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Retirees give thumbs up to health insurance exchanges

The reviews are in, and retirees give the thumbs up to health insurance exchanges. In an independent survey of 443 retirees who use a health insurance exchange to compare and choose private individual Medicare and supplement plans, 85% of their reviews were positive.

16 Aug 2010

Johns Hopkins Professor develops ‘CAPABLE’ study to identify solutions on health challenges

In Baltimore City, dozens of older adults are now aging safely in their homes, thanks to the work of Assistant Professor Sarah L. Szanton, PhD, CRNP, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

16 Aug 2010

Watson to launch ella emergency contraceptive in fourth-quarter 2010

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that it intends to launch ella® (ulipristal acetate), a novel oral emergency contraceptive, in the fourth quarter of 2010. Watson's announcement follows the approval of ella® by the FDA as safe and effective in preventing unintended pregnancy for up to 120 hours – or five days – post-unprotected intercourse (UPI) or contraceptive failure.

16 Aug 2010

Medicare fraudsters shift targets a la "whack-a-mole"

The Economist: In an effort to staunch the flow of up to $60 billion a year to Medicare fraudsters, federal officials are launching a series of new safeguards that target program areas favored by the con artists. "The Department of Health and Human Services is setting up data systems to monitor payments. A telephone-monitoring programme, with voice-recognition, will verify that health-care workers really are making home visits.

16 Aug 2010

Medicare disability recipient dies of brain tumor after having coverage interrupted

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Paula Oertel, whose brain tumor disappeared for nine years while she was on an expensive drug and returned after she temporarily lost her insurance coverage, has died as a result of the tumor spreading through her brain. The interruption of her Medicare coverage of the drug directly contributed to her death, contends her doctor, Mark Malkin, chief of neuro-oncology at Froedtert Hospital.

16 Aug 2010

Treatment for diabetics cost U.S. hospitals 25% more than stays for non-diabetics

U.S. hospitals spent $83 billion in 2008 caring for people with diabetes, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In that year, nearly one of every five hospitalizations involved a person with diabetes.

16 Aug 2010

Research Roundup: Disabled Medicare Enrollees' challenges; Increasing ER visits; costs/benefits of Part D

Health Affairs: Medicare Doesn't Work As Well For Younger, Disabled Beneficiaries As It Does For Older Enrollees - This paper examines "how well Medicare works for [the 8 million] nonelderly disabled beneficiaries compared to the elderly, based on findings from a nationally representative survey of noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries conducted in 2008 by the Kaiser Family Foundation."

16 Aug 2010

The federal health IT push remains in the spotlight

Doctors across the country including Tahsina Atiquzzaman in Kissimmee, Fla., are "shredding paper charts and ushering in digital records as part of the health care milestones announced last month by the federal government," The Orlando Sentinel/Modesto Bee reports.

13 Aug 2010

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, OCNA urge FDA to allow use of Avastin

Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance today urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continue to allow the use of the drug bevacizumab, commonly known as Avastin, for metastatic breast cancer patients, noting that it is effective for some patients and warning of a chilling effect on new drug development if approval is withdrawn.

13 Aug 2010

Arizona lawmakers challenge health overhaul

A group of Arizona lawmakers has become the latest to challenge the federal health law as they "joined a conservative watchdog group Thursday in filing a 78-page lawsuit" challenging the law's mandate on Americans to carry health insurance and its Independent Payment Advisory Board in Medicare, Fox News reports.

13 Aug 2010

Today's opinions: Rep. Ryan's plan to aid Medicare; The burden on health law supporters in Va.; Evaluating Medicare actuary's estimates

Only in Washington could the government raid one entitlement program to finance a brand-new one and still claim that deficits have been reduced and entitlements have been reformed (Rep. Paul Ryan, 8/13).

13 Aug 2010

Five tips for seniors researching MA or Medigap plan options

Health Plan One, a general agent in the online health insurance market, seeks to guide seniors to choose carefully when selecting their Medicare Advantage or Medicare supplement plan. Seniors will have only one opportunity to make changes to their Medicare plans during the Annual Enrollment Period this November 15 through December 31.

