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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

Second Obama administration official resigns after troubled healthcare.gov rollout

Michelle Snyder oversaw technology experts who helped build healthcare.gov and is the second administration official to leave after problems with the website where Americans can buy health insurance.

3 Jan 2014

Five Star Quality Care transfers operations of two rehabilitation hospitals to Reliant-affiliated entities

Five Star Quality Care, Inc. today announced that effective December 31, 2013, it has transferred the operations of two rehabilitation hospitals to entities affiliated with Reliant Hospital Partners, LLC of Richardson, TX.

3 Jan 2014

Detailing the numbers: Parsing the latest HHS tally of new enrollees

According to reports, 2.1 million people have signed up for new insurance coverage and 3.9 million have been found eligible for Medicaid. Who are these people and what do the numbers mean?

3 Jan 2014

Study shows physicians with longer experience using EHRs more likely to report clinical benefits

A new study in Health Services Research finds nearly three-quarters of physicians using electronic health records (EHRs) in 2011 said there were clinical benefits when patients' medical histories were kept in digital files. The study focused on doctors' perceptions of clinical benefits to patient care when EHRs were in place.

3 Jan 2014

Medicare shapes what others pay for health care

Because of Medicare's huge scale, the prices it pays for procedures often shape what others pay for similar care, economist are finding. In the meantime, the program continues to look for ways to prevent inappropriate prescribing by its doctors.

2 Jan 2014

Healthcare Trust of America closes $156 million of acquisitions in fourth quarter 2013

Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. announced today that it had closed approximately $156 million of acquisitions in the fourth quarter of 2013. The fourth quarter acquisitions were highlighted by the agreement to acquire an eight medical office building portfolio from a regional developer in Florida for $141 million, $127 million of which closed in December (the "Florida Portfolio").

2 Jan 2014

Evaluating the rollout in the states

Media outlets track how the health law is being implemented in Texas, Iowa, Mississippi, Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois and Minnesota.

2 Jan 2014

First Edition: Jan. 2, 2014

The early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about what to expect of the health law in 2014.

2 Jan 2014

ACR supports USPSTF recommendations for CT lung cancer screening in high-risk patients

The American College of Radiology (ACR) supports the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation (Grade B) for low-dose computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening of adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.

2 Jan 2014

Patients with Medicaid insurance seek care in emergency department due to lack of alternatives

A study from the University of Colorado School of Medicine shows patients with Medicaid insurance seeking care in an emergency department may be driven by lack of alternatives instead of the severity of their illness. The study is published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

31 Dec 2013

White paper outlines pitfalls of administering Medicare Part D

Compliance is a particular concern for Health Plans and Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid markets. With regulations continually changing in response to Health Care Reform, payers can minimize the risk of sanctions and increase plan ratings (and thus, revenue) by employing automated checks and balances, a less burdened internal system and best practice enforcement, according to a new white paper published by TMG Health.

28 Dec 2013

Preoperative tests increasing for Medicare patients undergoing cataract surgery, despite lack of benefits

The elimination of extensive routine preoperative tests and consultations represents an area of potentially large health care savings across many disciplines, particularly for low-risk patients being evaluated for cataract surgery. It is also a major theme of the Choosing Wisely campaign from the American Board of Internal Medicine.

28 Dec 2013

Robert Wood Johnson Partners selected as new Accountable Care Organization

Robert Wood Johnson Partners has been selected as one of 123 new Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in Medicare, providing approximately 1.5 million more Medicare beneficiaries with access to high-quality, coordinated care across the United States, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today.

27 Dec 2013

Medicare News and Research

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

Second Obama administration official resigns after troubled healthcare.gov rollout

Five Star Quality Care transfers operations of two rehabilitation hospitals to Reliant-affiliated entities

Detailing the numbers: Parsing the latest HHS tally of new enrollees

Study shows physicians with longer experience using EHRs more likely to report clinical benefits

Medicare shapes what others pay for health care

Healthcare Trust of America closes $156 million of acquisitions in fourth quarter 2013

Evaluating the rollout in the states

First Edition: Jan. 2, 2014

ACR supports USPSTF recommendations for CT lung cancer screening in high-risk patients

Patients with Medicaid insurance seek care in emergency department due to lack of alternatives

White paper outlines pitfalls of administering Medicare Part D

Preoperative tests increasing for Medicare patients undergoing cataract surgery, despite lack of benefits

Robert Wood Johnson Partners selected as new Accountable Care Organization

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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