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ACOs to offer better coordinate care for patients

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that provider groups in California, including physician groups, independent practice associations, hospitals and medical foundations, are beginning to shape their role in the anticipated shift towards accountable care organizations (ACO).

30 Aug 2010

Weekend Update: Use of high deductible insurance plans rises; Rubio assails health law; Medicaid vs. schools

The New York Times takes a look at the use of high deductible health insurance plans linked to tax exempt savings accounts and points out that although the plans have been growing in use, the new federal health law may make them "less attractive, if new rules, yet to be announced, require lower deductibles and impose other restrictions."

30 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions: Medicare illusions, small biz perks, abortion regs and more

Americans told lawmakers in Washington that they wanted reforms that would lower costs; Democrats in Congress increased them. They said they wanted Medicare protected; Democrat leaders used it as a piggy bank, cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare to help pay for this massive new government expansion of health care (Sen. Mitch McConnell, 8/26).

27 Aug 2010

Montana Gov. seeks cheaper drugs for residents; Legal immigrants may lose health insurace in Mass.

The Associated Press: "Gov. Brian Schweitzer, cooking up a new plan to get cheaper prescription drugs for state residents, said he wants to let every Montanan get discounted medicine through Medicaid." It's his most recent idea about how "to either import cheaper name-brand prescriptions or to otherwise bypass what he sees as exorbitant prices charged by 'drug cartels.'"

27 Aug 2010

Moody's reports negative outlook for not-for-profit hospitals

News outlets report on hospital issues, including a Moody's report suggesting a negative outlook for not-for-profit hospitals.

27 Aug 2010

Obama administration touts federal efforts to combat health care fraud

The Los Angeles Times: Obama administration officials at a meeting in Los Angeles Thursday touted their efforts to crack down on health care fraud, "saying quickly expanding criminal enterprises are costing taxpayers billions of dollars each year. ... Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said their agencies were jointly targeting fraud in the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs.

27 Aug 2010

Research Roundups: Underinsured children; Hospital progress on electronic records; Federal officlals' work on comparative effectiveness

Underinsurance Among Children In The United States - This study examines the scope of underinsurance, or health insurance that fails to sufficiently meet the needs, of children living in the U.S. Based on information obtained from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, the authors of the study report, "19.3% — or 14.1 million — of all U.S. children (and 22.7% of children with continuous insurance coverage) were underinsured in 2007, exceeding the number of children without any insurance at all during the year (3.4 million) and the number who had insurance during only part of the year (7.6 million)."

27 Aug 2010

Groups press Congress to end patients' wait for Medicare

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jessica Marcy reports: "Under federal rules, most people with disabilities who are younger than 65 aren't eligible for Medicare until more than two years after they qualify for Social Security disability income.

27 Aug 2010

HealthSpring announces acquisition of Bravo Health

HealthSpring, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of Bravo Health, Inc., an operator of Medicare Advantage coordinated care plans in Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic region, and Texas, and Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans in 43 states.

27 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 27, 2010

In the headlines today, news about U.S. plans to step up efforts to crack down on health care fraud.

27 Aug 2010

Few US hospitals meet federal guidelines for 'meaningful use' in adoption of EHRs

Transforming the U.S. health care system from paper-based to electronic-based may improve health care quality and reduce costs, but a new study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that goal is far off. The adoption of basic or comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) by U.S. hospitals increased modestly from 8.7% in 2008 to 11.9% in 2009, but only 2% of hospitals met the federal "meaningful use" standard needed to qualify for government financial incentives.

27 Aug 2010

Premier healthcare alliance labor management program helps hospitals save over $120 million

During a period of economic uncertainty, 150 hospitals and healthcare systems saved more than $120 million in labor and supply costs over the past year by participating in LaborConnect®, a Premier healthcare alliance labor management program.

27 Aug 2010

Medicare expands coverage for tobacco-related counseling

Previously, Medicare rules allowed the program to cover tobacco-related counseling only for beneficiaries who already suffered from a tobacco-related disease. "Under the new policy, Medicare will cover up to two tobacco-cessation counseling tries each year, including as many as four individual sessions per attempt. ...

27 Aug 2010

Debt debate heats up as some dems dig in

A national debate over the federal budget and debt is getting closer to the forefront, The New York Times reports.

27 Aug 2010

AARP Report finds increase in brand-name drug costs outstrips inflation

"Retail prices for some of the most widely used brand-name prescription drugs shot up more than 8 percent in 2009, even as inflation plummeted to a record low, according to a new AARP analysis of retail drug price trends released today.

26 Aug 2010

DMAHS awards four-year Medicaid utilization review contract to Permedion

HMS announced today that the State of New Jersey Department of Human Services Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services has awarded a contract to Permedion, Inc., HMS's wholly owned subsidiary, to conduct utilization reviews, medical necessity audits, and Diagnosis Related Group validations of inpatient hospital medical services provided and billed for Medicaid beneficiaries.

26 Aug 2010

Aon Consulting survey finds increase in monthly COBRA contributions for terminated employees

As the national unemployment rate continues to hover around 10 percent, health care costs for those jobless Americans have seen a year-over-year increase, according to Aon Consulting, the global benefits and human capital consulting business of Aon Corporation.

26 Aug 2010

SNM supports U.S. Senate's introduction of CARE Act

SNM supports the U.S. Senate in its introduction of the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2010, S. 3737. The proposed legislation, which was introduced in August by Sen. Mike Enzi [R-WY], aims to ensure that minimum education and credentialing standards for nuclear medicine technologists are set at the state level.

26 Aug 2010

Medical home model improves quality of healthcare, reduces cost: Geisinger study

Results of a Geisinger study published in the August 2010 edition of the American Journal of Managed Care show its advanced medical home model is capable of simultaneously improving the quality of healthcare and reducing the cost.

26 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 26, 2010

Highlights from today's headlines include the latest political developments surrounding health reform as well as news about California's health insurance premium rates.

26 Aug 2010

Medicare News and Research

ACOs to offer better coordinate care for patients

Weekend Update: Use of high deductible insurance plans rises; Rubio assails health law; Medicaid vs. schools

Today's Opinions: Medicare illusions, small biz perks, abortion regs and more

Montana Gov. seeks cheaper drugs for residents; Legal immigrants may lose health insurace in Mass.

Moody's reports negative outlook for not-for-profit hospitals

Obama administration touts federal efforts to combat health care fraud

Research Roundups: Underinsured children; Hospital progress on electronic records; Federal officlals' work on comparative effectiveness

Groups press Congress to end patients' wait for Medicare

HealthSpring announces acquisition of Bravo Health

First Edition: August 27, 2010

Few US hospitals meet federal guidelines for 'meaningful use' in adoption of EHRs

Premier healthcare alliance labor management program helps hospitals save over $120 million

Medicare expands coverage for tobacco-related counseling

Debt debate heats up as some dems dig in

AARP Report finds increase in brand-name drug costs outstrips inflation

DMAHS awards four-year Medicaid utilization review contract to Permedion

Aon Consulting survey finds increase in monthly COBRA contributions for terminated employees

SNM supports U.S. Senate's introduction of CARE Act

Medical home model improves quality of healthcare, reduces cost: Geisinger study

First Edition: August 26, 2010

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