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UMHHC expects to achieve 3.3% operating margin on revenues of $2.0 billion in fiscal year 2010

The Hospitals and Health Centers unit of the University of Michigan Health System will finish its fiscal year in strong financial shape, with a positive operating margin nearly twice the size predicted a year ago.

18 Jun 2010

AAIM identifies core principles that delineate shortfalls of GME funding

The Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine has identified core principles that delineate the shortfalls of graduate medical education funding. In light of the current state of Medicare GME financing and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's June 2010 report, AAIM encourages GME reform to address these shortfalls in light of societal health care needs.

18 Jun 2010

WSJ: Study on eye medicine reveals possible savings for Medicare

The Wall Street Journal reports that Medicare could save $500 million a year by switching from one type of eye medicine to another, both made by Genentech, "according to a draft study by federal officials and a University of Miami eye doctor.

18 Jun 2010

HHS announces $250 million in federal funding to boost primary care providers

The Washington Post: "In an attempt to address a national shortage of health-care workers, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday that the federal government will spend $250 million in programs to increase the number of doctors, nurses and other care providers. The money ... includes $168 million to train 500 new primary-care physicians over the next five years, $30 million to encourage 600 nursing students to attend school full-time and complete their education, and $32 million to create 600 new physician assistants."

18 Jun 2010

GOP extenders proposal fails; Dems still seek to lower cost on their bill

Senate Republicans failed Thursday to replace a broad Democratic jobless benefits bill, which includes a provision to stop a pending 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors. The Republican option failed in a 57-41 vote, The Wall Street Journal reports.

18 Jun 2010

Health IT implementation plan: 'Bold incrementalism'

Farzad Mostashari, a senior official in the government's health IT office, said in a speech Tuesday that the strategy for implementing federal ehealth efforts is one of "bold incrementalism," Modern Healthcare reports. Mostashari listed as an example the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's "approach to the health information exchange.

18 Jun 2010

Democrats scale back 'doc fix' in pursuit of votes to pass jobs bill, Medicaid provision may be dropped

A bill that would, among other things, extend some unemployment benefits and provide a temporary fix for Medicare physician payment rates languished in the Senate Wednesday as a procedural vote to end debate on the bill failed, 52 to 45, The Wall Street Journal reports. Eleven Democrats broke with the party to vote no.

18 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 17, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey reports on states' progress with high-risk pools created as part of the health reform law: "The program, one of the highest profile provisions of the law, is designed to provide health insurance to people who have been denied coverage due to a pre-existing medical condition and have been without coverage for at least six months.

17 Jun 2010

ASTRO urges MedPAC to recommend end to abuse of physician self-referral law in radiation oncology

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) commends the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) for highlighting concerns about physician self-referral in cancer care in its report released yesterday. We urge the commission to make recommendations to Congress to end abuses of the physician self-referral law in radiation oncology enabled by the "in-office ancillary services exception."

17 Jun 2010

Rand Paul, who opposed federal 'handouts,' is criticized for taking Medicare patients; Other health politics news

Rand Paul, a Kentucky GOP Senate candidate, sees Medicare and Medicaid patients, even as he opposes federal "handouts" and is facing criticism from his Democratic opponent for not releasing his Medicare billing records, The Associated Press reported.

17 Jun 2010

Senate rejects plan to extend jobless aid, avert looming Medicare cuts

Every Senate Republican and 12 Democrats rejected a White House-backed proposal to extend jobless programs and state aid created in last year's economic stimulus bill in a 52-45 vote Wednesday. Because the "test vote" on the extension plan failed, "Democrats seeking to reduce the measure's deficit impact are looking at rolling back last year's $25 a week increase in unemployment checks and giving doctors just a short reprieve from scheduled cuts in their Medicare payments" (6/16).

17 Jun 2010

Renewed threat of Medicare pay cuts leaves doctors with 'sense of fatigue'

Doctors across the country find themselves - once again - putting their Medicare claims on hold while they wait for Congress to take action.

