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Democrats strategize by touting early benefits but in some areas party is facing tough fight

Democrats enlisted a reliable strategy by "front-loading their legislation with consumer-friendly, insurance industry reforms and other fixes they hope will generate support for the new law in the run-up to the pivotal midterm elections." Democrats are hoping that a skeptical public will come around to their side of the equation, but Republicans say voters will remember all the legislation, not just part of it, when they vote in November.

18 May 2010

Medicare cuts for physicians loom, yet again

A 21 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements that has loomed over physicians all year will go into effect on June 1, unless Congress acts to further delay the cuts, CNNMoney reports. "If the proposed cuts go through, physicians are worried their practices will be so strapped that they'll have to drop some of the 43 million Americans who are covered under Medicare."

17 May 2010

Health law's affect on ERs, doctors' panel, young adults examined

Officials and stakeholders are examining the new health reform law for changes that the reform will mean for their organizations and industries.

17 May 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials: Support for Berwick and health reform's next tests

He is well-qualified to make the many crucial decisions surrounding Medicare and Medicaid, and could end up being one of the most significant appointees in the administration (5/17).

17 May 2010

Hospitals to get more bargaining clout for medical devices

The Wall Street Journal: "Hospitals lack leverage when negotiating prices for high-cost implants like defibrillators and replacement hips because individual doctors, rather than hospitals, typically select the products they use in their patients. Since these doctors often aren't hospital employees, they have little incentive to bargain-hunt.

17 May 2010

Hemispherx Biopharma to conduct study of Ampligen antiviral in China

As part of its expanding international program Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc., announced an agreement with Fountain Medical Development Ltd., a leading Chinese clinical research organization (CRO) to prepare, file and gain approval from the authorities in China to conduct a study of Ampligen, an investigational therapeutic.

17 May 2010

First Edition: May 17, 2010

Today's headlines highlight stories about efforts to advance the implementation of federal health reforms as well as the sweeping measure's political impact in primary races across the country.

17 May 2010

Do Something World Festival wraps up week-long campaign of volunteer service

California Pastor Miles McPherson returned to the Caribbean this week with a large team of volunteers to "do something" for the region. McPherson, a former NFL Player, Senior Pastor of the Rock Church, San Diego and founder of Miles Ahead has produced the Cayman Islands "Do Something World Festival," to take place May 14-15.

15 May 2010

New 2010 Cumulative Supplement to Managed Care Litigation for practitioners who handle disputes

The new 2010 Cumulative Supplement to Managed Care Litigation is a practical reference written specifically for practitioners who handle managed care disputes to help them rapidly focus on key issues and expertly advise their clients. The supplement and its main volume are published by BNA Books, a division of specialized news and information publisher BNA, in conjunction with the American Bar Association Health Law Section.

15 May 2010

Medco Health Solutions donates $125,000 to U.S. Red Cross for Tennessee flood relief efforts

Medco Health Solutions, Inc.,, on behalf of its affiliated companies and the Medco Foundation, has donated $125,000 to the U.S. Red Cross for relief efforts targeted at victims of recent flooding in Tennessee and other affected areas.

15 May 2010

Court approves Chem Rx's first-day motions, allows normal business operations

Chem Rx Corporation, the third largest long term care pharmacy in the United States, along with certain operating subsidiaries today announced that it has received Court approval for all of its first-day motions, allowing normal business operations, including the purchase and distribution of all drugs and services to its clients.

15 May 2010

Miami-area resident charged in $23M HIV infusion Medicare fraud scheme

A Miami-area resident who owned and operated an HIV infusion clinic was arrested today and charged for her alleged participation in a $23 million HIV infusion Medicare fraud scheme, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.

15 May 2010

Hospira's I.V. administration set product line to be standardized to non-DEHP

Hospira, Inc., a leading global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, will expand its commitment to non-DEHP products by transitioning customers to its portfolio of non-DEHP intravenous administration sets.

