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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.

Sebelius tries to soothe state worries about health reform

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is trying to soothe the fiscal and administrative concerns of officials in states who have considerable power in implementing the nation's attempt at health reform, The Wall Street Journal reports. "The law puts heavy demands on Ms. Sebelius — it has more than 1,000 references to actions that the 'secretary shall' take. But much of the responsibility for actually implementing the changes falls to states, so the Obama administration's top health official has been working to guide them."

3 Aug 2010

Senate FMAP vote expected this evening

CQ:An administration official was making last-minute calls Monday "in the lead-up to an evening vote on a stand-alone bill to extend increased Medicaid payments to states and provide $10 billion for educators' jobs." The measure, with a $26.1 billion price tag, contains the Medicaid and education provisions that were "struck a from other bills despite heavy lobbying by state and local officials."

3 Aug 2010

'Medical homes' bolster primary care and cut emergency costs

Several news outlets look at efforts to manage care for Medicaid patients and the uninsured better.

3 Aug 2010

Senate may vote today on extending extra Medicaid funds

"The Senate votes tonight on a cloture motion on a $26.1 billion domestic spending package that includes $10 billion in funding to avert teacher layoffs and $16.1 billion in Medicaid aid by extending Federal Medical Assistance Percentage reimbursements. That vote is a nod to House Democrats who are irked that senators stripped the funding from other bills and to governors who are lobbying for the funds" (Friedman, 8/2).

2 Aug 2010

Today's OpEds: Medicaid and the safety net; Health reform law's impact on long-term care and health costs

Late last week, the federal government provided a road map [for how to help those with little access to care] by extending an existing agreement that allows up to $25 million in Medicaid payments to hospitals to be diverted instead to clinics that serve the uninsured. You might think that would be a hard sell for hospitals; after all, they're experiencing sharp growth in the number of uninsured patients they serve. But St. Louis-area hospitals willingly have been sharing those payments with clinics for a decade. Without them, there simply wouldn't be a health care safety net to meet the region's needs (8/1).

2 Aug 2010

K-V Pharmaceutical receives NYSE non-compliance notification

K-V Pharmaceutical Company announced today that the Company received notification from the New York Stock Exchange on July 27, 2010 of non-compliance regarding the Company's quantitative continued listing standards. The NYSE informed the Company that its Class A Common Stock equity issue has fallen below criteria for the average closing price of a NYSE security of not less than $1.00 over a consecutive 30-trading day period.

2 Aug 2010

LifePoint Hospitals second-quarter revenues up 7.5% to $790.6 million

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. today announced results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010.

2 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 2, 2010

Today's headlines include news about a pre-recess Senate push to pass a state aid measure as well as a preview of a White House report to be issued today that predicts savings in the Medicare program.

2 Aug 2010

Inpatient rehab helps patient to regain functions lost from injury, illness

After a person receives acute care in a "regular" hospital for catastrophic illness, traumatic injury or a debilitating chronic condition, the next step in the process of recovery often involves a stay at an inpatient rehabilitation, or rehab, facility.Patients often have little warning when they're quickly moved to a rehab facility from acute care. Those who envision a long, leisurely recovery in a hospital or at home may find that the abrupt transition-and new responsibilities in rehab-leaves their heads spinning.

2 Aug 2010

Merck reports strong bottom-line performance in second quarter

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2010. The company reported non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share (EPS) for the second quarter of $0.86, which excludes purchase accounting adjustments, merger-related expenses, restructuring costs and the gain on AstraZeneca's asset option exercise. Second-quarter GAAP EPS was $0.24.

2 Aug 2010

Health Care Politics: parties dispute tax reporting requirement; administration woos seniors with new Ad

The Associated Press "Tucked into the new health care law is a requirement that could become a paperwork nightmare for nearly 40 million businesses. They must file tax forms for every vendor that sells them more than $600 in goods. The goal is to prevent vendors from underreporting their income to the Internal Revenue Service.

