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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.

Treatment for diabetics cost U.S. hospitals 25% more than stays for non-diabetics

U.S. hospitals spent $83 billion in 2008 caring for people with diabetes, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In that year, nearly one of every five hospitalizations involved a person with diabetes.

16 Aug 2010

Research Roundup: Disabled Medicare Enrollees' challenges; Increasing ER visits; costs/benefits of Part D

Health Affairs: Medicare Doesn't Work As Well For Younger, Disabled Beneficiaries As It Does For Older Enrollees - This paper examines "how well Medicare works for [the 8 million] nonelderly disabled beneficiaries compared to the elderly, based on findings from a nationally representative survey of noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries conducted in 2008 by the Kaiser Family Foundation."

16 Aug 2010

The federal health IT push remains in the spotlight

Doctors across the country including Tahsina Atiquzzaman in Kissimmee, Fla., are "shredding paper charts and ushering in digital records as part of the health care milestones announced last month by the federal government," The Orlando Sentinel/Modesto Bee reports.

13 Aug 2010

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, OCNA urge FDA to allow use of Avastin

Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance today urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continue to allow the use of the drug bevacizumab, commonly known as Avastin, for metastatic breast cancer patients, noting that it is effective for some patients and warning of a chilling effect on new drug development if approval is withdrawn.

13 Aug 2010

Today's opinions: Rep. Ryan's plan to aid Medicare; The burden on health law supporters in Va.; Evaluating Medicare actuary's estimates

Only in Washington could the government raid one entitlement program to finance a brand-new one and still claim that deficits have been reduced and entitlements have been reformed (Rep. Paul Ryan, 8/13).

13 Aug 2010

KHN column: Medicaid rescissions worse than private insurers

On Tuesday, members of the House of Representatives interrupted their August vacation and returned to Washington to vote on a bill to send money to the states. The issue that dominated the news was saving the jobs of teachers, police officers and other public employees. But most of the money allocated will prevent the states from cutting off health benefits for millions of people.

13 Aug 2010

Medical Facilities second-quarter revenue decreases 1.9% to $51.2 million

Medical Facilities Corporation today reported its financial results for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2010.

13 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 13, 2010

Today's headlines explore a variety of health policy issues, ranging from consumer protections regarding benefit rights to the cost of electronic medical records.

13 Aug 2010

MedAssurant enters agreement with NCQA to develop new measures of healthcare quality

MedAssurant Inc., a leading provider of data-driven healthcare solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the organization that maintains the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS ®)—the most widely used performance measurement tool in healthcare and a core component of the Medicare Star Rating system—to support the development of new measures of healthcare quality that NCQA is developing under a contract it has with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

13 Aug 2010

Kibow to support KDAE week for educating policymakers about kidney disease

Kibow Biotech would like to show its support for Kidney Disease Awareness and Education (KDAE) Week 2010, organized by American Nephrology Nurses' Association (ANNA). Kidney Disease Awareness and Education Week is a week dedicated to educating policymakers and their staff members about the needs of patients suffering from or at risk for end stage renal disease (ESRD).

13 Aug 2010

Sandata announces acquisition of Medical Management Technology Group's customer base

Sandata Technologies, LLC, a leading nationwide provider of information technology solutions to the home healthcare and social services communities today announced the acquisition of all of the home healthcare agency contracts of Medical Management Technology Group, Inc. in connection with the settlement of a patent infringement lawsuit.

13 Aug 2010

Mass. docs will soon track patients who abuse prescription drugs; Wis. Catholic Church employees now eligible for birth control

The Boston Globe: "With a few computer keystrokes, Massachusetts physicians will soon be able to identify patients who travel from clinic to clinic in pursuit of potent prescription drugs that feed lethal addictions. State health regulators yesterday unanimously approved the new detection system designed to stop 'doctor shopping' by addicted patients who try to dupe doctors into prescribing narcotics. The practice, specialists said, has fueled a surge in drug-related deaths in Massachusetts" (Smith, 8/12).

