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Screening older people for minor memory changes may lead to harmful treatment

A political drive, led by the UK and US, to screen older people for minor memory changes (often called mild cognitive impairment or pre-dementia) is leading to unnecessary investigation and potentially harmful treatment for what is arguably an inevitable consequence of ageing, warn University of Sydney experts in in a paper published in the British Medical Journal today.

10 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 10, 2013

Today's headlines include reports from Capitol Hill about the GOP strategy to link debate of a stopgap spending bill to keep the government operating to efforts to defund the health law.

10 Sep 2013

Study: Nearly one in five older adults end up in emergency department after surgery

Nearly one in five older adults who have common operations will end up in the emergency department within a month of their hospital stay, a new study finds - a surprisingly high number found in the first national look at the issue.

10 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: Navigators become 'major friction point;' conservative opponents of health law take tactics from civil rights conflict

In the fierce debate over what would become the Affordable Care Act, the signature policy achievement of President Obama's first term, there was relatively little to-do over the question of the bill's so-called navigators. ... But in the years since the ACA became law, navigators have become a major friction point in the push to unravel Obamacare in state legislatures across the country. Insurance brokers and agents have led the charge, insisting that navigators will impede their ability to do business (9/6).

10 Sep 2013

House GOP to advance bill to fund gov't until mid-December

The Republican leadership is also contemplating how to handle pressure from conservatives demanding they cut off all funding for the health law. Those members plan a rally Tuesday to build momentum.

10 Sep 2013

Seniors can ignore new health insurance marketplaces

Officials are reminding those on Medicare that they don't need to sign up for health insurance coverage in Obamacare's marketplaces starting Oct. 1. In the meantime, a new study says Rochester, N.Y., has the lowest Medicare spending, and the notion of investing a portion of the money in your Health Savings Account gains steam.

10 Sep 2013

HHS readies $12M ad campaign to promote health law in 13 states

The advertisements, which will begin airing Sept. 30, will encourage consumers in a group of predominately red states to sign up for insurance available through the health law's new online marketplaces.

7 Sep 2013

Adheris files suit against HHS for attempting to restrain speech that serves public health interest

Adheris, Inc., an inVentiv Health company, filed suit today against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asking a federal court to enjoin the government from implementing a new regulation that imposes unconstitutional restrictions on the speech of a company whose business is encouraging patients to properly take their medicine.

7 Sep 2013

State highlights: N.M. high court rules malpractice law covers doc businesses

A selection of health policy stories from Texas, New Mexico, California, South Carolina, Iowa, Florida, Minnesota and Massachusetts.

7 Sep 2013

Research roundup: The financial burden of hospital acquired infections

Health care–associated infections (HAIs) account for a large proportion of the harms caused by health care and are associated with high costs. ... [Using a simulation, the researchers found that the] total annual costs for the 5 major infections were $9.8 billion (95% CI, $8.3-$11.5 billion), with surgical site infections contributing the most to overall costs (33.7% of the total), followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia (31.6%), central line–associated bloodstream infections (18.9%), C difficile infections (15.4%), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (<1%). ... recent analyses indicate that at least 50% are preventable. ...

7 Sep 2013

Effort to fix doc's Medicare pay formula gains momentum

A bill now pending in the House that has cleared the Energy and Commerce Committee would repeal the sustainable growth rate -- SGR -- formula and replace it with a more quality-based system.

7 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 6, 2013

Today's headlines include a report on the White House's proposal about how to gather information that would allow the government to enforce the employer mandate, which requires companies with 50 or more workers to provide affordable health insurance to their full-time employees.

6 Sep 2013

TPMG receives AMGA Acclaim Award for transforming health care through leadership, technology

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) today announced that the recipient of the 2013 AMGA Acclaim Award is The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) for "Transforming Health Care through Leadership and Technology," an innovative initiative that achieves superior performance through physician leadership, advanced information technology, and a mission-driven culture of collaboration.

6 Sep 2013

New report analyzes full range of care, coordinated services for children and teens under EPSDT

A new analysis by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services examines the relationship between health information laws and health system improvements for children and adolescents under Medicaid's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment benefit.

6 Sep 2013

GOP's united front on Obamacare softens

The GOP's once rock-solid stance on Obamacare has softened as some Republicans look to move on from waging all-out war on the three-year-old law. Tea Party activists, however, are urging conservative lawmakers to try to stop it. In the meantime, lawmakers from both sides look more united than ever in trying to reform how Medicare pays doctors.

6 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 5, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about former President Bill Clinton -- dubbed the "explainer in chief" -- drumming up support for the health law and scolding Republicans for their efforts to repeal it.

5 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: Economic theory shows health law's taxes will affect jobs; no indication that part-time jobs are increasing; doctors 'ditching' Medicare?

The Affordable Care Act was intended to expand the fraction of the United States population covered by health insurance. The law includes taxes on employers and various implicit taxes on employees that go into effect over the next two years.

5 Sep 2013

State highlights: At least 58 U.S. abortion clinics close after new, tighter laws; Minn. to end high-risk pool; Texas minors forbidden from tanning salons

At least 58 U.S. abortion clinics -- almost 1 in 10 -- have shut or stopped providing the procedure since 2011 as access vanishes faster than ever amid a Republican-led push to legislate the industry out of existence. A wave of regulations that makes it too expensive or logistically impossible for facilities to remain in business drove at least a third of the closings (Deprez, 9/3).

5 Sep 2013

Putting seniors in the hospital under 'observation' may cost them thousands

Many seniors think Medicare made a mistake when they find out they were never officially admitted to the hospital despite a several-day stay.

5 Sep 2013

Michigan gives final green light to Medicaid expansion

The Republican-led Michigan House gave final approval on Tuesday to a bill that would expand the Medicaid health program for the poor under Democratic President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law. Representatives voted 75-32 to concur with modifications of a bill that they had approved in June and agreed to send it to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican who has backed the expansion of the Medicaid program (Bailey, 9/3).

5 Sep 2013

Medicare News and Research

Screening older people for minor memory changes may lead to harmful treatment

First Edition: September 10, 2013

Study: Nearly one in five older adults end up in emergency department after surgery

Viewpoints: Navigators become 'major friction point;' conservative opponents of health law take tactics from civil rights conflict

House GOP to advance bill to fund gov't until mid-December

Seniors can ignore new health insurance marketplaces

HHS readies $12M ad campaign to promote health law in 13 states

Adheris files suit against HHS for attempting to restrain speech that serves public health interest

State highlights: N.M. high court rules malpractice law covers doc businesses

Research roundup: The financial burden of hospital acquired infections

Effort to fix doc's Medicare pay formula gains momentum

First Edition: September 6, 2013

TPMG receives AMGA Acclaim Award for transforming health care through leadership, technology

New report analyzes full range of care, coordinated services for children and teens under EPSDT

GOP's united front on Obamacare softens

First Edition: September 5, 2013

Viewpoints: Economic theory shows health law's taxes will affect jobs; no indication that part-time jobs are increasing; doctors 'ditching' Medicare?

State highlights: At least 58 U.S. abortion clinics close after new, tighter laws; Minn. to end high-risk pool; Texas minors forbidden from tanning salons

Putting seniors in the hospital under 'observation' may cost them thousands

Michigan gives final green light to Medicaid expansion

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