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Viewpoints: Private vs. public Medicare; N.J. Medicaid tough choices; IPAB's cost controls

Every once in a while a politician comes up with an idea that's so bad, so wrongheaded, that you're almost grateful. For really bad ideas can help illustrate the extent to which policy discourse has gone off the rails. And so it was with Senator Joseph Lieberman's proposal, released last week, to raise the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67.

14 Jun 2011

Hospital trends mark changes in employment, admission patterns

Meanwhile, in Oregon, hospital profit margins were down in 2010, according to the state Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.

13 Jun 2011

HHS offers Medicaid guidance for same-sex couples

Late last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services clarified that same-sex couples are entitled to the same protections that exist for heterosexual couples when one member enters a nursing home.

13 Jun 2011

Policy issues related to dual-eligible patients, cancer medication coverage attract headlines

The Associated Press reports that seniors are facing Medicare cost barriers which sometimes lead them to not fill cancer drug prescriptions. Also, CQ HealthBeat reports that a special team within the Department of Health and Human Services is working on finding ways to save money and improve care for patients on both Medicare and Medicaid.

13 Jun 2011

Aetna announces acquisition of Genworth's Medicare Supplement business

Aetna today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Genworth Financial, Inc. to acquire Genworth's Medicare Supplement business and related blocks of in-force business. Genworth is a leading provider of Medicare Supplement coverage. The business has more than 145,000 Medicare Supplement members.

13 Jun 2011

Parties continue to clash over ways to curb Medicare spending

Amidst a pitched political debate over the federal deficit, all sides agree that health care spending must be addressed. Still, Medicare continues to cause considerable political differences. At the same time, a new CBS poll finds that Americans have "mixed feelings" about what should happen to the health insurance program for senior citizens.

13 Jun 2011

Mayo Clinic will not participate in ACO program

The Mayo Clinic says it will not be part of a critical piece of national health care reform under the government's proposed rules. The prestigious Rochester clinic is raising questions about accountable care organizations, or ACOs, which are supposed to be updated — and better — versions of health maintenance organizations.

13 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 13, 2011

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with The Washington Post, Lawrence Lindner writes: "The Obama administration's bid to slash funding for training pediatricians at children's hospitals is provoking intense protests from medical educators and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle".

13 Jun 2011

Ambulance diversion linked to high risk of mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Among Medicare patients with heart attack in 4 California counties, diversion of ambulance traffic by the nearest emergency department for 12 hours or more was associated with an increased risk of death for up to one year, according to a study in the June 15 issue of JAMA.

13 Jun 2011

Unique approach improves discharge disposition and older patient's outcomes

The rehospitalization of senior patients within 30 days of discharge from a skilled nursing facility (SNF) has risen dramatically in recent years, at an estimated annual cost of more than $17 billion.

13 Jun 2011

Pawlenty rips Romney's health plan; other GOP candidates get ready to rumble

In advance of Monday night's GOP presidential contenders' debate, news outlets covered candidates ramping up the rhetoric on health care.

13 Jun 2011

Premier healthcare alliance awards new agreements for ophthalmology products

The Premier healthcare alliance has announced that new agreements for ophthalmology products have been awarded.

10 Jun 2011

MHS wins EPA's 2011 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management

Centene Corporation announced today that Managed Health Services (MHS), its Indiana subsidiary, won the 2011 National Environmental Leadership Award (Health Plan Division) in Asthma Management from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).

10 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on medical errors; Lieberman on Medicare; The Massachusetts track record

There is no doubt that America has the world's most skilled doctors and nurses and its finest hospitals. Every day, many Americans receive care that is as good as or better than any in the world. But far too often, we fall short of that high standard when good people get trapped in flawed systems (Kathleen Sebelius and Sue Currin, 6/10).

10 Jun 2011

Research Roundup: Depression disparities; Parents' views of vaccines

Archives Of Pediatrics And Adolescent Medicine: Hospital-Based Programs For Children With Special Health Care Needs: Implications Of Health Care Reform -- This study looks at 33 hospital-based comprehensive care programs for children with special needs to evaluate their effectiveness.

10 Jun 2011

Medicare politics trigger concerns in debt-deal talks

The Hill reports that some Republican lawmakers are growing "wary" that, in regard to Medicare, a recent Democratic upset in a New York special congressional election is a "canary in the coalmine." Meanwhile, Democrats are working to position themselves as the Medicare protectors -- even as a fact-checker questions some of their comments.

10 Jun 2011

GOP senators ask HHS to let Indiana cut Planned Parenthood funding

Twenty-eight Republican senators said Thursday that the Obama administration should not stop the state of Indiana from implementing a new law designed to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Earlier this month, the federal Medicaid agency denied Indiana's proposal to prevent state residents from using Medicaid at any entity that provides abortions.

10 Jun 2011

Large medical groups urge OMB to be careful with ACO budget expectations

The American Group Management Association asked the Obama administration to scale back the anticipated savings that are expected from the creation of accountable care organizations. Setting the savings bar too high, the organizations said, could cause the ACO program to be unsuccessful.

10 Jun 2011

IPAB under attack from all sides

From the left, fears persist that this independent payment advisory board will make the Medicare program a cost-control scapegoat. On the right, opponents say the panel will lead to health care rationing and usurp congressional authority.

10 Jun 2011