media broadcast it like a foregone conclusion. When a Republican wave is building, Beltway pundits are the last to admit it. After Tuesday's GOP win in a Florida special House election, even the press corps now agrees that Republicans are poised for major gains in November, assuming the GOP has the wit to exploit it (3/12).

14 Mar 2014

House Republicans plan: Delay individual mandate for five years

The idea is to use the savings to reverse the annual SGR cut for Medicare doctors. Also, a group of Catholic employers in Oklahoma is suing about the health law's contraception coverage exception.

14 Mar 2014

Findings reinforce need for standardization of living liver donor liver evaluation consent forms

New research reveals that 57% of liver transplant centers use living donor evaluation consent forms that include all the elements required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and 78% of centers addressed two-third or more of the items recommended by the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN).

14 Mar 2014

Transamerica obtains 4-star Medicare Part D rating from CMS for 2014

Transamerica continues to provide exceptional value to Medicare customers by obtaining a 4-star Medicare Part D rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for 2014.

13 Mar 2014

First Edition: March 13, 2014

Today's headlines include details of Wednesday's Capitol Hill testimony by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

13 Mar 2014

Highlights: No-bid contract decision in Calif.; Fla. hospital Medicaid settlement; navigator restrictions in Kan.

A selection of health policy stories from California, Florida, Kansas, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

13 Mar 2014

Health providers may experience information and financial loss during transition to ICD-10-CM

Health providers may experience information and financial loss during the mandated conversion from the current International Classification of Diseases to its new and improved version, report researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

13 Mar 2014

Obama pitches health coverage on 'funny or die' show

The president appeared on an edgy internet comedy show called, "Between Two Ferns," to urge young people to sign up for health insurance before open enrollment ends on March 31.

13 Mar 2014

Skip health coverage and the penalty may exceed expectations

The notion that, during its first year, the penalty for not getting health insurance is relatively small is not entirely accurate. News outlets also report on how the health law is affecting retiree health care, insurers' rate-setting processes, pregnant women's coverage and provider networks.

13 Mar 2014

House GOP votes to expand health law religious exemptions

If approved, the bill would expand who doesn't have to buy health insurance because of their religious beliefs. It's prospects in the Democratic-controlled Senate are unknown.

13 Mar 2014

Some states weighing enrollment extension

Several states that are running their own marketplaces and have experienced problems are considering allowing residents more time to sign up for insurance. Also, a number of local news outlets examine their states' enrollment totals released this week by HHS.

13 Mar 2014

Amedisys' net service revenue decreases 13.7% to $303.5 million in Q4 2013

Amedisys, Inc., a leading home health and hospice company, today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2013.

12 Mar 2014

First Edition: March 12, 2014

Today's headlines include stories about the Obama administration's latest tallies regarding how many Americans have signed up for Obamacare coverage and the outcome of a Florida special election that was marked by health law themes.

12 Mar 2014

GOP to vote Friday on tying Medicare doctor pay fix to repeal of health law's insurance mandate

House Republicans are rallying around a new strategy to undermine the president's signature health care law. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor scheduled a vote on Friday to tie a delay of Obamacare's individual mandate, requiring all Americans to possess health insurance by March 31 or pay a penalty, to a piece of bipartisan legislation that would permanently fix Medicare's flawed physician payment system.

12 Mar 2014

Viewpoints: Exploiting botched exchanges; falling number of uninsured; Medicare drug plan retreat

Now that the badly botched rollout of the federal government's health care website seems to be behind us, Republicans have shifted their criticisms to several states that are experiencing problems enrolling people on their state-run exchanges.

12 Mar 2014

STS collaborates with DCRI to improve patient safety

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons continues to break new ground in patient safety and quality measurement through a new collaboration with the Duke Clinical Research Institute. DCRI will establish a link with STS clinical data and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services claims data. This link will enable participants and researchers using data from the STS National Database to track long-term patient outcomes.

11 Mar 2014

Connecticut Children's OCCH receives $1M grant to address critical public health issues for children

UnitedHealthcare has provided a $1 million grant for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center's Office for Community Child Health to help enhance care delivery and address critical public health issues for children. These issues include child development, wellness, and chronic conditions such as asthma and obesity.

11 Mar 2014

Medicare News and Research

Derma Sciences' net sales increase 3% to $20.7 million in fourth quarter 2013

State highlights: Vt. health care costs plan; Iowa inmate coverage; Mich. abortion law takes effect

Study finds higher readmission rates for same-day total joint replacement surgery

Viewpoints: The impact of Florida's special election; drug testing for doctors; the toll from Alzheimer's

House Republicans plan: Delay individual mandate for five years

Findings reinforce need for standardization of living liver donor liver evaluation consent forms

Transamerica obtains 4-star Medicare Part D rating from CMS for 2014

First Edition: March 13, 2014

Highlights: No-bid contract decision in Calif.; Fla. hospital Medicaid settlement; navigator restrictions in Kan.

Health providers may experience information and financial loss during transition to ICD-10-CM

Obama pitches health coverage on 'funny or die' show

Skip health coverage and the penalty may exceed expectations

House GOP votes to expand health law religious exemptions

Some states weighing enrollment extension

Amedisys' net service revenue decreases 13.7% to $303.5 million in Q4 2013

First Edition: March 12, 2014

GOP to vote Friday on tying Medicare doctor pay fix to repeal of health law's insurance mandate

Viewpoints: Exploiting botched exchanges; falling number of uninsured; Medicare drug plan retreat

STS collaborates with DCRI to improve patient safety

Connecticut Children's OCCH receives $1M grant to address critical public health issues for children

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