Managed Care News and Research

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Middle-aged and older adults with diabetes show substantial survival rates

Middle-aged and older adults with diabetes showed substantial survival rates in a new University of Michigan Health System study of retirees.

3 May 2012

Calif. panel considers changes in dental program

As the state wrestles with budget problems, legislators consider how much coverage to give to children and adults.

2 May 2012

Feds approve Wisconsin Medicaid cuts

Meanwhile, Kansas applies for waiver to shift Medicaid beneficiaries into managed care plans and Medicaid costs in Kentucky weigh on one insurer.

30 Apr 2012

Research roundup: Practice guidelines may not stop defensive medicine; English language ability tied to hospital readmission rates

The Value of Clinical Practice Guidelines As Malpractice "Safe Harbors" -- Overspending on health care has frequently been attributed to doctors practicing defensive medicine -- ordering extra tests, for example -- so that they avoid malpractice lawsuits. The authors of this brief write that while some have said clinical guidelines "should give caregivers a liability 'safe harbor,' shielding them from any malpractice claim for failing to provide services not included in the guideline."

27 Apr 2012

Congressional panel grills Minn. official over possible Medicaid overpayments

The state's commissioner for human services was called on to answer questions about why Minnesota got a $30 million payment from a managed care company.

27 Apr 2012

As hundreds protest at the State Capitol, Kansas Gov. agrees to delay in changes to disability services

Gov. Sam Brownback's plan would have moved thousands of developmentally disabled state residents into a managed-care health plan.

27 Apr 2012

Medicaid news: Florida prepares for shift to managed care

Preparing for Florida's shift to a statewide Medicaid managed-care system, 20 health companies and organizations are interested in competing for contracts to serve seniors who need long-term care. ... The list of potential bidders only reflects health plans interested in the long-term care portion of a statewide managed-care system. AHCA has not sought similar letters of intent for plans hoping to serve the broader Medicaid population, such as children and women.

26 Apr 2012

Health law uncertainty sets up 'moment-of-truth' situations

This circumstance is particularly acute regarding states' decisions about setting up health exchanges.

23 Apr 2012

Herpes zoster vaccine safe and well tolerated: Study

The herpes zoster vaccine, also known as the shingles vaccine, is generally safe and well tolerated according to a Vaccine Safety Datalink study of 193,083 adults published online in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

23 Apr 2012

Consumer-directed health plans surge, get boost from health law

The concept is also central to Republican-backed market-based reforms. Also in the news, media outlets analyze what's a stake as the Supreme Court considers challenges to the health law, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reiterates the administration's confidence that the law will be upheld.

21 Apr 2012

Research roundup: Caring for dual eligibles; Antitrust policy and the health law

Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this report notes a systematic difference in life expectancy across region and race. "Within in each sex-race group, there are striking geographical differences in the probability of survival to age 70. ... These differences are larger for males than females within each race and larger for blacks than whites within each sex."

21 Apr 2012

First Edition: June 20, 2012

Today's headlines include reports that the Veterans' Administration will increase its mental health staffing.

20 Apr 2012

Fingertip Formulary launches iPad apps at AMCP annual meeting

Fingertip Formulary, the leading provider of access and insight into formulary data, announced the launch of their iPad applications today at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) annual meeting.

20 Apr 2012

N.Y. Medicaid audit finds $42M in improper payments; Minn. commissioner to testify before congressional committee

Auditors in New York have found $42 million in improper payments were doled out to Medicaid providers. In the meantime, Minnesota's human services commissioner will testify before a congressional committee next week about financing and a payment made to the state by a managed care plan with Medicaid contract.

20 Apr 2012

Link between hypertension drug adherence and total costs of care

Although adherence to hypertension medications was significantly associated with lower hospitalization rates, the total costs of care are higher for adherent patients than for patients who were deemed "non-adherent," according to a new study from pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics that will be presented this week at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)'s 24th Annual Meeting & Expo in San Francisco.

19 Apr 2012

Medicaid news: Neb.'s prenatal care flap; Texas' 'ticking time bomb'

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman vetoed a proposal to restore Medicaid-funded prenatal care for illegal immigrants on Friday, but the initiative could still survive if the state legislature rejects his move next week. Nebraska state senators voted 31-15 on Wednesday to restore the program, which was eliminated two years ago after providing prenatal care for decades.

17 Apr 2012

Roundup: No new policies from cross-border insurance law; Dental Medicaid abuse in Texas?

Proponents said these out-of-state policies, stripped of Georgia's mandates, would have lower premiums – and allow more people to afford individual health insurance coverage. ... But a year later, nothing has happened. No insurer here has started selling a non-Georgia health plan.

12 Apr 2012

States plot Medicaid managed care changes; Kansas managed care plan met with skepticism

In Ohio, Molina Healthcare loses its Medicaid managed care contract. In Texas, a plan to save money by incorporating Medicaid drug benefits into a managed care program gets pushback. And, Kansas counties weigh in on a plan to shift Medicaid beneficiaries to managed care.

12 Apr 2012

Medicaid: Ariz. gets federal OK to expand kids coverage; Docs want to share Minn. insurer rebates; Medi-Cal faces adult day-care injunction

States around the nation are grappling with Medicaid issues ranging from expanding coverage and making deals with new managed care providers to sharing insurer rebates, forging budget cuts, waiting on court action and admitting large data breaches.

10 Apr 2012

Med-Tek introduces proprietary Opioid Management Program

Med-Tek a developer of Healthcare Technology Networks ("HTN") designed to improve outcomes for patients, physicians, employers and their constituents today announces the launch of its proprietary Opioid Management Program (OMP).

9 Apr 2012

Managed Care News and Research

Middle-aged and older adults with diabetes show substantial survival rates

Calif. panel considers changes in dental program

Feds approve Wisconsin Medicaid cuts

Research roundup: Practice guidelines may not stop defensive medicine; English language ability tied to hospital readmission rates

Congressional panel grills Minn. official over possible Medicaid overpayments

As hundreds protest at the State Capitol, Kansas Gov. agrees to delay in changes to disability services

Medicaid news: Florida prepares for shift to managed care

Health law uncertainty sets up 'moment-of-truth' situations

Herpes zoster vaccine safe and well tolerated: Study

Consumer-directed health plans surge, get boost from health law

Research roundup: Caring for dual eligibles; Antitrust policy and the health law

First Edition: June 20, 2012

Fingertip Formulary launches iPad apps at AMCP annual meeting

N.Y. Medicaid audit finds $42M in improper payments; Minn. commissioner to testify before congressional committee

Link between hypertension drug adherence and total costs of care

Medicaid news: Neb.'s prenatal care flap; Texas' 'ticking time bomb'

Roundup: No new policies from cross-border insurance law; Dental Medicaid abuse in Texas?

States plot Medicaid managed care changes; Kansas managed care plan met with skepticism

Medicaid: Ariz. gets federal OK to expand kids coverage; Docs want to share Minn. insurer rebates; Medi-Cal faces adult day-care injunction

Med-Tek introduces proprietary Opioid Management Program

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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