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Longer looks: Disparities in nursing home penalties; Understanding dying with dignity

My mortality wake-up call came in a hospital after knee surgery, when I flat-lined because of a heart arrhythmia and was resuscitated by a nurse. In response to columns about those events, stories have streamed in from people who are running out of time themselves, or enduring the pain of watching loved ones fade. The deaths they face are as different as the lives they've lived, but a steady refrain runs through their emails and letters.

21 Dec 2012

Akorbi announces aggressive growth strategy in early 2012

Akorbi, one of the health insurance industry's largest suppliers of translation and interpretation services, announced an aggressive growth strategy in early 2012 that included the addition of multilingual and technology consulting staffing services.

21 Dec 2012

California Hospital Association honors Sharp HealthCare leader with Award of Merit

Daniel L. Gross , DNSc, RN, Executive Vice President of Hospital Operations for Sharp HealthCare, received the Award of Merit from the California Hospital Association (CHA), at the organization's board meeting today in Newport Beach.

21 Dec 2012

Mayo Clinic announces UnitedHealthcare as new member of HAIL consortium

Mayo Clinic announced UnitedHealthcare as the newest member of the Healthy Aging and Independent Living (HAIL) consortium.

21 Dec 2012

Viewpoints on the fiscal cliff: Boehner as 'adult in charge'?; Sorting through entitlement program spending

Since the election, House Speaker John Boehner has emerged as that Washington rarity, the adult in charge. ... Shortly after the election, Mr. Boehner made the first move by acknowledging that Washington could draw additional revenue if it also cut spending.

21 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Could expanding mental health services curb gun violence?; Opinions on other aspects of health law

President Obama said he would use whatever powers his office holds to address this violence. ... Currently, nearly half of all gun sales in the U.S. are conducted without a background check. Criminals, the mentally ill, minors and domestic abusers are all prohibited from purchasing guns, but they all can do so as easily as attending a gun show or going online.

20 Dec 2012

Roundup: Calif. Report sets 10-year health goals; Conn. hospitals plead to stop cuts; Colo. lawmaker wants state universal health care on ballot

With the state facing rising medical costs and increasing rates of chronic disease, California health leaders issued a report Wednesday setting specific health targets to meet by 2022. The state's goals include reducing smoking rates, increasing vaccinations among children and improving depression screening and treatment. The report also describes ways to improve end-of-life care, by expanding palliative care at hospitals and hospice programs at home.

20 Dec 2012

Maneuvering toward a 'fiscal cliff' deal

Despite progress toward an agreement with the White House, House Republicans appeared to veer off course Tuesday with a "Plan B" if budget talks fail. Some media outlets suggested that both President Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, are attempting to quell backlash within their own parties -- Boehner for agreeing to tax increases, Obama for ceding some entitlement cuts.

20 Dec 2012

Negotiators eye short-term and long-term 'doc fix' options

Single-year and two-year fixes to the "sustainable growth rate" formula -- or even a permanent fix -- are floated as the White House and congressional republicans continue negotiations over taxes and spending.

20 Dec 2012

Patients with hypertension or diabetes have increased risk of cancer recurrence, survival

By all accounts, a combination of colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure can be a recipe for medical disaster. Now, a new study led by a surgical oncologist and researcher at Temple University School of Medicine and Fox Chase Cancer Center has shown just how deadly this mix can be.

20 Dec 2012

Speaker doesn't foresee increase in Medicare eligibility age this year

Congress doesn't need to raise the Medicare eligibility age this year, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Tuesday. Raising the eligibility age from 65 to 67 was on the table in earlier debt talks, and has been floated again as Boehner and President Obama look for a way to avoid the looming fiscal cliff.

20 Dec 2012

Hospitals with good work environment have low readmission rates

New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has found that Medicare patients treated in hospitals with a good work environment for nurses had up to ten percent lower odds of readmission than those treated in hospitals with a poor work environment.

20 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Does 'fiscal cliff' end justify the means?; A shrinking government under any plan; Wrongly confusing Asperger's with mental illness

It is the third week of December, and all of Washington is focused on whether the country will fall off the "fiscal cliff" it has built for itself. ... As of January 1, physicians' fees for treating Medicare patients are scheduled for an across-the-board reduction of about 27% in addition to the 2% reduction for all services relating to Medicare under sequestration.

19 Dec 2012

First Edition: December 19, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the "fiscal cliff" negotiations.

19 Dec 2012

Clock is ticking for insurance exchange implementation

The idea of a health insurance exchange as laid out in President Barack Obama's signature law seems straightforward: an online marketplace where people will shop for private health insurance, like buying an airline ticket or a hotel room.

19 Dec 2012

Workers, employers, elderly and hospitals all worried about effects of fiscal cuts

As negotiations drag on to cut federal debt, many groups are concerned about how potential changes in spending will affect them.

19 Dec 2012

18 states plan to operate their own health exchanges

The deadline for states to inform the federal government if they would operate healthcare exchanges under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law was December 14.

19 Dec 2012

Medicare issues in play: IPAB, the doc-fix and the eligibility age

News outlets report on how specific Medicare-related proposals and provisions are holding up in the continuing negotiations to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.

19 Dec 2012

Obama, Boehner trade 'fiscal cliff' offers, express optimism about possible deal

President Barack Obama's latest offer does not include a Republican proposal to increase the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports on how health care spending is driving the nation's debt, while USA Today details a new poll showing the public favors the president in the fiscal talks.

19 Dec 2012

Roundup: Minn. court rules relatives deserve same pay for personal care attendant work; Colo. governor wants $18.5M for expanded mental health care

The state's effort to reduce pay for some personal care attendants has hit a snag. The Minnesota Appeals Court ruled Monday that the state's attempt to pay PCAs who care for relatives 20 percent less than other personal care attendants is unconstitutional. "They have the same training, they have the same experience, they're limited to the same number of maximum hours," said attorney David Bradley Olsen, who represents 11 agencies and several personal care assistants who sued over the matter.

19 Dec 2012

Medicare News and Research

Longer looks: Disparities in nursing home penalties; Understanding dying with dignity

Akorbi announces aggressive growth strategy in early 2012

California Hospital Association honors Sharp HealthCare leader with Award of Merit

Mayo Clinic announces UnitedHealthcare as new member of HAIL consortium

Viewpoints on the fiscal cliff: Boehner as 'adult in charge'?; Sorting through entitlement program spending

Viewpoints: Could expanding mental health services curb gun violence?; Opinions on other aspects of health law

Roundup: Calif. Report sets 10-year health goals; Conn. hospitals plead to stop cuts; Colo. lawmaker wants state universal health care on ballot

Maneuvering toward a 'fiscal cliff' deal

Negotiators eye short-term and long-term 'doc fix' options

Patients with hypertension or diabetes have increased risk of cancer recurrence, survival

Speaker doesn't foresee increase in Medicare eligibility age this year

Hospitals with good work environment have low readmission rates

Viewpoints: Does 'fiscal cliff' end justify the means?; A shrinking government under any plan; Wrongly confusing Asperger's with mental illness

First Edition: December 19, 2012

Clock is ticking for insurance exchange implementation

Workers, employers, elderly and hospitals all worried about effects of fiscal cuts

18 states plan to operate their own health exchanges

Medicare issues in play: IPAB, the doc-fix and the eligibility age

Obama, Boehner trade 'fiscal cliff' offers, express optimism about possible deal

Roundup: Minn. court rules relatives deserve same pay for personal care attendant work; Colo. governor wants $18.5M for expanded mental health care

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