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GOP continues call for health law repeal; Census releases uninsured data

The Washington Post: New census data reveal big differences among states in the rate of uninsured people under age 65. Massachusetts has the lowest rate, 7.8 percent, and Texas the highest, 26.8 percent. "The statistics are for 2007 and show health insurance coverage by state and for each of the country's roughly 3,140 counties. The numbers do not include the impact on millions of people who lost their jobs and health insurance after the recession began in December 2007."

29 Jul 2010

Hospitals focus on forming ACOs, resolving insurer disputes

News outlets report on hospital issues, including forming accountable care organizations and disputes with insurers.

29 Jul 2010

Anti-fraud efforts backed by AARP; Seniors cautioned about rebate cons

AARP on Tuesday "threw its influence" behind a number of plans to reduce Medicare fraud, including the bipartisan Medicare Fraud Enforcement and Prevention Act, which would increase penalties on nabbed fraudsters and supply more claims data to enforcers, The Hill reports. Separate legislation, "the Fighting Fraud with Innovative Technology Act, would bolster Medicare's claims screening process before payments are sent out" (Lillis, 7/27).

29 Jul 2010

CVS Caremark second-quarter net revenues decrease $864 million to $24.0 billion

CVS Caremark Corporation, today announced revenues, operating profit, and net income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

28 Jul 2010

WellPoint second-quarter net income increases to $722.4 million

WellPoint, Inc. today announced that second quarter 2010 net income was $722.4 million, or $1.71 per share, including net investment gains of $19.6 million after-tax, or $0.04 per share. Net income in the second quarter of 2009 was $693.5 million, or $1.43 per share, and included net investment losses of $38.0 million after-tax, or $0.07 per share.

28 Jul 2010

Aetna reports operating earnings of $450.2M for second-quarter 2010

Aetna today announced second-quarter 2010 operating earnings of $450.2 million, or $1.05 per share, an increase of 54 percent over 2009. The increase was largely the result of a higher Commercial underwriting margin from favorable prior-period reserve development and improved underlying performance, partially offset by lower Commercial Insured membership.

28 Jul 2010

U.S. sues Satilla Regional Medical Center over fraudulent claims to health care programs

The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Dr. Najam Azmat and the Satilla Regional Medical Center in Waycross, Ga., the Justice Department announced today. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, alleges that the defendants submitted false or fraudulent claims to federal health care programs, such as Medicare.

28 Jul 2010

CTC is not cost effective compared with colonoscopy: Study

A UNC physician authored an editorial in the July 27 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) commenting on results of an analysis of the cost effectiveness of colonoscopy versus computed tomographic colonography (CTC).The cost effectiveness analysis concluded that CTC or virtual colonoscopy is not cost effective compared with colonoscopy if reimbursed at the same rate as colonoscopy

28 Jul 2010

Genzyme accepts CMS decision for delaying Renvela administration to dialysis patients

Genzyme Corp.today said it welcomed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' decision not to include oral medications without IV equivalents in Medicare's End Stage Renal Disease patient benefit. According to the final rule, these medications, including Genzyme's Renvela (sevelamer carbonate), will not be included in the bundle until January 1, 2014.

28 Jul 2010

Medicare to bundle payments for end-stage renal care, reward quality

Medicare payment for end-stage renal disease care may soon be tied to performance and quality measures if a new proposed rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is finalized. "If the rule is finalized, ESRD providers that do not meet set standards" - two measures for anemia management and one for hemodialysis quality - "could have their Medicare payments lowered by up to 2 percent starting January 2012, the CMS said" (McKinney, 7/26).

28 Jul 2010

Abortion, other issues continue to stoke the politics surrounding health reform

Politico reports that "the issues of health care and abortion" are making the campaign tough for some Democrats. Among the vulnerable Democrats are Reps. Kathleen Dahlkemper, D-Pa.; Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio; and Indiana Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth, who is running for Senate. "'We are going to do everything we can to point out that Democrats who said they were pro-life caved on the big one,' said Marilyn Musgrave, a former Colorado congresswoman.

