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Roundup: NH hospital at center of hepatitis outbreak details fixes; Report finds racial gap in Colo. dental coverage; Health cuts part of Conn. budget plan

Though Exeter Hospital has fixed problems discovered after a hepatitis C outbreak last spring, federal officials say the hospital initially failed to conduct an adequate investigation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said last week it no longer plans to terminate the hospital's Medicare funding now that multiple issues raised by inspectors have been addressed.

11 Dec 2012

New taxes, Medicaid expansion requests and health insurance portability make health law news

News outlets examines a host of health law issues including new taxes on the rich -- set to soon take effect -- meant to pay for parts of the health law, governors' latest requests on expanding Medicaid, health insurance portability for older workers and dealing with chronic care.

11 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Girding for a 'beloved' Medicare fight; Two views about health law's employer mandate; Doctors fear 'SGR cliff'

It's a shame that Republicans are playing into Mr. Obama's hands, negotiating in public among themselves, ... Tennessee Senator Bob Corker made the case for this strategic retreat on "Fox News Sunday," arguing that if Republicans raise tax rates as Mr. Obama wants, "the focus then shifts to entitlements and maybe it puts us in a place where we actually can do something that really saves the nation."

10 Dec 2012

GAO takes hard look at anti-fraud effort inefficiencies in Medicare, Medicaid

The Medicaid program has government employees and contractors doing some of the exact same work, which is wasting government time and money, according to a new Government Accountability Office report to be released on Monday.

10 Dec 2012

As clock ticks toward fiscal deadline, Obama, Boehner meet at the White House

Action this week is critical if a deal is to be reached this year, The Washington Post reports. Most analysts appear to agree that the contours of such an agreement are clear, but the specifics -- which include raising taxes as well as spending reductions for Medicare and Medicaid -- remain challenging and politically divisive.

10 Dec 2012

CareView Communications and IASIS Healthcare sign multi-hospital agreement

CareView Communications, Inc., an information technology provider to the healthcare industry, today announced the signing of a multi-hospital agreement with IASIS Healthcare, a leading owner and operator of acute care hospitals in urban and suburban markets ("IASIS").

10 Dec 2012

First Edition: December 10, 2012

Today's headlines include news about yesterday's "fiscal cliff" meeting between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, as well as other health policy reports.

10 Dec 2012

GOP Sen. Corker says party should accept tax hikes to get spending cuts

As pressure builds for a "fiscal cliff" deal, several key players talked about strategy on the Sunday morning news shows. Meanwhile, Politico reports that Republicans' hope of a big victory on cutting entitlement spending has dimmed while The Hill looks at Democrats' new willingness to consider means testing for Medicare.

9 Dec 2012

Roundup: Ga. 'provider fee' defeat could mean $430M less for Medicaid; Minn. health programs in line for $37M cut over fiscal cliff; Calif. stem cell board criticized

Just weeks before the 2013 General Assembly convenes, the state's provider fee, called a "bed tax" by some, remains a high-profile wild card -- one that could deal Georgia's hospital industry a crippling blow. If the fee is not renewed -- and anti-tax forces will oppose it -- the Medicaid system may lose $430 million-plus that the assessment now generates. That loss would swell the state's Medicaid financial shortfall, which is already about $400 million (Miller, 12/6).

7 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Considering baby boomers' future burden on Medicare; Holtz-Eakin endorses state exchanges; The value (or not) of mammograms

The Congressional Budget Office projects that if current policies continue, total federal spending will rise to 24 percent of gross domestic product in 2022. [Republicans and Washington deficit hawks'] proposed solution is a cap on government spending.

7 Dec 2012

Research Roundup: Medicare Advantage Plan beneficiaries may get more appropriate use of services; CHIP participation grows; College students' flu vaccination rates weak

Analysis Of Medicare Advantage HMOs Compared With Traditional Medicare Shows Lower Use of Many Services During 2003-09 – Researchers compared the utilization rates of Medicare Advantage health maintenance organizations (HMOs) with those of traditional Medicare beneficiaries, 2003-09, "to ascertain whether the HMO enrollees demonstrated different levels of use of services, which can be a hallmark of more integrated care."

