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GOP debt limit plan sets up future battle lines on entitlement spending

House Republican leaders believe their leverage in forcing budget cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other programs will be greater in the next battles.

24 Jan 2013

Sen. Harkin prepares sweeping public health legislation to combat obesity

Senate HELP Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin is -- for the sixth time -- introducing legislation to combat obesity in children and adults across America using a host of new programs.

24 Jan 2013

Obama's inaugural speech triggers reaction, analysis regarding his Medicare view

President Barack Obama's inaugural address laid out very specific choices regarding the future of Medicare and other entitlement programs. Some Republicans, such as House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., took a dim view of Obama's take on these issues.

24 Jan 2013

Medicare initiative for enhanced community care helps lower readmission, study finds

The pilot project in 14 communities looked at a variety of strategies, including patient coaches, medication-management and better hospital discharge plans.

24 Jan 2013

Studies in JAMA examine hospital readmissions and effects of new Medicare penalties

Research shows that poor coordination among providers can lead to patients returning to the hospital. In addition, the new payment procedures are likely to affect academic medical centers and safety net hospitals.

24 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: A 'gift' to Amgen; Obama omits talk of grand bargain; Defending physician pay

For a disheartening example of how intense lobbying and financial contributions can distort the legislative process in Washington, consider what happened to the "fiscal cliff" bill approved three weeks ago by Congress.

23 Jan 2013

Actavis seeks FDA approval to market generic Opana ER

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that Actavis South Atlantic LLC, which was acquired by Watson in October, has filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market Oxymorphone Hydrochloride Extended-release Tablets.

23 Jan 2013

Capsules: CMS community initiatives could reduce health costs; Report: States making it easier to apply for Medicaid

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Phil Galewitz reports on a study finding that states are making it easier to apply for Medicaid: "Despite the reluctance of some Republican governors to expand Medicaid next year under the 2010 health law, most governors are making it easier for people to apply for coverage in the state-federal program for the poor".

23 Jan 2013

Obama's vision includes safety net programs

Drawing on language from his re-election campaign, President Barack Obama used his inaugural address to set out a promise to preserve programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

23 Jan 2013

Amgen drug gets boost in fiscal cliff legislation

Just two weeks after pleading guilty in a major federal fraud case, Amgen, the world's largest biotechnology firm, scored a largely unnoticed coup on Capitol Hill: Lawmakers inserted a paragraph into the "fiscal cliff" bill that did not mention the company by name but strongly favored one of its drugs.

23 Jan 2013

AANS, CNS join other medical societies in endorsing Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) joined 24 other medical societies in endorsing the "Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act." Sponsored by Reps. Phil Roe, MD (R-TN) and Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), this bipartisan legislation would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), thereby protecting seniors from Medicare cuts that could threaten their access to care.

23 Jan 2013

Obama: 'Medicare and Medicaid ... strengthen us' (video)

This Kaiser Health News video clip features excepts from President Barack Obama's second inaugural adress in which he discussed the need to reduce health costs, but also defended the importance of Medicare and Medicaid.

23 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: 'A president set to fight' and a speech that argues for 'a collective turn'

On Monday, there was a clear sense that a pent-up Obama agenda had begun to tumble out - along with a clear willingness to engage in more and new partisan battles with Republicans in pursuit of it.

23 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: A 'fail safe' and a 'time bomb' in health law; Reason for 'optimism' about health costs?

Although Republicans are eager to repeal the entire 2010 healthcare reform law, they started the new session of Congress last week by taking aim at one provision in particular: the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a yet-to-be-named group of 15 presidential appointees from various healthcare disciplines that could play a key role in limiting the growth of Medicare spending. Critics argue that it's a bad idea and even un-American to put so much power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats.

23 Jan 2013

UCLA to participate as a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the UCLA Health System has been selected to participate in the federal government's Medicare Shared Savings Program as an accountable care organization.

21 Jan 2013

GOP House members back plan to raise debt ceiling but still expect entitlement cuts

House Republican leaders abruptly announced they would vote next week to temporarily extend the nation's debt limit, sharply reducing the threat that the government might default on its obligations, but leaving the party still divided as it casts about for the best way to pressure President Obama for more budget cuts.

21 Jan 2013

Paying medical expenses, raising hopes, triggering fears ...

USA Today and Marketplace report on ways in which the cost of health care, especially regarding a serious illness, causes patient anxieties, challenges for the health system and new approaches within the marketplace.

21 Jan 2013

Federal gov't. awards health exchange grants to some states

The federal health department announced $1.5 billion in new grants Thursday for states to continue building their insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. California, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Vermont received funding - either one-or multi-year awards based on their progress in creating the marketplaces.

20 Jan 2013

Debt ceiling, March spending cuts present policy and political choices

As the White House and congressional Republicans wrestle with strategies to deal with these upcoming budget issues, Medicare and Medicaid will be important factors.

19 Jan 2013

UnitedHealth indicates limited participation in state-based exchanges

CEO Stephen Hemsley said Thursday that the insurer expects to participate in 10 to 25 of these marketplaces and noted that there should be no assumptions that the company will participate widely. His announcement comes along with news that the company's 4th quarter profits were down slightly, which was mainly attributed to rising medical costs.

19 Jan 2013

Medicare News and Research

GOP debt limit plan sets up future battle lines on entitlement spending

Sen. Harkin prepares sweeping public health legislation to combat obesity

Obama's inaugural speech triggers reaction, analysis regarding his Medicare view

Medicare initiative for enhanced community care helps lower readmission, study finds

Studies in JAMA examine hospital readmissions and effects of new Medicare penalties

Viewpoints: A 'gift' to Amgen; Obama omits talk of grand bargain; Defending physician pay

Actavis seeks FDA approval to market generic Opana ER

Capsules: CMS community initiatives could reduce health costs; Report: States making it easier to apply for Medicaid

Obama's vision includes safety net programs

Amgen drug gets boost in fiscal cliff legislation

AANS, CNS join other medical societies in endorsing Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act

Obama: 'Medicare and Medicaid ... strengthen us' (video)

Viewpoints: 'A president set to fight' and a speech that argues for 'a collective turn'

Viewpoints: A 'fail safe' and a 'time bomb' in health law; Reason for 'optimism' about health costs?

UCLA to participate as a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO

GOP House members back plan to raise debt ceiling but still expect entitlement cuts

Paying medical expenses, raising hopes, triggering fears ...

Federal gov't. awards health exchange grants to some states

Debt ceiling, March spending cuts present policy and political choices

UnitedHealth indicates limited participation in state-based exchanges

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