Medicare News and Research

RSS

HealthSpring third quarter net income increases 27.1% to $42.3 million

HealthSpring, Inc. today announced its results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010. Net income of $53.8 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, up 27.1% over $42.3 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, in the 2009 third quarter.

28 Oct 2010

Omnicare third quarter net sales increases from $1,543.9 million to $1,544.4 million

Omnicare, Inc. one of the nation's leading providers of pharmaceutical care for the elderly, reported today financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2010.

28 Oct 2010

NICE issues PTNS guidance for overactive bladder

Uroplasty, Inc. announced today that the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued a guidance document titled "Percutaneous Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Overactive Bladder Syndrome," reinforcing the safety and effectiveness of PTNS for overactive bladder.

28 Oct 2010

Invacare completes new senior secured credit agreement

Invacare Corporation announced today the completion of a new Credit Agreement establishing a $400 million senior secured revolving credit facility maturing in October 2015.

28 Oct 2010

Older patients suffer with real life-changing burdens after beating sepsis: Study

A study of nearly 1,200 older patients hospitalized for severe sepsis indicate that those who survive are at higher risk for long-term cognitive impairment and physical limitations than those hospitalized for other reasons.

28 Oct 2010

KCI announces U.S. launch of Skin IQ MCM for pressure ulcers

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. announced today the U.S. launch of Skin IQ Microclimate Manager (Skin IQ MCM) through KCI's Therapeutic Support Systems business. Skin IQ MCM is a for-sale, powered coverlet offering clinicians one of the most effective and intuitive products available for the prevention and management of pressure ulcers.

28 Oct 2010

Administrative costs of Medicare plans decline 4.1% in 2009

Administrative expenses of Medicare plans fell by 4.1% per member in 2009 versus an increase of 8.3% in 2008. After eliminating the effects of product mix, costs declined by 4.1% in 2009 versus 4.1% growth in 2008.

28 Oct 2010

Phrma pushes back against campaign calls for Medicare Part D price negotiation

The powerful pharmaceutical lobby is pushing back against campaign-trail calls to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices on behalf of millions of seniors enrolled in Part D, The Hill reports.

28 Oct 2010

A look at the secretive AMA panel behind Medicare's payment rates

A group of 29 physicians, convened by the American Medical Associations and "mostly selected" by specialty trade groups, have the task of recommending how to divide Medicare money into payments for each service, procedure and treatment the program covers, The Wall Street Journal reports.

28 Oct 2010

Mass. hospitals turn away mentally ill kids, Anthem braces for rate hearings, other state news

The Boston Globe reports that children with mental illnesses are "increasingly being turned away from some Massachusetts hospitals' psychiatric wards, a problem the hospital industry acknowledges and blames on insufficient insurance payments to cover treatment of such sick children. … Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, the state's health and human services secretary, said yesterday that hospitals licensed to treat mentally ill children must provide that care if they have sufficient staffing and beds, regardless of the reimbursement rates" (Lazar, 10/27).

28 Oct 2010

Republican's controversial proposal to mend Medicare

In a Kaiser Health News companion piece to the story, Some Hill Races Could Hinge On Seniors' Anger Over Medicare, Marilyn Werber Serafini reports that Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan's ideas - including giving Medicare beneficiaries a voucher to buy health coverage and adjusting benefits based on income -- could gain ground if the GOP wins control of the House in November (Serafini, 10/26).

28 Oct 2010

Gov. candidates in Florida, Minnesota offer few details on health care

News outlets report that gubernatorial candidates in Florida and Minnesota are offering little details about their plans for health spending.

28 Oct 2010

Candidates on health care offense, defense in final week before election

Candidates are in full campaign mode ahead of midterm elections that will likely spell out how the health law is implemented. The New York Times reports that some Democrats are playing defense after voting for health reform. They include Virginia Rep. Tom Perriello who is running against Republican state Sen. Robert Hurt.

28 Oct 2010

Glaxo to pay $750 million settlement for defective, unsafe medicines

The New York Times: "GlaxoSmithKline, the British drug giant, has agreed to pay $750 million to settle criminal and civil complaints that the company for years knowingly sold contaminated baby ointment and an ineffective antidepressant — the latest in a growing number of whistle-blower lawsuits that drug makers have settled with multimillion-dollar fines." The 20 medicines that were produced with "questionable safety" measures included "Avandia, a troubled diabetes drug; Coreg, a heart drug; and Tagamet an acid reflux drug."

28 Oct 2010

Today's Op-Eds: Costs of health care lawsuits; politics and the deficit; self-recusal and the Supreme Court

As a patient advocate, my top priority for health reform is expanding coverage and giving people access to the best treatments. Controlling costs is important, but it shouldn't come at the expense of patients.

28 Oct 2010

Public and private investment approaches carry potential for eliminating health disparities

According to Dr. Calvin B. Johnson, former PA Secretary of Health, there have been far too few meaningful, public discussions with regard to the substantial economic costs being borne by the U.S., as a result of its lengthy pattern of race – and gender – based health disparities. Johnson is planning to address that issue and the ability to eliminate disparities by investing in businesses, communities, and people, specifically, when he leads a panel, titled “Using Public and Private Equity Investment to Strengthen and Sustain Our Communities: Can we strategically invest our way out of health disparity and into health equity?”, at the Fourth Annual National Conference on Health Disparities, November 12, 2010, at 2:45pm, at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel.

27 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 27, 2010

Today's headlines note that the new health law has Democrats playing defense, while Republicans offer few new alternatives to the sweeping measure.

27 Oct 2010

Study finds prevalence of cognitive impairment in older adults with severe sepsis

Older adults who survived severe sepsis were more likely to develop substantial cognitive impairment and functional disability, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2010

Elan 2010 third quarter total revenue decreases 2% to $281.4 million

Elan Corporation, plc today reported its third quarter and first nine months 2010 financial results.

27 Oct 2010

Telehealth Monitoring System improves health outcomes in patients with chronic diseases

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Diabetes, and wounds are often treated and stabilized in a hospital setting then discharged to continue care at home under the supervision of a Certified Home Health Care Agency. Many high risk patients can now be monitored at home through a Telehealth Monitoring System.

27 Oct 2010

Medicare News and Research

HealthSpring third quarter net income increases 27.1% to $42.3 million

Omnicare third quarter net sales increases from $1,543.9 million to $1,544.4 million

NICE issues PTNS guidance for overactive bladder

Invacare completes new senior secured credit agreement

Older patients suffer with real life-changing burdens after beating sepsis: Study

KCI announces U.S. launch of Skin IQ MCM for pressure ulcers

Administrative costs of Medicare plans decline 4.1% in 2009

Phrma pushes back against campaign calls for Medicare Part D price negotiation

A look at the secretive AMA panel behind Medicare's payment rates

Mass. hospitals turn away mentally ill kids, Anthem braces for rate hearings, other state news

Republican's controversial proposal to mend Medicare

Gov. candidates in Florida, Minnesota offer few details on health care

Candidates on health care offense, defense in final week before election

Glaxo to pay $750 million settlement for defective, unsafe medicines

Today's Op-Eds: Costs of health care lawsuits; politics and the deficit; self-recusal and the Supreme Court

Public and private investment approaches carry potential for eliminating health disparities

First Edition: October 27, 2010

Study finds prevalence of cognitive impairment in older adults with severe sepsis

Elan 2010 third quarter total revenue decreases 2% to $281.4 million

Telehealth Monitoring System improves health outcomes in patients with chronic diseases

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

Latest News