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Some House GOP lawmakers take hard line position against health law funding in debt limit debate

As Republican leaders unveiled a plan to avert a government shutdown, they faced the challenge of building support for the proposal within their own ranks because it does not defund the health law. Some within the caucus reacted with skepticism.

12 Sep 2013

Health IT Now Coalition commends two Congressmen for helping in introducing TELE-MED Act

The Health IT Now Coalition today commended Congressmen Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) for their commitment to the health of America's seniors and the disabled by introducing the TELEmedicine for MEDicare Act, which allows Medicare providers to treat Medicare patients electronically across state lines without the need to obtain multiple state licenses.

12 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 11, 2013

Today's headlines include reports that some House GOP lawmakers are taking a hard line against funding for the health law in the ongoing debate about raising the nation's debt limit.

11 Sep 2013

UK and US policies risk conscription into unwanted 'war against dementia'

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 experts on bmj.com today.

11 Sep 2013

Financial incentives on hypertension care shows increased blood pressure control

In an examination of the effect of financial incentives on hypertension care at 12 outpatient clinics, physician-level (individual) financial incentives, but not practice-level or combined incentives, resulted in greater blood pressure control or appropriate response to uncontrolled blood pressure, according to a study in the September 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Sep 2013

Health exchanges will help some retirees bridge the Medicare gap

The New York Times reports on how the health law may assist some retired people who do not yet qualify for Medicare obtain affordable health insurance. In addition, Kaiser Health News details how the health law does and does not intersect with Medicare.

11 Sep 2013

US cancer care system in crisis

Delivery of cancer care in the U.S. is facing a crisis stemming from a combination of factors -- a growing demand for such care, a shrinking oncology work force, rising costs of cancer care, and the complexity of the disease and its treatment, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

11 Sep 2013

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

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

Medicare News and Research

Some House GOP lawmakers take hard line position against health law funding in debt limit debate

Health IT Now Coalition commends two Congressmen for helping in introducing TELE-MED Act

First Edition: September 11, 2013

UK and US policies risk conscription into unwanted 'war against dementia'

Financial incentives on hypertension care shows increased blood pressure control

Health exchanges will help some retirees bridge the Medicare gap

US cancer care system in crisis

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

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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