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Reducing off-label antipsychotic use may generate savings with little impact on patient care

Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study.

16 May 2012

Heritage: Stop subsidies for 'multimillionaire seniors' to shore up Medicare program

A report by the conservative Heritage Foundation recommends making wealthier Medicare beneficiaries pay more to help get the program's "fiscal house in order." Also in the news, The Wall Street Journal reports that a judge who considers cases related to the Social Security Disability Insurance Program -- one of the federal governments most rapidly growing entitlement programs -- was placed on paid leave while complaints about his demeanor are probed.

16 May 2012

Vermillion first quarter total revenue increases to $312,000

Vermillion, Inc., a leading molecular diagnostics company, reported financial and operational results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

From Quest Diagnostics 16 May 2012

Partnership for Patients initiative participants launch sprint program to prevent pressure ulcers

Hospitals participating in the Partnership for Patients initiative have launched a program to prevent pressure ulcers.

16 May 2012

First study to track movement of individuals with dementia until death

A new study from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University has found that, at time of death, individuals with dementia are more likely to be living at home than in a nursing home. This contradicts the commonly held view that most individuals with dementia in the United States eventually move to nursing homes and die there.

15 May 2012

Governors seek allies for Medicaid, health program budget cuts, changes

In response to struggling state budgets, governors in California, Illinois, Kansas and Louisiana are looking for allies to support cuts and changes to their Medicaid and other health care programs.

15 May 2012

Viewpoints: Approving drugs quickly; Berwick: In health care, cheaper can mean better; Health costs 'persistent' concern

For about 20 years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has charged pharmaceutical companies "user fees" for reviewing drug-approval applications. The revenue allows the FDA to hire more evaluators, which allows useful drugs to reach patients faster. Now the Prescription Drug User Fee Act needs reauthorization, as it does every five years. Legislators should not dillydally.

15 May 2012

Feeding tubes may make sores more likely to develop in dementia patients

A new study led by Brown University researchers reports that percutaneous endoscopic gastric (PEG) feeding tubes, long assumed to help bedridden dementia patients stave off or overcome pressure ulcers, may instead make the horrible sores more likely to develop or not improve.

14 May 2012

GOP's Medicare plan has some candidates playing defense

The budget plan advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has become a hot topic in many congressional races. One example is the Illinois race between Rep. Joe Walsh, a Republican, and Democratic challenger and Iraqi war veteran Tammy Duckworth.

14 May 2012

Accretive gives detailed response to Sen. Franken inquiry

The Minnesota attorney general says the company has some overly-aggressive billing and collection practices.

14 May 2012

First Edition: May 14, 2012

In today's headlines, a report about how the Ryan budget plan -- specifically, its Medicare changes -- is playing in congressional races.

14 May 2012

College Park Family Care Center chooses eClinicalWorks comprehensive EHR solution

eClinicalWorks, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announces that College Park Family Care Center, the largest non-hospital owned multi-specialty group in the Kansas City-area, has chosen eClinicalWorks comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) solution for its 91 providers across 12 locations.

14 May 2012

Medication nonadherence linked to unnecessary cardiovascular hospitalizations in older patients

Older patients with high cholesterol or high blood pressure are at particular risk for unnecessary hospitalizations if they don't follow doctor's orders on taking their medications, according to new research from Express Scripts presented this week.

14 May 2012

April job growth numbers reflect increased need for skilled home healthcare services

A Department of Labor (DOL) report released last week signaled that 19,000 American jobs were added in April, primarily resulting from 15,000 new jobs in the ambulatory care field, which includes the home healthcare sector. This news comes at a critical time as the economy and American job creation remain a top priority for all lawmakers.

14 May 2012

Kidney transplants more frequent among NxStage home hemodialysis patients

NxStage Medical, Inc., a leading manufacturer of innovative dialysis products, today commented on findings of the Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG) study showing that patients receiving daily, or more frequent, home hemodialysis with the NxStage System One are more likely to receive a kidney transplant when compared with conventional thrice-weekly dialysis, particularly in patients not on the transplant waitlist at initiation of daily home hemodialysis.

14 May 2012

Differences in regional readmission rates for heart failure tied to socioeconomics, availability of care

Differences in regional hospital readmission rates for heart failure are more closely tied to the availability of care and socioeconomics than to hospital performance or patients' degree of illness, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care & Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2012.

14 May 2012

Towers Watson signs agreement to acquire Extend Health

Towers Watson, a global professional services company, announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire Extend Health, Inc., which operates the largest private Medicare exchange in the United States.

14 May 2012

Viewpoints: Two views on how to fight obesity; Tough choices for big business on health costs

Forgive us if we don't cheer at the prospect of adding 32 million to the total number of Americans who are dozens of pounds too heavy, a count that stood in 2010 at 78 million.

11 May 2012

Cigna to increase supplemental health insurance offerings with acquisition

Cigna plans to acquire a supplemental health insurance unit from American Financial Group for $295 million to increase its Medicare and other supplemental insurance offerings.

11 May 2012

IASIS Healthcare second quarter net revenue up 3.8% to $647.6M

IASIS Healthcare LLC today announced financial and operating results for the fiscal second quarter and six months ended March 31, 2012. In the first quarter of 2012, IASIS adopted accounting guidance that results in the classification of the provision for bad debts as a revenue deduction rather than an operating expense, and such guidance has been applied to the financial statements of both the current and prior year periods.

11 May 2012

Medicare News and Research

Reducing off-label antipsychotic use may generate savings with little impact on patient care

Heritage: Stop subsidies for 'multimillionaire seniors' to shore up Medicare program

Vermillion first quarter total revenue increases to $312,000

Partnership for Patients initiative participants launch sprint program to prevent pressure ulcers

First study to track movement of individuals with dementia until death

Governors seek allies for Medicaid, health program budget cuts, changes

Viewpoints: Approving drugs quickly; Berwick: In health care, cheaper can mean better; Health costs 'persistent' concern

Feeding tubes may make sores more likely to develop in dementia patients

GOP's Medicare plan has some candidates playing defense

Accretive gives detailed response to Sen. Franken inquiry

First Edition: May 14, 2012

College Park Family Care Center chooses eClinicalWorks comprehensive EHR solution

Medication nonadherence linked to unnecessary cardiovascular hospitalizations in older patients

April job growth numbers reflect increased need for skilled home healthcare services

Kidney transplants more frequent among NxStage home hemodialysis patients

Differences in regional readmission rates for heart failure tied to socioeconomics, availability of care

Towers Watson signs agreement to acquire Extend Health

Viewpoints: Two views on how to fight obesity; Tough choices for big business on health costs

Cigna to increase supplemental health insurance offerings with acquisition

IASIS Healthcare second quarter net revenue up 3.8% to $647.6M

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