Medicare News and Research

RSS

GOP Rep. Ryan potential 'foil' for Obama; Candidates consider reform's role in races

The New York Times: Rep. Paul Ryan, "as you may have heard, is the Republican star of the moment. A 40-year-old from southeastern Wisconsin serving his sixth term in the House, Mr. Ryan has been getting a lot of attention for his 'Roadmap for America's Future,' an unusually austere proposal to vanquish the federal debt by, among other things, partly dismantling Social Security and Medicare as they currently exist."

13 Aug 2010

Polls show public confusion continues regarding new health law

In three recent polls, large percentages of Americans said the health law would cut Medicare benefits, slash doctors pay and ration health care to patients, all false claims that remain pervasive despite reform supporters' efforts to educate the public, USA Today reports. "Six weeks before the nation's health care delivery system begins a huge transformation, confusion reigns.

13 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions: Health law's effect for Democrats; Canadians' view; Cutting Medicare costs; The health issue in Tenn. Governor's race

Despite lofty predictions that a broad-based Democratic constituency would be activated by the health care reform bill, recent polling shows that the bill has been a disaster for the party — with near 60 percent of voters saying that they oppose the measure (Douglas Schoen, 8/11).

13 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 12, 2010

Some of today's headlines highlight how the new health reform law is playing beyond Washington, D.C.'s beltway.

12 Aug 2010

Health Net Foundation, Health Net of California to provide $7M to keep Central Valley clinics open

With the State of California's budget situation threatening to again halt payments to the state's health clinics, the Health Net Foundation and Health Net of California, Inc., together, are prepared to provide up to $7 million in zero-interest financing to help prevent Central Valley clinics from shutting their doors.

12 Aug 2010

Some Mass. residents fight individual mandate for health insurance, N.J. delays implementation of law requiring outpatient mental-health treatment

A former hospital executive has accused Naples-based Health Management Associates of offering money, free rent and private jet trips to entice doctors to refer Medicare patients to the company's hospitals. ... In a whistleblower lawsuit unsealed Aug. 2 by a federal judge, former hospital CEO J. Michael Mastej also accused his former employer of filing fraudulent claims on services HMA's facilities provided the ill-gotten Medicare patients.

12 Aug 2010

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare awards HMS two cost containment contracts

HMS today announced that it had been awarded two cost containment contracts by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which administers Idaho's Medicaid program. Under the first contract, HMS will to identify third party coverage for casualty and liability claims paid by Idaho Medicaid, and pursue recoveries.

12 Aug 2010

More Medicare Part D checks in the mail

The Department of Health and Human Services has mailed out a third round of $250 checks to help seniors who enter the Medicare Part D coverage pay gap for prescription drugs, WCAX [in Vermont] reports. "The one-time payment aims to close a gap in coverage for prescription medication. The rebates will go to about 9,000 Vermonters whose out-of-pocket expenses already total more than $940 for the year" (8/11).

12 Aug 2010

Critics question Berwick's ties to think-tank donors

Donald Berwick, who was recently appointed as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services without a Senate hearing, did not list donors who contributed up to $5 million to the think tank he ran before his appointment on ethics disclosure forms, the Washington Times reports.

12 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials: The importance of following health reform's plan and more about 'death panels'

Within a few years, 6 million uninsured California residents will finally get medical coverage as part of the newly passed federal health care reforms. But what will they pay? And who will regulate premiums as insurers angle for customers? (8/11).

12 Aug 2010

Mental health bill for 2008 was $5.3 billion: Report

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), the country is spending more and more to deal with its mental ailment burden. This emerged from a report from the AIHW saying that finances spent on mental health services between 2007 to 2008 were $5.3 billion. Of this around 60 per cent came from state and territory governments, 36 per cent from the Commonwealth, and the rest from private health funds.

11 Aug 2010

Third round of tax-free $250 rebate checks mailed to eligible Medicare beneficiaries

Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the third round of one-time, tax-free $250 rebate checks have been mailed to eligible Medicare beneficiaries whose drug costs are so high they have reached the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap known as the "donut hole."

