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Whistleblower complaints about WellCare operations unsealed in Florida

The St. Petersburg-Times: Three complaints by whistleblowers suing WellCare Health Plans Inc. have been unsealed in recent days as part of a federal probe into the company's operations. Federal officials raided the company offices in 2007. In the most recent complaints, "Clark J. Bolton, a former supervisor of special investigations at WellCare, said the insurer encouraged overbilling and refused to audit claims for fraud in order to curry favor with doctors and hospitals and build market share.

1 Jul 2010

Poll shows growing popularity for health reform law, politicians sound off

"The health-care overhaul gained popularity from May to June, according to a new tracking poll." The poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation "found that 48 percent of the public had a favorable view of the law in June while 41 percent had an unfavorable opinion." (Kaiser Health News is a program of the foundation.) In May, the tracking poll had found "41 percent favorable to 44 percent unfavorable."

1 Jul 2010

Health reform's early retiree reinsurance program accepting applications; Other overhaul initiatives get attention

HHS announced Tuesday that it "has begun accepting applications for the early retiree reinsurance program created by the new health law. The law sets aside $5 billion that businesses, unions and state and local governments can use to cover the healthcare costs of their retirees — and their spouses and dependents — who are older than 55 but don't yet qualify for Medicare." Some are worried that money for that program won't last through 2014, when other parts of the law take effect.

30 Jun 2010

GE Capital supports Guardian Healthcare with $90 million in senior secured credit facilities

GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services provided and serves as administrative agent for $90 million in senior secured credit facilities to Guardian Healthcare, a leading Medicare-certified provider of professional home healthcare services. The credit facilities will be used for a significant acquisition and to refinance existing indebtedness. The remaining funds will be used for additional growth capital and general corporate purposes. GE Capital Markets served as the lead arranger for the credit facilities.

30 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 30, 2010

Today's headlines highlight the results of a new tracking poll that indicate that the health reform law has gained popularity among Americans while implementation advances for overhaul initiatives such as high-risk pools and the early retiree reinsurance program.

30 Jun 2010

Blue Shield of California offers SilverSneakers Fitness Program to Medicare Supplement Plan subscribers

Blue Shield of California is now offering the Healthways SilverSneakers® Fitness Program to subscribers of Blue Shield Medicare Supplement Plans throughout California. SilverSneakers, the nation's leading social support and exercise program designed to keep seniors healthy, has been a popular benefit with California Medicare HMOs, but Blue Shield is one of the few health plans in the state to offer the benefit as part of its Medicare Supplement plans as well.

30 Jun 2010

More awareness about advance care planning, and hospice and palliative care

Recent media coverage on the challenges patients and families face with overtreatment of a life-limiting illness brings the issues of hospice and palliative care and advance care planning to public attention.

30 Jun 2010

Health law provisions kicking in; States prepare for high-risk insurance pool implementation

Three months after health reform was enacted, state leaders are beginning to make decisions about implementing the new law, Politico reports: "With the messy politics of health reform, the burden of balancing state budgets and the goal of expanding health coverage, lawmakers at the state level have had mixed reactions."

30 Jun 2010

Experts evlauate impact of Medicare Part D program on independent and chain pharmacies

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Medicare Part D) added prescription drug coverage to Medicare beginning in January 2006.

30 Jun 2010

Geriatric population soars while NIH devotes modest resources to aging research

With a nudge from the new health care law and pressure from Medicare, hospitals, doctors and nurses are struggling to prepare for explosive growth in the numbers of high-risk elderly patients. More than 40 percent of adult patients in acute care hospital beds are 65 or older. Seventy million Americans will have turned 65 by 2030.

30 Jun 2010

News round up: UniCare will drop health coverage for Virginians; Hawaii concerned about lack of physicians

The Washington Post: "About 3,000 Virginians who have health insurance through UniCare, a private insurer, will lose that coverage Jan. 1, a UniCare spokesman said Monday. Most live in Northern Virginia and get their coverage through the individual market, officials said.

30 Jun 2010

Consumer guides about part-time workers, Medigap coverage and navigating medical costs

News outlets offer consumer guides about health insurance.