13 Aug 2010

Medical Facilities second-quarter revenue decreases 1.9% to $51.2 million

Medical Facilities Corporation today reported its financial results for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2010.

13 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 13, 2010

Today's headlines explore a variety of health policy issues, ranging from consumer protections regarding benefit rights to the cost of electronic medical records.

13 Aug 2010

General Dynamics awarded $80.3M contract to support HHS Early Retiree Reinsurance Program

General Dynamics Information Technology's ViPS, part of its Health IT Solutions business sector, has been awarded a contract to support the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP). The total potential contract value is $80.3 million over four years if all options are exercised.

13 Aug 2010

MedAssurant enters agreement with NCQA to develop new measures of healthcare quality

MedAssurant Inc., a leading provider of data-driven healthcare solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the organization that maintains the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS ®)—the most widely used performance measurement tool in healthcare and a core component of the Medicare Star Rating system—to support the development of new measures of healthcare quality that NCQA is developing under a contract it has with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

13 Aug 2010

Companies reorganizing under Chapter 11 battle with former employees over lifetime health benefits

The Wall Street Journal: "Linda Roberts thought she would enjoy lifetime health benefits after a dozen years lifting radiators and iron in a factory for Visteon Corp. But the car-parts maker won bankruptcy-court approval to terminate those retiree benefits, just months after Ms. Roberts, 62 years old, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and leukemia.

13 Aug 2010

Kibow to support KDAE week for educating policymakers about kidney disease

Kibow Biotech would like to show its support for Kidney Disease Awareness and Education (KDAE) Week 2010, organized by American Nephrology Nurses' Association (ANNA). Kidney Disease Awareness and Education Week is a week dedicated to educating policymakers and their staff members about the needs of patients suffering from or at risk for end stage renal disease (ESRD).

13 Aug 2010

Sandata announces acquisition of Medical Management Technology Group's customer base

Sandata Technologies, LLC, a leading nationwide provider of information technology solutions to the home healthcare and social services communities today announced the acquisition of all of the home healthcare agency contracts of Medical Management Technology Group, Inc. in connection with the settlement of a patent infringement lawsuit.

13 Aug 2010

Prices drop for PBMs; Pharmacy lobby opposes survey regarding Medicaid prices

Prices are falling for major pharmacy benefit managers, such as Medco and CVS Caremark, as the firms compete for clients, but the falling rates "don't appear to be sliding into a frenzy of unreasonable pricing," The Wall Street Journal reports. "In the current 'selling season,' when PBMs look to sign customers for the following year, discounts on new contracts have deepened by one or two percentage points, on average, from a year ago.

13 Aug 2010

Medicare News and Research

Retirees give thumbs up to health insurance exchanges

Johns Hopkins Professor develops ‘CAPABLE’ study to identify solutions on health challenges

Watson to launch ella emergency contraceptive in fourth-quarter 2010

Medicare fraudsters shift targets a la "whack-a-mole"

Medicare disability recipient dies of brain tumor after having coverage interrupted

Treatment for diabetics cost U.S. hospitals 25% more than stays for non-diabetics

Research Roundup: Disabled Medicare Enrollees' challenges; Increasing ER visits; costs/benefits of Part D

The federal health IT push remains in the spotlight

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, OCNA urge FDA to allow use of Avastin

Arizona lawmakers challenge health overhaul

Today's opinions: Rep. Ryan's plan to aid Medicare; The burden on health law supporters in Va.; Evaluating Medicare actuary's estimates

Five tips for seniors researching MA or Medigap plan options

Medical Facilities second-quarter revenue decreases 1.9% to $51.2 million

First Edition: August 13, 2010

General Dynamics awarded $80.3M contract to support HHS Early Retiree Reinsurance Program

MedAssurant enters agreement with NCQA to develop new measures of healthcare quality

Companies reorganizing under Chapter 11 battle with former employees over lifetime health benefits

Kibow to support KDAE week for educating policymakers about kidney disease

Sandata announces acquisition of Medical Management Technology Group's customer base

Prices drop for PBMs; Pharmacy lobby opposes survey regarding Medicaid prices

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