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Longer looks: Paying the oncologist; plenty of diagnostic errors, a patient revolution

When the automatic spending cuts kicked in for Medicare this month, every doctor saw a 2 percent reduction in reimbursement from the government insurance program. But cancer doctors have made the most noise

26 Apr 2013

House measure introduced to 'eliminate consumer confusion' about who is, and is not, a doctor

The measure would make it illegal for a health care professionals to make false or deceptive advertising claims. In addition, two Senate committees are focusing on various aspects of either fruad within the health care markeplace, or misleading sales tactics, as a means to find savings in Medicare and Medicaid.

26 Apr 2013

Orexigen Therapeutics praises new research report on obesity prevention policies

Orexigen commends CEO as well as the author of the report, Alex Brill , and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) who funded the report, for this new research illustrating the importance of long-term budget impact analyses on preventive health policies, specifically those aimed at obesity.

26 Apr 2013

Universal Health Services net revenues increase 2% to $1.83 billion in first quarter 2013

Universal Health Services, Inc. announced today that its reported net income attributable to UHS was $119.8 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, during the first quarter of 2013 as compared to $128.6 million, or $1.31 per diluted share, during the comparable quarter of 2012.

26 Apr 2013

Molina Healthcare reports strong quarterly results for 2013

Molina Healthcare, Inc. today reported its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

26 Apr 2013

Efforts to find budget-cutting common ground continue to be marked by differences

The Associated Press reports that, across party lines, positions on new revenue as well as changes to Medicare and other entitlement programs are clouding the outlook for success. Meanwhile, The Medicare NewsGroup examines how certain Medicare proposals are playing

26 Apr 2013

Tavenner's smooth path to confirmation hits a bump

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has put a hold on the Obama administration's pick to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's interest in raiding the health law's prevention fund to pay for the costs of getting health exchanges up and running.

26 Apr 2013

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

Medicare News and Research

Longer looks: Paying the oncologist; plenty of diagnostic errors, a patient revolution

House measure introduced to 'eliminate consumer confusion' about who is, and is not, a doctor

Orexigen Therapeutics praises new research report on obesity prevention policies

Universal Health Services net revenues increase 2% to $1.83 billion in first quarter 2013

Molina Healthcare reports strong quarterly results for 2013

Efforts to find budget-cutting common ground continue to be marked by differences

Tavenner's smooth path to confirmation hits a bump

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

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