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Seriously ill adults skip needed care due to costs and medical debt

Chronically and seriously ill adults who received care from a medical home-an accessible primary care practice that helps coordinate care-were less likely to report medical errors, test duplication, and other care coordination failures, according to a new Commonwealth Fund international survey of patients' experiences in the U.S. and 10 other high-income countries.

9 Nov 2011

Capsules: Study finds potential, challenges for bundled payments

New this morning on Kaiser Health News' blog: reporter Christian Torres writes about a new Health Affairs study on bundling health payments.

9 Nov 2011

Two U-M physicians caution about implications of cardiac imaging study

Two University of Michigan Health System physicians are raising notes of caution about the implications of a new study that found cardiologists were more likely to refer patients for stress imaging when their practice owned imaging machines - resulting in potential overuse because of financial incentives.

9 Nov 2011

Despite gap, super committee Republicans warm to new revenue, but not taxes

Super committee Republicans are warming to the idea of finding new Medicare premium revenues to help bridge the still-wide gap between themselves and Democrats over deficit reduction proposals, but they aren't budging on their opposition to tax increases.

9 Nov 2011

Survey finds nursing homes plan layoffs because of Medicare cuts

The move follows a decision by Medicare in July to reduce reimbursements to nursing homes by 11 percent.

9 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Today's 'personhood' vote in Miss.; reactions to Romney's health care plan

What about in vitro fertilization, a process that both creates and discards embryos? What new rights would be afforded to a fetus, and how would those rights affect or compete with the rights of the woman who carries it? Would a woman who has an abortion be guilty of murder and subject to capital punishment? ... In their quest to ban abortion in Mississippi, the amendment's drafters appear to have rushed past such concerns.

9 Nov 2011

SunLink first quarter consolidated net revenues increase 5.4% to $43,053,000

SunLink Health Systems, Inc. today announced a loss from continuing operations for its first fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2011 of $305,000, or a loss of $0.04 per fully diluted share, compared to a loss from continuing operations of $2,263,000, or a loss of $0.28 per fully diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2010.

9 Nov 2011

New poverty calculations show how health costs hurt seniors

The Census Bureau's analysis finds childhood poverty declining because of the CHIP health care program and supplemental nutrition efforts. But older Americans fare worse because of out-of-pocket health costs.

9 Nov 2011

'Bundling' pay to doctors and hospitals is challenging

Studies in the journal Health Affairs looked at the concept of bundling payments to doctors and hospitals in which they are paid for "episodes of care" rather than for each individual treatment. The studies note the potential of such a move but also the difficulties.

9 Nov 2011

Parents of children on Medicaid, CHIP give programs good grades

Parents whose children get their health services through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program say they have good access to doctors and that their children are getting good care, according to a federal survey that the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services will release Tuesday morning.

9 Nov 2011

BioSpecifics reports $0.3M net income for third quarter 2011 vs. $0.5M net loss for third quarter 2010

BioSpecifics Technologies Corp., a biopharmaceutical company developing first in class collagenase-based products marketed as XIAFLEX in the U.S. and XIAPEX in Europe today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011 and provided a corporate update. For the quarter, the Company reported net income of $0.3 million or $0.04 per share on a basic and on a fully diluted basis.

9 Nov 2011

Hospitals face penalties if they don't please patients

In the coming months, Medicare will start taking patient satisfaction into account when reimbursing hospitals.

9 Nov 2011

State roundup: Kansas Medicaid announcement; pilot projects for nursing homes, C-sections; Calif. marijuana clinics

Gov. Sam Brownback, Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer and three Cabinet officials have scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Tuesday to describe details of their plan for making over the Kansas Medicaid program. ... The plan is expected to include a significant expansion of managed care.

9 Nov 2011

Premier, RF Surgical sign three year agreement for detection technology

RF Surgical, Inc., the leader in prevention and detection of retained surgical items (RSI), today announced a three year agreement with the Premier healthcare alliance, a leader in healthcare performance improvement.

8 Nov 2011

Health Net expands Improving the Patient Experience toolkit

Health Net, Inc. has expanded its Improving the Patient Experience toolkit for its contracted providers in three new markets. Piloted first in California in 2010, the insurer now offers the toolkit in Arizona, Oregon and Washington.

8 Nov 2011

BioScrip third quarter revenue increases 2.9% to $454.0 million

BioScrip, Inc. today announced 2011 third quarter financial results. Revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2011 was $454.0 million and net income was $0.5 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, including $5.0 million in restructuring charges, severance and other employee costs.

8 Nov 2011

CardioNet third quarter revenue decreases 3.2% to $26.6 million

CardioNet, Inc., a leading wireless medical technology company with a current focus on the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac arrhythmias, today reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011.

8 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 8, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories on malpractice reforms and previews of voting in Ohio on two ballot questions affecting health care issues and a Mississippi abortion issue.

8 Nov 2011

Assisted reproduction rates rise and multiple births decline: Australian report

Latest reports from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that the number of Australian and New Zealand women giving birth to twins after becoming pregnant with the help of assisted reproductive technology has reduced and may continue its declining trend.

8 Nov 2011

Federal officials say new program can improve health services

The Innovation Advisors Program, intended to help leaders bring change to Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, could help spark changes throughout the industry, Modern Healthcare reports.

8 Nov 2011