Medicare News and Research

RSS

Boomers face dearth of home caregivers; Medicare expands home-care pilot project

As baby boomers age, the U.S. will face a challenge trying to fill more than 1 million new home care positions to meet their needs, The Associated Press reports. In the meantime, Medicare is adding more groups to a pilot program aimed at lowering costs for Medicare beneficiaries by providing them with home-based care.

14 Aug 2012

Health law critically important to women; Expanding Medicaid could spur state education cuts; Misuse of antipsychotics in dementia patients

If we can set aside the political wrangling and focus on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, what becomes obvious is its critically important impact on women's health. The fact is while women are the primary coordinators of health care for families and comprise the majority of U.S. health-care workers, they also put their own health-care needs behind those of their children. Cost is too often the reason.

13 Aug 2012

FDA accepts Teva's NDA for Quartette oral contraceptive

Teva Women's Health, Inc., a U.S.-based subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing its New Drug Application for Quartette (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol tablets and ethinyl estradiol tablets).

13 Aug 2012

Mitt Romney taps Paul Ryan as his V.P. pick

The selection of the fiscal conservative puts the size and scope of the federal government -- and especially the future of Medicare and other entitlement programs -- at the center of the election debate. Ryan's views on social issues, such as abortion, are also explored by media outlets.

13 Aug 2012

Political cartoon: 'New Math?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "New Math?" by Rina Piccolo.

13 Aug 2012

Romney-Ryan team hits the campaign trail

GOP presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney will make campaign appearances Monday in Florida, the senior-rich state where Medicare is a key voter concern, and where some predict Paul Ryan's budget proposals could have a negative impact. Meanwhile, the newly anointed Romney vice presidential pick will be in Iowa.

13 Aug 2012

Premier healthcare alliance awards new agreements for patient lifts and lateral transfer devices

The Premier healthcare alliance today announced new agreements for patient lifts and lateral transfer devices have been awarded.

13 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 13, 2012

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jordan Rau reports: "More than 2,000 hospitals - including some nationally recognized ones - will be penalized by the government starting in October because many of their patients are readmitted soon after discharge, new records show".

13 Aug 2012

Radiation therapy following lumpectomy may benefit older, early-stage breast cancer patients

For the majority of older, early-stage breast cancer patients, radiation therapy following breast conserving surgery may help prevent the need for a later mastectomy, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

13 Aug 2012

Radiation after lumpectomy helps prevent need for subsequent mastectomy in older women with early stage breast cancer

Contrary to clinical recommendations, older women with early stage breast cancer may want to undergo radiation after lumpectomy to help ensure that they will not need a mastectomy in the future. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The findings indicate that current thinking on the risks and benefits of radiation for early stage breast cancer in older women may be inaccurate.

13 Aug 2012

Pressure builds on presidential nominees on health care issues, a GOP running mate

The presidential race picks up with conservatives pushing presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney to pick Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as his running mate while Romney's latest TV ad accuses President Obama of using his health law to "declare war" on religion.

12 Aug 2012

Ryan's Medicare plan has made him a hero on the right but also presents campaign risks

Ever since the "Ryan budget," as its known, was first proposed in April 2011, there have been competing attempts by Democrats and Republicans to define what it is and what it isn't. Here's the basics from the proposal he offered earlier this year.

12 Aug 2012

Democrats react swiftly to Romney's V.P. pick

Armed with talking points related to the House G.O.P. budget plan advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., which includes sweeping proposed changes to Medicare, Democrats go on the attack.

12 Aug 2012

Romney chooses Rep. Paul Ryan as vice presidential candidate

Mitt Romney has selected Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his vice-presidential running mate. ... Romney's campaign formally alerted supporters at 7 a.m. via an iPhone app that the seven-term congressman would be the Republican vice-presidential nominee. Minutes later, the campaign sent out a release calling Romney and Ryan "America's comeback team."

12 Aug 2012

House Republicans seek details on health law implementation spending, Medicare Advantage bonus payments

Members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee are following the spending trail of Obama administration health programs.

12 Aug 2012

Anxiety Index: Survey examines baby boomers' concerns about Medicare, future health care costs and related issues

Worries about health care, inflation, taxes, nest eggs and more have boomers scoring a 70% on AARP's anxiety index, compared to 59% of younger voters and 46% of people ages 65 or older.

12 Aug 2012

Medicare payments for anemia drug too high; Feds seek fix to glitch that denies some hospitalized beneficiaries coverage for follow-up nursing home care

The U.S. health-care system is vastly overspending for a single anemia drug because Medicare overestimates its use by hundreds of millions of dollars a year, according to an analysis of federal data. The overpayment to hospitals and clinics arises because Medicare reimburses them based on estimates rather than the actual use of the drug.

12 Aug 2012

Viewpoints: Romney campaign's response to ad incites conservatives; Opponents of law should give back their rebates

The Romney people are trying a little jujitsu on an ad from Obama backers that implies Mitt Romney is responsible for the death of an Indiana woman who lacked health insurance.

10 Aug 2012

GOP governors respond to CMS signs of flexibility regarding Medicaid expansion

CQ HealthBeat reports that some Republican state executives were not impressed with the decision by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services officials to allow states that proceed with expansion plans now to scale back their Medicaid programs later.

10 Aug 2012

Even during August break, congressional health policy concerns draw headlines

Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., is working to build support for new legislation to expand Medicare's nursing home coverage while Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., notes problems within the Indian Health Service. All the while, the health law's contraception coverage mandate continues to trigger disputes.

10 Aug 2012

Medicare News and Research

Boomers face dearth of home caregivers; Medicare expands home-care pilot project

Health law critically important to women; Expanding Medicaid could spur state education cuts; Misuse of antipsychotics in dementia patients

FDA accepts Teva's NDA for Quartette oral contraceptive

Mitt Romney taps Paul Ryan as his V.P. pick

Political cartoon: 'New Math?'

Romney-Ryan team hits the campaign trail

Premier healthcare alliance awards new agreements for patient lifts and lateral transfer devices

First Edition: August 13, 2012

Radiation therapy following lumpectomy may benefit older, early-stage breast cancer patients

Radiation after lumpectomy helps prevent need for subsequent mastectomy in older women with early stage breast cancer

Pressure builds on presidential nominees on health care issues, a GOP running mate

Ryan's Medicare plan has made him a hero on the right but also presents campaign risks

Democrats react swiftly to Romney's V.P. pick

Romney chooses Rep. Paul Ryan as vice presidential candidate

House Republicans seek details on health law implementation spending, Medicare Advantage bonus payments

Anxiety Index: Survey examines baby boomers' concerns about Medicare, future health care costs and related issues

Medicare payments for anemia drug too high; Feds seek fix to glitch that denies some hospitalized beneficiaries coverage for follow-up nursing home care

Viewpoints: Romney campaign's response to ad incites conservatives; Opponents of law should give back their rebates

GOP governors respond to CMS signs of flexibility regarding Medicaid expansion

Even during August break, congressional health policy concerns draw headlines

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

Latest News