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First Edition: June 18, 2012

Today's headlines include reports on the upcoming Supreme Court health law decision and the politics of health policy.

18 Jun 2012

Methodist receives $26.2M H&HS grant to reduce blood infections and delirium

Grants from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services totaling $26.2 million will support work by The Methodist Hospital in Houston to reduce blood infections and delirium-caused injuries in Texas hospitals.

16 Jun 2012

The economy and the health law: A key theme on GOP campaign trail

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and other GOP leaders are linking pledges to repeal the health care law to a small-government, economic recovery theme.

16 Jun 2012

Larsen leaving CCIIO, agency responsible for implementing major parts of health reform law

Steve Larsen, the government administrator directing enactment of U.S. insurance regulations created by the 2010 health-care overhaul, is leaving to return to the private sector, according to e-mails to staff.

16 Jun 2012

CMS awards nearly $18 million to spread collaborative care model for managing depression

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded almost $18 million to a local and national collaboration of partner organizations with the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) as lead organization.

16 Jun 2012

Not many EHR systems meet new federal standards

Electronic health records (EHRs) are used widely by California physicians, but many of their systems are not designed to meet new federal standards aimed at improving the quality of health care, according to a report from UCSF researchers.

16 Jun 2012

Better care for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid patients could reduce hospitalization rates

Providing better care for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid patients could significantly reduce hospitalization rates for this population, saving taxpayers between $625 million and $1.9 billion per year, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International and Florida Atlantic University.

15 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 15, 2012

Today's headlines include the latest on how the White House and congressional lawmakers are bracing for the Supreme Court's health law decision.

15 Jun 2012

Press Ganey, AMGA introduce healthcare industry's first survey for ACOs

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) and Press Ganey Associates, Inc. today launched the healthcare industry's first survey designed to help accountable care organizations (ACOs) and high-performing health systems identify opportunities for improving both efficiency and quality. The tool, called the AMGA-Press Ganey Coordinated Care Solution, assesses a patient's entire episode of care and enables better management of population health to create positive patient outcomes and maximize shared savings.

15 Jun 2012

Medicaid fraud audits show little return on program costs

A program to fight fraud in the Medicaid health system for the poor has cost the U.S. at least $102 million in auditing fees since 2008 while identifying less than $20 million in overpayments, investigators found. The majority of the audits conducted by 10 companies were discontinued, produced "low or no findings" or were "put on hold," the Government Accountability Office, the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, said today in a report.

15 Jun 2012

Dems, GOP jockey for position on health law, budget legislation

In advance of the upcoming general election, Democrats and Republicans are trading barbs on the reasons -- each accusing each other of playing politics -- for delaying economic legislation and how the health care law has affected jobs in America.

15 Jun 2012

Calif. Dems balking on more Medicaid cuts; Big jump in Minnesota Medicaid rolls

Democratic legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they plan to move forward with their proposal to address California's $15.7 billion deficit even though Gov. Jerry Brown hasn't signed off on the plan. ... Democrats refused to cut an additional $1.2 billion on programs for the poor, particularly the welfare-to-work program CalWORKS; childcare; In-Home Supportive Services, which provides care for the sick and disabled in their homes; low-cost health insurance known as Healthy Families; and Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.

15 Jun 2012

New MAXIMUS podcast series focuses on government health and human services programs

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced the launch of a new podcast series that focuses on government health and human services programs.

15 Jun 2012

Positive top-line results from Teva’s GALA Phase III trial on RRMS

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced positive top-line results from the GALA (Glatiramer Acetate Low-Frequency Administration) Phase III clinical trial assessing the efficacy, safety and tolerability of 40 mg/1 ml glatiramer acetate injection (GA) administered subcutaneously three times a week compared to placebo in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients.

15 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 14, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about how the pending Supreme Court decision is being viewed by investors, and the latest from the campaign trail.

14 Jun 2012

Medicare Advantage enrollment goes up as premium costs decline

A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the enrollment increases were also due in part to seniors' reduced access to supplemental coverage as well as greater comfort with managed care.

14 Jun 2012

Health care costs to reach nearly one-fifth of GDP by 2021

New health care cost projections released Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicate that the nation's health care spending will keep outpacing economic growth despite a recent slowdown.

14 Jun 2012

Romney sees 'consumer' health care in the post-health law landscape

As the country awaits the health law decision and President Barack Obama appears to be playing down campaign talk about the health law, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney took the opposite approach by offering his vision of health care in America when the law is undone.

14 Jun 2012

Use, overuse of imaging tests adds about $100 billion to U.S. medical bills

The use of diagnostic imaging has nearly tripled since the mid-1990s, according to a new study, raising questions about whether the benefits outweigh the risks of increased radiation exposure.

14 Jun 2012

Health law's birth control mandate, Medicare's doughnut hole draw headlines

Drug manufacturers may abandon the health law's provisions to close Medicare's so-called "doughnut hole" if the high court overturns the measure. Also, religious leaders press the Department of Health and Human Services to widen the religious exemption to the health law's birth control mandate.

14 Jun 2012