30 Jun 2010

COBRA, jobs bill in further jeopardy after death of Sen. Byrd

Roll Call: The death of Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W. Va., has jeopardized further the passage of some bills in Congress, including a bill that would extend unemployment benefits. "Democratic leaders have been thwarted numerous times in recent weeks on jobs legislation, despite scaling down the measure dramatically after Republicans and some moderate Democrats balked at adding to the deficit.

30 Jun 2010

Clinical assessment study identifies opportunities to improve end-of-life care

Even at a hospital recognized for managing seriously ill patients, a systematic assessment of clinical measures associated with end-of-life care identified opportunities to improve treatment for those dying in the hospital, according to a report in the June 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29 Jun 2010

Image-guided percutaneous biopsies on the rise

Advanced imaging technologies have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward imaging-guided percutaneous-or through the skin-techniques, according to a new study appearing online and in the September print edition of the journal Radiology.

29 Jun 2010

FDA approves Teva's generic Effexor XR antidepressant

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Venlafaxine HCl ER Capsules, the Company's generic version of Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor XR®. Shipment is expected to commence on July 1, 2010, as per the terms of the 2006 agreement with Wyeth.

29 Jun 2010

Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act signed into law

The President signed into law on Friday, June 25, 2010, The Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act. The bill was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 417 to 1. The Senate had earlier approved the measure.

29 Jun 2010

Rosiglitazone associated with increased risk of serious cardiovascular events compared with pioglitazone

A new study published online today by JAMA shows that among patients age 65 years and older, rosiglitazone (a medication for treating Type 2 diabetes) is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality (death) when compared with pioglitazone (another medication for diabetes). The study was published online today in advance of an upcoming Food and Drug Administration meeting that will review the safety of rosiglitazone. The paper will appear in the July 28 print issue of JAMA.

29 Jun 2010

People in Medicare's two-year disability waiting period continue to wait

The Oregonian: Sue Sherman of Southwest Portland was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and "joined nearly 2 million disabled Americans -- at least 15,000 in Oregon -- who fall into a twilight with the first monthly Social Security disability payment, for they then must wait two years to become eligible for Medicare." Many of them exhaust their savings "on the care necessary to reach a diagnosis and now cannot get private insurance."

28 Jun 2010

Health reform law this week: Some states to miss deadline on high-risk pools, tanning tax kicks in

USA Today: "The key early program of the nation's new health law aims to provide affordable coverage to about 200,000 people with pre-existing medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, through federal high-risk insurance pools. The law called for the program to be in place last week, 90 days after its enactment, though the Department of Health and Human Services had said the programs would launch Thursday to coincide with the start of states' fiscal years."

28 Jun 2010

Medicare News and Research

Whistleblower complaints about WellCare operations unsealed in Florida

Poll shows growing popularity for health reform law, politicians sound off

Health reform's early retiree reinsurance program accepting applications; Other overhaul initiatives get attention

GE Capital supports Guardian Healthcare with $90 million in senior secured credit facilities

First Edition: June 30, 2010

Blue Shield of California offers SilverSneakers Fitness Program to Medicare Supplement Plan subscribers

More awareness about advance care planning, and hospice and palliative care

Health law provisions kicking in; States prepare for high-risk insurance pool implementation

Experts evlauate impact of Medicare Part D program on independent and chain pharmacies

Geriatric population soars while NIH devotes modest resources to aging research

News round up: UniCare will drop health coverage for Virginians; Hawaii concerned about lack of physicians

Consumer guides about part-time workers, Medigap coverage and navigating medical costs

COBRA, jobs bill in further jeopardy after death of Sen. Byrd

Clinical assessment study identifies opportunities to improve end-of-life care

Image-guided percutaneous biopsies on the rise

FDA approves Teva's generic Effexor XR antidepressant

Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act signed into law

Rosiglitazone associated with increased risk of serious cardiovascular events compared with pioglitazone

People in Medicare's two-year disability waiting period continue to wait

Health reform law this week: Some states to miss deadline on high-risk pools, tanning tax kicks in

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