11 Aug 2010

Rates of ED visits increase among adults with Medicaid: Study

From 1997 to 2007, the rates of visits to emergency departments in the U.S. increased significantly, particularly among adults with Medicaid, according to a study in the August 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Aug 2010

Telemedicine helps care for seniors, while pediatricians increasingly care for young adults

As part of a special section on aging, The Washington Post reports on telemedicine for seniors: "Imagine a 75-year-old receiving wireless medication reminders, straight to his beeping wristband. ... Although developers and advocates have promoted telemedicine for years, Alice Borelli of Intel points to barriers -- including Medicare reimbursement policies and inadequate broadband in parts of the country -- that have kept telemedicine a mostly conceptual solution.

11 Aug 2010

AssureRx Health achieves CAP accreditation for laboratory pharmacogenetic testing services

AssureRx Health, Inc. today announced that it has received accreditation from the College of American Pathologists for the delivery of high-quality, reliable laboratory pharmacogenetic testing services that meet or exceed regulatory laboratory standards and ensure commitment to patient care.

11 Aug 2010

Insuring your health: Health law expands Medicare coverage of preventive care

In her latest Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "Preventive health care is important at any age, but never more so than as we get older.

11 Aug 2010

Dems continue push to sell health reform's benefits, GOP pushes back

The administration has struggled to sell senior citizens on the new health law, Politico reports. Here's why: "They know little about the early benefits the law has offered but remember last year's heated town halls, replete with death panels and rationing. And anti-health-reform rhetoric is generally proving to have considerable staying power."

11 Aug 2010

Medicare cuts could take greater toll on not-for-profit hospitals

Upcoming Medicare cuts to hospitals will have a bigger negative impact on nonprofit facilities than their for-profit counterparts, The Dallas Morning News reports. "In a note to investors, Moody's said the 0.4 percent Medicare reduction in inpatient hospital rates for fiscal year 2011 will amount to an estimated $440 million in lower payments.

11 Aug 2010

Education, changes in reimbursement practices can reduce inappropriate antibiotic usage: Study

Improved drug coverage under Medicare Part D has led to an increase in the use of antibiotics by seniors, particularly of brand-name and more expensive drugs, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study. Published in the Aug. 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and the first to explore spending on antibiotics under Medicare Part D, the study suggests recent changes in drug coverage improved the use of antibiotics for pneumonia, but could lead to unnecessary spending on expensive broad-spectrum antibiotics and the overuse of inappropriate antibiotics.

11 Aug 2010

Clarient receives patent for Mammostrat breast cancer prognostic test

Clarient, Inc. a premier technology and services resource for pathologists, oncologists and the pharmaceutical industry, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office have allowed patents covering the technology behind Clarient Insight Dx Mammostrat, a test designed to aid in the classification of the risk of recurrence of breast cancer following surgery and initial treatment.

11 Aug 2010

Medicare News and Research

GOP Rep. Ryan potential 'foil' for Obama; Candidates consider reform's role in races

Polls show public confusion continues regarding new health law

Today's Opinions: Health law's effect for Democrats; Canadians' view; Cutting Medicare costs; The health issue in Tenn. Governor's race

First Edition: August 12, 2010

Health Net Foundation, Health Net of California to provide $7M to keep Central Valley clinics open

Some Mass. residents fight individual mandate for health insurance, N.J. delays implementation of law requiring outpatient mental-health treatment

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare awards HMS two cost containment contracts

More Medicare Part D checks in the mail

Critics question Berwick's ties to think-tank donors

Today's Opinions and Editorials: The importance of following health reform's plan and more about 'death panels'

Mental health bill for 2008 was $5.3 billion: Report

Third round of tax-free $250 rebate checks mailed to eligible Medicare beneficiaries

Rates of ED visits increase among adults with Medicaid: Study

Telemedicine helps care for seniors, while pediatricians increasingly care for young adults

AssureRx Health achieves CAP accreditation for laboratory pharmacogenetic testing services

Insuring your health: Health law expands Medicare coverage of preventive care

Dems continue push to sell health reform's benefits, GOP pushes back

Medicare cuts could take greater toll on not-for-profit hospitals

Education, changes in reimbursement practices can reduce inappropriate antibiotic usage: Study

Clarient receives patent for Mammostrat breast cancer prognostic test

Industry Focus eBook - Life Science Microscopy (2nd Edition) eBook

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

Latest News