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State roundup: Calif. opens prison psychiatric ward, hopes to shed fed oversight

Virginia is among the last states to begin dismantling its large institutions for the developmentally disabled, a decision that was made as part of a year-old settlement agreement with the Justice Department, which argued in a lawsuit that Virginia was discriminating against training center residents by keeping them institutionalized.

20 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Obama needs to offer plan on entitlements and spending; Assessing the paycheck crimp from health costs

President Barack Obama owes it to himself and to the country to make one more good shot at a Grand Bargain on spending, investment and tax reform before he opts for a strategy of trying to pummel the Republican Party. ... He has to lead with his chin and put a concrete, comprehensive package on the table, encompassing three areas. First, new investments that would combine immediate jobs in infrastructure with some long-term growth-enablers like a massive build-out in the nation's high-speed broadband capabilities.

19 Feb 2013

iCAD fourth quarter total revenue increases 18% to $7.8 million

iCAD, Inc., an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapy for the early identification and treatment of cancer, today reported financial results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2012.

19 Feb 2013

First Edition: February 19, 2013

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jay Hancock, working in collaboration with The Philadelphia Inquirer, reports: "Computer mistakes like the one that produced incorrect prescriptions for thousands of Rhode Island patients are probably far more common and dangerous than the Obama administration wants you to believe, says Drexel University's Dr. Scot Silverstein."

19 Feb 2013

Concerns raised about insurance markets under new law

Companies can avoid many standards in the new law by insuring their own employees, rather than signing up with commercial insurers, because Congress did not want to disrupt self-insurance arrangements that were seen as working well for many large employers.

19 Feb 2013

NeuroMetrix fourth quarter total revenues decrease to $1.5 million

NeuroMetrix, Inc., a medical device company focused on the diagnosis and treatment of the neurological complications of diabetes, today reported business and financial highlights for the quarter and twelve months ended December 31, 2012.

19 Feb 2013

Income inequality equals more hospital readmissions

Patients living in areas of uneven wealth-distribution are at an increased risk for hospital readmission, according to US research findings published in the BMJ.

19 Feb 2013

Health exchanges: Today is states' decision day

States have to decide by Feb. 15 whether they will create their own health insurance exchanges or partner with the federal government. Meanwhile, during a congressional hearing marked by skepticism, a Health and Human Services official told lawmakers that the government would be ready to enroll people this fall.

16 Feb 2013

The Y rolls out new health program targeting diabetes

YMCAs will advance the program nationally with support from insurers and employers. Also in the news, researchers express concern about the increasing costs likely to accompany soaring Alzheimer's disease rates.

16 Feb 2013

Hearing raises questions about how to replace Medicare's SGR formula

Opinions on what to replace Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula with and how to get there vary greatly, comments during a Thursday hearing showed. Lawmakers looking to pull the trigger on finally doing away with the SGR, which is used to determine physician payments, must iron out many of the details that came to light during a hearing Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.

16 Feb 2013

Obama's Medicare drug rebate plan could save the government money, but also hit drug industry's bottom line

During his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama renewed a proposal to use drug rebates to save Medicare money -- a step that would trigger strong opposition from pharmaceutical companies.

16 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Bowles and Simpson urge Obama to seek Medicare savings; Health care industry helps stabilize the economy

The president deserves credit for putting forward Medicare savings in his budget and offering further entitlement savings in the negotiations, but he and his fellow Democrats must be willing to do more to reform our entitlement programs.

16 Feb 2013

Hospitals may be unfairly punished for high readmission rates

When hospital patients have to be readmitted soon after discharge, hospitals look bad. A high readmission rate also can result in reduced Medicare reimbursements. But a study of spine surgery patients has found that the standard method used to calculate readmission rates is a misleading indicator of hospital quality.

16 Feb 2013

Research roundup: Conflict of interest in Medicaid drug purchasing; Examining Medigap policies; Electronic medical records and hospital quality

The authors of this study assert that the decisions about which drugs are selected for state Medicaid reimbursement programs "should be based on available evidence and free of conflicts of interests (COIs)."

15 Feb 2013

LifePoint Hospitals fourth quarter revenues increase 14.3% to $893.3 million

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2012.

15 Feb 2013

First Edition: February 15, 2013

Today's headlines include news about how the health law's insurance exchanges are taking shape.

15 Feb 2013

Examining electronic medical records and over-billing

The Obama administration is forging ahead with a multi-billion dollar plan to shift from paper to electronic medical records, despite continuing concerns the program may be prompting some doctors and hospitals to improperly bill higher fees to Medicare.

15 Feb 2013

Kitchen table health assessments improve outcomes of Medicare Advantage members

A study by Matrix Medical Network and MVP Heath Care indicates that Medicare Advantage members who receive "kitchen table" health assessments have improved outcomes, including fewer hospital admissions, lower cost of claims and a higher level of satisfaction with their health plans.

15 Feb 2013

House GOP chairman seeks permanent solution to Medicare doc pay problem

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told physicians this week that he hopes to send "doc fix" legislation to the House floor this summer. Meanwhile, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., plans hearings for President Barack Obama's pick to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

15 Feb 2013

Treasury pick says he will work to reduce Medicare spending, but offers few specifics

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama's references in his State of the Union address to modest changes to Medicare continue to generate examination.

15 Feb 2013

Medicare News and Research

State roundup: Calif. opens prison psychiatric ward, hopes to shed fed oversight

Viewpoints: Obama needs to offer plan on entitlements and spending; Assessing the paycheck crimp from health costs

iCAD fourth quarter total revenue increases 18% to $7.8 million

First Edition: February 19, 2013

Concerns raised about insurance markets under new law

NeuroMetrix fourth quarter total revenues decrease to $1.5 million

Income inequality equals more hospital readmissions

Health exchanges: Today is states' decision day

The Y rolls out new health program targeting diabetes

Hearing raises questions about how to replace Medicare's SGR formula

Obama's Medicare drug rebate plan could save the government money, but also hit drug industry's bottom line

Viewpoints: Bowles and Simpson urge Obama to seek Medicare savings; Health care industry helps stabilize the economy

Hospitals may be unfairly punished for high readmission rates

Research roundup: Conflict of interest in Medicaid drug purchasing; Examining Medigap policies; Electronic medical records and hospital quality

LifePoint Hospitals fourth quarter revenues increase 14.3% to $893.3 million

First Edition: February 15, 2013

Examining electronic medical records and over-billing

Kitchen table health assessments improve outcomes of Medicare Advantage members

House GOP chairman seeks permanent solution to Medicare doc pay problem

Treasury pick says he will work to reduce Medicare spending, but offers few specifics

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