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Obama sets town hall meeting with seniors to tout Medicare rebate checks

President Barack Obama has scheduled a televised town hall meeting Tuesday in Wheaton, Md., "to trumpet one of the most popular provisions of his landmark health care bill: a $250 rebate to help Medicare beneficiaries pay for prescription drugs. ... An estimated 80,000 checks are scheduled to be sent in June, with others to follow on a rolling basis, to Medicare beneficiaries who enter the so-called 'doughnut hole' - a gap in prescription drug coverage that requires them to pay out of pocket" (Stolberg, 6/3).

5 Jun 2010

United American Insurance introduces new 2010 Medicare Supplement plans

United American Insurance Company recently announced the introduction of new 2010 Medicare Supplement standardized plans that meet the requirements set forth by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. In general, United American's Medicare Supplement products are attained-age, gender-distinct, smoker/nonsmoker, and geographic area rated.

5 Jun 2010

AMA launches ads pushing Senators on 'doc fix' while warning on cuts

The American Medical Association has launched a multi-million-dollar series of ads pressuring senators to intervene to prevent a scheduled payment cut for doctors who treat Medicare patients and warning that a separate permanent fix of the system is the only way to completely ensure continuity of care for seniors.

5 Jun 2010

Boston hospitals increasingly scrutinized for costs while Buffalo hospitals will receive more Medicare funding

Officials in Gov. Deval Patrick's administration, "seeking to pressure hospitals as well as insurers to rein in costs, say they will more closely scrutinize plans for new medical buildings and technologies to determine how they might affect the cost of health care in Massachusetts.

5 Jun 2010

ASCO 2010 marks first anniversary of "Cancer Patient Statement of Principles"

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), the oldest and largest foundation dedicated to improving the life and care of myeloma patients, notes the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) marks the first anniversary of the "Cancer Patient Statement of Principles."

4 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 4, 2010

Today's health policy headlines highlight HHS Secretary Sebelius' defense of the Obama administration's Medicare nominee as well as the AMA's push to fix scheduled reductions in Medicare physician payments.

4 Jun 2010

Right Medicare choices for individuals over 65

For the thousands of people turning 65 in the coming months, it can be a milestone worth celebrating. There also are hurdles to overcome, including making the right Medicare choices, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.

4 Jun 2010

AMA launches new multi-million dollar ad campaign to get Senators to fix Medicare physician payment cuts

The U.S. Senate's failure to act before this week's 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut has put seniors' health care at grave risk. A new American Medical Association (AMA) physician survey shows that many physicians are already limiting the number of Medicare patients they treat. The AMA today launched a multi-million dollar national advertising campaign, with ads on TV and radio and in newspapers, including The New York Times, USAToday and The Wall Street Journal.

4 Jun 2010

AMGA releases Accountable Care Organization Principles for healthcare delivery systems

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) today released "Accountable Care Organization Principles" which it hopes will help guide regulatory activity regarding the development of these high-performing care systems mandated by recent health reform, as well as inspire significant improvements in the healthcare delivery system nationwide.

4 Jun 2010

Study confirms Azilect as a selective MAO-B inhibitor

Teva Neuroscience Inc. today announced the publication of a study demonstrating the selectivity of Azilect® (rasagiline tablets) for inhibition of MAO-B (monoamine oxidase-B) at the maximum approved dose of 1 mg/day. The data was published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology OnlineFirst on May 5, 2010.

4 Jun 2010

Federal jury convicts Houston-area physician, residents over multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme

Houston-area physician Dr. Howard Grant and Houston residents Clinton Lee and Obisike Nwankwo were convicted late Wednesday by a federal jury in connection with their roles in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS).

4 Jun 2010

COBRA subsidy stall could raise premiums for millions while battle rages over 'doc fix'

The (Delaware County, Pa.) Daily Times reports that health care premiums for millions of Americans could "triple with the expiration of government subsidies to the COBRA program."

