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First Edition: October 22, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the Obama administration's plans to address the problems with healthcare.gov.

22 Oct 2013

Cedars-Sinai wins national consumer award for providing quality medical care, staff in LA region

For the 18th year in a row, Cedars-Sinai has won a national consumer award for providing the highest quality medical care and staff in the Los Angeles region based on a survey of area households.

22 Oct 2013

State highlights: What makes former CMS head Berwick, now Mass. gov. candidate, tick; Calif. set to get health law long-term care money

A selection of health policy stories from Massachusetts and California.

22 Oct 2013

Dems, GOP ready to wage new budget fights, even inside their own parties -- and Medicare is in the mix

Democrats and Republicans aren't just fighting each other, they're also dealing with intra-party squabbles over the latest plan to come together to find an accord to fix the nation's budget woes. The decisions are sure to involve Medicare as a 29-member panel has until Dec. 13 to reach an agreement to present.

22 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: HHS officials must tell Congress, citizens what is happening to marketplaces; 'rate shock' didn't materialize; problems with medical credit cards

The Affordable Care Act's botched rollout has stunned its media cheering section, and it even seems to have surprised the law's architects. The problems run much deeper than even critics expected, and whatever federal officials, White House aides and outside contractors are doing to fix them isn't working. But who knows? ... Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is even refusing to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in a hearing this coming Thursday. ... The department is also refusing to make available lower-level officials who might detail the source or sources of this debacle (10/18).

22 Oct 2013

Regeneron announces topline results from Phase 3 study of EYLEA Injection in patients with Macular Edema following BRVO

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced positive topline results for EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection from the Phase 3 VIBRANT study in patients with Macular Edema following Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO).

21 Oct 2013

DOH releases SPHHS study investigating prescribing of antipsychotics to District seniors

The District of Columbia Department of Health has released a study by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services investigating prescribing of antipsychotics to District seniors.

21 Oct 2013

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

Medicare News and Research

First Edition: October 22, 2013

Cedars-Sinai wins national consumer award for providing quality medical care, staff in LA region

State highlights: What makes former CMS head Berwick, now Mass. gov. candidate, tick; Calif. set to get health law long-term care money

Dems, GOP ready to wage new budget fights, even inside their own parties -- and Medicare is in the mix

Viewpoints: HHS officials must tell Congress, citizens what is happening to marketplaces; 'rate shock' didn't materialize; problems with medical credit cards

Regeneron announces topline results from Phase 3 study of EYLEA Injection in patients with Macular Edema following BRVO

DOH releases SPHHS study investigating prescribing of antipsychotics to District seniors

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

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd edition eBook

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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