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New report focuses on improving care delivery system for stroke patients

The American Stroke Association and other organizations have spent the last decade changing the care delivery system for stroke in the United States. Now the focus must include greater emphasis on prevention and recovery, according to a special report published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Feb 2010

AMA awards HMS contract for third party recovery activities

HMS today announced that it had been awarded a contract by the State of Alabama Medicaid Agency (AMA) to provide various third party recovery activities, including data matches with commercial and government insurors, commercial and Medicare recoveries, real-time pharmacy cost avoidance, subrogation, and credit balance audit services. This contract is for a two-year term, with three additional one-year renewal options.

25 Feb 2010

HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 identified

The HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 were identified in a report issued today by the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The analysis, which examined objective patient outcomes over three years at all 5,000 of the nation’s nonfederal hospitals, found that the 50 Best Hospitals had mortality rates that were, on average, 27% lower than other hospitals.

25 Feb 2010

Study examines how individuals utilize benefits and services under Medicare program

Findings released today and detailed in the analysis Low Consumption and Higher Medicare Cost: Consumption Clusters in a Medicare Fee-for-Service Population, examine how individuals utilize benefits and services under the Medicare program.

25 Feb 2010

Missouri lawmaker proposes changes to control prison health care costs

States struggle with funding health care for inmates, Medicaid cuts and funding health insurance for low-income residents in Minnestoa.

25 Feb 2010

Doctors face Medicare payment cuts; Congress considers short-term fix

Doctors will face Medicare payment cuts if Congress doesn't act soon. The San Bernardino Sun reports: "Unless Congress steps in this week, Medicare will begin paying doctors less, which could make it harder for seniors to find doctors willing to see them. Medicare rates are set to be cut by 21 percent on March 1. Congress has postponed cuts before, but with the deadline fast approaching, the American Medical Association and other doctors' groups are urging Congress to do so again."

25 Feb 2010

Current health reform debate haunted by health bills of the past

Key provisions of the 1993 Republican bill, introduced by Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I., with 19 other Republicans and two Democrats, "may seem familiar, as they bear a strong resemblance to those in the current Democratic Senate bill, and now in President Barack Obama's proposal," Kaiser Health News reports. "A mandate that individuals buy insurance, subsidies for the poor to buy insurance and the requirement that insurers offer a standard benefits package and refrain from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions were all in the 1993 GOP bill."

25 Feb 2010

Study examines range of health issues and trends among older women in California

Older women who are divorced, separated or widowed or who have never married have twice the uninsured rate of their married peers, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

25 Feb 2010

Democrats revisit reconciliation as means to pass overhaul

Reconciliation, a parliamentary tactic that could allow Congress to pass health reform with a simple Senate majority, was dismissed weeks ago by centrist Democrats, but some of those lawmakers are now warming to the approach, clearing a possible avenue for passage of the overhaul, Politico reports. "Obviously, if the minority is just frustrating the process, that argues for taking steps to get the public's business done," said Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., one of the senators to reverse course on reconciliation (Budoff Brown, 2/23).

24 Feb 2010

American People's Online Health Summit to be hosted in response to bipartisan health summit

In response to President Barack Obama's bipartisan health summit on February 25, Newt Gingrich's Center for Health Transformation will host the "American People's Online Health Summit," a LIVE blog to engage the American people in health reform negotiations and give them a voice in Washington.

24 Feb 2010

Reid wants COBRA subsidy extension, eyes Medicaid funds for states

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is trying to extend unemployment benefits, health insurance subsidies for those recently laid-off and help for state Medicaid budgets that would in total cost $100 billion, The Associated Press reports. The measure is separate from the jobs bill. "Facing a Feb. 28 deadline, Reid hopes to pass two measures, one as soon as possible. The first includes a 30-day extension of several of soon-to-expire provisions such as jobless aid, parts of the Patriot Act and prevention of cuts in Medicare payments to doctors."

24 Feb 2010

Almost Family's fourth-quarter net service revenues up 18%

Almost Family, Inc., a leading regional provider of home health nursing services, announced today its financial results for the three months and full year ended December 31, 2009.

24 Feb 2010

Health care reform legislation: Americans still split, but several provisions find wide support

The latest Kaiser Tracking Poll finds the public still split on health care reform legislation, with 43 percent in favor and 43 percent opposed. However, the poll also finds that majorities of Americans of all political leanings support several provisions in the health reform proposals in Congress and most attribute delays in passing the legislation to political gamesmanship rather than policy disagreements.

24 Feb 2010

HealthGrades names Good Samaritan Hospital as One of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2010

Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles is named as One of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2010 by HealthGrades, Inc., the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

24 Feb 2010

Hospitals maintain dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions: Study

A study by USC researcher Vivian Wu finds that despite the increasing clout of HMOs in the 1990s, hospitals maintained a dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions.

24 Feb 2010

Clinicians and industry experts convene to discuss meaningful use of EHR technology at HIMSS conference

Leading industry experts and clinicians of pioneering CPOE installations will join an interactive Town Hall session, “Meaningful Use When It Comes to Medications in the Workflow,” at the HIMSS Annual Conference, to be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

24 Feb 2010

Poll: Americans split on health care bills, but majority frustrated by delays

A new tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds Americans with mixed views on health care reform.

24 Feb 2010

State Round up: Utah struggling with state online health exchange; California cracks down on discount health plans

The Salt Lake Tribune: "Utah lawmakers this year have spared no energy trumpeting their dislike for federal health reform, passing bills asserting states' right to govern themselves. But Utah's own health care fix, an online insurance market called the Utah Health Exchange, has gotten off to a wobbly start. And legislation to repair it, sponsored by Republican House Speaker Dave Clark, came under siege last week. ...The debate left some reform advocates privately wondering if the topic has become too toxic to handle" (Stewart, 2/23).

24 Feb 2010

Study says lower-cost hospitals don't have lower quality care for certain illnesses

A study Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine found little difference in outcomes between hospitals with longer patient stays and shorter ones, which could make it "possible to lower costs in the U.S. system without hurting patients," Reuters reports.

24 Feb 2010

AARP tracks upcoming Senate vote on Idaho Health Freedom Act

With the Idaho State Senate expected to vote today on the ill-conceived Idaho Health Freedom Act (HB 391), a bill that could wreak havoc on the state's health care system, AARP has announced it will make the vote a part of it's "accountability vote" efforts.

24 Feb 2010

Medicare News and Research

New report focuses on improving care delivery system for stroke patients

AMA awards HMS contract for third party recovery activities

HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 identified

Study examines how individuals utilize benefits and services under Medicare program

Missouri lawmaker proposes changes to control prison health care costs

Doctors face Medicare payment cuts; Congress considers short-term fix

Current health reform debate haunted by health bills of the past

Study examines range of health issues and trends among older women in California

Democrats revisit reconciliation as means to pass overhaul

American People's Online Health Summit to be hosted in response to bipartisan health summit

Reid wants COBRA subsidy extension, eyes Medicaid funds for states

Almost Family's fourth-quarter net service revenues up 18%

Health care reform legislation: Americans still split, but several provisions find wide support

HealthGrades names Good Samaritan Hospital as One of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2010

Hospitals maintain dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions: Study

Clinicians and industry experts convene to discuss meaningful use of EHR technology at HIMSS conference

Poll: Americans split on health care bills, but majority frustrated by delays

State Round up: Utah struggling with state online health exchange; California cracks down on discount health plans

Study says lower-cost hospitals don't have lower quality care for certain illnesses

AARP tracks upcoming Senate vote on Idaho Health Freedom Act

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