Medicare News and Research

RSS

FDA approves Watson Pharmaceuticals' ANDA for generic Cardizem LA

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc. – Florida, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Diltiazem Hydrochloride Extended-Release tablets, the generic equivalent to Biovail Laboratories International SRL's Cardizem® LA product. Watson intends to launch its generic version of Cardizem® LA immediately.

16 Mar 2010

Issues over abortion, reconciliation rules remain in the path of health reform vote

A host of political challenges and possible pitfalls awaits lawmakers as they push toward a final vote on health reform -- among them, abortion, reconciliation rules and immigration.

15 Mar 2010

States struggle to balance budgets, health programs face cuts

National Journal: States are aware of the "lingering effects of recessions" on the enrollment in their Medicaid programs. "Because it takes time for people to re-enter the workforce and get insurance, it can take years for Medicaid rolls to shrink to prerecession levels and for states to restore program and funding cuts." According to a February report by the National Governors Association, states are "facing budget gaps totaling $136 billion for fiscal 2010 through 2012 and that Medicaid enrollment would grow 6.6 percent in fiscal 2010" (Werber Serafini, 3/13).

15 Mar 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials

After a year of national debate, a handful of House Democrats who oppose abortion may be the ones to decide whether health care reform goes forward or not. ... We are puzzled and dismayed that these legislators are willing to waste that opportunity because they say the onerous anti-abortion provisions in the Senate's bill are still not onerous enough (3/14).

15 Mar 2010

All claims brought against Medical Properties Trust and other entities rejected

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. announced today that a State District Court jury in Harris County, Texas rejected all claims brought against the company and other entities by a group of physicians whose efforts to create and operate a new hospital in Houston failed in 2006.

15 Mar 2010

Biggest Medicare drug plans raise prices 10 percent on average

Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Appleby reports on findings regarding Medicare drug plan costs: "The 10 insurers with the largest numbers of Medicare drug plan customers raised premiums an average of 10 percent this year, an analysis released Friday by consulting firm Avalere Health shows" (Appleby, 3/12).

15 Mar 2010

Total knee replacement surgery more common among younger patients

A research team led by Mayo Clinic has found a national trend toward younger, more diverse patients having total knee replacement surgery.

15 Mar 2010

Health bill update: Pelosi counting votes, Scott Brown lambastes Dems

News outlets reported that Democrats seeking to pass a health bill next week got a boost from a Cabinet official, a key senator and the Catholic Health Association, while newly-elected Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., attacked the Democrats' plans.

15 Mar 2010

Medicare to cover OVA1 test

Vermillion, Inc. today announced that Medicare will cover OVA1™, a test to help assess the likelihood that an ovarian mass is benign or malignant. Highmark Medicare Services is the CMS contractor that will process Medicare claims for OVA1. Yesterday Highmark announced its decision to cover this new service.

12 Mar 2010

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

Health reform is back from the dead. ... But reform still has to run a gantlet of misinformation and outright lies. So let me address three big myths about the proposed reform, myths that are believed by many people who consider themselves well-informed, but who have actually fallen for deceptive spin (Paul Krugman, 3/11).

12 Mar 2010

Verisk Health upgrades Explorer product line to improve organization’s exposure to healthcare risk

Verisk Health, Inc., a global leader in healthcare data analytics and risk management, today announced several upgrades to its Explorer product line, including functionality that allows users to evaluate the impact of a member’s lifestyle behaviors on an organization’s overall healthcare and utilization costs.

12 Mar 2010

Leaders of LUH urge Congress not to overlook healthcare issues of Latinos in final healthcare reform legislation

Leaders of Latinos United for Healthcare, including Hispanic Federation, LULAC, NPRC, USHCC, National Hispanic Medical Association and Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, have sent a letter to Capitol Hill calling upon Congress to focus their attention and efforts on ensuring that the healthcare issues of Latinos are not overlooked in the final healthcare reform legislation.

12 Mar 2010

Growing incidence of chronic kidney disease: Early detection and knowledge of treatment options vital

As the incidence of diabetes and hypertension continues to grow worldwide – and increasing numbers of patients progressing to kidney disease and kidney failure place a financial strain on public health systems – the need for early patient education about kidney disease and treatment options, including home-based treatments, has become critical.

From Baxter International Inc. 12 Mar 2010

Minimally invasive surgical ablation for AFib: Unapproved, warns whistleblower

As reported in today's Wall Street Journal, the more than 2 million Americans with atrial fibrillation are now on notice that the over-zealous marketing tactics and incentives by manufacturers of expensive medical devices which are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation are likely to be influencing doctors' and hospitals' decisions about treatment for their patients' heart conditions.

12 Mar 2010

Democrats close to health bill deal as some Democrats - and all Republicans - hold out

Congressional Democrats, reportedly closing in on a final health reform agreement, are seeking to alleviate concerns of reluctant members.

12 Mar 2010

Senate passes extension of COBRA, other unemployment benefits

The Senate passed a $140 billion "jobs bill" Wednesday that will extend unemployment coverage, increase federal Medicaid funding, block cuts to physician pay and preserve numerous tax breaks and credits that would have expired without congressional action, The Christian Science Monitor reports. "Jobs trump the national debt. That's the message from a robust, bipartisan Senate vote…" (Chaddock, 3/10).

12 Mar 2010

Does Medicare 'doughnut hole' spur increase in foreign drug imports?

Medill Reports: "Unless federal legislation closes the Medicare coverage gap colloquially known as the 'doughnut hole,' seniors may opt for online drug imports to alleviate steep prescription costs. ... 'As seniors start falling into the doughnut hole, they are going online to find deals on prescription drugs, whether they're based in the U.S. or in other countries,' said Gabriel Levitt, vice president of PharmacyChecker.com LLC, a leader in the evaluation of online and mail-order pharmacies in both the U.S. and abroad.

12 Mar 2010

Hospitals cope with losing money

Kentucky's Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's HealthCare is eliminating 500 jobs this month. The layoffs represent the first large-scale cuts in a Louisville-area hospital system since the recession began.

12 Mar 2010

Study questions frequency of heart angiograms

A recent study raises questions about the frequency of doctors' use of elective heart angiograms, which showed no disease in almost 40 percent of patients. BusinessWeek reports: "Doctors may be sending patients too quickly for elective angiograms to detect heart disease, exposing them to radiation and driving up U.S. health-care costs, a study suggests.

12 Mar 2010

Congress, Obama continue health reform push

"Health care reform takes center stage Thursday as President Obama and top congressional Democrats work behind closed doors to nail down a final agreement," CNN reports. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hosted a "meeting of the entire House Democratic caucus in the morning," while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to hold a news conference that will "build public momentum by framing the issue in more personal terms."

12 Mar 2010