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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

Manchin may back Democrats on individual mandate delay

News outlets are reporting that Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said Thursday he'd be willing to support a year-long delay in the health law's individual mandate if it came before the Senate -- and then walked those comments back. Some other Democrats support modest tweaks to the law, The Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Sep 2013

Patients treated by ID physicians less likely to die in hospital

In a first-of-its-kind study to evaluate the impact of a medical specialty on patient outcomes, researchers found that hospitalized patients with severe infections such as meningitis and Clostridium difficile are significantly less likely to die if they receive care from an infectious diseases specialist. The study, which analyzed nearly 130,000 Medicare patient cases, is now available online and will be published in the December 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

30 Sep 2013

Notices about Medicare advantage changes coming

Medicare Advantage plans are informing seniors of changes to their plans by mail this week. Meanwhile, KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks about what Obamacare changes older Americans can expect.

29 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 27, 2013

Today's headlines include the latest updates on the congressional brinksmanship related to current budget battles and efforts to defund the health law, as well as reports about President Barack Obama's campaign-style speech about the law and details on another implementation delay.

27 Sep 2013

Opinions on Cruz: GOP fight obscures harms from sequester; dramatic stand reaffirms Republican resolve; fundraising bonanza for both parties

The budget crisis manufactured by Congressional Republicans will never succeed at halting health care reform, but it has already caused long-lasting harm. It will preserve the deeply damaging spending cuts, known as the sequester, that are costing jobs and hurting the lives of millions (9/25).

27 Sep 2013

GOP considers shutdown alternatives

Republicans are exploring a possible new strategy: shifting the fight over President Barack Obama's health-care law to a separate bill that would raise the nation's debt limit. Other media outlets report that the debt limit deadline is Oct. 17 -- about two weeks earlier than had been anticipated.

27 Sep 2013

D.C.'s Obamacare insurance exchange hits technology snag

The District of Columbia's online health exchange will not be able to immediately calculate a person's subsidy to help them buy coverage or sign up for Medicaid when the health law exchange opens Oct. 1. Instead, such determinations will be done offline as officials try to fix the problems.

27 Sep 2013

ACS, ASMBS disappointed with CMS' decision on bariatric surgery for Medicare patients

Despite strong opposition from leading surgical and medical groups, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has ruled it will no longer require Medicare patients to undergo bariatric surgical procedures at accredited facilities.

26 Sep 2013

Affinity Health Plan's Medicare Advantage plans to be expanded into five counties

On October 1, 2013, Affinity Health Plan's Medicare Advantage plans, currently offered in the five boroughs of New York City, will become available in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties.

26 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 26, 2013

Today's headlines include details regarding the ongoing congressional battle over the future of the health law in the context of avoiding a government shutdown, as well as the developments on the ground as the Oct. 1 launch of the health law's insurance marketplace nears.

26 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: Health law premium rates reveal 'mostly good news' but renew critics arguments; 'Cruz-ing for a bruising;'

President Obama, President Clinton, and Senator Ted Cruz all spent a lot of time talking about Obamacare on Tuesday. But the real news came just as the day was ending, right at midnight, when the Department of Health and Human Services released data on insurance premiums available through the new Obamacare marketplaces. Several states had already released their data. With this report, HHS provided premium information for most of the rest. Overall, the numbers are pretty consistent with previous reports, albeit with some new and interesting wrinkles. It seems like mostly good news, though the law's critics would argue it vindicates some of their arguments, as well (Jonathan Cohn, 9/25).

26 Sep 2013

Consumer Reports launches web-based tool that offers personalized guidance on health insurance

Consumer Reports, the nonprofit consumer service organization empowering consumers for more than 75 years, today announced the launch of HealthLawHelper.org, an innovative web-based tool that offers personalized guidance to help consumers better understand how they may be affected by the Affordable Care Act.

26 Sep 2013

State highlights: N.M. officials seek less Medicaid money next year

The agency managing New Mexico's largest health care program is asking for less -- not more -- state money to operate in the upcoming budget year. It's the first time in more than a decade the Human Services Department isn't seeking an increase in state aid for Medicaid, which provides health care for a fourth of New Mexico's population (Massey, 9/24).

26 Sep 2013

Medicare News and Research

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

Manchin may back Democrats on individual mandate delay

Patients treated by ID physicians less likely to die in hospital

Notices about Medicare advantage changes coming

First Edition: September 27, 2013

Opinions on Cruz: GOP fight obscures harms from sequester; dramatic stand reaffirms Republican resolve; fundraising bonanza for both parties

GOP considers shutdown alternatives

D.C.'s Obamacare insurance exchange hits technology snag

ACS, ASMBS disappointed with CMS' decision on bariatric surgery for Medicare patients

Affinity Health Plan's Medicare Advantage plans to be expanded into five counties

First Edition: September 26, 2013

Viewpoints: Health law premium rates reveal 'mostly good news' but renew critics arguments; 'Cruz-ing for a bruising;'

Consumer Reports launches web-based tool that offers personalized guidance on health insurance

State highlights: N.M. officials seek less Medicaid money next year

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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