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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.

Medicare payment cuts to doctors loom as Republicans reject slimmed-down 'extenders' package

Republicans were successful in blocking a "slimmed-down package of jobless benefits and state aid late Thursday" as Sens. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., voted with them, The Washington Post reports.

19 Jun 2010

Research roundup: Medical homes working in poor areas, designing insurance exchanges, health law's effects

Moving Forward On Health Reform - This edition explores the issues relating to the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, including the impact of the law on health insurance as well as state and federal governments, large employers and public opinion and opportunities for small physician practices to pool resources in order support medical homes, among others (June 2010).

19 Jun 2010

La Clínica de La Razaa selects Wellpartner to administer 340B Drug Discount Program

Wellpartner, a nationally recognized provider of pharmacy distribution and contract pharmacy services, today announced the addition of La Clínica de La Raza in Oakland, CA, to its rapidly expanding list of community health organization clients. Working with Wellpartner, La Clínica has chosen Safeway as its retail pharmacy partner for this program.

19 Jun 2010

Senate reaches deal, passes short-term "doc fix"

The Senate passed a bill Friday to block the 21 percent cuts to Medicare physician pay for six months, after failing Thursday to pass a larger bill extending tax and jobless benefits that also included the Medicare provision, The Hill reports.

19 Jun 2010

SAHM strongly recommends HPV vaccines for males

On May 28, 2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices published its guidance for use of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine in males. While noting that the vaccine was approved by the FDA for use in males ages 9 through 26 to reduce their likelihood of acquiring genital warts and that it therefore could be given for this purpose, the statement released by ACIP did not recommend routine HPV vaccination of males.

19 Jun 2010

Patients' relationship with primary care physician improves health care quality: Study

Patients who report having a regular doctor either at a community health center or at the physician's office report receiving better quality health care, and have a better health care experience, than patients who have a regular place of care, but lack an established physician relationship. The findings are part of a study published in the May Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, and authored by Anne Beal, MD, MPH, head of the Aetna Foundation, and Susan Hernandez, MPA, formerly of The Commonwealth Fund.

19 Jun 2010

Medicaid funds may not come through, leaving states in a lurch

If increased federal support for Medicaid isn't extended, states will have to fill budget holes next year that many legislatures have not anticipated.

19 Jun 2010

Federal agencies will establish a 'do not pay list' to prevent fraud

President Obama will order federal agencies Friday to establish a national 'do not pay list' to prevent the government from paying benefits, contracts, grants and loans to ineligible people or organizations, according to senior administration officials. The moves are part of a series to cut government waste and fraud and come amid calls for more fiscal restraint from Republicans and moderate Democrats.

19 Jun 2010

Teva closes $2.5 billion Senior Notes offering

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited announced today that it has closed the previously announced offering, by its special purpose finance subsidiaries, of a debt offering in three tranches:

19 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 18, 2010

The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee reached agreement [Thursday] evening on a six-month Medicare "doc fix" that could open the way for the tax extenders bill to pass as early as Friday, a source tells The Hill. Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) hope to pass the tax extenders bill by unanimous consent (The Hill's Healthwatch Blog).

18 Jun 2010

UMHHC expects to achieve 3.3% operating margin on revenues of $2.0 billion in fiscal year 2010

The Hospitals and Health Centers unit of the University of Michigan Health System will finish its fiscal year in strong financial shape, with a positive operating margin nearly twice the size predicted a year ago.

18 Jun 2010

Researchers study risks and consequences of cigarette smoking in people living in multiple-unit housing

In an effort to protect children from harmful tobacco smoke exposure, health and medical professionals are pushing for a ban on smoking in public housing in a report appearing in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

18 Jun 2010

State round up: Colo. to delay Medicaid pay to doctors; La. Legislature passes law requiring ultrasounds before an abortion

"Colorado has declared a fiscal emergency and delayed payments to doctors and clinics taking care of the state's neediest patients. Under state law, the Medicaid department can delay reimbursements to doctors, hospitals and clinics during a fiscal emergency. Physicians treating patients with the health-insurance plan for the poor will not receive normally scheduled payments on June 25 or July 2, a hardship for safety-net clinics in particular that rely on public funds. State officials said they would begin catching up on payments July 9 after a new fiscal year begins" (Brown, 6/17).

