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Today's OpEds: Health reform and long-term care; Health care incentives; Reasons for optimism or repeal and replace?

Our system of long-term care does not provide adequate or coordinated human services and medical treatment for our growing aging population. … Thanks to a provision of the new health care law known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program, tomorrow's continuum of care does not have to be so unforgiving. For the first time, a voluntary public insurance program will be available to help adults and families pay for long-term care services (Bruce Chernof, 7/23).

26 Jul 2010

St. John Providence Health System to migrate to eClinicalWorks comprehensive EHR solution

eClinicalWorks®, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced that St. John Providence Health System, the largest provider of inpatient care in southeast Michigan, will be offering eClinicalWorks comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) solution for its approximately 3,000 employed and affiliated physicians.

26 Jul 2010

Insight Imaging acquires eight imaging centers

InSight Health Services Holdings Corp. today announced that it had completed the previously announced acquisition of eight imaging centers in the Phoenix, Arizona, El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico areas from subsidiaries of MedQuest, Inc. and Novant Health, Inc.

26 Jul 2010

Experts available for comment on new medicare contracts that drive health care hookups

So-called "accountable care organizations" or ACOs might change the way that the agency running Medicare does business. An article in the Indiana Business Journal explains that the new health reform law requires the agency to sign new "shared savings" contracts with ACOs and gives examples of how these organizations work. ACOs can begin doing business with Medicare in January 2012.

26 Jul 2010

It's back: House Democrats argue anew for public option

House Democrats are arguing again for the passage of a public option to compete with private health plans and reduce the deficit, news outlets report.

26 Jul 2010

Teva comments on FDA's approval of generic Lovenox injection

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. commented today on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's response to a citizen petition questioning the approval criteria for a generic Lovenox (enoxaparin sodium) injection and its subsequent approval of another generic filer's Abbreviated New Drug Application.

26 Jul 2010

Md. Democrats tout crackdown on Medicaid fraud; Four plead not guilty in Calif. Medicare fraud case

Touting a favorite program, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown said Thursday the state's health department has found $26 million in fraud and waste in the state Medicaid program. The extra cash will not close the roughly $1.5 billion deficit that awaits the winner of November's gubernatorial election, but Brown argued the extra money will help. Brown also used the occasion to remind folks that he lobbied to strengthen the state's Medicaid False Claims Act during the legislative session.

26 Jul 2010

Research roundup: Hospital emergency room HIV screenings; Medical device reviews; Health law impact on docs and hospitals

Physician Satisfaction With Chronic Care Processes: A Cluster-Randomized Trial Of Guided Care - The authors randomly assigned teams of physicians and their chronically ill older patients into groups that either provided Guided Care - an educated registered nurse works with a primary care practice team to enhance quality of care - or usual care. One year later, they measured "physicians' satisfaction with chronic care processes, time spent on chronic care, knowledge of their chronically ill older patients, and care coordination provided by physicians and office staff."

26 Jul 2010

Ohio sets up high risk pool; Four drug companies come under scrutiny for payments to Pittsburgh doctors, nurses

"Ohioans with pre-existing health conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, can apply for coverage under a new high-risk insurance pool beginning Aug. 1." Qualifications include evidence of a pre-existing condition, proof of Ohio residency and U.S. citizenship, state of being uninsured for six months prior to the date of applying for coverage and being "ineligible for coverage under the Medicare program, the Ohio Medical Assistance Program, the Ohio Children's Health Insurance Program, or an employer-sponsored group health plan, unless subject to a mandatory initial waiting period" (7/22).

26 Jul 2010

CMS awards Jurisdiction 15 Medicare Parts A and B Administrative Contract to CGS

CIGNA Government Services, L.L.C. announced that it has been awarded the Jurisdiction 15 Medicare Parts A and B Administrative Contract by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

26 Jul 2010

Obama signs legislation to cut improper government spending, largely in Medicare and Medicaid

President Barack Obama signed legislation Thursday that aims "to take on fraudulent and improper government spending that he said diverts money from important priorities," the Los Angeles Times reports.

23 Jul 2010

Today's OpEds: Varying points on the nation's doctor shortage, benefits of negative studies, and what about universal health care?

