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Progressive groups offer support for maintaining Medicaid requirements

The nation's governors are will be in Washington this weekend for the National Governors Association winter meeting. Budget issues, especially related to Medicaid spending and other health costs, will be a hot topic.

28 Feb 2011

STD testing for elderly may be covered by Medicare

According to a new report testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may soon be covered by Medicare plans for the elderly. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced that they are considering adding these tests as part of standard Medicare health insurance plans. At present the national health insurance program already pays for HIV tests. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officials are expected to announce a draft decision by August 24.

28 Feb 2011

Research Roundup: Health costs at life's end; Assessing hospital quality; Surgeons' burnout; Per capita Medicaid spending

Annals of Internal Medicine: Determinants Of Medical Expenditures In The Last 6 Months Of Life - Identifying factors about patients in the final six months of life that affect the level of care needed "may reveal opportunities for patient-centered interventions to predict and to reduce medical costs," write the authors, while noting that the study had "a large proportion of unexplained variation."

25 Feb 2011

Affordable Care Act provides states with flexibility and resources to improve health care benefits

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released a new report showing that the Affordable Care Act provides states with significant flexibility and resources to improve health care benefits and protect consumers. Already, the law has provided or offered $2.8 billion in funding to States. This is a fraction of the total funding available under the law to help States implement new consumer protections, expand health coverage, and improve health care quality.

25 Feb 2011

HHS offers new grants to help states with insurance rate reviews

These grants are designed to assist states in creating or enhancing their reviews of the premiums charged by health insurance companies.

25 Feb 2011

Humana CEO hails the importance of the health care consumer

But on Capitol Hill, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., released a fact sheet detailing the profits earned by the nation's five largest insurers — including Humana — and touted health law provisions that would increase transparency from the insurance industry.

25 Feb 2011

New York's Medicaid advisory panel approves plan to cut health spending

The panel's compromise includes an annual spending cap and across-the-board Medicaid provider cuts. Meanwhile, other states also struggle with the rising cost of Medicaid and its impact on the budget.

25 Feb 2011

Romney responds: He's proud of Mass. health care overhaul

Some suggest the exchange between former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, in which he criticized "RomneyCare," and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is a preview of the 2012 Republican presidential primary.

25 Feb 2011

Dizziness, nausea and achiness are symptoms of heart attack in females

Dizziness, nausea and achiness – no, these are not symptoms of the flu but signs of a heart attack in females. While heart attacks affect both men and women, the symptoms of a heart attack are surprisingly different between the genders. Virginia Health Information (VHI) this week released its Cardiac Care Report which provides consumers information comparing heart healthcare in Virginia. This year's report reveals women undergoing open heart surgery continued a five year trend of higher than expected readmission rates.

25 Feb 2011

Judge meant to halt health law implementation, states say

Taking a position that the Obama administration's request for "clarification" from U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson regarding his recent ruling on the 26-state challenge to the health law's individual mandate is "wishful thinking," the involved states maintain that the judge's meaning was clear: he meant to stop work on the law's rollout.

25 Feb 2011

Wisconsin flare-up triggers analysis of other states' public employees' health benefits, pensions

The controversial issues surrounding unions and collective bargaining are bubbling up in other states as well.

25 Feb 2011

Study: When it comes to elective surgery, where you live matters

A new study finds wide regional variations in the treatment Medicare patients receive, especially regarding elective procedures.

25 Feb 2011

States focus on health insurance exchanges

Politico Pro reports on efforts in some states to fight the creation of these health insurance marketplaces. However, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Georgia's insurance commissioner, who opposes the federal health law, wants the state to create and run its own exchange.

25 Feb 2011

Roundup: In Ariz., Senate panel takes steps to end Medicaid; Mass. Gov. starts sales pitch for payment reform

A Republican proposal to retain solvency in a key state health care fund is making headway at the Capitol, despite the tumultuous ride reform has taken this session. The fund — which supports MinnesotaCare, a state-sponsored program for about 140,000 "working poor" residents — is set to run a $150 million deficit by 2013.

25 Feb 2011

New research: Significant number of HCV patients in the U.S. does not have health insurance coverage

New research has determined that patients in the U.S. with hepatitis C virus are twice as likely to not have health insurance coverage compared with those without the disease.

24 Feb 2011

Lack of health insurance limits Hepatitis C patients' access to latest antiviral therapy

New research has determined that patients in the U.S. with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are twice as likely to not have health insurance coverage compared with those without the disease. In fact researchers found only a third of HCV infected Americans have access to antiviral therapy; the remaining are either uninsured or not candidates for therapy due to treatment contraindications. Details of this study are published in the March issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

24 Feb 2011