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Health Policy Research Roundup: Length of hospital stays, analyses of Obama's reform proposals

Archives Of Internal Medicine: Hospital Cost Of Care, Quality Of Care, And Readmission Rates - This study compares patients treated for pneumonia and congestive heart failure (CHF) and finds that high-cost hospitals don't always deliver better care. The researchers, who based their analysis on the data from 3,146 hospitals in the 2004 to 2006 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR), report that "risk-adjusted costs of care for CHF and pneumonia varied widely between hospitals, although hospital cost-of-care patterns seemed stable over time and correlated across conditions."

27 Feb 2010

Federal officials focus on radiation practices at Florida clinic; Medical scan makers announce new efforts to prevent mistakes

Medicare regulations require that when patients receive some types of highly specialized cancer treatments, their radiation oncologist must be on site. But The New York Times reports that federal officials are investigating a Florida cancer clinic that billed Medicare for such treatments while the doctors were absent, sometimes on overseas trips.

27 Feb 2010

Federal officials seek to root out financial and Medicare fraud

The head of the U.S. Department of Justice's criminal division told a gathering of criminal defense lawyers on Thursday that the division was using tools 'not often seen in white collar cases' to combat financial fraud," which includes Medicare.

27 Feb 2010

BestHealthcareRates.com to merge with Parasol Financial & Insurance Solutions

BestHealthcareRates.com announced a business merger with Parasol Financial & Insurance Solutions. The joint company will adopt the name Parasol and will provide an expanded portfolio of financial and insurance products, including life, Medicare and income disability coverage for individuals and groups.

27 Feb 2010

Colorado city a model for low-cost, high quality care, series details

Colorado Public News/Los Angeles Times presents a series of stories about Grand Junction Colorado which delivers some of the best and lowest-cost health care in the nation.

26 Feb 2010

Criticism, passion emerge at health care summit

NPR interviewed Rep. Dave Camp, ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee. Camp said: "We were able to at least be heard and have some exposure to the ideas that we've been promoting for a long time. And the president did finally say in the close that we do have ideas that lower costs in insurance and that — do it without increasing taxes. And we don't cut Medicare. And we don't have new mandates in our proposals. So this is really the first opportunity we've had to really focus not only our colleagues and the president, but also the American people on the proposals we've had" (Siegel, 2/25).

26 Feb 2010

House votes to extend COBRA benefits for a month, Bunning stalls Senate action

After the House passed a month-long extension of COBRA and other benefits for laid-off workers, the Senate Thursday did not follow suit, "jeopardizing unemployment benefits scheduled to expire over the weekend," The Associated Press reports.

26 Feb 2010

Carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy equally safe and effective for people at risk for stroke

Carotid artery stenting, a less invasive alternative to surgery on the carotid artery (carotid endarterectomy), is equally safe and effective for people at risk for stroke as carotid endarterectomy, according to a major new study presented today at the 2010 International Stroke Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

26 Feb 2010

With rate cut looming, doctors threaten to stop accepting Medicare patients

With a 21 percent Medicare reimbursement rate cut set for Monday, unless Congress acts to block it, some doctors are threatening to refuse new Medicare patients in their practices.

26 Feb 2010

OneWest Foundation, UCLA Health System grant $600,000 for helping low-income patients obtain medical care

Thanks to a generous three-year, $300,000 grant from the OneWest Foundation — matched by funds from the UCLA Health System — qualified Venice Family Clinic patients who need hospitalization or specialized medical care may now be helped by a pilot project launched by the foundation, the clinic and the UCLA Health System.

26 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 26, 2010

It's the day after the White House health summit and the headlines are focused on what went on yesterday and what will happen next.

26 Feb 2010

$Fragility fractures: 'Own the Bone' program for enhancing prevention and treatment$

Fragility fractures: 'Own the Bone' program for enhancing prevention and treatment

As many as half of all women and a quarter of men over the age of 50 can expect to sustain a fractured bone related to osteoporosis or low bone density. To enhance prevention and treatment of these fragility fractures, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center has implemented an innovative program called Own the Bone™ developed by the American Orthopaedic Association.