18 Jun 2010

Loss of Manhattan hospital crowds other ERs; Utah discourages Medicaid patients from unnecessary ER visits

"Emergency rooms in downtown Manhattan have become more crowded since St. Vincent's Hospital closed in April, but ambulances are getting patients into the remaining ERs faster than they did when the 161-year-old Greenwich Village hospital was open." Bellevue Hospital Center, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York Downtown Hospital and New York University Langone Medical Center are the "four downtown ERs left to pick up the slack" and have experienced increases in patient visits in May compared with 2008 levels.

18 Jun 2010

GOP extenders proposal fails; Dems still seek to lower cost on their bill

Senate Republicans failed Thursday to replace a broad Democratic jobless benefits bill, which includes a provision to stop a pending 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors. The Republican option failed in a 57-41 vote, The Wall Street Journal reports.

18 Jun 2010

Health IT implementation plan: 'Bold incrementalism'

Farzad Mostashari, a senior official in the government's health IT office, said in a speech Tuesday that the strategy for implementing federal ehealth efforts is one of "bold incrementalism," Modern Healthcare reports. Mostashari listed as an example the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's "approach to the health information exchange.

18 Jun 2010

States want Congress to keep extra Medicaid money flowing

Illinois will face a $750 million shortfall in the fiscal year beginning in July if Congress doesn't extend increased Medicaid funding, originally part of last year's economic stimulus, Illinois Statehouse News reports. "The increased Medicaid reimbursements stand as a national issue as the recession lingers. Thirty states have crafted budgets for the fiscal year set to begin July 1 based on an extension of the increased payments, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures" (Massingale, 6/16).

18 Jun 2010

Democrats scale back 'doc fix' in pursuit of votes to pass jobs bill, Medicaid provision may be dropped

A bill that would, among other things, extend some unemployment benefits and provide a temporary fix for Medicare physician payment rates languished in the Senate Wednesday as a procedural vote to end debate on the bill failed, 52 to 45, The Wall Street Journal reports. Eleven Democrats broke with the party to vote no.

18 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 17, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey reports on states' progress with high-risk pools created as part of the health reform law: "The program, one of the highest profile provisions of the law, is designed to provide health insurance to people who have been denied coverage due to a pre-existing medical condition and have been without coverage for at least six months.

17 Jun 2010

ASTRO urges MedPAC to recommend end to abuse of physician self-referral law in radiation oncology

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) commends the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) for highlighting concerns about physician self-referral in cancer care in its report released yesterday. We urge the commission to make recommendations to Congress to end abuses of the physician self-referral law in radiation oncology enabled by the "in-office ancillary services exception."

17 Jun 2010

Medicaid News and Research

Medicare payment cuts to doctors loom as Republicans reject slimmed-down 'extenders' package

Research roundup: Medical homes working in poor areas, designing insurance exchanges, health law's effects

La Clínica de La Razaa selects Wellpartner to administer 340B Drug Discount Program

Senate reaches deal, passes short-term "doc fix"

SAHM strongly recommends HPV vaccines for males

Patients' relationship with primary care physician improves health care quality: Study

Medicaid funds may not come through, leaving states in a lurch

Federal agencies will establish a 'do not pay list' to prevent fraud

Teva closes $2.5 billion Senior Notes offering

First Edition: June 18, 2010

UMHHC expects to achieve 3.3% operating margin on revenues of $2.0 billion in fiscal year 2010

Researchers study risks and consequences of cigarette smoking in people living in multiple-unit housing

State round up: Colo. to delay Medicaid pay to doctors; La. Legislature passes law requiring ultrasounds before an abortion

Loss of Manhattan hospital crowds other ERs; Utah discourages Medicaid patients from unnecessary ER visits

GOP extenders proposal fails; Dems still seek to lower cost on their bill

Health IT implementation plan: 'Bold incrementalism'

States want Congress to keep extra Medicaid money flowing

Democrats scale back 'doc fix' in pursuit of votes to pass jobs bill, Medicaid provision may be dropped

First Edition: June 17, 2010

ASTRO urges MedPAC to recommend end to abuse of physician self-referral law in radiation oncology

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