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Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states.

HHS Secretary tours Alaska health care facilities; judge halts rollback of Ariz. same-sex benefits

Alaska has a message for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: Don't assume that health care delivery reform can work the same way in every state. That's the lesson Sen. Mark Begich says he tried to impart to Sebelius as he toured some of the state's health and early child care centers with her last week. Sebelius went to learn first-hand about the state's health services, the Indian Health Service, and how the health law is being implemented.

8 Sep 2011

Judge halts implementation of La. Medicaid managed care plan

A state judge, granting the request of Aetna Inc., has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals from implementing its plan to shift more than 800,000 Medicaid recipients and their $2.2 billion in claims to private insurers.

8 Sep 2011

Streamlining medical coverage could save costs associated with pediatric obesity

Pediatric obesity ends up costing $3 billion annually in the U.S., but a significant amount of that could be saved by streamlining medical coverage to address health issues affecting young obese patients now rather than waiting to treat conditions they develop as they get older, according UCLA researchers and colleagues.

8 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Perry and Medicaid; flawed 'universal' coverage?; nursing home regulation

So far, he's mostly slammed Washington rather than detail how the states will manage if the federal government steps back. For example, he favors putting Medicaid in a block grant that would give states essential control over the program. If that happens, how would states absorb the costs?

8 Sep 2011

Top-line results from Teva-Alcobra MG01CI Phase II trial for ADHD

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Alcobra Ltd. announced today top-line results from a six week, randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase II multi-center study designed to assess the safety and efficacy of MG01CI in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

7 Sep 2011

Aternity FPI Platform selected for Centene's strategic end user experience management initiatives

Aternity Inc., the industry's technology leader in end user experience management solutions for Global 1000 enterprises, announced today that Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and leading multi-line healthcare enterprise that provides programs and related services to the rising number of under-insured and uninsured individuals, has selected the Aternity Frontline Performance Intelligence (FPI) Platform for its strategic end user experience management initiatives.

7 Sep 2011

PSI to develop statewide enterprise content management solution for Maryland DHR

Policy Studies Inc. (PSI), a recognized expert in systems design and development for health and human services (HHS) programs, announced today that the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) awarded PSI a 34-month contract to develop and implement a statewide enterprise content management solution (ECMS) to help manage and store DHR's hundreds of thousands of documents. Initial work on the project started on August 1.

7 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 7, 2011

"Publicly, consumer and patient advocates continue to cheer wildly for last year's health care law. Behind the scenes, however, some worry that they are losing a few key battles to the insurance and business communities.

7 Sep 2011

President's tough tasks before election: Deficit plan, sell health reform

President Obama will be crafting his own deficit-reduction plan and will also shape an election strategy for the health law.

7 Sep 2011

Business leaders concerned about economic impact of health law

To many Republicans and business leaders, there's little doubt: The health care law and sweeping new Wall Street regulation - two of President Obama's signature legislative victories - are causing uncertainty and killing jobs. Take, for example, a massive public relations campaign organized by House Republican leaders.

7 Sep 2011

DOJ investigates Miss. mental health care; N.H. pharmacists win permission to vaccinate

The Justice Department is now investigating Mississippi's mental health system, seeking to determine whether those suffering from mental illness are receiving appropriate treatment. Justice Department officials are expected to return to the Magnolia State later this month, and it's a safe bet they will make similar recommendations against Mississippi as they have against Virginia and other states, said Region 8 Executive Director Dave Van.

7 Sep 2011

Settlement in UT Southwestern/Parkland billing fraud; CMS postpones final Parkland ruling

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas pays settlement in Medicare and Medicaid billing fraud investigation. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it will wait for state investigation before ruling continued on Medicare funding for Parkland.

7 Sep 2011

Reaching out to legal immigrants who need health care

Kaiser Health News staff writer Marilyn Werber Serafini, working in collaboration with The Washington Post, writes: When Dillon Pefok agreed to coach a men's soccer team in the District's Soccer 4 Jesus church league, it wasn't his intention to teach the players about the 2010 health-care law between drills.

7 Sep 2011

Anthem proposes double-digit rate increase in Conn.; Mass. bill would cut payments to high-cost providers

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Connecticut's largest health insurer and a favorite target of advocates for more stringent regulation of rate increases, is seeking to raise premiums by 12.9 percent next year for more than 45,000 individual-market customers, including some whose plans were the subject of a controversial request that got denied last year.

7 Sep 2011

Feds' push for Medicaid 'transparency' irks states; Minn. chips away at fraud; Kansas seeks more assisted living

A federal push for more transparency in how states run their Medicaid programs is pitting patient advocates and medical providers against state officials who fear being hamstrung. The transparency effort comes as states seek ever greater flexibility in how they manage their Medicaid programs to cope with historic budget woes.

7 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Analyzing Texas' health insurance record; advice for 'super' committee; one doc's cancer experience

Targeting waste, fraud and abuse; eliminating unnecessary and duplicative spending; and ending military adventurism need not be accompanied by slashing essential services such as education and shredding our social safety nets - Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

7 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 6, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include reports from a GOP presidential candidate forum in South Carolina and analysis of what to expect as Congress returns to Washington.

6 Sep 2011

Circumcision rates decline in the US: Study

A new study has shown that circumcision rates among US baby boys have fallen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which published the study in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, circumcision rates dropped from around 62 percent in 1999 to 57 percent in 2008.

5 Sep 2011

SmokingPaST Framework tool calculates impact of investments in tobacco treatment programs

The newly released Smoking Prevalence, Savings, and Treatment (SmokingPaST) Framework is a tool designed to calculate the impact of investments in tobacco treatment programs on health and medical cost savings.

3 Sep 2011

Feds hold off on decision about yanking Medicare funding to Parkland

The CMS has extended the possible date of Parkland Health and Hospital System's termination from the Medicare program to Sept. 30 from Sept. 2 in order to give state surveyors more time to complete their reports. The 672-bed Parkland received word Aug. 9 that it was under threat of losing its status as a Medicare provider, and after submitting its plan of action (PDF) on how it would correct the problems by an Aug. 20 deadline.

3 Sep 2011

Medicaid News and Research

HHS Secretary tours Alaska health care facilities; judge halts rollback of Ariz. same-sex benefits

Judge halts implementation of La. Medicaid managed care plan

Streamlining medical coverage could save costs associated with pediatric obesity

Viewpoints: Perry and Medicaid; flawed 'universal' coverage?; nursing home regulation

Top-line results from Teva-Alcobra MG01CI Phase II trial for ADHD

Aternity FPI Platform selected for Centene's strategic end user experience management initiatives

PSI to develop statewide enterprise content management solution for Maryland DHR

First Edition: September 7, 2011

President's tough tasks before election: Deficit plan, sell health reform

Business leaders concerned about economic impact of health law

DOJ investigates Miss. mental health care; N.H. pharmacists win permission to vaccinate

Settlement in UT Southwestern/Parkland billing fraud; CMS postpones final Parkland ruling

Reaching out to legal immigrants who need health care

Anthem proposes double-digit rate increase in Conn.; Mass. bill would cut payments to high-cost providers

Feds' push for Medicaid 'transparency' irks states; Minn. chips away at fraud; Kansas seeks more assisted living

Viewpoints: Analyzing Texas' health insurance record; advice for 'super' committee; one doc's cancer experience

First Edition: September 6, 2011

Circumcision rates decline in the US: Study

SmokingPaST Framework tool calculates impact of investments in tobacco treatment programs

Feds hold off on decision about yanking Medicare funding to Parkland

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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