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State roundup: Mass. may vote on assisted suicide; Colo. to try medical homes

Heather Clish has become a leading advocate for affording terminally ill patients in Massachusetts the same choice her father had. Clish and other supporters are pushing a ballot initiative to legalize the practice they call Death with Dignity, more commonly known as physician-assisted suicide.

30 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Entitlement 'train wrecks' approaching; Collecting for health bills at the hospital

The evidence has been clear for a long time now regarding the future of those twin financial train wrecks known as Social Security and Medicare. We have known for decades that without significant reform both are on a path toward insolvency.

30 Apr 2012

Humana reports drop in first quarter profits

The insurer attributed the decrease to paying out more in claims, as well as additional investment as it anticipates strong growth in its Medicare Advantage plans.

30 Apr 2012

Feds approve Wisconsin Medicaid cuts

Meanwhile, Kansas applies for waiver to shift Medicaid beneficiaries into managed care plans and Medicaid costs in Kentucky weigh on one insurer.

30 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 30, 2012

In today's headlines, a variety of health policy headlines ranging from reports about state-level health law implementation progress to marketplace news.

30 Apr 2012

Teva, Mylan settle patent infringement litigation for Nuvigil

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., one of the world's largest producers of pharmaceuticals, announces that it has settled patent infringement litigation regarding U.S. Patent Number 7,132,570 (the "'570 patent") with respect to Mylan Inc.'s ANDA for Teva's wakefulness product NUVIGIL (armodafinil) tablets.

30 Apr 2012

Watson first quarter net income increases 87% to $208.8 million

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported net income for the first quarter 2012 increased 87 percent to $208.8 million or $1.64 per diluted share on a non-GAAP basis, compared to $111.9 million or $0.89 per diluted share in the first quarter 2011.

30 Apr 2012

Humana first quarter consolidated revenues increase 11% to $10.22B

Humana Inc. today reported diluted earnings per common share (EPS) for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 (1Q12) of $1.49, compared to $1.86 per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 (1Q11). The company had previously anticipated earnings per share in the range of $1.35 to $1.45 for 1Q12.

30 Apr 2012

Milner-Fenwick releases four new ‘Hospital Quality of Care’ videos

Hospitals are under fire. With heightened regulations and guidelines by the federal government and national health care organizations, the pressure to improve patient outcomes has never been greater. In response, the leading publisher of patient education videos, Milner-Fenwick, has released four new videos within its Hospital Quality of Care Series to help facilities comply with growing regulatory requirements. These videos address key hospital issues such as medication safety, infection control, fall prevention and discharge education.

30 Apr 2012

Ryan says his budget will protect seniors

Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, said in the Republican weekly address the GOP budget will reform the tax code and protect such programs as education and Medicare.

30 Apr 2012

LifePoint Hospitals first quarter revenues increase 12.2% to $851.0 million

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

30 Apr 2012

Research roundup: Practice guidelines may not stop defensive medicine; English language ability tied to hospital readmission rates

The Value of Clinical Practice Guidelines As Malpractice "Safe Harbors" -- Overspending on health care has frequently been attributed to doctors practicing defensive medicine -- ordering extra tests, for example -- so that they avoid malpractice lawsuits. The authors of this brief write that while some have said clinical guidelines "should give caregivers a liability 'safe harbor,' shielding them from any malpractice claim for failing to provide services not included in the guideline."

27 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Minn. missteps with Medicaid are object lesson; 'Defensive' medicine: Red herring or key to health costs?

It was painful to watch Minnesota's stellar health care reputation and its Human Services commissioner, Lucinda Jesson, get pummeled on Wednesday at a congressional hearing on Medicaid oversight.

27 Apr 2012

Highlights: Cuomo's plan for out-of-network charges runs into trouble; Federal agents seize patient records in Houston mental hospital

Today's news on local health policy issues comes from New York, Connecticut, Mississippi, Colorado, Iowa, Texas, North Carolina and Kansas.

27 Apr 2012

Checklist for seniors to reduce risk of falls

For those 65 and older, falling can be fatal; in fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among this age group, and some 40 percent of seniors fall at least once each year. Additionally, one in four who sustains a hip fracture from a fall will die within a year, and another 50 percent will never return to their pre-fall level of mobility.

27 Apr 2012

Shutdown looms as committees, lawmakers spar over budget, spending cuts

The House Energy and Commerce Commitee, as well as other House panels, worked yesterday on various spending cuts and policy items with an eye on budget reconciliation. The GOP-led effort, which has very little chance of being taken up by the Senate, will likely lead to "a long summer of political skirmishing."

27 Apr 2012

Accuray launches Prostate Advances in Comparative Evidence Study

Accuray Incorporated, the premier radiation oncology company, announced today the launch of the Prostate Advances in Comparative Evidence (PACE) Study, an international, multi-center, randomized study to compare CyberKnife® Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), da Vinci assisted and manual laparoscopic surgery and conventionally fractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), for the treatment of localized prostate cancer.

27 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Ma. health law trips up even bosses offering insurance; Traumatic brain disease may be complicating veterans' recoveries

Ronn Garry is an owner of Tropical Foods, the independent Roxbury market that has anchored Dudley Square for 36 years. He has 70 employees, 45 of them full time. The 2006 health law says he has to offer those full-time employees health insurance, cover at least 33 percent of their premiums, and get a quarter of them to take up his offer. Otherwise, he must pay a fine, called a Fair Share Contribution: $295 for every worker.

27 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 26, 2012

Today's headlines include news about how House Republicans are eyeing the health law's prevention trust fund as a means to pay the cost of extending the current student loan interest rate for another year. House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, has scheduled a Friday vote on this proposal.

26 Apr 2012