Medicaid News and Research

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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.

First Edition: October 26, 2010

In today's headlines, more reports from the campaign trail -- highlighting how tempers and politics continue to flare around health overhaul issues.

26 Oct 2010

Archimedes launches AOA web application to help healthcare organizations

Archimedes Inc., a healthcare modeling company, announced today the launch of the Archimedes Outcomes Analyzer (AOA), a web application that expands access to data sets generated by the Archimedes Model, a large-scale simulation model that calculates clinical and cost outcomes, and answers complex healthcare questions.

26 Oct 2010

Centene third quarter premium and service revenues increase 9.5% to $1.082 billion

Centene Corporation today announced net earnings from continuing operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, of $22.4 million, or $0.44 per diluted share; $0.48 from operations excluding a $0.04 charge for net investment writedowns.

26 Oct 2010

Admissions for medication, drug-related conditions increase by 117% among Americans aged 45 and older

The number of hospital admissions among Americans ages 45 and older for medication and drug-related conditions doubled between 1997 and 2008, according to a new report released today by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medication and drug-related conditions include effects of both prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as illicit drugs.

26 Oct 2010

Medicare plan choices attract attention as open enrollment approaches

Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services say they have taken steps to streamline this year's plan options for private Medicare plans, including Part D, the prescription drug plan including eliminating some plans they consider duplicative.

26 Oct 2010

Doctors, nurses and urgent care centers address increasing demand

The (Lynchburg, Va.) News and Advance reports on doctor shortages in Virginia: "Attracting more physicians to the area, and keeping them, is a challenge that has become more urgent. So much so that Centra is in the midst of creating a formal Physician Recruiting Office, where staff will work to convince physicians to consider coming to Lynchburg for their residency or to practice.

26 Oct 2010

Calif. budget comes in the nick of time for health centers; LA. Gov. announces cuts in health care funding

With some California community health centers just weeks or days away from laying off staff or reducing their hours, the state adopted its latest-ever annual budget on Oct. 8.

26 Oct 2010

Chemed third quarter revenue increases 8.0% to $320.5 million

Chemed Corporation which operates VITAS Healthcare Corporation (VITAS), the nation's largest provider of end-of-life care, and Roto-Rooter, the nation's largest commercial and residential plumbing and drain cleaning services provider, reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2010, versus the comparable prior-year period.

26 Oct 2010

Emdeon Clinician receives Meaningful Use of EHR Technology certification

Emdeon Inc., a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management solutions, today announced that Emdeon Clinician™ has been certified to meet Stage 1 Certification Criteria for Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Record (EHR) Technology by the Drummond Group Inc. Emdeon Clinician is a component of Emdeon Office Suite™, which allows healthcare providers to tap into Emdeon's vast network of payers, providers, labs and pharmacies for clinical, financial and administrative healthcare transactions.

25 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 25, 2010

Today's headlines include the latest on health overhaul policies and politics as the mid-term election grows closer.

25 Oct 2010

Research Roundup: U.S. life expectancy ratings; Medicare Advantage outlook; Should advanced cancer patients have routine screening tests?

Health Affairs: What Changes In Survival Rates Tell Us About US Health Care -- Proponents of changes in the U.S. health system have often pointed to studies that find health outcomes in this country are worse than other developed nations, even though the United States "spends well over twice the median expenditure of industrialized nations on health care, and far more than any other country as a percentage of its gross domestic product." Others point to high rates of smoking, obesity and traffic fatalities.

25 Oct 2010

Sen. Grassley asks HHS to probe doctors using excessive prescriptions

The Miami Herald: "Based on the huge numbers of prescriptions written by a Miami psychiatrist, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is continuing to pressure federal officials to investigate why some doctors write stunning numbers of scripts for tax-funded Medicare and Medicaid programs.

25 Oct 2010

Joint Commission: Medical errors in hospitals tied to 'handoffs' of patients

The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals, released an update on a collaborative project with 10 health systems tragetting the frequent errors that happen in hospitals when a patient is handed off from one provider to another.

