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CMS observers say Tavenner will bring changes in style not substance

Although she might not share outgoing Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chief Donald Berwick's "visionary zeal," she is expected to share in his agenda. And, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor terms her as "eminently qualified" to take on this role.

1 Dec 2011

Lipitor going generic, Pfizer making deals to keep consumers

The popular cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor goes off-patent today. Manufacturer Pfizer planned ahead, making agreements with some insurers to keep covering the drug.

1 Dec 2011

Medicare to cover obesity counseling without cost sharing

Medicare officials announced Tuesday that this preventive service will cover screening and counseling in primary care providers' offices.

1 Dec 2011

In super committee aftermath, Dems attack GOP for pushing Medicare cuts

The Democratic Party will begin a campaign on Wednesday to attack Republican lawmakers for pushing cuts to Medicare benefits during the latest round of failed federal deficit talks, a new turn in a drama that not long ago featured top Democrats expressing a willingness to tinker with the popular entitlement program.

1 Dec 2011

UnitedHealth forecasts increased membership, earnings

The largest insurer in the U.S. says enrollment gains in Medicare and Medicaid plans will outpace declines in other parts of its business.

1 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Entrenchment on Capitol Hill; Medicaid's woes; Presidential mistake on Berwick

Last week's failure of the budget super committee, despite its super powers, is only the latest breakdown in an attempt at compromise in Washington. Politicians keep trying to fashion failsafe solutions to the capital's uncompromising mind-set, without understanding that there is no external escape from an environment that rewards those who stand tenaciously on their principles and demonize their opponents. Members of Congress need to change their minds about compromise, or voters will need to change the members of Congress.

1 Dec 2011

NovaSom introduces MediTrack OSA management platform

NovaSom, Inc., the leader in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) home testing and cost-containment solutions, announces the launch of its next generation MediTrack cloud-based CRM application.

1 Dec 2011

Ranbaxy and Teva announce generic Lipitor agreement

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today that pursuant to an agreement between its subsidiary, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, a portion of the profits from Ranbaxy's sales of Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets during Ranbaxy's 180-day first-to-file exclusivity period, will be paid to Teva.

1 Dec 2011

New hospital clinic in Michigan seeks to reduce traffic to ER; Minneapolis doctors and hospital merge operations

The Grand Rapids clinic is reaching out to people who have been to the hospital's emergency department at least 10 times in the past year.

1 Dec 2011

State roundup: Wis. physician shortage predicted; CVS blacklisting some Fla. docs; 'Ambitious' Baltimore HIV initiative

The state needs to train or recruit an additional 100 physicians a year through 2030 to meet the projected demand for health care, according to a new Wisconsin Hospital Association report. ... The group says the state must act immediately ... Primary care physicians - doctors who specialize in family and internal medicine and pediatrics - will account for 80 percent of the projected shortage.

1 Dec 2011

Watson commences shipping of generic LIPITOR

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has launched an authorized generic version of LIPITOR (atorvastatin calcium tablets) as part of an exclusive agreement with Pfizer Inc.

30 Nov 2011

Medicare to pay for obesity counseling sessions

The United States Medicare program for the elderly will cover counseling for obesity. Obesity rates have hit the highest in the past few years and this measure is an attempt to curb the epidemic.

30 Nov 2011

Physician practices, pharmacies face barriers to e-prescribing despite benefits

Physician practices and pharmacies generally view electronic prescribing as an important tool to improve patient safety and save time, but both groups face barriers to realizing the technology's full benefit, according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

30 Nov 2011

Study focuses on staffing and quality at nation's largest for-profit nursing homes

The nation's largest for-profit nursing homes deliver significantly lower quality of care because they typically have fewer staff nurses than non-profit and government-owned nursing homes.

30 Nov 2011

Tavenner nomination finds support from health care stakeholders

Also in the news, Politico examines Marilyn Tavenner's political giving habits and CNN Money reports on the tenure of Donald Berwick, the exiting Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator.

30 Nov 2011

HHS rejects two MLR waiver requests

The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday delivered the news that health law waiver requests from Indiana and Louisiana had been given the thumbs down, making these two states the third and fourth to have their applications for relief denied outright.

30 Nov 2011

Texas pharmacists assail Medicaid cuts; Ariz. could restore kids' coverage

Texas pharmacists say a plan to have health maintenance organizations manage the drug needs of Medicaid enrollees will drive them out of business. Meanwhile, Arizona officials announce a plan that will leverage federal Medicaid funds and allow them to restore insurance to some children who lost it in recent budget cuts.

30 Nov 2011

State roundup: No Mass. insurance mandate referendum

If you chafe against the Massachusetts requirement that you have health insurance, sorry but you won't have a chance to vote against it - not in the next election, anyway. Backers of a ballot measure to repeal the state's insurance mandate sent out an email last week saying they had failed to gather the needed signatures.

30 Nov 2011

Mandatory cuts: Winners and losers in the post-super committee landscape

Many domestic programs will feel pain, but Medicaid appears to be part of the "protected" class. Meanwhile, news outlets continue to report on the pending Medicare physician pay cut and how fixing this scheduled reduction could trigger cuts in other parts of the health care sector.

30 Nov 2011

AMGA to launch Phase II of Accountable Care Collaborative

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) announced today that it will launch the next phase of its Accountable Care Collaborative: Transforming to a Value-Based System of Care.

30 Nov 2011