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First Edition: April 25, 2013

Today's headlines include health policy headlines from Capitol Hill and from the insurance markeplace.

25 Apr 2013

Democratic Sen. Harkin puts hold on Tavenner's nomination

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has placed a hold on one of President Obama's top healthcare nominees. Marilyn Tavenner had previously seemed poised for an easy, bipartisan confirmation as the administrator of the federal Medicare and Medicaid agency.

25 Apr 2013

U.S. files suit against Novartis in alleged kickback scheme

The suit accuses the drugmaker of giving pharmacies discounts and rebates to promote the use of the drug Myfortic.

25 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: Physician payment sunshine rules may not stop conflicts of interest; Support wanes for health law

The federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced final regulations for the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, which requires pharmaceutical and medical-device companies to disclose payments they make to doctors, hospitals and other health-care providers.

25 Apr 2013

Sen. Baucus' retirement leaves door open for Sen. Wyden on health issues

Sen. Max Baucus' announcement Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in 2014 could open the door for Sen. Ron Wyden to become the most powerful Senate Democrat on health care issues. Some groups are claiming victory on the retirement announcement while others look at what Wyden could accomplish.

25 Apr 2013

GOP bill to extend pre-existing condition coverage gets veto threat over prevention fund diversion

Republicans are offering a bill to keep coverage available for people with pre-existing conditions under the health law but want to use the law's prevention money to do so, prompting a veto threat from the White House.

25 Apr 2013

Psychiatric care: The poor stepchild in the world of insurance coverage

Long waits for insurance authorization allowing psychiatric patients to be admitted to the hospital from the emergency department waste thousands of hours of physician time, given that most requests for authorization are ultimately granted.

25 Apr 2013

Roundup: Calif. health care cuts attract opponents; Health law means fewer hours for Va. community college instructors

In the health care world, there's not a whole lot that insurers, doctors and union workers all agree on. But a new coalition of powerful Capitol players from all three groups is hoping to reverse recent budget cuts, pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown, to those who provide care to the poorest Californians.

25 Apr 2013

First Edition: April 24, 2013

Today's headlines include stories about the health law's implementation as well as health policy developments from Capitol Hill.

24 Apr 2013

Harvard researchers find lengthy waits for severely ill psychiatric patients

A study published today [Tuesday, April 23] in Annals of Emergency Medicine reports lengthy waits for severely ill psychiatric patients in need of immediate hospitalization in the Boston area, due in part to time-consuming prior authorizations required by insurance companies.

24 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: Time to confirm Tavenner; 'Self-defeating' GOP plan for prevention fund; Parents need insurance too

The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to hold a long-overdue vote on Tuesday on President Obama's nominee to lead the embattled agency responsible for overseeing Medicare, Medicaid and the implementation of health care reforms.

24 Apr 2013

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to XEN402 for treatment of pain associated with EM

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan-drug designation to the investigational drug XEN402 being developed for the treatment of pain associated with erythromelalgia.

24 Apr 2013

Study finds health care spending will rebound when economy picks up

The analysis by The Kaiser Family Foundation says the slowdown in health spending over the past several years was largely driven by the economic malaise.

24 Apr 2013

Researchers examine impact of Allies Against Asthma initiative on health care use

Children living in areas where there was wide-ranging and active support for improving outcomes for their chronic asthma were hospitalized less and made fewer visits to the emergency room, when compared with those in other communities.

24 Apr 2013

First Edition: April 23, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about immigrant patients' health care as well as the coverage limits that some victims of the Boston Marathon bombings might face.

23 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: Solving the doctor shortage; Can Gov. Scott convince Fla. lawmakers to accept Medicaid expansion?

With every new report about the recent slowdown in health-care spending there is speculation in the media that the problem of rising health costs has somehow been solved or cut down to size.

23 Apr 2013

Vladeck urges Obama administration to act on home health worker overtime rule

The former head of Medicare and Medicaid in the Clinton administration on Thursday called on the Obama administration to act soon on a proposed rule to extend overtime and minimum wage pay to in-home health care workers.

20 Apr 2013

UnitedHealth's earnings fall, insurer warns investors over Medicare advantage cuts

UnitedHealth attributed a 14 percent drop in profits in the first quarter to higher medical costs. The nation's largest insurer also warned that cuts to Medicare Advantage plans could hamper its earnings growth next year.

20 Apr 2013

Research roundup: Community benefits and hospitals' tax-exempt status; Medicaid expansion could benefit people of color; Looking at changes for Medicare

The federal health law requires tax-exempt hospitals to assess and address the needs of the community in which they serve by the end of 2013.

20 Apr 2013

'Wired colleagues' tell all to FBI about alleged Medicare kickbacks at Chicago hospital

Two executives of a hospital in Chicago, Illinois, along with 3 physicians and a podiatrist were arrested by federal agents April 16 for allegedly conspiring to give and receive illegal kickbacks for referring Medicare and Medicaid patients in a case built with "wired" colleagues who had flipped for law enforcement.

20 Apr 2013

Medicare News and Research

First Edition: April 25, 2013

Democratic Sen. Harkin puts hold on Tavenner's nomination

U.S. files suit against Novartis in alleged kickback scheme

Viewpoints: Physician payment sunshine rules may not stop conflicts of interest; Support wanes for health law

Sen. Baucus' retirement leaves door open for Sen. Wyden on health issues

GOP bill to extend pre-existing condition coverage gets veto threat over prevention fund diversion

Psychiatric care: The poor stepchild in the world of insurance coverage

Roundup: Calif. health care cuts attract opponents; Health law means fewer hours for Va. community college instructors

First Edition: April 24, 2013

Harvard researchers find lengthy waits for severely ill psychiatric patients

Viewpoints: Time to confirm Tavenner; 'Self-defeating' GOP plan for prevention fund; Parents need insurance too

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to XEN402 for treatment of pain associated with EM

Study finds health care spending will rebound when economy picks up

Researchers examine impact of Allies Against Asthma initiative on health care use

First Edition: April 23, 2013

Viewpoints: Solving the doctor shortage; Can Gov. Scott convince Fla. lawmakers to accept Medicaid expansion?

Vladeck urges Obama administration to act on home health worker overtime rule

UnitedHealth's earnings fall, insurer warns investors over Medicare advantage cuts

Research roundup: Community benefits and hospitals' tax-exempt status; Medicaid expansion could benefit people of color; Looking at changes for Medicare

'Wired colleagues' tell all to FBI about alleged Medicare kickbacks at Chicago hospital

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