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CNA launches National Expert Commission on health system improvement

The Canadian Nurses Association today officially launched its National Expert Commission on health system improvement, entitled The Health of Our Nation — The Future of Our Health System.

26 May 2011

Disputes over ACO rule, IPAB, MLR, health law continue

Some hot topics -- the IPAB, the medical-loss ratio rule and the health law's impact on employer-sponsored health care -- also claim headlines today. Meanwhile, MinnPost analyzes executive orders - including a controversial one on health care - by former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, now a GOP presidential candidate.

26 May 2011

Ryan budget, with Medicare and Medicaid overhaul, rejected by Senate

With five Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, the Senate easily rejected a House-passed budget plan Wednesday calling for deep cuts in domestic appropriations and major restructuring of Medicare, the government-backed healthcare program for the elderly.

26 May 2011

Dems win upset in NY special election; Medicare viewed as game-changing issue

Democrats claimed a victory Tuesday, winning a congressional seat in one of New York's most conservative districts. The win is considered by many as a blow to the GOP plan to overhaul Medicare. It's also likely to add to Republican intra-party strains surrounding the issue.

26 May 2011

Budget talks: Medicare costs on table as Biden aims for $1 trillion in cuts

Politics continue to surround talks regarding the budget and congressional efforts to reach an agreement on raising the debt limit. Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading an effort to strike a compromise, has acknowledged that Medicare must be part of the debate. He also maintains that new revenue sources have to be in the mix.

26 May 2011

Miami Herald explores pilot program for medical homes

House calls, once thought to be too time-consuming and not very cost-effective, are making a comeback as health care providers recognize that they're actually the answer to good care for patients who can't make it to a doctor's office. Medicare-paid house calls have been steadily increasing, according to government figures, and doctors report the same for non-Medicare patients, according to the American Academy for Home Care Physicians.

26 May 2011

Poll finds popularity for Medicaid program

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that most Americans oppose the GOP plan to cut Medicaid, throwing into question the conventional wisdom that this health insurance program for the poor lacks the widespread public support generally attached to Medicare.

26 May 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius, Orszag on Medicare costs; has the Minnesota GOP lost its way?

The right way is to strengthen it, closing coverage gaps while also bringing down costs by improving care and reducing waste and fraud. Medicare's trustees estimate that the new health care law has already added eight years to the life of the Medicare trust fund by doing just that. The president's fiscal framework would put the program on even more solid ground in the future.

26 May 2011

MAXIMUS offers eHealth Literacy Services for state and community programs

MAXIMUS, Inc., a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced today that it is now offering eHealth Literacy Services to help state and community programs meet the communication and engagement challenges facing consumers and providers using the new health information technology infrastructure.

25 May 2011

First Edition: May 25, 2011

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz reports: "Most Americans oppose the House Republicans' plan to overhaul and slash funding of Medicaid, the state-federal program that covers 56 million low-income people, according to a poll being released today".

25 May 2011

Federal officials review Indiana's Planned Parenthood law

Federal officials said Monday they're taking a hard look at a new Indiana law that withholds some public funding for Planned Parenthood of Indiana, a development that could cost the state some of its Medicaid funding.

25 May 2011

Pawlenty, Gingrich offer views on Medicare, entitlement programs

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty formally announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination with a pledge to reinvent programs like Medicare in order to tackle the nation's fiscal difficulties. And another GOP candidate — Newt Gingrich — continued his efforts to explain his remarks about the Medicare overhaul plan advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

25 May 2011

GOP leaders ask governors for ideas on Medicaid savings, improvements

A top House and Senate Republican wrote to the nation's governors Monday to ask for suggestions on how to find savings in and improve Medicaid. The letter from House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton of Michigan and Senate Finance ranking member Orrin G. Hatch of Utah said the quality of medical care provided by Medicaid, the federal-state health program for the poor, is not as good as that provided to Medicare or privately insured patients.

25 May 2011

Medical-income argument by critics of 'Obamacare' is feeble, says Queen's University professor

U.S. doctors might find that their incomes start to rise - not decline - when Barack Obama's healthcare reforms are put in place says a Queen's University School of Medicine professor.

25 May 2011

With NY special election down to the wire, Republicans 'brace for blowback'

This week, an off-year special election in Buffalo and a purely symbolic vote in the Senate might tell Republicans all they need to know about the mercurial politics of Medicare reform.

25 May 2011

Senate GOP faces tricky vote on House-passed budget

Democratic leaders are terming this week's Senate vote on the House-passed Ryan budget, including its proposal to revamp Medicare, a "defining issue." Meanwhile, some Republican senators have announced that they won't back the plan.

25 May 2011

GP groups call for reinvestment into successful mental health program

United General Practice Australia – the coalition of the peak groups representing Australia’s general practitioners – has issued a strong united statement calling on the government to expand the Better Access program to meet the demand for mental healthcare in the community rather than reducing Medicare patient rebates for vital mental health services.

25 May 2011

Debt limit talks move to topic of finding savings in Medicare, Medicaid

In related news, projections released last week by Medicare's chief actuary concluded that spending on physician and hospital services will be significantly higher than expected if Congress reverses scheduled reductions in Medicare payments.

25 May 2011

MIT, ADI partner to research and develop technologies for next-generation patient monitoring devices

Analog Devices, Inc., a global leader in high-performance semiconductors for signal-processing applications and long-time supplier to the medical equipment industry, today announced a collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to research and develop technologies for next-generation patient monitoring devices.

25 May 2011

Viewpoints: Pawlenty weighs in; entitlement reform dominating GOP politics

"ObamaCare" is unconstitutional, and it is already driving up health costs — not reducing them. ... Government money isn't "free." ... And the cuts we must make cannot just be in other people's favorite programs. ... This week I'm going to Florida to tell both young people and seniors that our entitlement programs are on an unsustainable path and have to be changed.

25 May 2011