4 Jun 2010

State roundup: Health law could be critical for Miss.'s poor; Colorado passes end-of-life care laws, Penn. details plan for high risk pool

The health care overhaul, which "provides hundreds of billions of dollars to help states expand medical insurance for the poor," could prove critical for Mississippi, which "has the highest poverty rate in the nation and some of the sickest people, with the country's highest rate of heart disease and the second-highest rate of diabetes.

4 Jun 2010

Administration claims about Dartmouth Medicare analyses questioned

The New York Times, in a front page story, reports: "In selling the health care overhaul to Congress, the Obama administration cited a once obscure research group at Dartmouth College to claim that it could not only cut billions in wasteful health care spending but make people healthier by doing so.

4 Jun 2010

Report ranks best children's hospitals

U.S. News & World Report reports on the nation's best children's hospitals: "Out of all of the roughly 5,000 U.S. hospitals, only about 1 in 30 has deep expertise in caring for children with serious problems. For youngsters who need that quality of care, the Best Children's Hospitals rankings showcase the medical centers that see kids every day who have cancer, cystic fibrosis, defective hearts, and countless other life-threatening or rare conditions beyond the capabilities of most hospitals, even those with sizable pediatric departments.

4 Jun 2010

Sebelius to highlight geographic differences in Medicare hospital payments

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visits Rochester's Mayo Clinic Thursday morning. ... The visit comes after a recent report that Minnesota will receive money earmarked for states which provide low-cost, high-value health care. But just how much money Minnesota will receive is far from certain. Sebelius is expected to get a first-hand look at the clinic's technology for tracking health care information.

4 Jun 2010

Latest version of LOINC for electronic health information exchange to be released

As the practice, regulation and reimbursement of health care become more complicated, and as the demand for electronic medical records and health information exchange grows, a universal method of identifying test results and other clinical measurement is essential.

4 Jun 2010

WisTa Laboratories announces collaborative R&D agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma

WisTa Laboratories Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of TauRx Pharmaceuticals, announced today that they have entered a collaborative R&D agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, which could redefine the way Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders are currently being diagnosed and treated.

4 Jun 2010

GHP selects MirixaPro web-based clinical platform to support delivery of MTM services

The Geisinger Health Plan, a regional provider of health benefits to almost 250,000 members in Pennsylvania, has selected Mirixa Corporation's MirixaPro web-based clinical platform to support the delivery of medication therapy management services to its Medicare Part D members.

4 Jun 2010

Drug makers push for more time to pay half-off discount on drugs

Drug makers want 60 days instead of 15 to pay a half-off discount for branded drugs in a Medicare Part D coverage gap, Inside Health Policy reports. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also intends to ask drug makers to pay disputed amounts ahead of a decision about whether the company must pay the discount.

4 Jun 2010

Medicare News and Research

Obama sets town hall meeting with seniors to tout Medicare rebate checks

United American Insurance introduces new 2010 Medicare Supplement plans

AMA launches ads pushing Senators on 'doc fix' while warning on cuts

Boston hospitals increasingly scrutinized for costs while Buffalo hospitals will receive more Medicare funding

ASCO 2010 marks first anniversary of "Cancer Patient Statement of Principles"

First Edition: June 4, 2010

Right Medicare choices for individuals over 65

AMA launches new multi-million dollar ad campaign to get Senators to fix Medicare physician payment cuts

AMGA releases Accountable Care Organization Principles for healthcare delivery systems

Study confirms Azilect as a selective MAO-B inhibitor

Federal jury convicts Houston-area physician, residents over multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme

COBRA subsidy stall could raise premiums for millions while battle rages over 'doc fix'

State roundup: Health law could be critical for Miss.'s poor; Colorado passes end-of-life care laws, Penn. details plan for high risk pool

Administration claims about Dartmouth Medicare analyses questioned

Report ranks best children's hospitals

Sebelius to highlight geographic differences in Medicare hospital payments

Latest version of LOINC for electronic health information exchange to be released

WisTa Laboratories announces collaborative R&D agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma

GHP selects MirixaPro web-based clinical platform to support delivery of MTM services

Drug makers push for more time to pay half-off discount on drugs

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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