17 Jun 2010

Wednesday's OpEds: Berwick nomination; Health reform costs and benefits; Medicaid and COBRA in jobs bill

As its real costs become clearer, Obama's program is looking even more expensive for employers, seniors, and taxpayers (Rick Santorum, 6/16).

17 Jun 2010

Hospital lobbying spending down

"American Hospital Association, which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, spent $3.7 million lobbying the federal government in the first quarter on Medicare, health care reform and a host of other topics," which included "Medicare fraud prevention, a requirement for minimum nurse staffing rations for some Medicare providers and a bill that provides for the application of a consistent part B premium for all Medicare beneficiaries, according to a 34-page lobbying report filed with the clerk of the House of Representatives…

17 Jun 2010

Federal government seeks power to exclude those involved with health fraud from working again with Medicare

Independent federal investigators hoping to rein in Medicare fraud are asking Congress for broad new authority to boot offending corporate executives from the insurance program. The change is designed to control Medicare claims fraud by punishing culpable owners, managers and other corporate higher-ups, and not just the convicted companies.

17 Jun 2010

Doctors still waiting for Capitol Hill action on Medicare payment cuts

The Wall Street Journal: The Senate continues to weigh a bill with wide-ranging provisions, including a postponement of the scheduled Medicare pay cut for doctors, but Democratic leaders appear to be having difficulty finding a plan that will appeal to members. "Repeated short-term fixes in recent years have left doctors frustrated and some … are refusing to take new Medicare patients.

17 Jun 2010

Health on The Hill – June 15, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey and the Los Angeles Times' Noam Levey talk with KFF's Jackie Judd about recent events in Congress. For instance, the Senate is debating ways to reverse a 21 percent cut in Medicare physician payments that began on June 1.

16 Jun 2010

Alameda Alliance for Health utilizes MedeAnalytics' analytic solutions to improve member outcomes, services

MedeAnalytics, a leading provider of healthcare performance management solutions, announced today that Alameda Alliance for Health, based in Alameda, Calif., has selected MedeAnalytics' Provider Network Management Analytics and Medical Management Analytics solutions. The Alliance will utilize these analytic solutions to improve member outcomes and services.

16 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 16, 2010

Today's health policy headlines focus on the latest Senate developments regarding the Medicare 'doc fix' as well as continuing health reform implementation news.

16 Jun 2010

KCI's Prevena Incision Management System receives FDA clearance

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. announced today it has received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for the Prevena Incision Management System, a negative pressure wound therapy product designed for management of surgically closed incisions. KCI estimates more than three million procedures are performed each year worldwide that could benefit from treatment with the Prevena System, representing a potential global opportunity greater than $1 billion.

16 Jun 2010

Medicare News and Research

UMHHC expects to achieve 3.3% operating margin on revenues of $2.0 billion in fiscal year 2010

AAIM identifies core principles that delineate shortfalls of GME funding

WSJ: Study on eye medicine reveals possible savings for Medicare

HHS announces $250 million in federal funding to boost primary care providers

GOP extenders proposal fails; Dems still seek to lower cost on their bill

Health IT implementation plan: 'Bold incrementalism'

Democrats scale back 'doc fix' in pursuit of votes to pass jobs bill, Medicaid provision may be dropped

First Edition: June 17, 2010

ASTRO urges MedPAC to recommend end to abuse of physician self-referral law in radiation oncology

Rand Paul, who opposed federal 'handouts,' is criticized for taking Medicare patients; Other health politics news

Senate rejects plan to extend jobless aid, avert looming Medicare cuts

Renewed threat of Medicare pay cuts leaves doctors with 'sense of fatigue'

Wednesday's OpEds: Berwick nomination; Health reform costs and benefits; Medicaid and COBRA in jobs bill

Hospital lobbying spending down

Federal government seeks power to exclude those involved with health fraud from working again with Medicare

Doctors still waiting for Capitol Hill action on Medicare payment cuts

Health on The Hill – June 15, 2010

Alameda Alliance for Health utilizes MedeAnalytics' analytic solutions to improve member outcomes, services

First Edition: June 16, 2010

KCI's Prevena Incision Management System receives FDA clearance

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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