15 May 2010

Research roundup: Whistleblowers, spreading best practices, Medicare's growth-limiting strategy

The Impact Of Removing Financial Incentives From Clinical Quality Indicators: Longitudinal Analysis Of Four Kaiser Permanente Indicators - The researchers found the removal of pay-for-performance incentives "was associated with a decrease in performance of about 3% per year on average for screening for diabetic retinopathy and about 1.6% per year for cervical cancer screening" (Lester et al., 5/11). More details about the study and related news coverage are in the May 12 Morning Report.

15 May 2010

Elie Hirschfeld gifts $50,000 to help Roosevelt Hospital's ED Expansion and Redesign Project

A new commitment of $50,000 from Elie Hirschfeld, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hirschfeld Properties and a Trustee of Continuum Health Partners, will help further underwrite Roosevelt Hospital's Emergency Department Expansion and Redesign Project. His gifts to the initiative, to date, total over $150,000.

15 May 2010

Sebelius, Holder: New health reform law will help prevent medical fraud

Kaiser Health News staff writer Andrew Villegas reports: "Obama administration officials, touting $2.5 billion recovered from Medicare overpayments and fraud, immediately turned to talk of how health reform could ensure bigger successes in the future"

15 May 2010

LifeCare Holdings reports $95.0 million net patient service revenue for first-quarter 2010

LifeCare Holdings, Inc. today announced its operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

15 May 2010

Today's opinions: Medicare threatened by poor doctor-payment system, new health law's impact on small business, U.S. commitment to AIDS relief

Only the U.S. Congress can stop this imminent Medicare meltdown. Permanent repeal of the broken [doctor] payment formula that creates this whopping cut will preserve access to care for Texas' Medicare and TRICARE patients. This is the only way to fix the problem once and for all before the baby boomers begin to use Medicare in droves (J. James Rohack, 5/13).

15 May 2010

CeltiCare to provide high-quality health insurance for Commonwealth Care Bridge Program members

CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts, a Centene Corporation subsidiary, today announced that the state of Massachusetts has renewed its contract to serve Commonwealth Care Bridge Program members, effective July 1, 2010.

15 May 2010

Sen. Kerry, White House push back on Berwick criticism

After Republicans levied attacks on Donald Berwick, the physician and professor President Barack Obama has nominated to lead the Medicare agency, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., came to the aide of his fellow Bay Stater, The Boston Globe reports. He said, "It's no secret that the national Republican Party has tried to crank up the attack machine and make his nomination a distorted referendum on reform.

15 May 2010

Medicare News and Research

Democrats strategize by touting early benefits but in some areas party is facing tough fight

Medicare cuts for physicians loom, yet again

Health law's affect on ERs, doctors' panel, young adults examined

Today's Opinions and Editorials: Support for Berwick and health reform's next tests

Hospitals to get more bargaining clout for medical devices

Hemispherx Biopharma to conduct study of Ampligen antiviral in China

First Edition: May 17, 2010

Do Something World Festival wraps up week-long campaign of volunteer service

New 2010 Cumulative Supplement to Managed Care Litigation for practitioners who handle disputes

Medco Health Solutions donates $125,000 to U.S. Red Cross for Tennessee flood relief efforts

Court approves Chem Rx's first-day motions, allows normal business operations

Miami-area resident charged in $23M HIV infusion Medicare fraud scheme

Hospira's I.V. administration set product line to be standardized to non-DEHP

Research roundup: Whistleblowers, spreading best practices, Medicare's growth-limiting strategy

Elie Hirschfeld gifts $50,000 to help Roosevelt Hospital's ED Expansion and Redesign Project

Sebelius, Holder: New health reform law will help prevent medical fraud

LifeCare Holdings reports $95.0 million net patient service revenue for first-quarter 2010

Today's opinions: Medicare threatened by poor doctor-payment system, new health law's impact on small business, U.S. commitment to AIDS relief

CeltiCare to provide high-quality health insurance for Commonwealth Care Bridge Program members

Sen. Kerry, White House push back on Berwick criticism

Industry Focus eBook - Forensics & toxicology (2nd edition) eBook

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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