26 Feb 2010

BioScrip announces revenues of $341.6M for fourth-quarter

BioScrip, Inc. today announced fourth quarter revenues of $341.6 million and net income of $40.7 million, or $0.99 per diluted share, which includes the reversal of the Company’s deferred tax valuation allowance of $41.1 million, expenses of $1.8 million associated with BioScrip’s pending acquisition of Critical Homecare Solutions, Inc. and $4.3 million of incentive compensation expense relating to the Company’s employee compensation program.

26 Feb 2010

Idaho Health Freedom Act may have severe implications on health care system in Idaho: AARP

As the President and a bipartisan group of members of Congress come together today to discuss how to tackle the nation's growing health care crisis, Idaho Senators are poised to debate a bill tomorrow that could make the issue worse in the state. The Idaho Health Freedom Act (HB 391), taking aim at a component of a non-existent federal health care law, could wreak havoc in Idaho, while costing the state money and jobs.

26 Feb 2010

Premier healthcare alliance releases new value analysis solution for hospitals

The Premier healthcare alliance has introduced a new value analysis solution to help hospitals effectively evaluate product and treatment options to improve quality and safety while reducing costs.

26 Feb 2010

Study: Relentless progression of new, expensive medical technology have created perfect storm of costs

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. reflected on a new Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation www.kff.org study that reports that the relentless progression of new and expensive medical technology, combined with entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid, further compounded by an aging population, have created a "perfect storm" of costs that will consume well over half of all federal spending between now and the turn of the mid-century.

26 Feb 2010

Blair House bipartisan meeting on health insurance reform: Speaker Pelosi's remarks

"As we sit around this table, I think we should be mindful of what they do when they sit around their kitchen table. What we do here must be relevant to their lives. And for them, they don't have time for us to start over. Many of them are at the end of the line with their insurance…I just hope that as we sit around this table, we understand the urgency that the American people have about this issue, how it affects not only their health, but their economic security."

26 Feb 2010

MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease: Four scientists honored

Complementary approaches to Alzheimer's research were recognized as four scientists received the prestigious MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease in Washington, D.C.

26 Feb 2010

Study: Ongoing debate on how to pay for health care

Whether an individual is treated for a hip fracture at a hospital reimbursed by Medicare or is treated at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center makes a significant difference in what happens to the patient after release from the medical facility, according to a large study which may contribute to the ongoing debate on how to pay for health care.

26 Feb 2010

Lack of chemistry between Obama and GOP leaders could strain summit; Gingrich urges series of smaller bills

The New York Times reports on a lack of chemistry between President Barack Obama and leading Republicans such as Rep. John A. Boehner, the House Republican leader, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

26 Feb 2010

Medicare News and Research

Health Policy Research Roundup: Length of hospital stays, analyses of Obama's reform proposals

Federal officials focus on radiation practices at Florida clinic; Medical scan makers announce new efforts to prevent mistakes

Federal officials seek to root out financial and Medicare fraud

BestHealthcareRates.com to merge with Parasol Financial & Insurance Solutions

Colorado city a model for low-cost, high quality care, series details

Criticism, passion emerge at health care summit

House votes to extend COBRA benefits for a month, Bunning stalls Senate action

Carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy equally safe and effective for people at risk for stroke

With rate cut looming, doctors threaten to stop accepting Medicare patients

OneWest Foundation, UCLA Health System grant $600,000 for helping low-income patients obtain medical care

First Edition: February 26, 2010

Fragility fractures: 'Own the Bone' program for enhancing prevention and treatment

BioScrip announces revenues of $341.6M for fourth-quarter

Idaho Health Freedom Act may have severe implications on health care system in Idaho: AARP

Premier healthcare alliance releases new value analysis solution for hospitals

Study: Relentless progression of new, expensive medical technology have created perfect storm of costs

Blair House bipartisan meeting on health insurance reform: Speaker Pelosi's remarks

MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease: Four scientists honored

Study: Ongoing debate on how to pay for health care

Lack of chemistry between Obama and GOP leaders could strain summit; Gingrich urges series of smaller bills

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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