2 Aug 2010

Aetna offers two RHP plans for companies in need of health care cover

Companies operating across the Middle East now have a new choice in health benefits plans from Aetna Global Benefits (AGB), the international business segment of Aetna, that provides additional flexibility in cover and affordability. The organisation has expanded its Regional Healthcare Plan (RHP) for companies in need of health care cover for their expatriate employees living across the region.

2 Aug 2010

Aetna offers help to fire-impacted areas in Southern California

Aetna is making it easier for members impacted by the wildfires burning in Kern County and Northern Los Angeles County to refill prescriptions and access employee assistance and behavioral health programs. The company is monitoring the situation carefully, and will re-evaluate its medical and dental policies for members as necessary to help them access care in the fire-impacted areas in Southern California where many people face evacuations from their homes.

31 Jul 2010

Speaker Pelosi issues statement to mark 45th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today to mark the 45th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid being signed into law. To mark the anniversary, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a new ad featuring Andy Griffith discussing the Affordable Care Act:

31 Jul 2010

Illinois quickly begins implementing new law to end violence in nursing homes; N.J. reverses cuts in AIDS drug program

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn Thursday signed a law establishing new nursing home safety measures "aimed at ending chronic violence in the facilities. Work already has begun on hiring dozens of additional nursing home inspectors, as well as writing rules that will increase licensing fees and nursing staff levels in the homes. State authorities also say they are tackling one of the thorniest issues: finding ways to fund the law's multifaceted provisions even as Illinois faces a $13 billion budget deficit" (Jackson and Marx, 7/29).

31 Jul 2010

Louisiana's Medicaid rate cuts kick in Aug. 1; Other states seek health program assistance, make tough choices to balance budgets

"The rates paid to many of the private health providers in Louisiana's Medicaid program will fall Sunday to trim spending by $168 million in the program that provides care to the poor, elderly and disabled. The latest cuts to private hospitals, home- and community-based care providers, doctors and specialty service providers are the final piece of balancing this year's $6.5 billion Medicaid budget. Department of Health and Hospitals Undersecretary Jerry Phillips said Medicaid funding was cut by $277 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year that began July 1."

31 Jul 2010

Poll: Many Americans not sure of provisions of new healthcare legislation

Not sure what's in—and not in—the new healthcare legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama in March? You're not alone. More than 2,100 adults were given a list of 18 reform items and asked to identify what's included and what's not included in the law. Only four items were correctly identified by the majority of those polled.

31 Jul 2010

Water Street Healthcare Partners acquires Medical Specialties Distributors

Water Street Healthcare Partners, a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on health care, announced today that it has acquired Medical Specialties Distributors, LLC (MSD). Headquartered in Stoughton, Massachusetts, MSD is the nation's leading provider of infusion products, supplies, biomedical services and technology solutions to the growing home infusion therapy market. The acquisition expands Water Street's current group of health care companies to 12.

From Baxter International Inc. 31 Jul 2010

The House fails to pass aid measure for sick 9/11 responders

The Associated Press: "A bill that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid to people sickened by World Trade Center dust fell short in the House on Thursday, raising the possibility that the bulk of compensation for the ill will come from a legal settlement hammered out in the federal courts." The measure failed to draw the necessary two-thirds majority. Democrats had opted for this procedural route rather than a simple majority because it blocked potential GOP amendments.

31 Jul 2010

Research Roundup:COBRA subsidies; Children's insurance and dental coverage; Adopting health IT; Race and heart treatments

Archives of Internal Medicine: Racial Differences In Admissions To High-Quality Hospitals For Coronary Heart Disease - "Racial disparities in the management of coronary heart disease (CHD) are widely documented, yet the reasons behind persistent gaps in quality of care are not fully understood," write the authors, who examined "Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) admitted during 2002 through 2005 to hospitals located in markets with top-ranked cardiac hospitals, as ascertained from the US News and World Report 'America's Best Hospitals' annual rankings."

31 Jul 2010