28 Jul 2010

Seniors understand very little about health overhaul law, poll finds

The Hill: "The majority of the nation's seniors have little understanding of what the Democrats' newly enacted healthcare law actually does, according to poll results released Monday. The survey, sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), an advocate for seniors, found that only 17 percent of respondents could answer even half of the 12 questions about key provisions in the law selected by the NCOA.

28 Jul 2010

Industry still making sense of federal e-health regs

Health care industry players are still sorting out the latest regulations on an up-to-$36 billion federal program to encourage doctors and hospitals to use electronic medical records.

28 Jul 2010

Millennium Laboratories urges for increase in physician reimbursement for POC urine drug screening

Millennium Laboratories, Inc., a national, research-based medication monitoring company specifically focused on clinicians who treat chronic pain, strongly advocated for an increase in physician reimbursement for point-of-care urine drug screening at the Annual Clinical Laboratory Public Meeting of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on July 22, 2010.

27 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 27, 2010

Today's health policy news includes reports about the continuing Senate backlash to Dr. Donald Berwick's appointment to head the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as findings from a new poll that reveal seniors really don't understand health reform.

27 Jul 2010

Age-in Study 2010 shows how age 65 has become irrelevant to boomers' retirement plans

Leading boomers (aged 63-64) want to continue working, but three times as many are unemployed today as were two years ago. They face high unemployment, unwanted early retirement, and early draws on Social Security, meaning less retirement income. This critical finding is from Deft Research's just-released Age-in Study 2010.

27 Jul 2010

Studies that compare treatment options for carotid artery disease provide no clear answer, physician reports

A review of scientific studies that compares two treatments for preventing strokes due carotid artery disease provides no clear answer on which treatment is better, a UT Southwestern Medical Center physician reports in an editorial in today's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

27 Jul 2010

Centene second-quarter premium and service revenues increase 12.8% to $1.051 billion

Centene Corporation today announced net earnings from continuing operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, of $23.0 million, or $0.45 per diluted share.

27 Jul 2010

Economic uncertainty, healthcare issues have hit nation's cardiologists, survey shows

The economic uncertainty and healthcare issues affecting millions of Americans have hit the nation's cardiologists as well, according to a new survey: they are seeing more "baby boomer" patients than ever as Americans get older and demand more care. But they are being reimbursed less for those services by Medicare and insurance firms, in what one cardiologist calls "a revenue roller coaster of uncertainty."

27 Jul 2010

NCPDP offers compelling testimony on Proposals for a National Health Plan Identifier

The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs offered compelling testimony to the National Committee on Vital Health Statistics last week on Proposals for a National Health Plan Identifier, citing the existing operational processes that have been successfully used in the pharmacy industry for over 25 years.

27 Jul 2010

Medicare News and Research

GOP continues call for health law repeal; Census releases uninsured data

Hospitals focus on forming ACOs, resolving insurer disputes

Anti-fraud efforts backed by AARP; Seniors cautioned about rebate cons

CVS Caremark second-quarter net revenues decrease $864 million to $24.0 billion

WellPoint second-quarter net income increases to $722.4 million

Aetna reports operating earnings of $450.2M for second-quarter 2010

U.S. sues Satilla Regional Medical Center over fraudulent claims to health care programs

CTC is not cost effective compared with colonoscopy: Study

Genzyme accepts CMS decision for delaying Renvela administration to dialysis patients

Medicare to bundle payments for end-stage renal care, reward quality

Abortion, other issues continue to stoke the politics surrounding health reform

Seniors understand very little about health overhaul law, poll finds

Industry still making sense of federal e-health regs

Millennium Laboratories urges for increase in physician reimbursement for POC urine drug screening

First Edition: July 27, 2010

Age-in Study 2010 shows how age 65 has become irrelevant to boomers' retirement plans

Studies that compare treatment options for carotid artery disease provide no clear answer, physician reports

Centene second-quarter premium and service revenues increase 12.8% to $1.051 billion

Economic uncertainty, healthcare issues have hit nation's cardiologists, survey shows

NCPDP offers compelling testimony on Proposals for a National Health Plan Identifier

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