Medicare News and Research

RSS

OMB projects slower growth in Medicare, Medicaid spending, but with a caveat

Federal spending on the nation's two main health care programs, Medicare and Medicaid, is projected to grow less than expected over the next decade, according to new estimates released Thursday by the White House. That's because the federal government has been paying less than expected in benefits - but the new estimates also assume cuts in doctors' payments that probably aren't going to happen.

3 Sep 2011

Health care politics: Perry's stem cell controversy, presidential contenders and health law; Biden Medicare fact check

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who recently underwent an experimental injection of his own adult stem cells to relieve back pain, pushed a bill through the Legislature in June that paves the way for a company co-owned by his doctor to become the first state-approved "bank" to store and cultivate such cells for medical treatment that fact illustrates two aspects of his record that are drawing increasing attention as he pursues the presidency: his enthusiasm for ideas that are sometimes outside the scientific mainstream and what critics view as his willingness to use the levers of state government to benefit friends and political benefactors.

3 Sep 2011

Roche Diagnostics terminates sales and distribution agreement with Response

Response Biomedical Corporation today announced that Roche Diagnostics has terminated, effective September 30, 2011, the sales and distribution agreement between Roche and Response dated June 25, 2008. Under the terms of that agreement and related agreements, Roche Diagnostics had agreed to distribute Response's cardiovascular point-of-care (POC) tests on the RAMP® 200 Reader in the US.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 2 Sep 2011

Research roundup: Health IT and diabetes care; Kids' care on insurance exchanges; Medicare and the 'super committee'

Electronic Health Records And Quality Of Diabetes Care -- This study focuses on one chronic condition to examine how EHRs could improve the quality of health care. Researchers "analyzed data from a retrospective cohort of primary care practices of seven diverse health care organizations that publicly reported achievement of quality standards for adults with diabetes between July 2007 and June 2010."

2 Sep 2011

Hospital growth slows, NLRB issues nursing home union decision

Hospital revenue growth continued to slow down in 2010 and is projected to cool further during the next few years... Median operating revenue and expense growth last fiscal year dropped to a pace not seen in the last decade, said [said Moody's Investors Service's] analysis of 401 not-for-profit hospitals that operate alone or within single-state health systems.

2 Sep 2011

AmerisourceBergen completes acquisition of Premier Source

AmerisourceBergen Corporation today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Premier Source, a privately held company that provides consulting and reimbursement services to medical device, pharmaceutical, molecular diagnostic, and biotechnology manufacturers, as well as other health services companies.

2 Sep 2011

Florida steps up efforts against pill mills; Hospital executives under scrutiny

The New York Times looks at Florida's efforts to stop illegal sales of prescription drugs while other outlets examine local hospital issues.

2 Sep 2011

Investments in EHRs could reap major benefits in better patient care, health outcomes

Research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine gives cause for optimism that federal investments in electronic health records (EHRs) could reap major benefits in better patient care and health outcomes.

2 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 2, 2011

On Kaiser Health News' blog, staff writer Julie Appleby writes: "Insurers who offer 'association health plans,' which are often sold through trade groups or other organizations of affiliated members, will face the same scrutiny of premium rate hikes as other types of insurance, federal officials said Thursday."

2 Sep 2011

Cardin is 'optimistic' that 'super committee' will fix SGR

Sen. Ben Cardin said Wednesday he is optimistic that the super committee will fix the Sustainable Growth Rate formula. "We have to start with a realistic budget baseline," the Maryland Democrat told about 500 National Institutes of Health employees at a town hall meeting on the agency's main campus in Bethesda, Md. Repealing the SGR is estimated to cost about $350 billion over the next decade, but wouldn't have to be offset to meet the super committee's goal of $1.2 trillion if the Bowles-Simpson baseline is used, Cardin said.

2 Sep 2011

Health politics: Huntsman supports Ryan plan; Perry's thoughts on health law

I spoke with Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman on Tuesday evening, just as he was putting the finishing touches on his economic plan, which he announced Wednesday. Some excerpts from our conversation: "I embrace the Ryan plan. The content there is basically going to drive me forward in terms of debt and spending and how we get this country to 19 percent of GDP in health care spending as opposed to 23 percent. That is the model I would work from. I like what it advocates for Medicaid. I like what it talks about in terms of Medicare.

2 Sep 2011

Medi-Cal investigation of inflated bills yields settlement from Lab Corp.

Laboratory Corp. of America has agreed to pay $49.5 million to resolve a whistle-blower's allegations that the Burlington, N.C.-based company paid kickbacks to doctors and hospitals for referring California Medicaid patients, whose bills were then allegedly inflated.

2 Sep 2011

Study: EHRs improve diabetes care, improve clinical quality

A Case Western Reserve University study has found electronic health records could help keep patients healthier - at least those with diabetes - and that clinical quality improvement is greater at practices that use EHRs.

2 Sep 2011

RI Hospital researcher supports use of ablation procedures for treatment of lung cancer

The journal Radiology will publish in its September issue an article written by Damian E. Dupuy, M.D., director of tumor ablation at Rhode Island Hospital, supporting the use of ablation procedures for the treatment of lung cancer.

2 Sep 2011

Roundup: New health center money in Ill.; groups question insurers on discrimination in Fla.

Gov. Pat Quinn continued his ribbon-cutting spree today, announcing the state will spend $30.5 million to build and renovate 14 health centers across the state that provide care for low-income patients.

2 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Barrasso on employer insurance; Oberlander on austerity, Jennings on 'pick your poison'; Lamm on your mother

Most American workers value their employer-provided health insurance. It gives them the security of knowing they can get the care they need, from the doctor they want, at a price they can afford. All that will change drastically if the president's health care law remains on the books.

2 Sep 2011