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No health law budging from either side as gov't shutdown continues

Neither Republicans nor Democrats appear ready to budge in the short-term to end a government shutdown and their impasse over funding for the health law. House Republicans are looking to pressure moderate Democrats in the Senate by sending the upper chamber a series of bills aimed at getting them to split from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but Republicans are beginning to feel the pressure building themselves over who will get the blame for the shutdown.

3 Oct 2013

Despite snags, online insurance marketplaces open for business

The technical glitches were complicated by the millions of people who visited the online health exchanges on Tuesday, their first day of operations. For instance, Health and Human Services officials reported that 2.8 million unique visitors had been to the federal website.

3 Oct 2013

Small insurers play larger role in health exchanges

Media outlets examine the rise of small insurers in the new online health insurance marketplaces, the expected increases in physician demand and the importance of enrolling young people to balance the costs of caring for those who are older and sicker.

3 Oct 2013

Gov't shutdown takes focus off GOP's Obamacare opportunity

Some say Republicans missed a political opportunity Tuesday to point at the difficulties Obamacare's new online exchanges were having because news of the government's shutdown dominated headlines. In the meantime, Ohio has become a political battleground for fights over the health law as the state is home to both Republican House Speaker John Boehner -- who is central to repeal efforts -- and Gov. John Kasich, whose support for the law's Medicaid expansion has him split from other conservatives.

2 Oct 2013

Saint Luke's liver transplantation program receives CMS certification

The liver transplantation program at Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City has received certification by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. The certification is an important step in enhancing the hospital's ability to care for Medicare-covered patients suffering from end-stage liver disease, and attract other insurers who base their coverage on the CMS certification.

2 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 2, 2013

Today's headlines include news reports about how the health law's new online insurance marketplaces -- glitches and all -- went live at both the federal and state levels.

2 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Sen. Barrasso warns insurance buyers beware; it will take time to assess marketplaces

Today begins the first phase of Obamacare's big test. The Obama administration has spent months and millions of dollars promising people great benefits from the new government-run health insurance exchanges. Now Americans will see for themselves. ... Instead of lower health care costs and better access to care, here are four reasons for the buyer to beware (Sen. John Barrasso, 10/1).

2 Oct 2013

Opinions on shutdown: Using Obamacare is a sham cause; GOP isn't crazy; what's the endgame?

House Republicans' irresponsible brinkmanship may finally lead to the government shutdown that some of its members have been coveting since they took control of that chamber in 2011. This time, though, the fight hasn't been a battle over spending on federal agencies. It's been a symbolic one over the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. And it's been a sham. The inconvenient truth for the GOP is that "defunding Obamacare," as the House tried to do, wouldn't stop most of the major provisions of the health care law, some of which have already gone into effect

2 Oct 2013

Impasse over health law leads to federal government shutdown

The long-running battle to defund or derail the health law came to a head Monday when Congress failed to approve a short-term spending measure to continue funding the government. For an entrenched group of House Republicans, Obamacare is the sticking point. But a new round of polls finds public opinion doesn't support their strategy.

2 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 1, 2013

Today's headlines detail how the federal government has been shutdown as a result of the ongoing congressional battle over the health law. Still, even as House and Senate lawmakers were unable to overcome this issue to reach a deal to provide funding to continue government operations, Oct. 1 is still the official launch of the overhaul's online insurance marketplaces.

1 Oct 2013

GSA awarded $5M grant to launch Hartford Change AGEnts Initiative to improve health of older adults

The Gerontological Society of America has been awarded a $5 million grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation to launch and develop the Hartford Change AGEnts Initiative, a multi-year project designed to create change in the practice environment that will improve the health of older adults, their families, and communities.

1 Oct 2013

University of Sydney to host series of medicine lectures on back pain

On any given day in Australia, one quarter of the population is suffering back pain, and nearly 80 per cent of adult Australians will experience back pain some time during their lives.

