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Bankers Life and Casualty introduces new life and health insurance product

Bankers Life and Casualty Company today announced a new addition to its portfolio of life and health insurance products, Critical Benefit.

10 Jul 2012

First Edition: July 10, 2012

Today's headlines include findings of a new Washington Post poll indicating Americans remain divided on the health law. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, cracks may be emerging in the Republican's repeal effort.

10 Jul 2012

New devices effectively monitor and control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes

Newer technologies designed to help people with type 1 diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels daily work better than traditional methods and require fewer painful needle sticks, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

10 Jul 2012

New blood sugar monitor works better than conventional methods

10 Jul 2012

Proposed Medicare fee schedule includes pay increase for primary care, family docs

The proposed rule also would provide payment for care that helps patients make the transition back into the community following a discharge from a hospital or nursing facility.

10 Jul 2012

Federal judge to decide Wednesday on Miss. abortion law that could close last clinic

The Republican-appointed judge is expected to rule this week whether to block a law that could effectively shutter the state's only abortion clinic. Abortion politics could also affect the availability of services in Indiana and D.C.

10 Jul 2012

Romney's stance on the health law tax is blasted by Democrats, scrutinized by GOP

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's reversal on whether the mandate is a tax has made him the target of intense Republican and Democratic scrutiny as the Supreme Court ruling on the health law proves a boon for the campaign bankrolls of both Romney and President Obama.

10 Jul 2012

Federal government commits $11B to expand operating capacity of FQHC and look-alike clinics

The federal government has committed $11 billion to expand the operating capacity of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), which receive federal funding and enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and "look-alike" clinics that receive enhanced reimbursement but no federal grants.

10 Jul 2012

Viewpoints: Daschle says health law still has 4 hurdles; Commentators from states such as Calif., Texas and Florida wrestle with options

The GOP-controlled U.S. House plans to hold what can only be called symbolic votes on repealing the sweeping reforms they deride as "Obamacare." Meanwhile, at least 15 governors are said to be leaning toward refusing to expand state Medicaid programs -- a key part of the reform's strategy to provide some form of health insurance to the 32 million people now going without coverage.

10 Jul 2012

Humana acquires national chronic-care provider, SeniorBridge

Humana Inc. announced today it has completed its acquisition of SeniorBridge, a national chronic-care provider best known for providing in-home care management and caregiving services for seniors.

9 Jul 2012

Consumer Reports investigates hospital safety

The magazine offers its rankings of the safest and most dangerous hospitals based on six criteria.

9 Jul 2012

JRD receives FDA priority review designation for XARELTO sNDAs to treat PE, DVT

Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen R&D) announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assigned a priority review designation to the supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) filed on May 2, 2012 for XARELTO (rivaroxaban), an oral anticoagulant, seeking new indications to treat patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and to prevent recurrent DVT and PE.

9 Jul 2012

First Edition: July 9, 2012

Kaiser Health News "Insuring Your Health" columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about doctors who charge extra fees for more personalized care.

9 Jul 2012

Medicare cuts, competing views on overhaul keep health issues hot in campaign

"Obamacare cuts Medicare - cuts Medicare - by approximately $500 billion," Mr. Romney has told audiences. That is a reprise of Republicans' mantra of the 2010 midterm elections, which gave them big gains at both the state and federal levels and a majority in the House.

8 Jul 2012

Research roundup: Crowded emergency departments, expensive HIV drugs, high deductible insurance plans

Skin In The Game: How Consumer-Directed Plans Affect The Cost And Use Of Health Care -- Consumer-directed health plans, which feature lower premiums and higher deductibles than traditional plans, are designed to reduce costs by discouraging unnecessary care. This brief describes a study of more than 800,000 households that switched from a traditional employer-based plan to a consumer-based plan.

7 Jul 2012

Roundup: Feds rank Texas last in health care delivery; Mass. health care costs eat almost 43 percent of state budget

Texas ranked dead last in the federal government's latest report card on the delivery of health services, falling short in areas ranging from acute hospital care to home treatment of the chronically ill. Texas scored 31.61 -- less than half of top-ranked Minnesota's 67.31 -- out of a possible 100 points in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality annual rankings.

7 Jul 2012

It's not over: More legal challenges loom over health law

Legal challenges on the health law's contraception mandate and a new Medicare panel could make for more health law fireworks.

6 Jul 2012

A look at how health policy positions can be politically sold, accurate or not

Marketing experts tackle health policy messaging, as the president campaigns for an ally and news organizations fact-check political claims.

6 Jul 2012

Audit finds wrong part of Medicare was used to pay for hospice patients' drugs

The Medicare program could be paying multiple times for prescription drugs for hospice beneficiaries, a new federal report suggests.

6 Jul 2012

Viewpoints: The Medicaid expansion 'dilemma;' Mandate not the only health tax the GOP backed

Full-time employment is a major reason that able-bodied adults would have incomes above 133 percent of the federal poverty level. If carried out, this expansion is expected to reduce full-time employment among able-bodied adults, because they would no longer need to be employed full time to obtain health insurance.

6 Jul 2012

Medicare News and Research

Bankers Life and Casualty introduces new life and health insurance product

First Edition: July 10, 2012

New devices effectively monitor and control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes

New blood sugar monitor works better than conventional methods

Proposed Medicare fee schedule includes pay increase for primary care, family docs

Federal judge to decide Wednesday on Miss. abortion law that could close last clinic

Romney's stance on the health law tax is blasted by Democrats, scrutinized by GOP

Federal government commits $11B to expand operating capacity of FQHC and look-alike clinics

Viewpoints: Daschle says health law still has 4 hurdles; Commentators from states such as Calif., Texas and Florida wrestle with options

Humana acquires national chronic-care provider, SeniorBridge

Consumer Reports investigates hospital safety

JRD receives FDA priority review designation for XARELTO sNDAs to treat PE, DVT

First Edition: July 9, 2012

Medicare cuts, competing views on overhaul keep health issues hot in campaign

Research roundup: Crowded emergency departments, expensive HIV drugs, high deductible insurance plans

Roundup: Feds rank Texas last in health care delivery; Mass. health care costs eat almost 43 percent of state budget

It's not over: More legal challenges loom over health law

A look at how health policy positions can be politically sold, accurate or not

Audit finds wrong part of Medicare was used to pay for hospice patients' drugs

Viewpoints: The Medicaid expansion 'dilemma;' Mandate not the only health tax the GOP backed

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