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Imaging costs for Medicare cancer patients on the rise

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed data from Medicare cancer patients to determine the change in imaging use for this group.

29 Apr 2010

Obama's debt commission to consider Medicare cuts, new health care law

President Obama's bipartisan debt commission met Tuesday to discuss ways to reduce the federal deficit. The President said that everything was up for discussion, including provisions of the federal health care law, and entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.

29 Apr 2010

Experts disagree on health law's effects on jobs

"There is profound disagreement about healthcare reform's overall impact on jobs. … While the net effect on jobs remains uncertain, it is clear that certain professions will do better than others." Among the specific job categories likely do well are insurance agents, who "may get a boost since approximately 32 million uninsured Americans will be required to buy health insurance starting in 2014.

28 Apr 2010

Celera reports net loss of $12.5M for first-quarter 2010

Celera Corporation today reported net revenues of $31.4 million for the first quarter of 2010 that ended March 27, 2010, compared to $45.7 million in the prior year quarter. For the first quarter of 2010, Celera reported a net loss $12.5 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to a net loss of $1.4 million, or $0.02 per share, for the prior year quarter.

28 Apr 2010

Health Net provides option to keep adult dependents on their parents' policies

Health Net, Inc. is providing the option of continuing coverage for adult dependents up to age 26 who are currently enrolled on their parents' health care policies.

28 Apr 2010

Cancer-related expenditures increase faster than any other area of health care: JAMA

From 1999 through 2006 the use of diagnostic imaging for Medicare patients with cancer increased, with use of positron emission tomography increasing the most significantly, according to a study in the April 28 issue of JAMA. Imaging costs for these patients also increased, outpacing the rate of increase in total costs among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer.

28 Apr 2010

Companies providing home care receive large Medicare reimbursements

An analysis of Medicare payments to home health care companies by The Wall Street Journal indicates that some might be taking advantage of the system. According to the analysis, the industry's largest company, Amedisys Inc., "provided many of its patients just enough therapy visits to trigger the extra $2,200 payment.

28 Apr 2010

Boston-Power announces lithium-ion battery technology for medical device and equipment market

Boston-Power®, Inc., the rapidly growing provider of next-generation lithium-ion batteries, is responding to strong customer and partner demand by bringing its industry-leading lithium-ion battery technology to the multi-billion dollar global medical device and equipment market. Boston-Power's lithium-ion battery cells deliver unmatched levels of long life, fast charge and safety to a market that demands the most stringent standards of battery reliability to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care.

28 Apr 2010

Commission on debt will focus on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security

Lawmakers are prepping for a battle over the role of government in entitlements such as Medicare and Medicaid as a the Commission on Fiscal Responsbility and Reform prepares to begin work Tuesday, The Washington Post reports.

28 Apr 2010

House lawmaker discusses possible five-year Medicare physician payment fix

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said the House might introduce legislation that would end the need for a constant Medicare payment fix, at least for five years. "Industry sources said that a five-year extension would not require offsets under recent pay-as-you-go rules. However, they said they were not aware of any legislative proposals.

28 Apr 2010

Gangs increasingly involved in Medicare fraud

ABC News: "Gangs across the country are arming themselves with powerful weapons to bilk taxpayers out of billions of dollars through Medicare fraud. What used to be a mostly non-violent, white collar crime has turned potentially deadly, and Federal agents who once combed through paperwork are now firing rounds at the shooting range to prepare for extreme dangers.

28 Apr 2010

States uneasy about impact of Medicaid expansion

The expansion of insurance coverage under the health reform law is due largely to an expansion of the government-funded Medicaid program, which is causing some doctors to worry about the specifics of implementation, according to the New York Times. "Absorbing that many people into the system will not be easy. The program is administered and partly financed by the states, which are now racing to figure out how to carry out the necessary changes and simplify enrollment even as they struggle to cope with severe budget cuts and staff shortages."

28 Apr 2010

3M first-quarter worldwide sales up 25% to $6.3 billion

3M today reported first-quarter earnings of $1.29 per share on sales of $6.3 billion. Operating income margins were 22.8 percent, up 7 percentage points year-on-year. Sales and per-share earnings increased 24.7 percent and 74.3 percent, respectively, versus the first quarter of 2009.

27 Apr 2010

Amedisys' first-quarter 2010 net service revenues up 20.8%

Amedisys, Inc., one of America's leading home health nursing companies, today reported its financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2010. We posted record financial performance with net service revenue and net income attributable to Amedisys, Inc., increasing 20.8% and 35.6%, respectively, over the three-month period ended March 31, 2009.

27 Apr 2010

Centene's first-quarter Premium and Service Revenues up 12.5% to $1.022 billion

Centene Corporation today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. The results of operations for our New Jersey health plan, University Health Plans, are classified as discontinued operations. The discussions below, with the exception of cash flow information, are in the context of continuing operations and all financial ratios exclude premium taxes.

27 Apr 2010

Complaint filed in Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara against TPL

Patriot Scientific Corporation today reported that on April 22, 2010 it filed an action in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara against Technology Properties Limited, LLC, the Company's joint venture partner in the management of the MMP portfolio of microprocessor patents, and Alliacense, LLC, the licensing division of TPL.

27 Apr 2010

Watson Laboratories sued by Teva Women's Health over generic Cenestin ANDA

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., a Nevada Corporation, has been sued by Teva Women's Health, Inc., in connection with the filing of Watson's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for synthetic conjugated estrogens, A, in the 0.3 mg, 0.45 mg, 0.625 mg, 0.9 mg and 1.25 mg tablet strengths. Watson's ANDA is for the generic equivalent of Teva's Cenestin®. The suit was filed on April 23, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

27 Apr 2010

Humana posts first quarter earnings despite health reform 'uncertainty'

Reuters: Humana, a large provider of Medicare plans, projected second-quarter profits ahead of estimates. Reuters reports that pre-market trading reflected gains but shares then fell 2.8 percent in the morning as a result of "uncertainty" stemming from the new health law. "Humana is the second major health insurer to report results since Congress passed an overhaul of the health system.

27 Apr 2010

High incidence of MDS among seniors, elderly at increased risk of premature death: Study

Myelodysplastic syndromes - a group of serious blood cancers - are nearly five times more common in seniors than previously thought, according to a new study by researchers from the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center.

27 Apr 2010

Schools, systems get more funding to expand electronic medical records

The (Allentown, Penn.) Morning Call: Beginning next year, doctors and hospitals that share computerized medical records "including a list of prescriptions, drug allergies, doctor visits, and test results — will qualify for a share of $1.5 billion in incentives from the federal government. By 2015, those that don't will face Medicare funding cuts."

27 Apr 2010