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Congress weighing changes to Medicare reimbursements for doctors

In other Medicare news, USA Today looks at the debate over whether the government should pay for Alzheimer's PET scans.

12 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Fears of health law's adverse selection; GOP's 'fundamental miscalculation;' special deal for Congress keeps dissent low

Yet despite the care the administration took in establishing incentives and safeguards, even some of Obamacare's most committed backers are wondering whether the experiment will work as advertised - or, like Harvard's P.P.O., go off the rails along the way. Adverse selection is perhaps the direst threat. ... Healthier Americans will probably flock to cheaper bronze plans. And insurers will vie to enroll the healthy. In some states, big insurers have chosen not to participate in exchanges to avoid their strictures. On the outside, they could still sell cheap plans to skim off the healthy and avoid a rule that insurers on the exchanges must also offer more generous silver and gold plans (Eduardo Porter, 8/7).

9 Aug 2013

Start-up company specializes in reducing hospital readmission rates

Facing rising penalties under the health-care law for high readmission rates, some hospitals are turning to tech entrepreneurs like Chris Corio of San Francisco for help. Mr. Corio's four-year-old startup sells technology that assists patients in completing the recovery process after getting discharged.

9 Aug 2013

Democratic opposition to cost-cutting board gains momentum

ObamaCare's cost-cutting board - memorably called a "death panel" by Sarah Palin - is facing growing opposition from Democrats who say it will harm people on Medicare. Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean drew attention to the board designed to limit Medicare cost growth when he called for its repeal in an op-ed late last month (Viebeck 8/8).

9 Aug 2013

Sizing up health law politics and policies

News outlets detail the political landscape surrounding the overhaul's implementation and provide user's guides to help consumers navigate changes. Coverage also highlights health law provisions that could impact coverage for small businesses and union members, and how the law is helping drive marketplace developments.

9 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 8, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the proposed rule released Wednesday by the Obama administration allowing the government to continue to pay for a significant portion of health insurance for lawmakers and Hill staffers.

8 Aug 2013

MAXIMUS revenue grows 26% to $334.3 million in Q3 2013

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, today reported financial results for its third quarter ended June 30, 2013.

8 Aug 2013

Romney warns against linking efforts to undo health law to govt. shutdown threat

The former GOP presidential hopeful warned fellow Republicans that the party will "suffer" if some lawmakers continue to pursue this strategy.

8 Aug 2013

Mostashari steps down from top federal health IT post

Dr. Farzad Mostashari, the national coordinator for health information technology, announced Tuesday he will step down this fall.

8 Aug 2013

Some states say they won't enforce the health law's insurance reforms

Six states have taken this position, according to the Texas Tribune. Meanwhile, media outlets report on new developments regarding state activity on the health law's Medicaid expansion and health exchanges.

8 Aug 2013

New online health law tool now available to all Americans

Today, AARP announced new resources available to all Americans looking for facts about the Affordable Care Act including a new online tool called Health Law Answers.

7 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 7, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how deadlines have been missed regarding tests for the health cxchange privacy system.

7 Aug 2013

Sebelius disputes 'rate shock,' assures exchanges' readiness

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a call with reporters yesterday that the agency is "on target" to open new online marketplaces Oct. 1. She also spoke about personal "Obamacare" accounts which consumers can begin creating now in advance of being able to shop for plans.

7 Aug 2013

Hospitals to face more severe penalties for patients' readmissions

News coverage continues regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' hospital readmissions reduction program with details of a final rule released Friday and a local look at how hospitals are faring in Georgia and Missouri.

7 Aug 2013

Doc-owned hospitals thriving in Texas despite ban from Medicare, Medicaid

George Ten Eyck is prepped for surgery by Christine Varela, a registered nurse, at Victory Healthcare in Hurst. The facility is part of a physician-owned chain that is growing despite not taking Medicare or Medicaid patients. Physician-owned hospitals in North Texas are finding ways to expand despite being banned from accepting Medicare and Medicaid patients (8/5).

7 Aug 2013

CVS Caremark net revenues increase 1.7% in Q2 2013

CVS Caremark Corporation today announced operating results for the three months ended June 30, 2013.

6 Aug 2013

PeaceHealth inks contract to serve Sterling Medicare SELECT policyholders

In an effort to better serve the Medicare population in our community, PeaceHealth Medical Group in Oregon has contracted with Sterling Insurance to become a network hospital serving Sterling Medicare SELECT policyholders. Sterling Medicare SELECT, underwritten by Sterling Life Insurance Company, is a Medicare Supplement insurance plan offering lower premiums to policyholders in exchange for using a network hospital when hospital care is needed.

6 Aug 2013

Regeneron, Bayer report positive results from Phase 3 VIVID-DME and VISTA-DME trials of EYLEA for DME

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bayer HealthCare today announced that in the Phase 3 VIVID-DME and VISTA-DME trials of EYLEA (aflibercept) Injection for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, EYLEA 2 milligrams (mg) dosed monthly and EYLEA 2 mg dosed every two months (after 5 initial monthly injections) achieved the primary endpoint of a significantly greater improvement in best-corrected visual acuity from baseline compared to laser photocoagulation at 52 weeks.

6 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Republicans' 'temper tantrum' on health care; 'mixed message' on cancer

Last week House Republicans voted for the 40th time to repeal Obamacare. Like the previous 39 votes, this action will have no effect whatsoever. But it was a stand-in for what Republicans really want to do: repeal reality, and the laws of arithmetic in particular.

6 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 5, 2013

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jordan Rau reports: "Medicare will levy $227 million in fines against hospitals in every state but one for the second round of the government's campaign to reduce the number of patients readmitted within a month, according to federal records released Friday" (Rau, 8/2).

5 Aug 2013