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Medicare Part B 2012 premiums lower than projected

The Obama administration today announced that premiums for Medicare Part B coverage in 2012 will be $99.90 a month for most beneficiaries, a smaller-than-expected increase over the $96.40 paid this year by a majority of elderly and disabled beneficiaries. Part B pays for physician visits, hospital outpatient costs and certain other services. A 3.6 percent Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, the first in three years, will more than make up for the small increase, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

28 Oct 2011

ACR supports Diagnostic Imaging Services Protection Act

The American College of Radiology supports the Diagnostic Imaging Services Protection Act (H.R. 3269), which would prohibit any multiple procedure payment reduction to the "professional component" of CT, MRI and ultrasound exams received by the same patient, on the same day, in the same setting in 2012.

28 Oct 2011

Swapping IV medications with oral equivalents may save millions

Switching hospitalized patients able to take medication by mouth from intravenous to pill forms of the same drugs could safely save millions of dollars a year, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

28 Oct 2011

Super committee Dems ready 'grand bargain' with $400 billion Medicare plan; Republicans reject approach

As Republicans and Democrats on the congressional super committee swapped plans to reduce the federal deficit, the ideas they advanced demonstrated that the parties remain at odds over increasing taxes and making deep spending cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

28 Oct 2011

Roundup: Mass. offers plan to cut costs for dual eligibles; Oregon's high hopes for coordinated care organizations

The governor of Massachusetts wants to hire private insurers or other third parties to manage care for the poor and chronically ill patients who use a disproportionate share of public health-care dollars. The proposal comes as state and federal officials search for a cheaper way to deliver health care to people known as "dual eligibles." These are the 9.2 million in the U.S. who receive both Medicare, the federal program for those 65 and older or disabled, and Medicaid, the joint state-federal health plan for the poor.

28 Oct 2011

First Edition: October 27, 2011

In today's news reports, details of the Super Committee's latest action -- the Dems' $3 Trillion Debt Deal, which includes a $400 Million Medicare Plan; and the GOP counter appoach.

27 Oct 2011

Perry unveils new economic plan

In political developments, media outlets analyzed GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry's new plan, which includes a national flat tax, would cut discretionary funding by at least $100 billion a year, and would overhaul Medicare and Medicaid. In other news, a new poll uncovers deep distrust of the government, with about a quarter of the public in favor of repealing the entire health law.

27 Oct 2011

A push for new 'grand bargain' on the super committee

Democrats are proposing up to $3 trillion in measures to slash the U.S. budget deficit, including revenue increases and significant cuts to the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly. The plan was unveiled on Tuesday at a closed-door meeting of a 12-member congressional panel -- the so-called "super committee" that is assigned the task of finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years, congressional aides told Reuters.

27 Oct 2011

Speculation abounds about what is on the deficit panel's list

Some Democrats have concerns that defense budget cuts are no longer being considered by the super committee. If this is true, it would force deep cuts to health programs and other discretionary spending.

27 Oct 2011

State roundup: Ohio voters will determine public employee benefits

On Nov. 8, Ohio voters will decide the fate of the law, which allows public employees to bargain for wages and working conditions but prohibits strikes. Workers will also have to pay for healthcare insurance and pensions. The law is on hold pending the referendum.

27 Oct 2011

Elan's third quarter total revenue increases 17% to $328.5 million

Elan Corporation, plc today reported its third quarter and first nine months 2011 financial results.

27 Oct 2011

Chest X ray for lung cancer fails to improve survival compared to no screening: Study

This study followed 154,901 participants, about half of whom were women. About 10 percent were current smokers, and the rest were nearly evenly divided between former smokers and people who never smoked. Subjects were either offered a chest X-ray or no screening at all.

27 Oct 2011

Quarter of Medicare drug plans get poor ratings

Federal officials gave negative assessments to more than 25 percent of these prescription drug plans. In the Washington area, that number is even higher. Also in the news, Medicare's database comparing hospital patient safety.

27 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: The health law and Wal-Mart; congressional probe into Planned Parenthood; trimming Medicare

When Wal-Mart endorsed President Obama's health care plan in 2009, CEO Mike Duke said it did so "to remove the burden that is crushing America's businesses and hampering our competitiveness in the global economy." That doesn't seem to be working out too well - for all Americans, and especially for Wal-Mart's employees.

27 Oct 2011

Some states limit Medicaid hospital coverage; Food stamp, benefit systems revamped

States, facing budget shortfalls, look for ways to save money on their Medicaid programs, including limiting hospital stays for enrollees. Wisconsin is holding hearings on plans to alter the programs there, and California is looking at restructuring the way health care is delivered to people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, Stateline reports that a number of states are using new technology to run their benefits programs.

24 Oct 2011

With much at stake, lobbyists stay close to super committee

Politico reports that the high stakes that involve everything from the health industry to Native American tribes in the deficit panel's deliberations have created a veritable "swarm" of lobbyists.

24 Oct 2011

Holes appearing in some states' safety nets for disabled, seniors; Ohio referendum looms

Health care news from Georgia, Ohio, California, Wisconsin, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts and Texas.

24 Oct 2011

Cigna enters definitive agreement to acquire HealthSpring for $55 per share

Cigna Corporation and HealthSpring, Inc. today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which Cigna will acquire all the outstanding shares of HealthSpring for $55 per share in cash, a 37% premium over the closing stock price on Friday October 21, 2011, representing a total transaction value of approximately $3.8 billion.

24 Oct 2011

Premier awards Lantheus three-year supplier agreement for nuclear imaging products

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a global leader in developing, manufacturing and distributing innovative diagnostic imaging agents, today announced it has been awarded a three-year supplier contract with Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P., the group purchasing unit of the Premier healthcare alliance, for its radiopharmaceutical imaging agents.

24 Oct 2011

Earlier Medicare enrollment period brings new round of ads

Open enrollment periods for health plans also focus the spotlight on how health coverage is likely to change in 2014 when key elements of the health law take effect.

24 Oct 2011

Medicare News and Research

Medicare Part B 2012 premiums lower than projected

ACR supports Diagnostic Imaging Services Protection Act

Swapping IV medications with oral equivalents may save millions

Super committee Dems ready 'grand bargain' with $400 billion Medicare plan; Republicans reject approach

Roundup: Mass. offers plan to cut costs for dual eligibles; Oregon's high hopes for coordinated care organizations

First Edition: October 27, 2011

Perry unveils new economic plan

A push for new 'grand bargain' on the super committee

Speculation abounds about what is on the deficit panel's list

State roundup: Ohio voters will determine public employee benefits

Elan's third quarter total revenue increases 17% to $328.5 million

Chest X ray for lung cancer fails to improve survival compared to no screening: Study

Quarter of Medicare drug plans get poor ratings

Viewpoints: The health law and Wal-Mart; congressional probe into Planned Parenthood; trimming Medicare

Some states limit Medicaid hospital coverage; Food stamp, benefit systems revamped

With much at stake, lobbyists stay close to super committee

Holes appearing in some states' safety nets for disabled, seniors; Ohio referendum looms

Cigna enters definitive agreement to acquire HealthSpring for $55 per share

Premier awards Lantheus three-year supplier agreement for nuclear imaging products

Earlier Medicare enrollment period brings new round of ads

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

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