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Accenture: Boom ahead for retail health clinics

According to the consulting firm Accenture, the number of retail clinics will likely double by the end of 2015 -- a trend fueled by the demand for care by consumers who will become insured under the health law. Meanwhile, the Fiscal Times examines why some physicians are choosing not to accept any health insurance.

14 Jun 2013

End-of-life care: Study finds quality improving but costs increasing

A brief by the Dartmouth Institute finds that Medicare spending for chronically ill patients at the end of life went up more than 15 percent from 2007 to 2010.

14 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 14, 2013

Today's headlines includes reports about how, after months of battle, Arizona lawmakers endorsed a Medicaid expansion plan backed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

14 Jun 2013

MAXIMUS signs new contract with Maryland Health Benefit Exchange

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced that it has signed a new contract with the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange to operate the Consolidated Service Center, which includes call center, fulfillment and command center services.

14 Jun 2013

NBMC signs contract for Unibased's ForSite2020 solutions

Unibased Systems Architecture, Inc. announced today that North Bend Medical Center, Inc., located in Coos Bay, OR, has signed an agreement for its market-leading surgery management solution, ForSite2020 periOperative Resource Management System, aimed at improving workflow and productivity as well as providing efficient resource management to reduce costs and effectively manage inventory.

13 Jun 2013

DSTHS executes contract to provide high quality service to Thrive Health Plans

DST Health Solutions, LLC, a leading provider of technology solutions and services to greater than 250 health plans, integrated delivery systems, and health care providers representing greater than 20 million members, today announced the execution of a contract to provide administration operations, care management, and business analytics to Thrive Health Plans, Inc., a Washington D.C.-based managed care organization which operates under the name Trusted Health Plan.

13 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 13, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how employers are preparing for some parts of the health law to kick in.

13 Jun 2013

Viewpoints: Administration 'finally' comes around on Plan B; 'Legal loophole' creates another compounded drug scare

Reluctantly yielding to a federal-court decision, the Obama administration announced on Monday that it will take steps to allow a version of the so-called morning-after pill, known as Plan B One-Step, to be sold over the counter to girls and women of all ages. They will not need a prescription, nor will they be required to show any identification to obtain the emergency contraceptive. There will be no restrictions on where the drug can be sold; it will be up to the manufacturer to propose appropriate venues (6/11).

13 Jun 2013

Black women with breast cancer experience treatment delays, new study finds

Black women with breast cancer are more likely than Hispanic or white women to experience delays in the initiation of chemotherapy or radiation after surgery, finds a new study in Health Services Research.

13 Jun 2013

Study raises questions about meeting the nation's need for more primary care physicians

Despite a critical shortage of primary care in the United States less than 25 percent of newly minted doctors go into this field and only a tiny fraction, 4.8 percent, set up shop in rural areas, according to a study by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

13 Jun 2013

Viatronix's V3D-Colon software used in another clinical study relating to colorectal cancer screening

Viatronix Incorporated announced today that its dedicated CT Colonography software—V3D-Colon was exclusively used in another important clinical study relating to colorectal cancer screening.

12 Jun 2013

MedeAnalytics launches new tool to improve operational efficiency for health plans and hospitals

Today MedeAnalytics, a leading provider of healthcare performance management solutions, introduced its new Provider Engagement solution, a dynamic tool that helps improve operational efficiency for health plans and hospitals, and positions health plans to successfully participate in the Affordable Care Act's permanent risk adjustment program for qualified health plans' individual and small group members, both inside and outside health insurance exchanges.

12 Jun 2013

Viewpoints: Medicaid expansion 'makes sense'; Budget cuts hurt Alzheimer's research; Lack of transparency in generic Rx prices

The numbers in the Rand study ... should not be a surprise to people who have been paying attention. Numerous studies now, including in Missouri, have pointed to the simple reality of the policy implications of the ACA to argue for Medicaid expansion.

12 Jun 2013

States consider rates, legislation on health insurance marketplaces

Rates for coverage offered through the online marketplaces make news in Minnesota and the District of Columbia, while bills in California could hold up the exchange's rollout.

12 Jun 2013

Insider probe over Medicare rate decision hits Congress

News outlets report on developments in the story of alleged insider trading after a Medicare rate decision.

12 Jun 2013

Hospitals attempt to address patient noise complaints

Facing potential financial penalties from Medicare, more hospitals are changing decades-old practices that contribute to the din.

12 Jun 2013

Missed savings opportunities in Medicare program

The Wall Street Journal details a report from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General. Meanwhile, Kaiser Health News reports on a study that details missed savings of prescription drug costs.

12 Jun 2013

Medicare advantage enrollment hits record high

An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Mathematica Policy Research found that despite concerns the health law's future payment cuts would have a chilling effect, Medicare Advantage enrollment increased by nearly 10 percent last year and by 30 percent since 2010.

11 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 11, 2013

Today's headlines include coverage of the Obama administration's decision to drop the fight to keep age restrictions in place for Plan B emergency contraceptive pill sales.

11 Jun 2013

Viewpoints: Selling Obamacare in Arizona; 'Hassle-free' marketplace; Seeking the 'grand bargain'

You may not admit it, but you are a fan of Obamacare and Gov. Jan Brewer knows it. The Republicans who run the Arizona legislature don't like Obamacare. And the Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives don't like it. But you do. You may deny it. You may not even know it. But you do. And that will help the governor get her Medicaid expansion plan through the legislature (EJ Montini, 6/6).

11 Jun 2013