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Weekend reading: Deciding if it's 'time to let mom die,' a cancer hospital's controversial admission procedures

My father, sister and I sat in the near-empty Chinese restaurant, picking at our plates, unable to avoid the question that we'd gathered to discuss: When was it time to let Mom die? ... My father and sister looked to me for my thoughts. In our family, after all, I'm the go-to guy for all things medical. I've been a health care reporter for 15 years: at the Dallas Morning News, the Los Angeles Times and now ProPublica.

7 Mar 2013

Roundup: N.J. seeks to recover $10M from adult day care centers after Medicaid bills; Ga. panel to implement provider fee picked; Pa.'s adultBasic in limbo after ruling

A state agency that serves as a watchdog over New Jersey government announced Wednesday that it has found improper billing of Medicaid by five adult day care centers and is asking the centers to pay settlements totaling more than $10 million. The state comptroller's office found that centers were charging the state for caring for patients when they did not receive care in some cases and for providing care that was not needed in others.

7 Mar 2013

Marriage may not always be as beneficial to health as experts have led us to believe

Marriage may not always be as beneficial to health as experts have led us to believe, according to a new study.

6 Mar 2013

Inspector General finds unclear definition, enforcement of 'conflict of interest' may alter Medicare coverage decisions

Deciding which drugs will be covered by Medicare can influence huge amounts of spending, but government officials do little to police conflict of interest among doctors and pharmacists who make those decisions, federal investigators said Monday.

6 Mar 2013

Financial, cultural and communication barriers play a major role in prostate cancer care

A combination of financial, cultural and communication barriers plays a role in preventing underserved Latino men with prostate cancer from accessing the care and treatment they need, according to a new study by researchers at the UCLA School of Nursing.

6 Mar 2013

Viewpoints: Disappointing 'surprises' in health law; Cuts in graduate medical training threatens physician supply; Va. can afford Medicaid expansion

The proposed 2.3 percent reduction in (Medicare Advantage plan) payments, which comes on top of cuts already scheduled under the Affordable Care Act, pays no mind to the potential impact on quality of care throughout the program. These cuts will apply to all plans no matter the value they bring in providing quality care to beneficiaries or offering innovative solutions that could ultimately be scaled and applied to the broader program.

5 Mar 2013

States continue to formulate Medicaid expansion strategies

As the Obama administration gives some states the OK to pursue alternatives to the health law's Medicaid expansion, the shape of the debate in state legislatures changes.

5 Mar 2013

Health law implementation largely untouched by automatic spending cuts

The Associated Press reports that only a small fraction of the overhaul's funding is subject to the sequester's cuts. Meanwhile, the Obama administration indicates that insurers will have to report rate increases no matter how small and offers rules to clarify other provisions.

5 Mar 2013

Ten tips to reduce risk of colorectal cancer

With colorectal cancer the second leading cause of cancer death, it's a great time to take a look at the health of your colon. "Colorectal cancer surpasses breast and prostate cancers as a leading cause of cancer death in men and women," said Dr. James Yoo, assistant professor of surgery and chief of the colon & rectal surgery program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "It is largely preventable with early screening and detection."

5 Mar 2013

Commission urges big changes in Medicare doctor pay, including the elimination of fee-for-service approach

The panel, the National Commission on Physician Payment Reform, released a dozen recommendations to ultimately change how physicians are paid.

5 Mar 2013

Automatic budget cuts lead Republicans to sharpen focus on Medicare cost-cutting plans

With the deadline for averting sequestration having come and gone, lawmakers and the White House are jockeying for position in the next round of budget battles.

5 Mar 2013

Roundup: Mass. health costs may start accelerating again; Review questions Minn. HMO payment rates; Calif. lawmakers approve health care bills

After several years of moderating costs, there are signs the rate of increase in Massachusetts health care prices -- and insurance premiums -- may soon start accelerating again, exceeding a heralded cost cap set by the state last year.

5 Mar 2013

AAP, ACMG release guidelines on best practices for genetic testing and screening of children

For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) spoke with one voice and released a set of recommendations and guidelines on best practices for genetic testing and screening of children.

5 Mar 2013

Viewpoints: Daschle, Frist urge Senate to confirm CMS chief; 'Insane' incentives in health law; Medicaid does better job than private insurance so why change it?

Imagine a large company operating for seven years without a CEO. A company with a product that accounts for more than 15 percent of our nation's gross domestic product. A company implementing the largest national effort at reform since its creation. A company set to gain an additional 30 million customers in the next year. Unfathomable.

4 Mar 2013

dailyRx News Network expands Total Patient Engagement solution

The dailyRx News Network, a leading digital publisher of health news, announced today that its Total Patient Engagement solution has been expanded and enhanced to include dailyRx-created video health news.

4 Mar 2013

Electronic health records increase colorectal cancer screening rates

Researchers used electronic health records to identify Group Health patients who weren't screened regularly for cancer of the colon and rectum-and to encourage them to be screened. This centralized, automated approach doubled these patients' rates of on-time screening-and saved health costs-over two years.

4 Mar 2013

Doctor News and Research

Weekend reading: Deciding if it's 'time to let mom die,' a cancer hospital's controversial admission procedures

Roundup: N.J. seeks to recover $10M from adult day care centers after Medicaid bills; Ga. panel to implement provider fee picked; Pa.'s adultBasic in limbo after ruling

Marriage may not always be as beneficial to health as experts have led us to believe

Inspector General finds unclear definition, enforcement of 'conflict of interest' may alter Medicare coverage decisions

Financial, cultural and communication barriers play a major role in prostate cancer care

Viewpoints: Disappointing 'surprises' in health law; Cuts in graduate medical training threatens physician supply; Va. can afford Medicaid expansion

States continue to formulate Medicaid expansion strategies

Health law implementation largely untouched by automatic spending cuts

Ten tips to reduce risk of colorectal cancer

Commission urges big changes in Medicare doctor pay, including the elimination of fee-for-service approach

Automatic budget cuts lead Republicans to sharpen focus on Medicare cost-cutting plans

Roundup: Mass. health costs may start accelerating again; Review questions Minn. HMO payment rates; Calif. lawmakers approve health care bills

AAP, ACMG release guidelines on best practices for genetic testing and screening of children

Viewpoints: Daschle, Frist urge Senate to confirm CMS chief; 'Insane' incentives in health law; Medicaid does better job than private insurance so why change it?

dailyRx News Network expands Total Patient Engagement solution

Electronic health records increase colorectal cancer screening rates

Poll shows compelling association between exercise and better sleep

Chicago's poorest neighborhoods to experience demand for additional primary care doctors

Health law, Medicare benefit design draw congressional attention

Weekend reading: Navigating treatment; Can a robot replace your doctor?

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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