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Woman sentenced in Michigan Medicare fraud case; Medicaid fraud alleged in NY dental clinics

Profits came quickly: Over one year, Daisy Martinez ripped off Medicare for $10.7 million at three clinics, and her daughter got $649,000 in just four months as they billed the government for sham drug treatments while luring desperate people off the street with cash, food and painkillers.

30 Mar 2010

Adoption of healthcare IT is on steady incline in small physician practice: NaviNet survey

Adoption of healthcare IT is on a steady incline in the small physician practice, reveals a survey by NaviNet, America's largest real-time healthcare communications network. In early March 2010, NaviNet conducted a survey of IT and electronic medical record adoption trends in small practices and compared results to a similar survey the company issued to small practices in August 2009.

30 Mar 2010

How the health legislation will affect consumers

The Los Angeles Times explores some key questions: Will insurers continue to raise premiums; when will the Medicare "doughnut hole" close; and, "how do I sign up for my new insurance?" In answer to the last one, the Times writes, "Although there are some provisions that take effect this year, such as bans on lifetime limits and the denial of coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, the part of the bill that provides new insurance options does not take effect until 2014" (Geiger, 3/28).

30 Mar 2010

Health industry will see more patients with reform; Physicians give mixed reviews

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "The health care plan aims to send a wave of paying patients to hospitals, doctors and pharmacists." Expanded coverage will mean less uncompensated care, a boon to traditional safety-net hospitals, but also more Medicaid patients. Hospitals say Medicaid fees don't cover their costs, so that influx could hurt the bottom line.

30 Mar 2010

Industry groups, lobbying firms gain from health overhaul

The Associated Press: Under the new health care law, "pharmaceutical lobbyists won new federal policies they coveted and set a trajectory for long-term industry growth." Ramsey Baghdadi, a Washington health policy analyst, "projects a $30 billion, 10-year net gain for the industry. 'I don't see how they could have done much better,'" he said.

29 Mar 2010

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics announces new contract with Premier Purchasing Partners

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics announces a new three-year contract with Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P., the group purchasing unit of Premier Inc., that includes Siemens powerful integrated diagnostic systems, several specialty diagnostic instruments, and a comprehensive menu of diagnostic tests for Premier's more than 2,300 member hospitals and 64,000 additional healthcare sites.

29 Mar 2010

GSK offers free vaccines for low income adults without insurance coverage

GlaxoSmithKline today announced the launch of the GSK Vaccines Access Program, which will provide the company's adult vaccines free of charge to eligible, low income individuals who do not have insurance coverage for vaccines. The program will cover the company's FDA-approved vaccines for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis for eligible persons ages 19 and older.

29 Mar 2010

As CMS nominee, Berwick would face changes and challenges

President Barack Obama will soon nominate Dr. Donald M. Berwick to "run Medicare and Medicaid, the programs that serve nearly one-third of all Americans, administration officials said Saturday," The New York Times reports.

29 Mar 2010

Closing Medicare drug gap helps Democrats sell reform

Kaiser Health News writer Christopher Weaver, in a story produced in collaboration with the Los Angeles Times, looks at the government's plan to close the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole."

29 Mar 2010

HealthCare.com launches new online resource for Medicare Supplemental information and quotes

HealthCare.com, Inc. the leader in online health insurance information and plan quotes, today announced the launch of MedicareSupplemental.com, a new website aimed to be the premier online resource for Medicare Supplemental information and quotes. The website provides extensive information to help consumers understand the complexities of Medicare Supplemental or "Medigap" coverage as well as a search tool to obtain quotes and connect with multiple brokers and agents.

29 Mar 2010

'Ultra-high' Medicare billing program causes waste, abuse

The Washington Post: Federal investigators are examining a Medicare billing program to see if it is being abused by nursing home operators. "More than a decade ago, Congress ... created new 'ultra-high' billing categories intended to be used for only 5 percent of the patients needing highly specialized care and rehabilitation.

