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State roundup: Alaska's dental problem; some Minn. health funding blocked

The need for dental care in rural Alaska is huge. According to a recent CDC report, the rate of cavities among rural Alaska Native children is four and a half times greater than the general population of U.S. children of the same age. ... But it's important to note the dental therapist program in Alaska is not without controversy.

10 Nov 2011

A range of studies highlight health care shortcomings

The New York Times reports that a $20 million government-supported study regarding an operation to prevent strokes was cut short when it found the surgery was not helping patients. Also, a Commonwealth Fund study concluded that the U.S. ranks near the bottom when compared to other countries on how it cares for the sickest patients. Lastly, the Health and Human Services inspector general finds a quarter of hospitalized Medicare patients received improper treatment.

10 Nov 2011

Senators launch billion-dollar health scam investigation

Also in the news from Capitol Hill, the Senate appears poised to fix the Medicaid glitch that allowed middle-income couples to qualify for Medicaid, and a bill to repeal the health law runs afoul of some conservatives.

10 Nov 2011

Detailing Romney's Medicare plans

Kaiser Health News reports that the presidential hopeful's plan to overhaul Medicare would rely on the power of the marketplace to bring down costs. But, by doing so, it would fundamentally change the program. Meanwhile, in other news, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is taking her fight against illegal immigration and the health law nationwide with her JAN PAC.

10 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Romney's critical missing information on Medicare; anti-smoking messages too graphic

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney conveniently left out key facts when he ripped a new health care cost-control measure - the Independent Payment Advisory Board. . The Affordable Care Act also specifically limits the board's powers. It cannot ration care, reduce benefits, raise premiums or other cost-sharing such as copays. As part of that, it cannot raise Medicare's eligibility age, as Romney himself has proposed.

10 Nov 2011

Ventas to receive $125 million as lawsuit settlement from HCP

Ventas, Inc. today announced that HCP, Inc. has agreed to pay it $125 million to settle the Company's outstanding lawsuit against HCP arising out of the Company's 2007 acquisition of Sunrise Senior Living REIT.

9 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 9, 2011

In today's headlines, reports on the latest developments related to the 'super committee's' deliberations, an appeals court issues a health law decision and results from yesterday's elections.

9 Nov 2011

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