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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.

Barriers to dental care among Californian children

Lack of dental care continues to be a significant problem for American children, who miss about 1.6 million school days each year due to dental disease.

8 Jul 2010

MHPA responds to CMS annual report on Medicaid managed care enrollment

Medicaid Health Plans of America, the leading trade association solely focused on representing Medicaid health plans, responded today to an annual report just released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Medicaid managed care enrollment, which showed Medicaid health plan enrollment grew by almost 2.4 million members in 2009 to more than 23.4 million Americans nationwide.

8 Jul 2010

Children of unemployed Americans experience avoidable loss of healthcare coverage: Research

Not only are the children of the 15.3 million unemployed Americans feeling the impact of financial hardship brought on by the economic recession, many of their children may be experiencing an avoidable loss of healthcare coverage, according to new research by the Child Policy Research Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center published in the July issue of Health Affairs.

8 Jul 2010

New information about quality of care available in America's hospitals added to new HHS website

Important new information about the quality of care available in America's outpatient and emergency departments, including how well hospitals care for patients with heart attacks and protect outpatients from surgical infections was added to the new HHS website HealthCare.gov.

8 Jul 2010

Health Net of California provides health plans that help employers adapt to challenging economy

Health Net of California, Inc. is expanding its efforts to provide health plans that help employers adapt to the still-challenging economy.

8 Jul 2010

Heart attack death rates drop in hospitals; CDC reports increase in colon cancer screening rate

USA Today: Hospital heart attack death rates fell, according to new Medicare data. "Death rates at 4,569 hospitals that treat Medicare patients who suffer heart attacks fell by almost half a percentage point, from a national average of 16.6% last year to 16.2%. Death rates for most hospitals ranged from about 14.5% to 17.9%. ...

8 Jul 2010

Obama uses recess appointment to install Berwick as head of Medicare, Medicaid

President Barack Obama Wednesday will use a recess appointment to install Harvard Professor Donald Berwick to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the White House announced Tuesday.

8 Jul 2010

Finance Committee lawmakers press insurer on failing to pay Part D claims

In a recent letter, Senate Finance Committee leaders Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, demanded that an insurer that was kicked out of the Medicare Part D drug program pay its outstanding claims.

8 Jul 2010

Crooks defraud health care system with fake insurance plans and phony Medicare, Medicaid claims

"Massive unemployment and a changing health care system is creating a breeding ground for con artists." Fake health insurance is one of the "fastest growing scams." Advertisements for such products are "stapled to neighborhood telephone polls, flyers left on your car or maybe you'll get a phone call from someone who's selling health insurance at extremely low rates, as low as $29.99 a month in some cases, says Jim Quiggle of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. The sad truth is that often these bogus policies pay little or nothing on claims, leaving consumers with exorbitant medical bills" (Haley, 7/6).

8 Jul 2010

Wichita Clinic plans to implement Centricity EMR solutions from GE Healthcare

With more than 160 doctors covering 40 specialty care areas, Kansas' largest physician-owned practice is the latest to choose GE Centricity solutions to help drive patient care enhancements and cost reductions.

7 Jul 2010

Changes in Medicare Part B therapy rates likely to reduce Kindred Healthcare's revenues by $11M per year

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. today provided its estimate of the revenue effect of proposed rate changes to Medicare Part B therapy services included in the proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule. The proposed rule was released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") on June 25. The proposed rule is subject to a 60-day public comment period and is scheduled to become effective January 1, 2011.

7 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 7, 2010

Today's biggest health policy news surrounds an announcement by the White House that President Obama will install a new Medicare and Medicaid chief with a recess appointment the bypasses the confirmation process.

7 Jul 2010

Providence Service completes fiscal 2010-2011 contract renewal cycle

The Providence Service Corporation today announced that it has completed the renewal cycle with all of its payers for its fiscal 2010-2011 contract renewal cycle and expects an overall net gain in contract value primarily as a result of increased volume.

7 Jul 2010

Medicare reimbursement rates for outpatient repair of anal fistulas increased by 6%

Hospitals nationwide will receive six percent higher reimbursement payments for outpatient repair of anal fistulas using Cook Medical's Biodesign® Fistula Plug, a device designed specifically to treat this painful and embarrassing disorder of the lower GI tract. According to new Medicare payment schedules effective January 1st, hospital outpatient surgery departments will receive approximately $2,200 per procedure, while freestanding ambulatory surgery centers will be paid about $1,300 on average.

7 Jul 2010

HFA launches Hospice Information Center for families, friends and professionals

Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) is pleased to announce the launch of its newest educational offering, the Hospice Information Center for families, friends and professionals. This centralized resource is part of "HFA CARES: Hospice Foundation of America's Conversations, Advice, Resources and Education Series," funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and can be found at www.hospicefoundation.org/infocenter.

7 Jul 2010

Emergency room visits increase in Mass., plus more hospital news

The Boston Globe: In Massachusetts, "[t]he number of people visiting hospital emergency rooms has climbed … despite the enactment of nearly universal health insurance that some hoped would reduce expensive emergency department use. According to state data released last week, emergency room visits rose by 9 percent from 2004 to 2008, to about 3 million visits a year.

7 Jul 2010

Battling medical jargon in doctor's office may improve patient health

The Wall Street Journal reports on efforts to make the language used in doctors' offices easier for patients to understand.

7 Jul 2010

Some state insurance commissioners push back on Fed premium rate reviews

Politico: Some state insurance commissioners are not happy with a proposal that would give the federal government the authority to centralize premium rate reviews of health insurance.

7 Jul 2010

IRIS wins Premier healthcare alliance's fifth annual Pinnacle Award

IRIS International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of urinalysis systems and consumables for use in hospitals and commercial laboratories worldwide, announced today that it is the winner of the fifth annual Pinnacle Award presented by the Premier healthcare alliance.

6 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 6, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include news about GOP efforts to repeal the health reform law as well as state-related developments.

6 Jul 2010

Medicaid News and Research

Barriers to dental care among Californian children

MHPA responds to CMS annual report on Medicaid managed care enrollment

Children of unemployed Americans experience avoidable loss of healthcare coverage: Research

New information about quality of care available in America's hospitals added to new HHS website

Health Net of California provides health plans that help employers adapt to challenging economy

Heart attack death rates drop in hospitals; CDC reports increase in colon cancer screening rate

Obama uses recess appointment to install Berwick as head of Medicare, Medicaid

Finance Committee lawmakers press insurer on failing to pay Part D claims

Crooks defraud health care system with fake insurance plans and phony Medicare, Medicaid claims

Wichita Clinic plans to implement Centricity EMR solutions from GE Healthcare

Changes in Medicare Part B therapy rates likely to reduce Kindred Healthcare's revenues by $11M per year

First Edition: July 7, 2010

Providence Service completes fiscal 2010-2011 contract renewal cycle

Medicare reimbursement rates for outpatient repair of anal fistulas increased by 6%

HFA launches Hospice Information Center for families, friends and professionals

Emergency room visits increase in Mass., plus more hospital news

Battling medical jargon in doctor's office may improve patient health

Some state insurance commissioners push back on Fed premium rate reviews

IRIS wins Premier healthcare alliance's fifth annual Pinnacle Award

First Edition: July 6, 2010

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