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Healthfirst invests in Infogix Cost Sharing Reduction Solution

Infogix, Inc., a developer of software that helps businesses automate the monitoring and analysis of operational data, today announced that Healthfirst, a not-for-profit managed care organization offering health insurance to individuals and families living in the New York metropolitan area, has invested in the Infogix Cost Sharing Reduction Solution to accurately forecast important financial formulas under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act legislation while also ensuring the integrity of all data involved.

8 Jan 2014

Blue Shield Life and Health imposes excessive rate increase on over 80,000 Californians

Blue Shield Life and Health is imposing an unreasonable rate increase on over 80,000 Californians with individual health insurance policies, an average of 9.8% that adds up to a 22.8% increase for the year. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced today that the company would not budge on its excessive rate hike.

8 Jan 2014

State highlights: States' troubled health law websites fall hardest on poor; Va. Sen. Deeds introduces mental health bills after son's death; state abortion battle strategies

A selection of health policy stories from Virginia, Florida, Texas, Georgia and California.

8 Jan 2014

Hospitals with higher rates of readmissions may suffer cut in Medicare payments by 2015

Hospitals that treat more poor seniors who are on both Medicaid and Medicare tend to have higher rates of readmissions, triggering costly penalties from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, finds a new study in Health Services Research.

8 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Slowing health costs; possibility of Medicaid deal in virginia; a new name for brain death

For decades a common refrain was that the rapid rise in health spending hurt the competitiveness of American businesses and ate into workers' take-home pay. Businesses and politicians from both sides of the aisle agreed that something had to be done to slow the growth of health-care costs.

8 Jan 2014

Health care spending grew at record slow pace

Americans' spending on health care rose a relatively modest 3.7 percent in 2012 -- slower than the growth of the overall economy -- dropping from 17.3 percent of U.S. spending to 17.2 percent, according to an annual report from the Centers on Medicare & Medicaid Services.

7 Jan 2014

Healthcare Trust of America executes new $300 million senior unsecured loan

Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. announced today that it had executed a new $300 million senior unsecured, 4-year term loan (the "New Term Loan").

7 Jan 2014

Medicare seeks to tighten drug program rules to fight fraud

Draft regulations issued Monday would overhaul the prescription drug program and could save up to $1.3 billion over five years.

7 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 7, 2014

Today's headlines include a range of reports about state developments related to the health law's online marketplaces as well as details regarding the latest Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' figures on health costs.

7 Jan 2014

CMS report shows slower growth in health spending with the Affordable Care Act implementation

Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued findings that show slower growth in health spending since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. This successful cost control is consistent with data demonstrating that savings from generic medicines are at an all-time high, reaching $217 billion in 2012 and $1.2 trillion over the most recent decade, according to the 2013 Report on Generic Drug Savings in the U.S., the fifth annual report compiled by IMS Health on behalf of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association.

7 Jan 2014

Rice University, MD Anderson analyze complications on costs of complex cancer surgery

Although complications from surgical care for cancer patients may seem infrequent, the costs associated with such outcomes are extremely high, according to researchers from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

7 Jan 2014

HHS to release slow-growth health spending numbers as Obama readies for big push for law

News outlets covered administration efforts to build public confidence in the Affordable Care Act.

7 Jan 2014

Bunker Vein and Imaging Center starts second location in Round Rock

Bunker Vein and Imaging Center is proud to announce its second location, which opened this month in Round Rock, Texas. Dr. Stephen Bunker and his medical team have been treating patients with varicose veins, spider veins and venous disease for over five years in the Central Austin area.

7 Jan 2014

Wis. Senator suing Obama administration over health law subsidies

Meanwhile, fellow Republicans Sen. Rand Paul and Phil Gingrey also are heavily criticizing the law.

7 Jan 2014

Acadia Healthcare expands geographic presence in the US

Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. today announced the acquisition of inpatient psychiatric facilities in Seattle, Washington, and Riverside, California, expanding the Company's geographic presence to two new states. Effective, December 1, 2013, the Company completed the purchase of an acute inpatient psychiatric facility from Highline Medical Center, a nonprofit healthcare system headquartered in Seattle.

6 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 6, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about how the health law fits into the Capitol Hill agenda for the year ahead.

6 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Stop 'bailout' of Obamacare; health law not to blame for all insurance woes; 'theft' of Medicare advantage money

Shrinking revenues and rising costs could bring on the "death spiral" - an unbalanced patient pool forcing huge premium increases (to restore revenue) that would further unbalance the patient pool as the young and healthy drop out. End result? Insolvency

6 Jan 2014

State highlights: Moving Americans out of nursing homes; Kansas to get Medicaid bonus; Va. gov. names mental health task force

For 60 years, Bobbie Jones, 88, had lived in the same Petworth rowhouse where she raised four children -- including one born in an upstairs bedroom -- and became a grandmother to 10 and a great-grandmother to nine. But last year, a stroke and a fall landed her in the hospital and then in a nursing home. In the past, a nursing home might have wound up being where she lived out the rest of her days. But through a new program that helps District residents receive care in their homes and communities, Jones was able to go home. She is among 58 people who have been relocated since the D.C. Office on Aging launched its Nursing Home Transition Program in April (Bahrampour, 1/2).

6 Jan 2014

Parkinson's disease patients from lower socioeconomic status less likely to receive DBS

Among Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, female, black, Asian and patients are substantially less likely to receive proven deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery to improve tremors and motor symptoms, according to a new report by a Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania researcher who identified considerable disparities among Medicare recipients receiving DBS for Parkinson's disease.

5 Jan 2014

iRhythm Technologies’ ZIO Service detects more cardiac arrhythmias than Holter monitor

iRhythm Technologies, a healthcare information services company, today announced that a prospective study by Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) has found that use of the company's ZIO Service significantly increased detection of cardiac arrhythmias, compared to use of the traditional Holter monitor.

3 Jan 2014

Medicare News and Research

Healthfirst invests in Infogix Cost Sharing Reduction Solution

Blue Shield Life and Health imposes excessive rate increase on over 80,000 Californians

State highlights: States' troubled health law websites fall hardest on poor; Va. Sen. Deeds introduces mental health bills after son's death; state abortion battle strategies

Hospitals with higher rates of readmissions may suffer cut in Medicare payments by 2015

Viewpoints: Slowing health costs; possibility of Medicaid deal in virginia; a new name for brain death

Health care spending grew at record slow pace

Healthcare Trust of America executes new $300 million senior unsecured loan

Medicare seeks to tighten drug program rules to fight fraud

First Edition: January 7, 2014

CMS report shows slower growth in health spending with the Affordable Care Act implementation

Rice University, MD Anderson analyze complications on costs of complex cancer surgery

HHS to release slow-growth health spending numbers as Obama readies for big push for law

Bunker Vein and Imaging Center starts second location in Round Rock

Wis. Senator suing Obama administration over health law subsidies

Acadia Healthcare expands geographic presence in the US

First Edition: January 6, 2014

Viewpoints: Stop 'bailout' of Obamacare; health law not to blame for all insurance woes; 'theft' of Medicare advantage money

State highlights: Moving Americans out of nursing homes; Kansas to get Medicaid bonus; Va. gov. names mental health task force

Parkinson's disease patients from lower socioeconomic status less likely to receive DBS

iRhythm Technologies’ ZIO Service detects more cardiac arrhythmias than Holter monitor

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