In the long list of problems affecting the American health care system, the shortage of general practitioners and overabundance of specialists is usually ranked near the top. There is truth to this: only 32 percent of physicians practice primary care medicine. As a result, patients have to wait longer to see their doctors and are more likely to be seen by nurse practitioners and physician assistants instead. However, pediatrics has the opposite problem: a growing shortage of pediatric subspecialists (Dennis Rosen, 7/22).

23 Jul 2010

Researchers investigate regional variation in Medicare spending

In the latest Health Policy Outlook from the American Enterprise Institute and the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC, Schaeffer Center researchers investigated whether geographic variations in utilization of health services and spending differed between Medicare and the private sector.

23 Jul 2010

MAXIMUS operates health care appeal programs for state regulatory agencies

The United States Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury announced yesterday a new internal claims and appeals and external review process for group health plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

23 Jul 2010

Achieving meaningful use of inpatient EHR is top priority of hospital executives: Survey

According to a survey of U.S. hospital executives released today by CSC, steps to meet meaningful use requirements were already a priority for hospitals before the final rules to establish an incentive program for electronic health records were announced by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 12.

23 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 23, 2010

Today's news coverage includes more details about the Obama administration's new rule on appealing rejections of health insurance claims and a new law to reign in improper government payments.

23 Jul 2010

New data on health insurance to be included in AHRQ's 2009 State Snapshots

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's annual release of state-by-state quality data has been expanded to include new data on health insurance, including data on health care quality categorized by source of payment, including private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and those without insurance.

23 Jul 2010

New rules Thursday on appealing insurance claims, states take lead in health reform implementation

Kaiser Health News /The Washington Post obtained a summary of new rules to be released Thursday by the Obama administration that will make it easier for consumers to appeal the denials of their health insurance claims as the White House tries to "boost political support" for the new health law.

23 Jul 2010

Premier awards Press Ganey contract to measure, improve patient satisfaction across member organizations

Press Ganey Associates, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded contracts by Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P., Inc., the group purchasing unit of Premier, Inc., to help measure and improve satisfaction and engagement among patients, employees, and physicians at its member organizations.

23 Jul 2010

Fla. doctors consider cutting ties to AMA; Indiana seeks to get more uninsured covered; LA continues to seek leader for troubled health department

The House of Delegates of the Florida Medical Association is scheduled to consider a resolution severing ties with the American Medical Association because of its support for the healthcare reform law. The Florida group will consider the move at its annual meeting next month. The scathing resolution takes the AMA to task for having 'failed to achieve one single concession' in the healthcare reform bill.

23 Jul 2010

Medicare News and Research

Today's OpEds: Health reform and long-term care; Health care incentives; Reasons for optimism or repeal and replace?

St. John Providence Health System to migrate to eClinicalWorks comprehensive EHR solution

Insight Imaging acquires eight imaging centers

Experts available for comment on new medicare contracts that drive health care hookups

It's back: House Democrats argue anew for public option

Teva comments on FDA's approval of generic Lovenox injection

Md. Democrats tout crackdown on Medicaid fraud; Four plead not guilty in Calif. Medicare fraud case

Research roundup: Hospital emergency room HIV screenings; Medical device reviews; Health law impact on docs and hospitals

Ohio sets up high risk pool; Four drug companies come under scrutiny for payments to Pittsburgh doctors, nurses

CMS awards Jurisdiction 15 Medicare Parts A and B Administrative Contract to CGS

Obama signs legislation to cut improper government spending, largely in Medicare and Medicaid

Today's OpEds: Varying points on the nation's doctor shortage, benefits of negative studies, and what about universal health care?

Researchers investigate regional variation in Medicare spending

MAXIMUS operates health care appeal programs for state regulatory agencies

Achieving meaningful use of inpatient EHR is top priority of hospital executives: Survey

First Edition: July 23, 2010

New data on health insurance to be included in AHRQ's 2009 State Snapshots

New rules Thursday on appealing insurance claims, states take lead in health reform implementation

Premier awards Press Ganey contract to measure, improve patient satisfaction across member organizations

Fla. doctors consider cutting ties to AMA; Indiana seeks to get more uninsured covered; LA continues to seek leader for troubled health department

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