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Health overhaul skirmishes simmer over government fliers, drug benefits

Republicans are complaining that, while the IRS sent out 4 million fliers to publicize $40 billion in tax credits for small businesses, the agency did not make a similar effort to inform tanning salons and their customers about a new 10 percent tax on their services, Politico reports.

14 Jun 2010

Health reform continue to dominate campaigns

After voting "no" on the health reform bill earlier this year, Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., has gotten significantly less support from colleagues than he did in previous re-election bids, The Hill reports. "Only five lawmakers ... have given money from their personal campaign funds to Barrow in the 2010 cycle. Five other elected Dems gave money to Barrow through their leadership political action committees."

14 Jun 2010

AMA's support for health law sparks infighting

A fissure has developed in the American Medical Association, the powerful physicians' lobby that backed the health reform bill earlier this year, about support for the sweeping measure, according to news reports.

14 Jun 2010

Today's Opinions: Medicare advantage to shrink; Insurers anti-trust protection; Health law regulations; The need for maternity leave

In the long run, there's no getting around the fact that Advantage plans will shrink in generosity and availability (Austin Frakt, 6/14).

14 Jun 2010

CVS Caremark board authorizes new $2 billion stock repurchase program

CVS Caremark Corporation today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new share repurchase program for up to $2.0 billion of its outstanding common stock. The share repurchase authorization, which is effective immediately and expires at the end of 2011, permits the Company to effect the repurchases from time to time through a combination of open market repurchases, privately negotiated transactions, accelerated share repurchase transactions, and/or other derivative transactions.

14 Jun 2010

McDermott's Health Industry Advisory Practice Group recognized as Health Team of the Year

McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the Firm's Health Industry Advisory Practice Group was honored as the "Health Team of the Year" during the Chambers USA Awards in New York on June 10, 2010. This is the first time an award in this category has been given on a national basis by Chambers, and McDermott was selected over four other finalist firms.

14 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 14, 2010

Today's health policy headlines report on new White House rules on changes to health insurance benefits, a study regarding employers' medical costs and the likely impact of retirements within the health care workforce.

14 Jun 2010

Medicare, uninsured, elderly and critically ill patients use ambulances for transport to ER: Study

Patients with Medicare or Medicaid, the uninsured, the elderly and the critically ill are the heaviest users of ambulances for transport to the emergency department, making them most vulnerable during periods of ambulance diversion. The results of a study of more than 30,000 patients taken to emergency departments by ambulance were published online Friday in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("At-Risk Populations and the Critically Ill Rely Disproportionately on Ambulance Transport to Emergency Departments").

14 Jun 2010

President Obama calls on Congress to avert 21% cut in payments to physicians

President Obama called on Congress today to avert a 21 percent cut in payments to physicians who treat Medicare patients in his weekly radio address. He also reiterated his commitment to permanent reform of the Medicare physician payment formula.

14 Jun 2010

Florida GOP gov. candidate surges despite questions about involvement in Medicare fraud case

Opponents of Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott are questioning Scott's involvement in a health care fraud case when he was the CEO for Columbia/HCA hospital.

14 Jun 2010

Obama, GOP spar on Medicare 'doc fix'

"President Barack Obama Saturday accused Senate Republicans of standing in the way of important legislation that would block deep pay cuts for doctors who care for Medicare patients. Mr. Obama said the majority of the U.S. Congress is ready and willing to prevent a pay cut of 21%. But he used his weekly radio and Internet address to express concern that some Republicans are seeking to block a vote on the issue. If they do, doctors could see the cut in their Medicare payments this week, the president said" (Randall, 6/12).

14 Jun 2010

Trauma patients without insurance more likely to die of injuries than privately insured patients: Study

Trauma patients without insurance are more likely to die of their injuries from auto accidents and gunshot wounds than privately insured patients with similar injuries, according to findings of an analysis of 193,804 patients from 649 facilities conducted by University Buffalo emergency medicine physicians.

14 Jun 2010

Scammers use promise of Medicare rebate checks to steal personal info

The Illinois Attorney General is warning that scammers are trying to trick Medicare-eligible seniors into revealing personal information in order to get a rebate check, The Associated Press reports.