29 Mar 2010

Health reform will create demand for primary care physicians, rural docs especially squeezed

The Associated Press: "Primary care physicians already are in short supply in parts of the country, and the landmark health overhaul that will bring them millions more newly insured patients in the next few years promises extra strain. ... Recently published reports predict a shortfall of roughly 40,000 primary care doctors over the next decade, a field losing out to the better pay, better hours and higher profile of many other specialties.

29 Mar 2010

APP adds eClinicalWorks' EMR system to CI Program

In its continuing efforts to enhance patient outcomes and create efficiency in a challenging economic and regulatory climate, Advocate Physician Partners, has added the power of an electronic medical record system to its award-winning Clinical Integration Program. APP, the largest network of independent physicians in the Midwest, is partnering with eClinicalWorks® in one of the biggest EMR implementations in the country.

29 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 29, 2010

Today's headlines showcase reports about the newly enacted health overhaul law and about the political climate facing lawmakers in the post-vote environment.

29 Mar 2010

Seniors with diabetes and dementia more likely to fall into Medicare Part D prescription drug plan

Among seniors, women and patients with diabetes and dementia are the most likely to fall into the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan "donut hole" - the gap occurring after beneficiaries reach their annual coverage limit and before catastrophic coverage kicks in - according to new research published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

29 Mar 2010

Thomson Reuters' annual study identifying 100 top U.S. hospitals released

Thomson Reuters today released its annual study identifying the 100 top U.S. hospitals based on their overall organizational performance.

29 Mar 2010

Healthcare reforms – How much more is necessary?

A lot of media attention has been focussed on Australian healthcare reforms lately. Although parallels are being drawn between the American health care policy and its counterpart in Australia, the latter fails to satisfy the public as the former even tries to.

29 Mar 2010

White House reportedly set to name Dr. Donald Berwick to head Medicare

The New York Times reports that President Barack Obama will soon nominate Dr. Donald M. Berwick to "run Medicare and Medicaid, the programs that serve nearly one-third of all Americans, administration officials said Saturday.

29 Mar 2010

Pelosi releases statement after President Obama signs Senate health insurance reform legislation into law

“On Sunday night, the House of Representatives made history for our country and progress for the American people. Today, with the stroke of his pen, President Obama completed what the late Senator Edward Kennedy called ‘the great unfinished business of our society’ by signing historic health insurance reform into law.

27 Mar 2010

Cut in Medicare reimbursement to physicians will jeopardize timely surgical care

The results of a new member survey by the nation's Surgical Coalition shows that the more than 21 percent pay cut to physicians that is scheduled to take effect April 1 will make it difficult, if not impossible, for already financially strapped surgical practices to continue to treat Medicare patients. A majority of the more than 14,000 surgeons and anesthesiologists who responded to the survey indicated that they will be forced to make significant changes in their practices if the cut goes into effect and that timely access to surgical care will be jeopardized if Medicare payments continue to decline.

27 Mar 2010

Medicare News and Research

Woman sentenced in Michigan Medicare fraud case; Medicaid fraud alleged in NY dental clinics

Adoption of healthcare IT is on steady incline in small physician practice: NaviNet survey

How the health legislation will affect consumers

Health industry will see more patients with reform; Physicians give mixed reviews

Industry groups, lobbying firms gain from health overhaul

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics announces new contract with Premier Purchasing Partners

GSK offers free vaccines for low income adults without insurance coverage

As CMS nominee, Berwick would face changes and challenges

Closing Medicare drug gap helps Democrats sell reform

HealthCare.com launches new online resource for Medicare Supplemental information and quotes

'Ultra-high' Medicare billing program causes waste, abuse

Health reform will create demand for primary care physicians, rural docs especially squeezed

APP adds eClinicalWorks' EMR system to CI Program

First Edition: March 29, 2010

Seniors with diabetes and dementia more likely to fall into Medicare Part D prescription drug plan

Thomson Reuters' annual study identifying 100 top U.S. hospitals released

Healthcare reforms – How much more is necessary?

White House reportedly set to name Dr. Donald Berwick to head Medicare

Pelosi releases statement after President Obama signs Senate health insurance reform legislation into law

Cut in Medicare reimbursement to physicians will jeopardize timely surgical care

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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