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First Edition: October 21, 2013

Today's headlines include the latest reports about how the Obama administration plans to make the necessary fixes in the health law's online insurance marketplace.

21 Oct 2013

RNA-based gene expression test potentially determine presence or absence of BRAF V600E mutation

Veracyte, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company pioneering the field of molecular cytology, today announced preliminary study results suggesting the potential for an RNA-based gene expression test to accurately detect the BRAF V600E gene mutation in thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples.

19 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Health marketplace already has eligibility verification; entitlement fight lies ahead

If I were an entrepreneur in Washington, I'd be racing to print a bunch of T-shirts that said, "My tea party Republican shut down the government, and all I got was this lousy income verification mandate."

19 Oct 2013

HMS Holdings reports third quarter 2013 financial and operating results

HMS Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:HMSY) today announced it will report its third quarter 2013 financial and operating results at 8:00 a.m. Central/9:00 a.m. Eastern on Friday, November 8, 2013. Supplemental financial information including the press release and presentation will be available at http://investor.hms.com/events.cfm at approximately 7:30 a.m. Eastern on November 8.

19 Oct 2013

Unitedhealth says lower Medicare advantage payments forced smaller profit

The Minnetonka, Minn., company said government funding cuts to Medicare Advantage plans were one drag during the quarter, but it said overall medical costs remained in check (Terhune, 10/17).

19 Oct 2013

As budget talks resume, parties may face tough decisions on Medicare, other entitlements

With the ink hardly dry on the deal providing short-term funding to reopen the government and to raise the debt ceiling, negotiators dived into the next round of fiscal talks. Media reports cast doubt on the possibility of a grand bargain, while Medpage Today suggests the latest deal muddled the prospects for an SGR fix.

19 Oct 2013

Research roundup: Less savings needed for retirement health expenses; falls as a predictor of surgical outcomes

Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.

19 Oct 2013

Oral nutritional supplements linked with decreased probability of 30-day hospital readmission

In the U.S., one in five Medicare patients is readmitted to a hospital each year at an estimated cost of $17.5 billion annually.i To reduce this impact, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has introduced hospital penalties based on readmissions conditions that commonly affect patients aged 65 and older - including acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and pneumonia.

19 Oct 2013

Gentiva Health Services completes acquisition of Harden Healthcare Holdings

Gentiva Health Services, Inc., the largest provider of home health and hospice services in the United States based on revenue, announced the closing of its acquisition of Harden Healthcare Holdings, Inc..

18 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 18, 2013

Today's headlines include stories about how Medicare might fit into the next round of budget talks.

18 Oct 2013

State highlights: Texas to close high-risk pool; Calif. gov. vetoes price transparency bill; Baltimore probes complaint against Aetna

A selection of health policy stories from Massachusetts, Texas, California, Oregon, Missouri and Maryland.

18 Oct 2013

$Vertebral augmentation for spinal fractures improves patient survival, reduces overall costs$

Vertebral augmentation for spinal fractures improves patient survival, reduces overall costs

A study of 69,000 Medicare patient records led by Johns Hopkins researchers shows that people with spine compression fractures who undergo operations to strengthen back bones with cement survive longer and have shorter overall hospital stays than those who stick with bed rest, pain control and physical therapy.

18 Oct 2013

Longer looks: Making Romneycare work for other states; primary care's new challenge; Boston Marathon first responders continuing battle

Every week reporter Ankita Rao selects interesting reading from around the Web.

18 Oct 2013

Hospitals try new tactics to reduce hospital falls

The nation's medical workforce grapples with preventing falls in the hospital to improve patient safety. In the meantime, seniors in some places of the country are more likely to fill prescriptions for high-risk drugs, and Miami's seniors lead the nation in filling Medicare prescriptions.

18 Oct 2013

Use of effective, risky drug therapies by Medicare patients varies across US

A new report from the Dartmouth Atlas Project shows that the use of both effective and risky drug therapies by Medicare patients varies widely across U.S. regions, offering further evidence that location is a key determinant in the quality and cost of the medical care that patients receive.

18 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 17, 2013

Today's headlines include reports and analyses of the Capitol Hill deal to raise the debt limit and reopen the federal government, as well as the latest developments regarding the health law's federal and state health insurance exchanges.

17 Oct 2013

Where seniors live affects their health care and the medications they get

The Associated Press examines how geography can make a key difference in the treatments that Medicare beneficiaries receive. Other outlets look at the annual open enrollment period for Medicare prescription drug plans. USA Today reports that thousands who rely on nursing home trust funds have had their savings mismanaged or stolen.

17 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 16, 2013

Today's headlines including stories detailing how certain health law provisions are factoring in to the continuing congressional budget stalemate.

16 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: 'False hysteria' over health law's part-time criteria; marketplaces 'flunk' initial test; Ben Carson's surprising assessment

The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, has had a difficult launching, but the more serious challenges for the law relate not to glitch-filled Web sites but rather to its possible long-term effects on the United States economy. The law is not likely to last if it imposes a severe drag on growth and job creation, or involves large costs obscured by the legislative gimmicks used to shape the scoring of the bill by the Congressional Budget Office. Indeed, Casey B. Mulligan has discussed the negative effects of the legislation on the American labor market in a series of posts on Economix, while the policy expert Charles Blahous explains in detail why the "fiscally reckless" legislation will aggravate the already difficult federal and state fiscal situations (Philip Swagel, 10/14).

16 Oct 2013

Shutdown commentaries: Compromise may take nick out of health law; 'The Party of Gimme'

But the tentative agreement includes two problematic provisions related to health care reform. One would require the Department of Health and Human Services to verify that people receiving subsidies for insurance have incomes low enough to qualify.

16 Oct 2013

Medicare News and Research

First Edition: October 21, 2013

RNA-based gene expression test potentially determine presence or absence of BRAF V600E mutation

Viewpoints: Health marketplace already has eligibility verification; entitlement fight lies ahead

HMS Holdings reports third quarter 2013 financial and operating results

Unitedhealth says lower Medicare advantage payments forced smaller profit

As budget talks resume, parties may face tough decisions on Medicare, other entitlements

Research roundup: Less savings needed for retirement health expenses; falls as a predictor of surgical outcomes

Oral nutritional supplements linked with decreased probability of 30-day hospital readmission

Gentiva Health Services completes acquisition of Harden Healthcare Holdings

First Edition: October 18, 2013

State highlights: Texas to close high-risk pool; Calif. gov. vetoes price transparency bill; Baltimore probes complaint against Aetna

Vertebral augmentation for spinal fractures improves patient survival, reduces overall costs

Longer looks: Making Romneycare work for other states; primary care's new challenge; Boston Marathon first responders continuing battle

Hospitals try new tactics to reduce hospital falls

Use of effective, risky drug therapies by Medicare patients varies across US

First Edition: October 17, 2013

Where seniors live affects their health care and the medications they get

First Edition: October 16, 2013

Viewpoints: 'False hysteria' over health law's part-time criteria; marketplaces 'flunk' initial test; Ben Carson's surprising assessment

Shutdown commentaries: Compromise may take nick out of health law; 'The Party of Gimme'

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