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United American Healthcare acquires Pulse Systems

United American Healthcare Corporation today announced it has acquired privately held Pulse Systems, LLC. Based in Concord, Calif., Pulse Systems, LLC provides contract manufacturing services to the medical device industry, with a focus on precision laser-cutting capabilities and the processing of thin-wall tubular metal components, sub-assemblies and implants, primarily in the cardiovascular market. For the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2009, Pulse Systems generated revenue of approximately $9.2 million.

19 Jun 2010

Medicaid funds may not come through, leaving states in a lurch

If increased federal support for Medicaid isn't extended, states will have to fill budget holes next year that many legislatures have not anticipated.

19 Jun 2010

Federal agencies will establish a 'do not pay list' to prevent fraud

President Obama will order federal agencies Friday to establish a national 'do not pay list' to prevent the government from paying benefits, contracts, grants and loans to ineligible people or organizations, according to senior administration officials. The moves are part of a series to cut government waste and fraud and come amid calls for more fiscal restraint from Republicans and moderate Democrats.

19 Jun 2010

Teva closes $2.5 billion Senior Notes offering

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited announced today that it has closed the previously announced offering, by its special purpose finance subsidiaries, of a debt offering in three tranches:

19 Jun 2010

Friday Opinions: Uwe Reinhardt, Reps. Ron Paul and John Sarbanes, Minnesota nurses' strike

Alas, the penalties baked into the bill for disregarding the mandate, though not trivial, are low enough that many younger and healthier individuals are likely to find paying the penalty cheaper than owning up to the mandate. If that happens in significant numbers, as well it might, the premiums that private insurers will have to charge for the mandated coverage in the small-group market will be driven correspondingly higher (Uwe Reinhardt, 6/18).

19 Jun 2010

Walgreens reaches agreement with CVS Caremark on participation in PBM national retail network

CVS Caremark Corporation and Walgreens today announced that the companies have reached an agreement on terms under which Walgreens will continue participating in the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) national retail network for existing, new or renewal plans. The companies are not disclosing the financial terms of the new contract.

18 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 18, 2010

The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee reached agreement [Thursday] evening on a six-month Medicare "doc fix" that could open the way for the tax extenders bill to pass as early as Friday, a source tells The Hill. Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) hope to pass the tax extenders bill by unanimous consent (The Hill's Healthwatch Blog).

18 Jun 2010

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

Medicare News and Research

United American Healthcare acquires Pulse Systems

Medicaid funds may not come through, leaving states in a lurch

Federal agencies will establish a 'do not pay list' to prevent fraud

Teva closes $2.5 billion Senior Notes offering

Friday Opinions: Uwe Reinhardt, Reps. Ron Paul and John Sarbanes, Minnesota nurses' strike

Walgreens reaches agreement with CVS Caremark on participation in PBM national retail network

First Edition: June 18, 2010

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

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