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Medicare brochure mailing draws GOP ire

Republicans are criticizing a taxpayer-funded brochure sent to 40.2 million Medicare beneficiaries explaining changes to the program under the new health law.

28 May 2010

Democrats scale back 'doc fix,' COBRA subsidy in jobs bill

Without congressional action this week on a tax "extenders" and jobs bill, a number of benefits, including a subsidy for COBRA health insurance benefits for newly laid-off workers, will expire.

28 May 2010

Impact of Affordable Care Act on Medicare recipients discussed in Web chat

Marilyn Tavenner, acting administrator and chief operating officer of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Caya Lewis, chief of staff at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will take part in a Web chat Wednesday, May 26, to discuss how America's Medicare recipients will benefit from the Affordable Care Act and discuss how it will reduce costs and give people more control over their health insurance.

27 May 2010

Guadalupe County Hospital to implement Phoenix's Total IT Solution featuring Medsphere's OpenVista EHR

Medsphere Systems Corporation, Phoenix Health Systems and Guadalupe County Hospital today announced Guadalupe's selection of Phoenix's Total IT Solution featuring Medsphere's OpenVista® electronic health record. Phoenix IT expertise paired with Medsphere's open-source EHR solution will enable this 10-bed Santa Rosa, N.M., acute-care hospital to secure federal stimulus support for health IT implementation while improving patient care.

27 May 2010

First Edition: May 27, 2010

Today's health policy headlines focus on a new study about the federal government's funding level for the high-risk pools set up in the new health law as well as congressional Democrats' ongoing struggle to pass legislation to extend the COBRA benefit subsidy and to prevent a scheduled cut in Medicare payments to physicians.

27 May 2010

CREST study data published in The New England Journal of Medicine

Data from the CREST (Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial) study were published today in The New England Journal of Medicine. In this trial, stenting and surgery had similar initial safety and longer-term outcomes for symptomatic and asymptomatic men and women. Adverse event rates of death, stroke and heart attack were also similar for both therapies.

27 May 2010

Aria Health joins other healthcare organizations nationwide to launch ACOs

Aria Health has joined 18 other healthcare organizations nationwide to launch Accountable Care Organizations, a collaborative effort designed to implement essential healthcare reforms to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care.

27 May 2010

Benefits of new health insurance reform law for Medicare recipients discussed in news conference

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Barbara Kennelly of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and Dr. Ben Williamowsky of Silver Spring, Md., a Medicare recipient, held a news conference today to discuss benefits of and misconceptions about the Affordable Care Act and Medicare.

27 May 2010

Democrats struggle to line up votes on bill containing 'doc fix,' COBRA subsidy extension

A jobs and benefits bill that would extend subsidies to help laid-off workers keep their health insurance and would avert payment cuts to Medicare doctors is still pending in Congress.

27 May 2010

Employers: Health insurance coverage to remain, but costs may rise

Business Insurance reports that, in the wake of health reform, 88 percent of employers "responding to a Towers Watson & Co. survey said they definitely or likely will continue providing coverage to employees. Just 3% said they are likely to drop coverage and instead pay the annual $2,000-per-full-time-employee penalty that starts in 2014.

27 May 2010

Feds crack down on health care fraud in California, Florida

The Sacramento Bee reports: "Three Sacramento-area residents are among 11 people, including five doctors, accused of participating in a Medicare fraud ring. ... From February 2006 through August 2008, the defendants are alleged to have operated three health-care clinics -- in Sacramento, Carmichael and Richmond -- that submitted more than $5 million in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare" (Locke, 5/25).

27 May 2010

Sen. McConnell blasts Medicare brochure touting health overhaul

Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, is blasting the Obama administration for using flyers to tout the new health law to seniors, The Hill reports. "McConnell took offense to the flyers for saying the new law will 'preserve and strengthen' Medicare. And he pointed out that the Department of Health and Human Services lambasted private Medicare Advantage plans when they used similar communications to their members to raise concerns with the health reform law before it was passed" (Pecquet, 5/25).

