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Viewpoints: Krugman says cuts in social security better than Medicare option; Governors refusing to set up exchanges are not 'federalist hypocrites'

All at once, a "fiscal cliff" deal seems to be coming together. ... On the spending side, the Democrats' headline concession will be accepting chained-CPI, which is to say, accepting a cut to Social Security benefits. Beyond that, the negotiators will agree to targets for spending cuts.

19 Dec 2012

Legal settlement paves way for Medicare to cover more home care

For years, Medicare recipients with chronic conditions have had difficulty qualifying for home health services administered by nurses and therapists.

18 Dec 2012

Marketplace changes: Hospitals work on insurance arms; Walgreen eyes hospice business

A growing number of hospital systems are moving to start their own insurance plans, aiming to broaden their roles and prepare for the changes coming under the federal health-care overhaul. Piedmont Healthcare and WellStar Health System, both in the Atlanta area, are set to announce a jointly owned insurance arm, with the goal of marketing coverage to employers and Medicare recipients in 2014.

18 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Raising Medicare's entitlement age doesn't save money; New anti-fraud efforts

Looking for ways to slow the growth of entitlement programs, budget negotiators in Washington are considering making seniors wait two years longer to qualify for Medicare - from age 65 to 67. Many Republicans have endorsed the idea, noting that Medicare beneficiaries now live far longer on average than they did when Congress created the program in 1965.

18 Dec 2012

Boehner offers tax increases in exchange for $1 trillion in cuts to social benefit programs

The latest offer by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is seen as progress in the negotiations between Congress and the White House, but in return Boehner is asking for significant cuts in Medicare and other programs.

18 Dec 2012

System to curb Medicare fraudulent payments saves $115 million

A highly touted new technology system designed to stop fraudulent Medicare payments before they are paid has saved about $115 million and spurred more than 500 investigations since it was launched in the summer of 2011, according to a report released Friday.

17 Dec 2012

Democrats wary of Medicare benefits cuts being discussed in fiscal talks

Talk of hiking costs for wealthier beneficiaries and increasing the program's eligibility age appear to make some Democrats nervous, and may be causing difficulties in the Democratic caucus.

17 Dec 2012

Survey shows health care costs projected to increase at slower pace

Projected cost increases for all types of medical plans are anticipated to be down by between 0.2 and 0.6 percent through the first half of 2013, according to a survey by Buck Consultants, A Xerox Company.

17 Dec 2012

First Edition: December 17, 2012

Today's headlines include weekend updates regarding the fiscal cliff negotiations as well as news regarding states' decisions on health exchanges.

17 Dec 2012

Three critical illness factors independently associated with increased risk of dementia

Older people often worry about dementia and while some risks are known, for example alcoholism or stroke, the effects of illness are less clear. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care looks at illness requiring hospitalization and treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) and finds that infection or severe sepsis, neurological dysfunction, such as delirium, or acute dialysis are all independently associated with an increased risk of a subsequent diagnosis of dementia.

17 Dec 2012

Raising the Medicare eligibility age is difficult issue for Democrats

Though one leading Senate Democrat has signalled that the idea of raising Medicare's eligibility is off the negotiating table, it's not clear where this bargaining chit stands.

15 Dec 2012

Partisan differences persist on taxes and Medicare, other entitlement programs

Meanwhile, news outlets report that some Senate Republicans are working on a back-up plan that would cancel certain tax increases scheduled to take effect next year for most Americans.

15 Dec 2012

Genesee Health Plan joins Disparities and Cardiac Health Program initiative

MPRO, Michigan's Quality Improvement Organization, announced that Genesee Health Plan is joining its Disparities and Cardiac Health Program, a special project headed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

15 Dec 2012

Reports: State budgets looking grim, Medicaid particularly problematic

Medicaid costs are continuing to rise as state revenues are not recovering fast enough from the recession.

15 Dec 2012

New finding likely to fuel cost-benefit debate over cancer care

A study published Thursday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute concluded that proton-beam therapy provided no long-term benefit over traditional radiation despite far higher costs.

15 Dec 2012

Research roundup: Workers' insurance costs vary depending on employers' size; Seniors mental health needs often unmet

Survey -- The authors of this analysis provide a detailed look at the availability of health coverage at small and large employers, as well as the variations in plan costs and cost-sharing requirements.

15 Dec 2012

MDx, Amarantus sign license agreement for LymPro Alzheimer's disease diagnostic blood test

Amarantus BioScience, Inc., a biotechnology company discovering and developing treatments for diseases associated with protein misfolding and apoptosis, today announced that it has licensed the LymPro Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostic Blood Test (LymPro) from Memory Dx, LLC (MDx), formerly known as Provista Life Sciences, Inc.

14 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Krugman says GOP's attacks on big government don't translate to Medicare; Democrats' must overcome hesitancy to bargain

By all accounts, Republicans have, so far, offered almost no specifics. They claim that they're willing to raise $800 billion in revenue by closing loopholes, but they refuse to specify which loopholes they would close; they are demanding large cuts in spending, but the specific cuts they have been willing to lay out wouldn't come close to delivering the savings they demand. It's a very peculiar situation.

14 Dec 2012

House Republicans assail administration on health law implementation

Members of the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health assert administration officials have not been helpful to states.

14 Dec 2012

Prostate cancer patients experience minimal relief from side effects following proton radiotherapy

Prostate cancer patients receiving the costly treatment known as proton radiotherapy experienced minimal relief from side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, compared to patients undergoing a standard radiation treatment called intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

14 Dec 2012

Medicare News and Research

Viewpoints: Krugman says cuts in social security better than Medicare option; Governors refusing to set up exchanges are not 'federalist hypocrites'

Legal settlement paves way for Medicare to cover more home care

Marketplace changes: Hospitals work on insurance arms; Walgreen eyes hospice business

Viewpoints: Raising Medicare's entitlement age doesn't save money; New anti-fraud efforts

Boehner offers tax increases in exchange for $1 trillion in cuts to social benefit programs

System to curb Medicare fraudulent payments saves $115 million

Democrats wary of Medicare benefits cuts being discussed in fiscal talks

Survey shows health care costs projected to increase at slower pace

First Edition: December 17, 2012

Three critical illness factors independently associated with increased risk of dementia

Raising the Medicare eligibility age is difficult issue for Democrats

Partisan differences persist on taxes and Medicare, other entitlement programs

Genesee Health Plan joins Disparities and Cardiac Health Program initiative

Reports: State budgets looking grim, Medicaid particularly problematic

New finding likely to fuel cost-benefit debate over cancer care

Research roundup: Workers' insurance costs vary depending on employers' size; Seniors mental health needs often unmet

MDx, Amarantus sign license agreement for LymPro Alzheimer's disease diagnostic blood test

Viewpoints: Krugman says GOP's attacks on big government don't translate to Medicare; Democrats' must overcome hesitancy to bargain

House Republicans assail administration on health law implementation

Prostate cancer patients experience minimal relief from side effects following proton radiotherapy

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

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