13 Aug 2010

Prices drop for PBMs; Pharmacy lobby opposes survey regarding Medicaid prices

Prices are falling for major pharmacy benefit managers, such as Medco and CVS Caremark, as the firms compete for clients, but the falling rates "don't appear to be sliding into a frenzy of unreasonable pricing," The Wall Street Journal reports. "In the current 'selling season,' when PBMs look to sign customers for the following year, discounts on new contracts have deepened by one or two percentage points, on average, from a year ago.

13 Aug 2010

Visiting Nurse Service of New York to acquire 'Lombardi' Program from St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center

The Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the nation's largest not-for-profit home health care organization, announced today that it has successfully bid for, and is set to acquire, the Long Term Home Health Care Program from St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center. The transaction was filed at a closed, one-time bid auction on August 10, 2010. The purchase price of $30,150,000 is pending approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the Attorney General's Office.

13 Aug 2010

Health Net Foundation, Health Net of California to provide $7M to keep Central Valley clinics open

With the State of California's budget situation threatening to again halt payments to the state's health clinics, the Health Net Foundation and Health Net of California, Inc., together, are prepared to provide up to $7 million in zero-interest financing to help prevent Central Valley clinics from shutting their doors.

12 Aug 2010

ER visit rates increase at twice growth rate of population

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that emergency visit rates have increased at twice the rate of growth of the U.S. population from 1997 to 2007; Medicaid patients accounted for a large proportion of the increase, often coming with more severe illnesses and complications.

12 Aug 2010

Komen Advocacy Alliance thanks Congress for 6-month extension of enhanced federal funding for Medicaid

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Advocacy Alliance thanked Congress and the Administration for a six-month extension of enhanced federal funding for Medicaid, which was signed into law Tuesday night. The additional federal aid will help stave off potential cuts to programs that provide breast cancer screening and treatment for underserved women.

12 Aug 2010

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare awards HMS two cost containment contracts

HMS today announced that it had been awarded two cost containment contracts by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which administers Idaho's Medicaid program. Under the first contract, HMS will to identify third party coverage for casualty and liability claims paid by Idaho Medicaid, and pursue recoveries.

12 Aug 2010

Obama signs bill giving states $16 billion in enhanced Medicaid payments

President Obama signed a bill Tuesday that gives states an extra $16 billion in Medicaid funding.

12 Aug 2010

States consider how best to spend extra Medicaid funds

In light of the $26 billion aid package passed by Congress Tuesday, states are considering their next steps.

12 Aug 2010

Medicaid News and Research

Treatment for diabetics cost U.S. hospitals 25% more than stays for non-diabetics

Research Roundup: Disabled Medicare Enrollees' challenges; Increasing ER visits; costs/benefits of Part D

The federal health IT push remains in the spotlight

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, OCNA urge FDA to allow use of Avastin

Today's opinions: Rep. Ryan's plan to aid Medicare; The burden on health law supporters in Va.; Evaluating Medicare actuary's estimates

KHN column: Medicaid rescissions worse than private insurers

Medical Facilities second-quarter revenue decreases 1.9% to $51.2 million

First Edition: August 13, 2010

MedAssurant enters agreement with NCQA to develop new measures of healthcare quality

Kibow to support KDAE week for educating policymakers about kidney disease

Sandata announces acquisition of Medical Management Technology Group's customer base

Mass. docs will soon track patients who abuse prescription drugs; Wis. Catholic Church employees now eligible for birth control

Prices drop for PBMs; Pharmacy lobby opposes survey regarding Medicaid prices

Visiting Nurse Service of New York to acquire 'Lombardi' Program from St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center

Health Net Foundation, Health Net of California to provide $7M to keep Central Valley clinics open

ER visit rates increase at twice growth rate of population

Komen Advocacy Alliance thanks Congress for 6-month extension of enhanced federal funding for Medicaid

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare awards HMS two cost containment contracts

Obama signs bill giving states $16 billion in enhanced Medicaid payments

States consider how best to spend extra Medicaid funds

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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