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Senate wrangling on bill with 'doc fix,' Medicaid payments, possible COBRA subsidy

President Barack Obama seems to be losing the battle to include in the jobs bill - also known as the "extender" bill - a continuation of federal subsidies for laid-off workers to help pay for health insurance through COBRA, The Associated Press reports. Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, "who are seeking a vote this coming week, want to attach their nearly $7 billion provision to must-pass legislation that would extend unemployment benefits and make changes in dozens of federal programs.

15 Jun 2010

Free clinics across the U.S. care for 1.8M uninsured patients annually: Survey

Free clinics across the U.S. provide care to about 1.8 million mostly uninsured patients annually and the majority of clinics receive no government support, according to the first comprehensive survey of all known free clinics since the 1960s.

15 Jun 2010

Texas prepares for health reform's changes despite opposition to new law; Other states brace for federal funding cuts

When Congress approved the sweeping federal health care overhaul in March, Texas Governor Rick Perry was one of the loudest critics. He blasted the initiative as unconstitutional, a government takeover of health care and an unfunded federal mandate on the states. … That sentiment remains widespread in Texas, which has joined with 20 other states in suing to block the law from taking effect.

15 Jun 2010

Behind the Numbers report: Employers' medical costs to increase by 9% in 2011

The nation's employers can expect medical costs to increase by 9 percent in 2011, a decrease of 0.5 percent from the 2010 growth rate, according to the annual Behind the Numbers report published today by the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Health Research Institute. For the first time, the majority of the American workforce is expected to have a health insurance deductible of $400 or more, as more employers return to "indemnity style" cost-sharing by raising out-of-pocket limits, replacing co-pays with co-insurance and adding high-deductible health plans.

15 Jun 2010

States, Feds look to expand ACOs and medical homes

Crain's New York Business, on ACOs in New York: "Authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Barack Obama in March, ACOs are intended to reward providers that shift their focus to preventive care and presumably reduce the need for expensive procedures.

15 Jun 2010

CMS to hold Medicare claims for four more days

Doctors treating Medicare patients won't be hit with a steep pay cut Tuesday, as previously scheduled, the Obama administration announced Monday. Instead, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is holding claims until Friday, anticipating that Congress will intervene this week. The move is the latest in a string of efforts to prevent Medicare doctors from receiving a 21 percent pay cut, which technically went into effect June 1."

15 Jun 2010

KHN column – Medicare Advantage: You get what you pay for

In this column for Kaiser Health News, Austin Frakt writes: "The Obama administration seems worried. In an election year, any change to Medicare that adversely affects beneficiaries is a political liability for incumbents.

14 Jun 2010

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

Medicare News and Research

Senate wrangling on bill with 'doc fix,' Medicaid payments, possible COBRA subsidy

Free clinics across the U.S. care for 1.8M uninsured patients annually: Survey

Texas prepares for health reform's changes despite opposition to new law; Other states brace for federal funding cuts

Behind the Numbers report: Employers' medical costs to increase by 9% in 2011

States, Feds look to expand ACOs and medical homes

CMS to hold Medicare claims for four more days

KHN column – Medicare Advantage: You get what you pay for

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

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