27 May 2010

First Edition: May 26, 2010

Today's headlines detail the latest developments regarding legislation moving through Congress that would prevent scheduled cuts in Medicare physician payment and extend health insurance subsidies for unemployed people.

26 May 2010

athenahealth releases the fifth annual PayerView Rankings

athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of internet-based business services to physician practices, and Physicians Practice, America's leading practice management journal for physicians, today released the fifth annual PayerView Rankings, which indicate that health insurers are paying physicians on average seven days faster and denying 12-18% fewer claims than revealed in last year.

26 May 2010

IDC Health Insights report predicts paradigm shift toward collaborative care through HIE models

As health care organizations across the country begin to adopt technology solutions in response to the approximately $20 billion in state incentive payments for health care, Informatics Corporation of America endorses an April 2010 report, Vendor Assessment: Industry Short List for Health Information Exchange Technologies, released by IDC Health Insights, an advisory services and market research firm.

26 May 2010

EIRMC, West Valley Medical Center to continue to serve Humana's Medicare Advantage members

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC), a full-service regional medical center in Idaho Falls, and West Valley Medical Center, a community hospital in Caldwell, will continue to provide in-network medical care to all Medicare Advantage members enrolled in plans offered by Humana, under terms of a renewal agreement announced today.

26 May 2010

AHF urges Obama to address growing ADAP crisis

As many states across the nation face budget and funding shortfalls that are crippling their lifesaving AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is urging President Barack Obama to redirect a portion of unspent stimulus funds in the Health and Human Services Department in order to address the growing ADAP crisis.

26 May 2010

CMS approves Fresenius Medical Care Chronic Kidney Disease Data Registry

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the Fresenius Medical Care Chronic Kidney Disease Data Registry, supported by its Acumen applications. As a participating registry in CMS's 2010 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), the approval of the nephrology-specific Acumen applications enables participating nephrologists to report quality outcomes directly to the PQRI program.

26 May 2010

Liberty National Life Insurance to introduce Platinum PLUS Medicare Supplement product portfolio

Liberty National Life Insurance Company today announced the introduction of their Platinum PLUS™ Medicare Supplement product portfolio. In general, the products feature attained-age, gender-distinct, smoker-non-smoker and geographic area rates. These new plans are available for issue with effective dates starting June 1st.

26 May 2010

House eyes Wednesday vote on measure that includes COBRA subsidy extension and doc 'pay fix'

Congressional Democrats are scurrying today to advance a $192 billion catch-all legislative package that includes "safety-net benefits for the unemployed, physician reimbursements, tax breaks for businesses and other provisions."

26 May 2010

Medicare News and Research

Medicare brochure mailing draws GOP ire

Democrats scale back 'doc fix,' COBRA subsidy in jobs bill

Impact of Affordable Care Act on Medicare recipients discussed in Web chat

Guadalupe County Hospital to implement Phoenix's Total IT Solution featuring Medsphere's OpenVista EHR

First Edition: May 27, 2010

CREST study data published in The New England Journal of Medicine

Aria Health joins other healthcare organizations nationwide to launch ACOs

Benefits of new health insurance reform law for Medicare recipients discussed in news conference

Democrats struggle to line up votes on bill containing 'doc fix,' COBRA subsidy extension

Employers: Health insurance coverage to remain, but costs may rise

Feds crack down on health care fraud in California, Florida

Sen. McConnell blasts Medicare brochure touting health overhaul

First Edition: May 26, 2010

athenahealth releases the fifth annual PayerView Rankings

IDC Health Insights report predicts paradigm shift toward collaborative care through HIE models

EIRMC, West Valley Medical Center to continue to serve Humana's Medicare Advantage members

AHF urges Obama to address growing ADAP crisis

CMS approves Fresenius Medical Care Chronic Kidney Disease Data Registry

Liberty National Life Insurance to introduce Platinum PLUS Medicare Supplement product portfolio

House eyes Wednesday vote on measure that includes COBRA subsidy extension and doc 'pay fix'

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