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Study finds elderly women at high risk for inappropriate urinary catheter utilization

Elderly women are at high risk for inappropriate urinary catheter utilization in emergency departments, according to a new study in the November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

2 Nov 2010

House win would give GOP the ways, means to roll back health law

A GOP takeover of the House would give Republicans the ability to attack the new law in new ways. If Rep. Joe Barton becomes chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee next year, the Texas Republican vows to make life miserable for Democratic defenders of the health care overhaul law.

2 Nov 2010

Medicare cuts become hot topic in mid-term election campaigns

Advertisements are focusing on Medicare cuts and using them as a rallying point to influence the election. The message, delivered by a series of nervous-looking older Americans, is uniform: Democratic Congressional candidates voted for billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare and let their constituents down.

2 Nov 2010

AMA head predicts "catastrophe" if physician Medicare pay isn't fixed

Kaiser Health News staff writers Andrew Villegas and Mary Agnes Carey, working in collaboration with The Washington Post, talked with the AMA president about action surrounding Medicare payment issues: "While most people are focused on the midterm elections Tuesday, the American Medical Association is gearing up for the lame-duck congressional session scheduled to start Nov. 15.

2 Nov 2010

Insurers want out of low-income segment of Medicare Part D market

UPI: "Health insurance companies have raised their premiums to price themselves out of the low-income segment of the Part D market," according to a study from the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital. According to the study, "Part D reimbursements to insurers covering low-income patients are substantially lower than the actual costs incurred," which create an "'incentive for plans to avoid or shed low-income patients,'" the study's lead author said.

2 Nov 2010

Races make final health overhaul messages clear as Election Day nears

Candidates push their final messages for Tuesday's elections, while the congressional debate over the health care overhaul still reverberates.

2 Nov 2010

Health law, elections trigger questions about Medicare payment issues

While most people are focused on the midterm elections Tuesday, the American Medical Association is gearing up for the lame-duck congressional session scheduled to start Nov. 15.

2 Nov 2010

Planning Accountable Care Organizations

American Medical News: "The National Committee for Quality Assurance is seeking input from the public on draft accountable care organization standards," which "were drafted by the organization's Accountable Care Organization Task Force comprising representatives from large integrated health care systems, academia and the insurance industry. … Establishing ACOs for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries is a key part of health system reform legislation" (11/1).

1 Nov 2010

Today's OpEds: Health law and private insurance; Corporate wellness programs; Geriatric mental health

Once again, average health insurance rates are expected to rise by double digits next yearas they have every year since 2002. ... Given that Obama would veto a repeal, we hope the next Congress instead begins the hard work of re-crafting the new law with a goal of breaking the annual spikes in cost (The Denver Post, 11/1).

1 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 1, 2010

In today's health policy headlines, how will Tuesday's election impact the health law?

1 Nov 2010

Seven tips for navigating Medicare maze

If you're about to turn 65, you'll be part of the first wave of baby boomers signing up for Medicare. Consumer Reports Health recommends signing up as early as three months ahead of your birthday. Failing to do so could potentially cost you thousands of dollars down the road. That's one of seven tips for navigating the Medicare maze available in the December issue of Consumer Reports and online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

1 Nov 2010

Humana third quarter diluted EPS increases to $2.32

Humana Inc. today reported diluted earnings per common share (EPS) for the quarter ended September 30, 2010 (3Q10) of $2.32, ahead of management's guidance of $1.65 to $1.75. The company earned $1.78 per share for the quarter ended September 30, 2009 (3Q09).

1 Nov 2010

America's biopharmaceutical companies researching 98 medicines for Alzheimer's: PhRMA report

As the champagne corks are popping this New Year's Eve, the first American Baby Boomers will turn age 65. Members of the demographic bulge that transformed American politics and culture are expected to usher in yet another momentous change a huge increase in the number of Alzheimer's disease patients.

1 Nov 2010

Intentional foreign body ingestion results in over $2 million hospital costs: Study

A new study from Rhode Island Hospital found that 33 individuals were responsible for 305 cases of medical intervention to remove foreign bodies that were intentionally swallowed, resulting in more than $2 million in estimated hospital costs. The findings appear in the November issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

1 Nov 2010

HDMG and Heritage Health Care host over 4000 seniors at 20th anniversary of Health Expo

Dr. Richard Merkin, High Desert Medical Group and Heritage Health Care hosted over four thousand seniors at their 20th anniversary annual Senior Expo at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds. Seniors lined up prior to the 9:00 am start, eager to see celebrity Debbie Reynolds perform and get free health screenings and testing including bone density, cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, body fat, dental and vision screenings and of course, seasonal flu shots.

30 Oct 2010

Rite Aid to host flu shot clinics at nationwide pharmacies

With the holidays getting closer, Rite Aid is reminding people to get a flu shot so that the only thing they are spreading this season is good cheer. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it can take up to two weeks for flu shots to be effective and protect against the flu; those who get their flu shot now can help protect themselves by the time they sit down for Thanksgiving dinner.

30 Oct 2010

Premier Purchasing awards new agreements for bandages, dressings and gauze

Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, today announced new agreements for bandages, dressings and gauze have been awarded to AMD-Ritmed Inc. of Tonawanda, N.Y. a small business enterprise; Medi-Tech International Corp. of Brooklyn, N.Y., a small and women business enterprise; Tetra Medical Supply Corp. of Niles, Ill., a women business enterprise; Tyco Healthcare Group, LP of Mansfield, Mass.; and Tytex, Inc. of Lincoln, R.I.

30 Oct 2010

Linda Vista receives Culture Change Initiative grant from Oregon's DHS

Prestige Care, a provider of quality senior care, is pleased to announce that its Linda Vista Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Ashland, Ore. recently earned a Culture Change Initiative grant from Oregon's Department of Human Services (DHS).

30 Oct 2010

Third summit on health care fraud prevention commences on 5th November

On Friday, November 5, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder will kick-off the third in a series of day-long summits bringing together a wide-array of federal, state, and local partners, beneficiaries, providers, and other interested parties to discuss innovative ways to eliminate fraud within the U.S. health care system.

30 Oct 2010

Research Roundup: Primary care doc pay and satisfaction; fixes to Medicare reimbursements; free vaccines?

A critical element of improving population health in underserved areas is the adequacy and distribution of the primary care physician supply, write the authors of this study, who interviewed 42 primary care physicians from both underserved and non-underserved areas in Los Angeles County, California.

30 Oct 2010