1 Oct 2013

For consumers shopping for insurance on new health exchanges, a lot will be determined by where they live

People who live in states where officials were less enthusiastic about the health law's new online marketplaces will likely have to look harder to find information about them. Meanwhile, coverage costs will vary widely, not just from state to state, but sometimes between cities and regions within the same state.

1 Oct 2013

Report: More Hispanic Texans die from cancer than any other cause

More Hispanic Texans die from cancer than any other cause, according to a new report by the Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas research group.

1 Oct 2013

Battle over health law brings gov't to brink of shutdown

A stopgap bill to fund the government when the fiscal year ends Oct. 1 continues to be caught up in Republican efforts to defund, delay or derail the health law. Federal agencies have contingency plans in place.

1 Oct 2013

Tips for shopping on new Obamacare exchanges

Media outlets offer guides to the uninsured and to those who buy their own coverage on the eve of the startup of new online marketplaces under the federal health law.

1 Oct 2013

First Edition: September 30, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the readiness of the health law's online marketplaces and other key provisions the day before their Oct. 1 launch date even as the looming government shutdown becomes more of a reality.

30 Sep 2013

Research roundup: Managed care for dementia patients; bundled payments after the hospital; disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Dementia is a leading cause of death in the United States; however, patients dying with this disease may not receive optimal end-of-life care. ... many of these [nursing home] residents commonly experience burdensome and costly interventions, such as hospital transfers, tube-feeding, and intravenous antibiotics. ... Nursing home reimbursement policies are among the factors that incentivize more aggressive care. ... This study linked unique prospective clinical data with Medicare claims to describe and compare patterns of care between nursing home residents with advanced dementia enrolled in a Medicare managed-care insurance plan and those with fee-for-service Medicare.

30 Sep 2013

Sunshine Health to participate as Qualified Health Plan in Florida Health Insurance Marketplace

Sunshine State Health Plan announced today that it has received approval from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to participate as a Qualified Health Plan in the Florida Health Insurance Marketplace in three South Florida counties, where it will offer a line of products branded as Ambetter from Sunshine Health.

30 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: Gerson says no compromises make for 'bad politics;' Democrats are getting a pass; Manchin signals a break in Democratic ranks

We are seeing that an anti-compromise ideology can make for bad politics. In our system, Obamacare will not be overturned by one house of Congress. A tea-party shutdown strategy - if implemented - would make securing the other house and the presidency less likely for Republicans. And the political energy consumed by Cruz and crew has not been available to promote incremental limits on Obamacare that might have aided GOP political prospects (Michael Gerson, 9/26).

30 Sep 2013

Medicare News and Research

No health law budging from either side as gov't shutdown continues

Despite snags, online insurance marketplaces open for business

Small insurers play larger role in health exchanges

Gov't shutdown takes focus off GOP's Obamacare opportunity

Saint Luke's liver transplantation program receives CMS certification

First Edition: October 2, 2013

Viewpoints: Sen. Barrasso warns insurance buyers beware; it will take time to assess marketplaces

Opinions on shutdown: Using Obamacare is a sham cause; GOP isn't crazy; what's the endgame?

Impasse over health law leads to federal government shutdown

First Edition: October 1, 2013

GSA awarded $5M grant to launch Hartford Change AGEnts Initiative to improve health of older adults

University of Sydney to host series of medicine lectures on back pain

For consumers shopping for insurance on new health exchanges, a lot will be determined by where they live

Report: More Hispanic Texans die from cancer than any other cause

Battle over health law brings gov't to brink of shutdown

Tips for shopping on new Obamacare exchanges

First Edition: September 30, 2013

Research roundup: Managed care for dementia patients; bundled payments after the hospital; disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Sunshine Health to participate as Qualified Health Plan in Florida Health Insurance Marketplace

Viewpoints: Gerson says no compromises make for 'bad politics;' Democrats are getting a pass; Manchin signals a break in Democratic ranks

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