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States decide on risk pools as first major health law decision

Politico reports that establishing high-risk insurance pools, the first major decision after the enactment of health care reform, "has come and gone with the decisions so far made mostly along party lines." Many Democratic governors "decided to help the Department of Health and Human Services by creating the pools themselves with federal funding.

3 May 2010

As doctors frustration with Medicare payments grows, a few opt to leave the system

American Medical News reports on doctors' frustrations with the Medicare program and looks at the practice of Juliette Madrigal-Dersch, an internist in Marble Falls, Texas, who "decided to see Medicare patients only on a private-contracting basis. That means neither she nor her patients can claim any payment from Medicare. It also means she can charge what her services actually cost, not just what the government says it will pay. She also can choose not to charge anything, as is her policy for patients age 90 and older."

3 May 2010

Pay-for-performance policies may create financial disincentives for doctors to treat obese patients

Pay-for-performance reimbursement of surgeons, intended to reward doctors and hospitals for good patient outcomes, may instead be creating financial incentives for discriminating against obese patients, who are much more likely to suffer expensive complications after even the most routine surgeries, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

3 May 2010

Watson Pharmaceuticals sued in connection with filing ANDA for generic equivalent of Trilipix

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc. - Florida, has been sued by Abbott Laboratories and Fournier Laboratories Ireland Ltd. in connection with the filing of Watson's Abbreviated New Drug Application for choline fenofibrate delayed-release capsules in the 45 mg and 135 mg strengths.

3 May 2010

Research roundup: Managing nursing home patients, streamlining medical billing, financial disclosures

Saving Billions Of Dollars--And Physicians' Time--By Streamlining Billing Practices - "The U.S. system of billing third parties for health care services is complex, expensive, and inefficient," write the authors, who analyzed Massachusetts General Physicians Organization staffing and cost data in fiscal year 2006.

3 May 2010

Cash crisis for infertility treatment prompting couples to go for multiple embryo implantations

With the rise in costs for fertility treatments, more and more Australian women are requesting their specialists to implant more than one embryo in their wombs. This is resulting in a rise in twin and triplet births.

3 May 2010

Mass. report on insurers' financial health provides mixed portrait

"A long-awaited state report to be released today will probably add fuel to the debate about surging health costs by portraying a mixed financial picture of Massachusetts health insurers. The state's eight health insurers finished 2008 with a total surplus of $2.5 billion, a more than four-fold increase from 1999 when the study period began, according to a 17-page executive summary of the report from the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy that was obtained by the Globe."

3 May 2010

Officials face challenges in writing new health law regulations

Obama administration officials face a "monumental task" in writing new regulations to the health care law while keeping one eye on public perception ahead of November's midterm elections.

30 Apr 2010

Premier Purchasing Partners announces new agreements for exam gloves

Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, today announced new agreements for exam gloves have been awarded to Cardinal Health of Waukegan, Ill.; Digitcare Corporation of Los Angeles, a minority business enterprise; Innovative Healthcare Corporation of Sand Springs, Okla., a veteran business enterprise; Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Roswell, Ga.; Medgluv Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a minority business enterprise; Medline Industries Inc. of Mundelein, Ill.; and Tronex Company of Parsippany, N.J., a minority business enterprise.

30 Apr 2010

Florida Congress members introduce bill to stiffen Medicare fraud laws

Two members of Congress from Florida, emphasizing that "criminal penalties for Medicare fraud must be updated," have introduced legislation that would "double fines, increase background checks and even study how biometric technology could help ensure the appropriate use of program services." Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and Ron Klein, D-Fla., said the bill "will help crack down on Medicare fraud, protecting seniors and taxpayers alike.

30 Apr 2010

New health law will penalize hospitals for poor quality

The new health law puts the nation's hospitals on strict notice. Either they improve the safety and quality of care for patients or the government will hit them where it hurts the most -- their revenue.

30 Apr 2010

Boston Scientific to present multiple clinical abstracts on its endoscopy products at DDW 2010

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced that multiple clinical abstracts examining the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of its SpyGlass Direct Visualization System, Radial Jaw 4 Biopsy Forceps and WallFlex Duodenal Stent will be presented at Digestive Disease Week, May 1 – 5 in New Orleans.

30 Apr 2010

BCHC questions government's commitment to defend public health care

The BC Health Coalition is calling into question the provincial government's commitment to defend public health care in the courts in the wake of the recent appointment of Kip Woodward as chair of Vancouver Coastal Health - the province's second largest health authority.

30 Apr 2010

HMS first-quarter revenue up 30.1% to $65.0 million

HMS today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

30 Apr 2010

Federal, state and local governments will need to invest more than $5 billion in health IT: INPUT

The recently passed health care reform legislation will require significant investment in IT solutions and system upgrades throughout its implementation. A new report, IT Implications of Health Care Reform, released by INPUT, predicts federal, state and local governments will need to invest more than $5 billion in health IT and traditional IT solutions in order to implement requirements of the new law.

30 Apr 2010

Data mining of hospital information can help identify MDROs: Asolva

Infection control within hospitals is a huge and growing problem. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that conditions caused by healthcare associated infections killed 48,000 people and increased healthcare costs by $8.1 billion in 2006 alone.

30 Apr 2010

LifePoint Hospitals' first-quarter 2010 revenues up 6.9%

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

30 Apr 2010

Coventry Health Care reports net earnings of $97.3 million for first-quarter 2010

Coventry Health Care, Inc. today reported consolidated operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. Operating revenues totaled $2.9 billion for the quarter with net earnings of $97.3 million, or $0.66 earnings per diluted share (EPS). Excluding the favorable impact of Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (MA-PFFS) results in the quarter, operating revenues totaled $2.9 billion for the quarter with net earnings of $71.9 million, or $0.49 EPS.

30 Apr 2010

Amerigroup reports net income of $42.2M for first-quarter 2010

Amerigroup Corporation today announced that net income for the first quarter of 2010 was $42.2 million, or $0.82 per diluted share, versus $40.2 million, or $0.79 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2009.

30 Apr 2010

Genworth Financial reports first-quarter 2010 net income of $212M against loss last year

Genworth Financial, Inc. today reported results for the first quarter of 2010. Net income, before provision for noncontrolling interests, was $212 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $469 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2009.

30 Apr 2010

Medicare News and Research

States decide on risk pools as first major health law decision

As doctors frustration with Medicare payments grows, a few opt to leave the system

Pay-for-performance policies may create financial disincentives for doctors to treat obese patients

Watson Pharmaceuticals sued in connection with filing ANDA for generic equivalent of Trilipix

Research roundup: Managing nursing home patients, streamlining medical billing, financial disclosures

Cash crisis for infertility treatment prompting couples to go for multiple embryo implantations

Mass. report on insurers' financial health provides mixed portrait

Officials face challenges in writing new health law regulations

Premier Purchasing Partners announces new agreements for exam gloves

Florida Congress members introduce bill to stiffen Medicare fraud laws

New health law will penalize hospitals for poor quality

Boston Scientific to present multiple clinical abstracts on its endoscopy products at DDW 2010

BCHC questions government's commitment to defend public health care

HMS first-quarter revenue up 30.1% to $65.0 million

Federal, state and local governments will need to invest more than $5 billion in health IT: INPUT

Data mining of hospital information can help identify MDROs: Asolva

LifePoint Hospitals' first-quarter 2010 revenues up 6.9%

Coventry Health Care reports net earnings of $97.3 million for first-quarter 2010

Amerigroup reports net income of $42.2M for first-quarter 2010

Genworth Financial reports first-quarter 2010 net income of $212M against loss last year

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