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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.

State news highlights: Texas Senate approves Medicaid savings bill

The Senate unanimously approved Sen. Jane Nelson's bill to find extensive cost savings in Texas' Medicaid program, the primary health care provider for children, the disabled and the very poor. ... The measure expands Medicaid managed care into South Texas, where it has long been carved out — expected to save the state $290 million over the biennium.

30 Apr 2011

Childs Medical Clinic uses Greenway Medical Technologies' PrimeSUITE 2011

Greenway Medical Technologies, Inc. announced today that Childs Medical Clinic of Samson, Ala. is the first Greenway customer utilizing the company's integrated electronic health record, practice management and interoperability solution PrimeSUITE 2011 to successfully attest and receive payment notice within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Stage 1 meaningful use incentives program within the Medicare pathway.

30 Apr 2011

Prescriptions for narcotic-containing drugs often contain too much medication per dose

Parents who give young children prescription painkillers should take extra care to make sure they give just the right amount. What they may be surprised to learn, however, is that the dose given to them by the pharmacy could be too high, according to research to be presented Saturday, April 30, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

30 Apr 2011

Kindred Healthcare responds to CMS' proposed Medicare rule

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. today issued a response to the proposed rule issued late yesterday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding Medicare payment rates for skilled nursing facilities for fiscal year 2012.

30 Apr 2011

Hospitals: Another merger; patient satisfaction as a quality indicator

Alexian announces merger with St.Louis-Based Ascension Health while a war of words continues between Community Health and Tenet. Also, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is finalizing the specifics of a new hospital reimbursement method that will link payment to patient satisfaction.

30 Apr 2011

THCA expresses deep concern about CMS' proposed Medicare regulations

In the context of the unfolding Texas budget debate, the Texas Health Care Association today expressed deep concern about a proposed regulation just issued by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that could result in Medicare-funded nursing home care reductions of approximately $4 billion in 2012.

30 Apr 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb first quarter net sales increase 5% to $3.3 billion

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced first quarter results that included strong sales and earnings growth, and several key R&D milestones—most notably U.S. regulatory approval for YERVOY. The company also confirmed guidance for the year.

30 Apr 2011

Coventry first quarter revenues increase 6.6% to $3.0 billion

Coventry Health Care, Inc. today reported consolidated operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.

30 Apr 2011

Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care acknowledges importance of fine-tuning Medicare payment system

Expressing alarm about a proposed rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that could result in funding reductions as high as $4 billion to seniors' Medicare-funded skilled nursing care, the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care today acknowledged the importance of fine-tuning the complex and evolving Medicare payment system in a manner that "gets it right" while also protecting seniors' care quality, preserving caregivers' jobs, and ensuring accountability to U.S. taxpayers.

30 Apr 2011

Research roundup: Saving lives through health literacy

Health Literacy And Outcomes Among Patients With Heart Failure -- This study examines the correlation between health literacy, or the ability to understand basic health information, and the mortality rate among patients with heart failure, which is a condition that "requires self-management and frequent interactions with the health care system."

30 Apr 2011

HHS launches Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program

The Department of Health and Human Services today launched a new initiative which will reward hospitals for the quality of care they provide to people with Medicare and help reduce health care costs.

30 Apr 2011

Magellan reports net revenue of $692.8 million for first quarter 2011

Magellan Health Services, Inc. today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2011, as summarized below, and increased guidance for the full year.

30 Apr 2011

HMS first quarter revenue increases 27% to $82.5 million

HMS Holdings Corp. Reports Record First Quarter 2011 Results

30 Apr 2011

LifePoint Hospitals first quarter revenues increase 13.0% to $888.6 million

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011.

29 Apr 2011

Amerigroup first quarter total revenues increase 12.3% to $1.54 billion

Amerigroup Corporation today announced that net income for the first quarter of 2011 was $70.5 million, or $1.37 per diluted share, versus net income of $42.2 million, or $0.82 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2010. Total revenues for the first quarter of 2011 increased 12.3% to $1.54 billion compared with $1.37 billion in the first quarter of 2010. Sequentially, total revenues increased 2.5% from the fourth quarter of 2010.

29 Apr 2011

ACS BSCN accredits Christiana Care's Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence as Level 1 facility

Christiana Care Health System's Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence has been accredited as a Level 1 facility by the Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

29 Apr 2011

Public opinion polls uncover differing views on plans for Medicare's future

NPR reports that the answer to how the public is reacting to plans to transform the Medicare program depends on precisely how the question is posed. Meanwhile, different polls are finding varying impressions among Americans. A Gallup poll released Wednesday found the public evenly divided over how to handle the budget, but a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that seniors seem to prefer Medicare as it is.

29 Apr 2011