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Health law implementation: McDonnell wants better answers to exchange questions; GAO says some kids may miss out on coverage

Also in the news, the Boston Globe examines the possible impact of the Supreme Court's health law decision on state-federal relations.

25 Jul 2012

First Edition: July 24, 2012

Today's headlines include news from the campaign season as well as reports from the international AIDS conference currently taking place in Washington, D.C.

24 Jul 2012

Rep. Burgess offers bill to extend Medicare doc pay another year; House panel approves more pediatric residencies

The measure on Medicare reimbursements to physicians would put off a dramatic rate cut scheduled to take effect next year.

24 Jul 2012

Viewpoints: Cutting health costs is next battle; Texas Medicaid chief on why expansion won't work; Grief, anger over end-of-life decision

No matter what happens to President Obama's health care reforms after the November elections, the disjointed, costly American health care system must find ways to slow the rate of spending while delivering quality care. There is widespread pessimism that anything much can be achieved quickly, but innovative solutions are emerging in unexpected places. A health care system owned and managed by Alaska's native people has achieved astonishing results in improving the health of its enrollees while cutting the costs of treating them.

24 Jul 2012

Why it's hard for medicine to fix its mistakes

ProPublica offers an examination of the challenges hospitals face in adopting procedures to address medical errors.

23 Jul 2012

NSCLC survival increase 'an artifact of PET assessment'

There has been no increase in survival among non-small-cell lung cancer patients in recent years, with evidence suggesting otherwise likely due to positron emission tomography-induced stage migration and selection bias, say US scientists.

23 Jul 2012

HealthBridge Management issues update on third week of SEIU's strike

HealthBridge Management, which operates five Health Care Centers in Connecticut currently subject to a strike by the New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199 SEIU (the Union), today provided an update on events as the strike, which began July 3, continued into its third week.

21 Jul 2012

Tool to predict and map hot spots for potential primary care shortages

Vanderbilt researchers have been selected to receive a national grant as part of a push to gauge the coming impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

21 Jul 2012

HHS report: Hospitals fall short in meeting error reporting requirements

The government report says the failure to report medical errors hampers providers' ability to identify and fix preventable problems. Meanwhile, new Medicare data shows hospitals are making little progress in reducing preventable readmissions.

21 Jul 2012

When checks and balances in the pharmaceutical marketplace fall short

The Washington Post explores how a trio of very expensive anemia drugs became "superstars" in the marketplace. Also, The Wall Street Journal tracks the process by which certain fake cancer drugs found their way into the United States.

21 Jul 2012

Research roundup: Gastric bypass costs, paying for psychotherapy

Health Expenditures Among High-Risk Patients After Gastric Bypass and Matched Controls -- A few studies have shown that bariatric surgery can help reduce health care spending by obese patients, particularly those with conditions such as diabetes. This latest study looked at 847 patients who received bariatric surgery through the Veterans Affairs medical system. Inpatient and outpatient spending both before and after surgery were compared to 847 obese patients who did not have the operation.

21 Jul 2012

HHS issues final rule on essential health benefits data collection

Meanwhile, new research from the Center for Studying Health System Change indicates that more small businesses may be self-insuring -- a step that will reduce their participation in the health law's insurance exchanges.

21 Jul 2012

In Florida, Obama attacks Romney on Medicare plan

Drawing on traditional Democratic campaign themes, President Barack Obama criticized GOP plans to transform Medicare into a "voucher program" and to repeal the 2010 health law.

21 Jul 2012

Views on health reform: U.S. not getting value for its spending; Cutting doctors' school debt to curb costs

When it comes to healthcare, Americans are not getting a lot of value for their money. The United States spends 17.6% of its gross domestic product, nearly twice the average of the nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. But life expectancy in the United States in 2010, at 78.7 years, is below the OECD average of 79.8 years. The U.S. infant mortality rate is higher than in most developed countries - it is higher than the rates in Greece, Hungary and Slovakia.

21 Jul 2012

House subcommittee approves spending bill that deletes health law funding

The measure, which is part of the GOP plan to defund the health overhaul, also deletes all federal funding for Planned Parenthood and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

20 Jul 2012

Economic issues dominate voters' concerns, while health law bubbles on back burner

Though the economy seems to be trumping the health law on the campaign trail, the overhaul is one of the flashpoints in what the New York Times describes as a "philosophic clash" over the role of the federal government. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama, campaigning in Florida, is expected to talk Medicare. In the background, Vice President Joseph Biden says Obama expected the political backlash triggered by the health law.

20 Jul 2012

Medicare News and Research

Health law implementation: McDonnell wants better answers to exchange questions; GAO says some kids may miss out on coverage

First Edition: July 24, 2012

Rep. Burgess offers bill to extend Medicare doc pay another year; House panel approves more pediatric residencies

Viewpoints: Cutting health costs is next battle; Texas Medicaid chief on why expansion won't work; Grief, anger over end-of-life decision

Why it's hard for medicine to fix its mistakes

NSCLC survival increase 'an artifact of PET assessment'

HealthBridge Management issues update on third week of SEIU's strike

Tool to predict and map hot spots for potential primary care shortages

HHS report: Hospitals fall short in meeting error reporting requirements

When checks and balances in the pharmaceutical marketplace fall short

Research roundup: Gastric bypass costs, paying for psychotherapy

HHS issues final rule on essential health benefits data collection

In Florida, Obama attacks Romney on Medicare plan

Views on health reform: U.S. not getting value for its spending; Cutting doctors' school debt to curb costs

House subcommittee approves spending bill that deletes health law funding

Economic issues dominate voters' concerns, while health law bubbles on back burner

Polling indicates Americans still divided on health law

Survey finds Medicare beneficiaries happier with coverage than younger people on private plans

Claimsnet second quarter 2012 revenues increase 12% to $657,000

Frist urges state leaders - both Democrats and Republicans - to move quickly on state-based exchanges

Industry Focus eBook - Forensics & toxicology (2nd edition) eBook

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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