25 Oct 2010

Massive Medicare fraud operation nets millions in Miami

Federal agents crack down on a massive Medicare fraud operation in Miami.

25 Oct 2010

State Watch: N.Y. approves rate hikes; Arizona referendum on health insurance mandate; Md. insurer cuts broker fees

The Sacramento Bee: "A Sacramento federal judge has ordered the state to keep providing adult dental, podiatric and chiropractic services to poor people in underserved rural areas until it gets permission from federal health authorities to discontinue the benefits. U.S. District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. ruled Wednesday that, while the services are not mandatory under the federal Medicaid program (Medi-Cal in California), the Legislature's decision to end them last year as a cost-saving measure was unlawful without federal approval.

25 Oct 2010

ASD-related health care expenditures escalate in state Medicaid programs

Autism was described as early as 1940, but a marked increase in the prevalence for the broader class of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) during the past decade highlights the demand for treatment of affected individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the prevalence of ASD was one in 110 children in 2006 and increased at an average annual rate of 57% between 2002 and 2006. The rising prevalence has heightened concern about the financial impact of treating ASDs in the private and public health care systems.

25 Oct 2010

Health care fraud roundup: 30-year sentence for doctor upheld; KY. cracks down

An appeals court has upheld a 30-year prison term for a Medicare fraudster in Florida. Dr. Ana Alvarez-Jacinto, a Miami endocrinologist, was convicted of health care fraud and sentenced to 30 years behind bars.

22 Oct 2010

Talecris announces publication of PROLASTIN-C study results for AAT deficiency in BML journal

Talecris Biotherapeutics today announced the publication of results from a study showing that PROLASTIN-C (Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor [Human]) (A1PI) is as effective as PROLASTIN (Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor [Human]) in raising levels of alpha-1 protein in patients with alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency.

22 Oct 2010

Electronic Medicaid data goes missing; New report says med-tech companies 'under siege'

"A computer flash drive containing the names, addresses, and personal health information of 280,000 people," primarily Medicaid recipients, "is missing - one of the largest recent security breaches of personal health data in the nation." The "security failure" involved nearly two-thirds of subscribers to the Philadelphia-based companies Keystone Mercy Health Plan and AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan, and as of Tuesday, "there had been no reports of anyone trying to use the information stored on the drive."

22 Oct 2010

LA. drops plans for quickly setting up new health plan for poor; national health insurer accused on providing "junk insurance" in Calif

In the face of mounting opposition, the Jindal administration dropped plans late Wednesday to expedite approval of rules needed to implement a new health-care delivery system for the poor.

22 Oct 2010

Medicaid News and Research

First Edition: October 26, 2010

Archimedes launches AOA web application to help healthcare organizations

Centene third quarter premium and service revenues increase 9.5% to $1.082 billion

Admissions for medication, drug-related conditions increase by 117% among Americans aged 45 and older

Medicare plan choices attract attention as open enrollment approaches

Doctors, nurses and urgent care centers address increasing demand

Calif. budget comes in the nick of time for health centers; LA. Gov. announces cuts in health care funding

Chemed third quarter revenue increases 8.0% to $320.5 million

Emdeon Clinician receives Meaningful Use of EHR Technology certification

First Edition: October 25, 2010

Research Roundup: U.S. life expectancy ratings; Medicare Advantage outlook; Should advanced cancer patients have routine screening tests?

Sen. Grassley asks HHS to probe doctors using excessive prescriptions

Joint Commission: Medical errors in hospitals tied to 'handoffs' of patients

Massive Medicare fraud operation nets millions in Miami

State Watch: N.Y. approves rate hikes; Arizona referendum on health insurance mandate; Md. insurer cuts broker fees

ASD-related health care expenditures escalate in state Medicaid programs

Health care fraud roundup: 30-year sentence for doctor upheld; KY. cracks down

Talecris announces publication of PROLASTIN-C study results for AAT deficiency in BML journal

Electronic Medicaid data goes missing; New report says med-tech companies 'under siege'

LA. drops plans for quickly setting up new health plan for poor; national health insurer accused on providing "junk insurance" in Calif

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