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More Medicare Advantage Plans get top ratings

Privately-run health insurance companies that contract with Medicare are scoring higher in a government-backed quality rating system designed to guide seniors to better medical care choices and service, the Obama administration announced Friday. The so-called "Medicare Advantage Plans" are performing better with more of them hitting four- and five-star ratings on the five-star scale, said U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

15 Oct 2012

Study evaluates international data on kidney transplantation

Kidney transplants performed in Europe are considerably more successful in the long run than those performed in the United States.

15 Oct 2012

In VP debate, Biden and Ryan clash on health issues

In this face-off, the two candidates outlined very different sets of policies and perspectives on issues ranging from their respective Medicare plans to the uninsured and abortion.

15 Oct 2012

Capsules: Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP all targets for fraud

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Alvin Tran reports: When it comes to health care fraud, medical facilities and hospitals are the top two offenders.

15 Oct 2012

Capitol Hill fights over health law, EHR doc payments continue

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill sound off on the Obama administration's "meaningful use" payments to doctors as the fight over parts of the health law -- its oversight and D.C's insurance exchange -- continue.

15 Oct 2012

Romney's clues on pre-existing conditions, lack of health coverage

During a meeting with the Columbus Dispatch, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney offered a comment about people who lack insurance which is being characterized by some news outlets as "controversial." Romney plans to repeal the health law but says uninsured people could still visit an emergency room and that people with preexisting conditions could keep their insurance. On this point, however, he has yet to provide specifics, news outlets report.

15 Oct 2012

Walmart, Humana to help Medicare beneficiaries afford their prescriptions

Annual enrollment begins today for 2013 Medicare plans and Humana Inc. and Walmart will once again help beneficiaries afford their prescriptions.

15 Oct 2012

Women's health, Medicare and the health law mark tight races in various states

Asked where he would cut the government, Mr. Brown cited President Obama's health care law, which, he said, was crushing Massachusetts businesses. He said the law would remove $700 billion from Medicare, an assertion that Mr. Romney made in last week's presidential debate. "That's the same playbook that Mitt Romney used a week ago tonight," Ms. Warren said. "It was wrong then, it's wrong tonight."

15 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: Debate provided 'meaty' political conversation; Looking for Obama's plan on Medicare

Thursday night's vice-presidential debate was one of the best and meatiest political conversations in many years, showing that real differences on public policy can be discussed with fervor, anger, laughter and real substance. In contrast to the dismal meeting last week between President Obama and Mitt Romney, this debate gave voters a chance to evaluate the positions of the two tickets, in part because Representative Paul Ryan's nonanswers were accurate reflections of his campaign.

15 Oct 2012

Vice Presidential candidates debate Medicare plan specifics

During last night's face off, Vice President Joe Biden and GOP vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan offered different plans, visions and, sometimes, even numbers for Medicare's future.

13 Oct 2012

Research roundup: Addressing disparities in cancer diagnosis time, Medicare open season awareness

Researchers tested the effectiveness of using patient navigation programs with women who have abnormal breast or cervical cancer screenings. These programs aim to facilitate treatment by such things as arranging financial support, transportation to appointments, child care or interpreter services.

13 Oct 2012

Medicare sure to be hot topic in vice presidential debate

Will Mr. Ryan be tempted to repeat a staple of his and Mr. Romney's stump speech, that the president has plundered $716 billion from Medicare to pay for "Obamacare?" There is danger there. Mr. Ryan incorporated the same $716 billion savings into his House budget this spring, and he has now renounced that plan because Mr. Romney promises to "restore" the money to Medicare.

12 Oct 2012

State roundup: Minn. says health exchange will cost $40 million

Minnesota budget officials estimate it could cost the state as much as $40 million to run its health insurance exchange in 2015. The state-based online insurance marketplaces are a cornerstone of the federal health care overhaul.

12 Oct 2012

Study identifies pitfalls in current calculation of hospital readmission rates in spine surgery

When hospital patients have to be readmitted soon after discharge, hospitals look bad. And in addition to reflecting poorly on a hospital's quality of care, a high readmission rate also can result in reduced Medicare reimbursements, under provisions now taking effect under the 2010 health care law.

12 Oct 2012

States, companies and officials worry over health law implementation

The medical device industry and other companies are concerned about how the health law's tax and compliance provisions are affecting their bottom lines and are strategizing new ways forward to avoid the monetary hit.

12 Oct 2012

Medicare penalties for hospital-acquired infections didn't cut infection rate, study finds

The research, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at the effect of a 2008 change that cut payments to hospitals for treating infections that patients received while hospitalized.

12 Oct 2012

With interest in health care high, presidential candidates represent stark choice in views

A study in this week's New England Journal of Medicine notes that one in five voters views health care as this year's highest priority issue -- that's more than in any election since 1992. Meanwhile, news outlets continue to examine the policies of President Barack Obama and GOP hopeful Mitt Romney.

12 Oct 2012

Will growing familiarity with Medicare's private choices make seniors more open to premium support?

This question is explored in a new survey and policy brief. Meanwhile, a separate study finds that seniors overspend on Medicare Part D, and their experiences may provide lessons to consider in the development of the health law's insurance exchanges.

12 Oct 2012

Regenstrief, IU to work with 19 Indiana nursing facilities to improve quality of care

A multi-million-dollar award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, will enable Indiana University and Regenstrief Institute clinician-researchers to work with 19 central Indiana nursing facilities to improve the quality of care, reduce hospitalizations and increase access to palliative care for long-stay nursing facility residents.

12 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: Does the GOP plan fix a 'broken' Medicaid system or harm it?; Romney's confusion on abortion

Medicaid, America's safety-net program for more than 62 million low-income uninsured Americans, is broken. ... The best hope for Medicaid reforms that can improve care for low-income enrollees, reduce fraud, and put the program on a sustainable trajectory is to cap federal spending to the states by using block grants.

12 Oct 2012

Medicare News and Research

More Medicare Advantage Plans get top ratings

Study evaluates international data on kidney transplantation

In VP debate, Biden and Ryan clash on health issues

Capsules: Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP all targets for fraud

Capitol Hill fights over health law, EHR doc payments continue

Romney's clues on pre-existing conditions, lack of health coverage

Walmart, Humana to help Medicare beneficiaries afford their prescriptions

Women's health, Medicare and the health law mark tight races in various states

Viewpoints: Debate provided 'meaty' political conversation; Looking for Obama's plan on Medicare

Vice Presidential candidates debate Medicare plan specifics

Research roundup: Addressing disparities in cancer diagnosis time, Medicare open season awareness

Medicare sure to be hot topic in vice presidential debate

State roundup: Minn. says health exchange will cost $40 million

Study identifies pitfalls in current calculation of hospital readmission rates in spine surgery

States, companies and officials worry over health law implementation

Medicare penalties for hospital-acquired infections didn't cut infection rate, study finds

With interest in health care high, presidential candidates represent stark choice in views

Will growing familiarity with Medicare's private choices make seniors more open to premium support?

Regenstrief, IU to work with 19 Indiana nursing facilities to improve quality of care

Viewpoints: Does the GOP plan fix a 'broken' Medicaid system or harm it?; Romney's confusion on abortion

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