11 Jun 2010

White House urged to promote health care innovation; Feds prepare $25 million in malpractice grants

A medical device trade group and former lawmaker separately called on the White House to do more to promote life-saving medical innovation this week. "In separate events Wednesday and Thursday, former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) and Stephen Ubl, the head of the medical device trade group AdvaMed, called on the Obama administration to task a federal office with promoting U.S. innovation."

11 Jun 2010

Today's opinions: Cuts in Medicare advantage; Benefits of Medicaid expansion; Closing the doughnut hole

Democrats loathe Medicare Advantage because it sanctions the private choices that might eventually liberate the U.S. health market from government price controls. They also wanted to raid Advantage to finance their new subsidies (6/11).

11 Jun 2010

Medicare drug spending varies by region, does not offset other medical costs

A study has found that Medicare spending on drugs varies significantly in different regions, and that increased drug spending isn't offset by lower spending on hospital care, doctors visits and other health services, HealthDay/Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

11 Jun 2010

Dems to seniors: The Medicare checks are in the mail

The Obama administration began mailing $250 checks Thursday to seniors who hit the Medicare prescription drug doughnut hole - a notorious gap in coverage - as part of the health overhaul, The Columbus Dispatch reports. "The tax-free, one-time rebate is the first tangible benefit of the new health-care law and the initial step toward phasing out the coverage gap for Medicare recipients with Part D drug coverage and who do not qualify for additional assistance" (Candisky, 6/11).

11 Jun 2010

Senate continues consideration of 'tax extenders,' Democrats push for COBRA subsidy

CongressDaily: The Senate is continuing work on a $140 billion package of tax breaks that includes some unemployment benefits and a temporary fix of the payments to Medicare physicians. "Final passage is not expected until next week on what is likely to be a partisan vote. But there are areas of agreement across the aisle.

11 Jun 2010

Ambulatory Surgery Center industry responds to infection control concerns raised in JAMA

As leading organizations representing the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) industry, we wish to address concerns raised in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) highlighting data from a 2008 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) pilot study. The industry underscores its strong commitment to patient safety and its nationwide efforts to provide high-quality, patient-centered care at a low cost to the health care system.

11 Jun 2010

Arcadia fourth-quarter net loss decreases to $19.4 million

Arcadia Resources, Inc., a leading provider of innovative consumer health care services under the Arcadia HealthCare brand, today announced fourth quarter revenues of $25.5 million and a net loss of $19.2 million, or $0.11 per share, which compares to revenue of $25.9 million and a net loss of $36.7 million, or $0.27 per share for the same period in the fiscal 2009.

11 Jun 2010

Medicare News and Research

Health overhaul skirmishes simmer over government fliers, drug benefits

Health reform continue to dominate campaigns

AMA's support for health law sparks infighting

Today's Opinions: Medicare advantage to shrink; Insurers anti-trust protection; Health law regulations; The need for maternity leave

CVS Caremark board authorizes new $2 billion stock repurchase program

McDermott's Health Industry Advisory Practice Group recognized as Health Team of the Year

First Edition: June 14, 2010

Medicare, uninsured, elderly and critically ill patients use ambulances for transport to ER: Study

President Obama calls on Congress to avert 21% cut in payments to physicians

Florida GOP gov. candidate surges despite questions about involvement in Medicare fraud case

Obama, GOP spar on Medicare 'doc fix'

Trauma patients without insurance more likely to die of injuries than privately insured patients: Study

Scammers use promise of Medicare rebate checks to steal personal info

White House urged to promote health care innovation; Feds prepare $25 million in malpractice grants

Today's opinions: Cuts in Medicare advantage; Benefits of Medicaid expansion; Closing the doughnut hole

Medicare drug spending varies by region, does not offset other medical costs

Dems to seniors: The Medicare checks are in the mail

Senate continues consideration of 'tax extenders,' Democrats push for COBRA subsidy

Ambulatory Surgery Center industry responds to infection control concerns raised in JAMA

Arcadia fourth-quarter net loss decreases to $19.4 million

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