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Medicare physician pay cut again in play

Because the deficit panel's prospects are increasingly dim, efforts to intervene to prevent a 27 percent reduction in Medicare physician payment are becoming increasingly dire.

21 Nov 2011

Cigna, HealthSpring receive early termination of waiting period under Hart-Scott-Rodino Act

Cigna Corporation and HealthSpring, Inc. today announced that they have received early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, in connection with Cigna's pending acquisition of HealthSpring. The early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act satisfies one of the conditions for consummation of the transaction.

21 Nov 2011

Super committee stuck: Dems spurn latest GOP deficit deal

News outlets covered the latest tension in super committee negotiations. The Republicans offered a much-smaller deal which they say would not cut Medicare or Medicaid.

21 Nov 2011

Super committee members trade barbs as deadline approaches

A full-scale blame game erupted into public view Sunday after nearly three months of secretive negotiations on the supercommittee that failed to resolve an impasse to cut at least $1.2 trillion in deficits over the next decade. Fanning out across the Sunday talk shows just hours before the supercommittee's deadline, Republicans insisted that Democrats wanted to institute a $1 trillion tax hike, while Democrats argued that the GOP wanted to gut popular entitlements and protect the rich.

20 Nov 2011

Roger C. Lipitz Center to offer free Guided Care training and tools for ACOs

The Roger C. Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will offer free training and technical assistance for organizations that seek to use the Guided Care model to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

19 Nov 2011

Super committee still at loggerheads on deficit, agreement still elusive

With just days remaining to overcome the impasse, deficit panel members appear to be making no progress toward an agreement to reach the 10-year savings target. Still, meetings and discussions continued regarding possible tax increases and cuts in the growth of programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

19 Nov 2011

Roundup: Fla. Medicare HMO closed; Tufts and BCBS resume talks

Quality Health Plans, a Medicare HMO with 10,000 Florida members, has been ordered into liquidation after failing to come up with the cash reserves the state says were needed. Its members will be moved to another -- still unnamed -- plan by Dec. 1.

19 Nov 2011

New website helps small business owners to review health insurance plans

A greatly expanded website to give small business owners an unprecedented detailed review of their health insurance plan choices was announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

19 Nov 2011

MedSolutions introduces ICD Surgery Management Program

MedSolutions, a leading provider of quality-driven medical cost management services, today announced the launch of its Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Surgery Management Program, which uses evidence-based guidelines to ensure the clinical appropriateness of ICD and CRT-D implantation.

19 Nov 2011

FDA revokes approval of Avastin for breast cancer

The commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration on Friday revoked the approval of the drug Avastin as a treatment for breast cancer, ruling in an emotional issue that pitted the hopes of some desperate patients against the statistics of clinical trials.

19 Nov 2011

CHCWM, Priority Health partner to explore oncology patient-centered medical home

In keeping with society's urgent need for more efficient and effective health care, Priority Health and Cancer and Hematology Centers of West Michigan (CHCWM) have joined forces to explore an innovative oncology patient-centered medical home.

19 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Waiting for the super committee; TV coverage of Supreme Court's health law session

Congress's bipartisan super committee is heading toward its November 23 deadline with no deal in sight to cut $1.2 trillion from the deficit over 10 years. So it's time to think seriously about the consequences of the default alternative, which would be a $1.2 trillion "sequester," or automatic spending cut, starting in 2013. It's hardly the nightmare of Washington dread.

19 Nov 2011

NCQA to release standards and guidelines that compose new ACO Accreditation program

On November 21, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) will release the standards and guidelines that compose its new Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Accreditation program.

18 Nov 2011

Research roundup: The effect of heart drug costs; Doctors' financial incentives when ordering stress tests

The researchers examined whether drug costs for heart attack patients affects health. Half of a group of more than 5,000 patients were given prescription coverage that eliminated co-payments and expanded drug choices. The others had "usual prescription coverage."

18 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 18, 2011

In today's health policy headlines, reports indicate that the super committee continues to face difficulties and may not make its fast-approaching deadline.

18 Nov 2011

New Jersey HITEC reaches 5,000 primary care providers member milestone

The New Jersey Health Information Technology Extension Center (NJ-HITEC) announced today that it has reached the 5,000 primary care providers member milestone in support of the healthcare evolution to transition to patient Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

18 Nov 2011

Survey finds health care costs a key issue in presidential campaign

Healthcare and the national deficit tied as the second-most important issue after job creation in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, a new survey said. Forty-two percent of the 1,000 adults nationwide surveyed by PwC's Health Research Institute said they would prefer lower healthcare costs over an economic rebound. Nearly half said they made the decision to not seek healthcare or pay for medication at least once in the past year because of how much that care cost.

18 Nov 2011

Schwartz presses super committee to advance her 'doc fix' proposal

The plan, advanced by Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., would prevent a 27.4 percent cut in Medicare physician payments from kicking in Jan. 1, phase out the current outdated formula and transition to a new one. Though some physician groups are lining up behind her approach, the American Medical Association has not yet "on board."

18 Nov 2011

CMS delays Florida MLR decision; Conn. exchange board under fire

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services officials have given themselves 30 more days to decide on Florida's request to slow the phase-in of a requirement that insurers spend a minimum of 80 percent of each premium dollar on expenses related to improving the quality of health care.

18 Nov 2011

Outside groups launch TV ads warning about Medicare cuts

Americans United for Change, AFSCME, SEIU and MoveOn.org are among the groups targeting GOP lawmakers regarding proposals to cut Medicare. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is striking back with ads of its own warning about government-run health care.

18 Nov 2011