7 Dec 2012

Medicare advisory group recommends 1% increase in hospital rates

The head of the group that advises Congress on Medicare issued the draft recommendation, which will be voted on by the full board in January.

7 Dec 2012

Raising Medicare's eligibility age would bring trade-offs

The Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press examine the implications of one option being considered in the federal deficit talks and discover some surprising consequences, including higher premiums for those already covered by Medicare.

7 Dec 2012

Boehner, Obama move to direct talks on budget

As the negotiations shift to the president and House speaker, some Republicans appear to be encouraging their colleagues to abandon staunch opposition to any tax rate hike, The Washington Post reports. But several outlets note that little movement is apparent from either side.

7 Dec 2012

Bill would give FDA clearer authority over drug compounders

The bill, introduced in Congress, would also direct the Food and Drug Administration to train state regulators -- whose oversights may have contributed to the meningitis outbreak that sickened more than 500 and killed at least 36.

7 Dec 2012

First Edition: December 7, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations includes articles on the talks between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner on the "fiscal cliff."

7 Dec 2012

Medicare changes central as 'fiscal cliff' countdown continues

The Washington Post reports that some Republicans are urging House leaders to back higher tax rates for the wealthy in exchange for a deal to rein in spending on safety-net programs. Other news outlets report that AARP and other groups are warning lawmakers about the hazards of cutting benefits as part of a deficit reduction package.

7 Dec 2012

Polls show public reluctance for trimming Medicare to curb the deficit

A new AP-GfK poll found most American favor letting tax cuts expire for top wage earners and a Quinnipiac poll found that voters oppose cutting Medicaid spending and increasing the Medicare eligibility age.

7 Dec 2012

States trying managed care for 'dual eligibles' - Medicare/Medicaid recipients

People who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid - many of whom are elderly and in nursing homes - need lots of often-expensive care.

7 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Lame duck Congress shouldn't take on entitlement changes; New legal challenge to health law; 'Irrational vote' on disability pact

What we need in order to address this fiscal abyss is a Grand Bargain that addresses the two main drivers of our structural deficits: unsustainable social insurance programs, especially health care programs, and a complex, unfair, uncompetitive and inadequate tax system. But a lame duck Congress cannot and should not tackle comprehensive tax and social insurance reforms.

6 Dec 2012

Medicare News and Research

Roundup: NH hospital at center of hepatitis outbreak details fixes; Report finds racial gap in Colo. dental coverage; Health cuts part of Conn. budget plan

New taxes, Medicaid expansion requests and health insurance portability make health law news

Viewpoints: Girding for a 'beloved' Medicare fight; Two views about health law's employer mandate; Doctors fear 'SGR cliff'

GAO takes hard look at anti-fraud effort inefficiencies in Medicare, Medicaid

As clock ticks toward fiscal deadline, Obama, Boehner meet at the White House

CareView Communications and IASIS Healthcare sign multi-hospital agreement

First Edition: December 10, 2012

GOP Sen. Corker says party should accept tax hikes to get spending cuts

Roundup: Ga. 'provider fee' defeat could mean $430M less for Medicaid; Minn. health programs in line for $37M cut over fiscal cliff; Calif. stem cell board criticized

Viewpoints: Considering baby boomers' future burden on Medicare; Holtz-Eakin endorses state exchanges; The value (or not) of mammograms

Research Roundup: Medicare Advantage Plan beneficiaries may get more appropriate use of services; CHIP participation grows; College students' flu vaccination rates weak

Medicare advisory group recommends 1% increase in hospital rates

Raising Medicare's eligibility age would bring trade-offs

Boehner, Obama move to direct talks on budget

Bill would give FDA clearer authority over drug compounders

First Edition: December 7, 2012

Medicare changes central as 'fiscal cliff' countdown continues

Polls show public reluctance for trimming Medicare to curb the deficit

States trying managed care for 'dual eligibles' - Medicare/Medicaid recipients

Viewpoints: Lame duck Congress shouldn't take on entitlement changes; New legal challenge to health law; 'Irrational vote' on disability pact

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