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HPV more prevalent among men with laryngeal cancer, private health insurance

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is more likely to be found in tumors of laryngeal cancer patients who are male and those with private health insurance, according to a new study from researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.

15 Sep 2011

Differences in lifestyle, tumor genetics linked to head and neck cancer in African Americans

Why are African Americans more likely than Caucasians to be not only diagnosed with head and neck cancer, but also die from the disease? While the answer isn't a simple one, differences in lifestyle, access to care and tumor genetics may, in part, be to blame, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital.

15 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Shredding Bachmann's vaccine argument; 'super' or 'stupor' committee; Bennet on outmoded drug safety rules

Vaccines were the biggest losers in Monday's GOP presidential candidate's debate, specifically those that are intended to prevent cervical cancer. The main route of HPV infection is sex. That's why you need to vaccinate girls before they become sexually active. The vaccines are exceedingly safe, studies show. There have been very few reports of serious problems from them, none proven. It is simply a lie to say they can cause retardation.

15 Sep 2011

Debt panel sets to work amidst challenging economic picture

As the CBO director spoke at the panel's opening act and provided a bleak impression of the economic forces the 12 members will confront, Republicans and Democrats on the 'super committee' appear to be toeing the usual party lines, with GOP members focusing on entitlement programs and government health care spending, and Democrats pressing for higher tax revenue.

15 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 14, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including lots of talk about the 'super committee' and about the new census numbers regarding the uninsured as well as the second-day analysis regarding some of the controversial comments made during Monday night's GOP presidential primary debate.

14 Sep 2011

Candidates in Monday's GOP debate clash on health reform, Medicare, vaccines

One of the questions emerging in this primary contest is whether entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security will continue to be a political "third rail," or if public concerns about government spending have overcome this conventional wisdom.

14 Sep 2011

Berwick offers hopeful prediction: The launch of 'pioneer' ACOs by end of year

Also in the headlines: the Department of Health and Human Services tells Delaware "no" in response to its medical-loss ratio waiver request. And on the state level, the AP reports that some Illinois lawmakers involved in developing their state exchange are receiving campaign cash from insurers.

14 Sep 2011

African American patients more likely to receive replacement surgery in low-quality hospitals

Racial minorities have reduced access to high-quality joint replacement care, according to Dr. Xueya Cai and colleagues from the University of Iowa in the US. Their work, published online in Springer's journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, shows that African American patients are more likely than Caucasians to receive total knee arthroplasty (or replacement surgery) in low-quality hospitals.

14 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Medicare bigger problem than social security; N.Y.'s long term care 'bad grade'

Sometimes they challenged Perry from the left (on Social Security and Medicare) and sometimes from the right (on immigration, taxes and mandatory vaccines), but it all came back to the same thing: The frontrunner was befuddled – seemingly stunned that his rivals would question his right to the Republican presidential nomination.

14 Sep 2011

CBO: Medicaid, health sector likely to fare better with trigger cuts then with 'super committee' trims

Meanwhile, the deficit panel is getting input from a variety of sources - Medicare patients, actuaries, policy analysts and physician groups - on how critical issues about health care costs and spending should be considered.

14 Sep 2011

Update to federally mandated system significantly expands number of diagnostic codes used by health care providers

Today, hospitals and doctors use a system of about 18,000 codes to describe medical services in bills they send to insurers. Apparently, that doesn't allow for quite enough nuance. A new federally mandated version will expand the number to around 140,000 - adding codes that describe precisely what bone was broken, or which artery is receiving a stent.

14 Sep 2011

ACP offers menu of options to reduce health care spending and promote high-value care

Recommendations to reduce federal health care spending in a socially and fiscally responsible manner today were made in a letter to the Congressional Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction from the American College of Physicians.

14 Sep 2011

U.S. officials step up enforcement of 'responsible corporate officer doctrine' to pursue violations of federal food and drug laws

Use of this doctrine allows federal officials to hold health care executives personally and criminally responsible for corporate violations. Meanwhile, in other news related to health care fraud and abuse, a number of states have reached settlements with firms accused of defrauding the Medicaid program.

14 Sep 2011

Data on veterans affairs hospitals shows high rates of readmissions

The Veterans Health Administration, the largest integrated health care system in the country, has long employed many of the approaches Medicare is pushing on all hospitals to reduce unnecessary readmissions. But new data show VA hospital patients are just as likely to end up back in a hospital bed as are patients at private hospitals.

13 Sep 2011

Roundup: Ga. rejects rule to curb dental hygienists' work; Ohio high-risk pool faces higher than expected costs

The Georgia Board of Dentistry on Friday rejected a proposed rule that public health officials feared would have restricted dental hygienists' work with low-income patients. Several health groups had said the provision, if approved, would require a dentist to examine a patient before a hygienist can apply sealants, clean teeth and perform other preventive dental services in a public health setting.

13 Sep 2011

Marquette General Health System joins Premier healthcare alliance

Marquette General Health System of Marquette, Mich., has joined the Premier healthcare alliance, consisting of more than 2,500 hospitals and 76,000 other healthcare sites, to improve care delivery.

12 Sep 2011

Pressure on 'super committee' to 'go big' mounts as usual budget-cutting options are explored

Health care advocates are getting nervous as they hone their pitches and prepare for this week's stepped up level of action.

12 Sep 2011

CO-OPs, ACOs in the news

Meanwhile, a survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions finds that Americans still don't believe the health law is working and have questions about the federal government's priorities.

12 Sep 2011

Transcendental Meditation practice reduces health care costs

According to a study published this week in the September/October 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, people with consistently high health care costs experienced a 28 percent cumulative decrease in physician fees after an average of five years practicing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique compared with their baseline.

12 Sep 2011

Capsules: Private Medicare plans grow despite health law cuts

Now on Capsules, KHN's news blog, Christopher Weaver writes, "The industry of private Medicare health plans is continuing to grow, despite steep cuts enacted in the 2010 federal health law, according to a report released Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

12 Sep 2011

Medicare News and Research

HPV more prevalent among men with laryngeal cancer, private health insurance

Differences in lifestyle, tumor genetics linked to head and neck cancer in African Americans

Viewpoints: Shredding Bachmann's vaccine argument; 'super' or 'stupor' committee; Bennet on outmoded drug safety rules

Debt panel sets to work amidst challenging economic picture

First Edition: September 14, 2011

Candidates in Monday's GOP debate clash on health reform, Medicare, vaccines

Berwick offers hopeful prediction: The launch of 'pioneer' ACOs by end of year

African American patients more likely to receive replacement surgery in low-quality hospitals

Viewpoints: Medicare bigger problem than social security; N.Y.'s long term care 'bad grade'

CBO: Medicaid, health sector likely to fare better with trigger cuts then with 'super committee' trims

Update to federally mandated system significantly expands number of diagnostic codes used by health care providers

ACP offers menu of options to reduce health care spending and promote high-value care

U.S. officials step up enforcement of 'responsible corporate officer doctrine' to pursue violations of federal food and drug laws

Data on veterans affairs hospitals shows high rates of readmissions

Roundup: Ga. rejects rule to curb dental hygienists' work; Ohio high-risk pool faces higher than expected costs

Marquette General Health System joins Premier healthcare alliance

Pressure on 'super committee' to 'go big' mounts as usual budget-cutting options are explored

CO-OPs, ACOs in the news

Transcendental Meditation practice reduces health care costs

Capsules: Private Medicare plans grow despite health law cuts

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