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Congressional Republicans focus on Tavenner nomination, doc fix, Medicaid costs

News outlets covered a variety of Medicare and Medicaid news, including prospects for Marilyn Tavenner to be confirmed as head of CMS.

12 Feb 2013

U.S. hospitals continue to make progress in reducing health care-associated infections

Hospitals in the U.S. continue to make progress in the fight against central line-associated bloodstream infections and some surgical site infections, according to a report issued today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Catheter-associated urinary tract infections remained unchanged between 2010 and 2011.

12 Feb 2013

Skilled Healthcare fourth quarter revenue increases 2.4% to $219.2 million

Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. today announced its consolidated financial operating results for the three and twelve-month period ended December 31, 2012.

12 Feb 2013

Brookdale fourth quarter total revenue increases 4.1% to $699.7 million

Brookdale Senior Living Inc. today reported financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year 2012.

11 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Contraceptive debate may hinge on 'conscience of a corporation;' Rep. Cantor's insights on Medicare; Sebelius and holder on fraud

Today, our departments released a report showing that the Obama Administration's historic efforts to go after criminals who steal from Medicare and Medicaid are paying off, especially in hotspots like Houston. The report shows that last year, we recovered a record $4.2 billion from those who prey on our health care system. In total, our efforts returned $14.9 billion over the last four years, more than double what was returned in the previous four years.

11 Feb 2013

Pelosi again rejects proposal to change Medicare

House Democratic leader, in television interview discussing scheduled budget cuts and the national economy, says she hasn't seen evidence that raising the Medicare eligibility age will save money. Republican Rep. Cantor, on a different Sunday morning program, says the government has to find a way to cut spending.

11 Feb 2013

Sophisticated IT leads to more robust and integrated communication strategies in clinical staff

The federal government invested more than $25 billion in health information technology (IT) as a result of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act; yet, little is known about how IT applications improve patient safety and protect their privacy. Now, a University of Missouri nursing informatics expert suggests that sophisticated IT leads to more robust and integrated communication strategies among clinical staff, which allows staff to more efficiently coordinate care and better protect patient privacy.

11 Feb 2013

Study identifies 12 important postoperative complication signs in colorectal surgical patients

Colorectal surgical patients are often discharged from the hospital with vague guidance on how to recognize complications, but researchers at the Michael DeBakey Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, aim to change that scenario.

11 Feb 2013

Bipartisan duo introduces Medicare 'doc fix' bill in House

The effort, by Reps. Schwartz and Heck, would change the system known as the sustainable growth rate for Medicare physician payments.

10 Feb 2013

House GOP seeks to change Medicare doctor payment formula

The chairmen of the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees want a permanent change to the current system that repeatedly threatens to cut doctor payments unless Congress steps in.

10 Feb 2013

Obama says he will not stop sequester by simply cutting entitlements

In an address to Democratic lawmakers, the president says Republicans want to substitute the impending budget cuts by instead cutting Medicare and Social Security. But, he says closing tax loopholes is a better strategy.

10 Feb 2013

AARP opposes bill that would allow insurers to charge older people more

The powerful seniors lobby says it cannot support proposals that would let premiums go higher for older beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the administration announces that a health program for low- and moderate-income people, which is optional for states, will not be able to start until 2015.

10 Feb 2013

AHRQ, CMS announce new children's EHR format

The benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) may become more widely available to children through an EHR format for children's health care announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

10 Feb 2013

N.Y. hospitals, nursing homes coping with Sandy, other closure problems

In Superstorm Sandy's wake, health experts and regulators are warning that thousands of nursing homes nationwide are still ill-prepared for a natural disaster. The late October storm was the latest in a string of disasters to reveal gaps in emergency planning, despite an industry-wide effort to improve preparedness in the years since Hurricane Katrina.

10 Feb 2013

Health law provisions saved seniors $5.7B on Rx drugs

Seniors have saved about $5.7 billion on prescription drugs since January 2011 because of provisions in the 2010 health care law meant to close the Medicare "doughnut hole," the government plans to announce today.

10 Feb 2013

Research roundup: 'Shared decision making' can reduce costs, improve care; Effects of mental health parity

With shared decision making, patients and their clinicians collaboratively review the risks and benefits of available treatments options while also considering the patients' preferences and values.

10 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Brewer's stance on Medicaid expansion may signal important shift in GOP; A shrinking government--except for health care

Jan Brewer, Arizona's feisty Republican governor, is better known for wagging her finger at President Obama than for linking arms with him. That's why Brewer's recent announcement that her state intends to join the expansion of Medicaid central to Obama's health care law may represent an important shift. If even Brewer, who has battled repeatedly with Obama, finds the case for expansion compelling, other Republican governors now resisting may also reconsider.

10 Feb 2013

Advocates warn about impact on medical research as debate about automatic cuts continues

Supporters of the National Institutes of Health argue that an anticipated $1.6 billion cut would undermine research in cancer, heart and AIDS, while adding to economic and unemployment woes.

10 Feb 2013

First Edition: February 8, 2013

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about Marilyn Tavenner's nomination to run Medicare and the Catholic bishops' rejection of the Obama administration's contraception plan announced last week.

9 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: 'Empty budget gestures'; GOP should endorse 'doomsday' sequester; 'Imagined dangers' imperil vaccine successes

President Obama on Tuesday called on Congress to put off -- again -- the start of the "sequester," a series of across-the-board spending cuts that would save $1.2 billion over 10 years.

9 Feb 2013

Medicare News and Research

Congressional Republicans focus on Tavenner nomination, doc fix, Medicaid costs

U.S. hospitals continue to make progress in reducing health care-associated infections

Skilled Healthcare fourth quarter revenue increases 2.4% to $219.2 million

Brookdale fourth quarter total revenue increases 4.1% to $699.7 million

Viewpoints: Contraceptive debate may hinge on 'conscience of a corporation;' Rep. Cantor's insights on Medicare; Sebelius and holder on fraud

Pelosi again rejects proposal to change Medicare

Sophisticated IT leads to more robust and integrated communication strategies in clinical staff

Study identifies 12 important postoperative complication signs in colorectal surgical patients

Bipartisan duo introduces Medicare 'doc fix' bill in House

House GOP seeks to change Medicare doctor payment formula

Obama says he will not stop sequester by simply cutting entitlements

AARP opposes bill that would allow insurers to charge older people more

AHRQ, CMS announce new children's EHR format

N.Y. hospitals, nursing homes coping with Sandy, other closure problems

Health law provisions saved seniors $5.7B on Rx drugs

Research roundup: 'Shared decision making' can reduce costs, improve care; Effects of mental health parity

Viewpoints: Brewer's stance on Medicaid expansion may signal important shift in GOP; A shrinking government--except for health care

Advocates warn about impact on medical research as debate about automatic cuts continues

First Edition: February 8, 2013

Viewpoints: 'Empty budget gestures'; GOP should endorse 'doomsday' sequester; 'Imagined dangers' imperil vaccine successes

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd edition eBook

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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