Medicare News and Research

RSS

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

Tenet Healthcare announces 9.0% increase in fourth-quarter EBITDA

Tenet Healthcare Corporation today reported adjusted EBITDA of $218 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009, an increase of $18 million, or 9.0 percent, as compared to $200 million for the fourth quarter of 2008.

24 Feb 2010

Officials crack down on Medicare fraud in Miami and Los Angeles

When it comes to health care fraud, schemes that target Medicare are among the most common and lucrative. That's because the $400 billion federal program is a fat and easy target. The Obama administration ... has requested an increase for an effort to crack down on Medicare fraud.

24 Feb 2010

Rising Medicare costs linked to the growth in common costly chronic conditions: Study

Today, two of the nation's leading health and fiscal policy experts discussed how to reign in rising health care costs in Medicare in light of a new Health Affairs study that shows rising Medicare costs in the nation's health care system are linked to the growth in several common costly chronic conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, and kidney disease.

24 Feb 2010

MAXIMUS receives contract to review reconsiderations of Medicare Part D program

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced today that its Federal Services subsidiary has been awarded a one-year contract by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue to serve as an independent review entity for reconsiderations of beneficiary appeals for the Medicare Part D program.

24 Feb 2010

Obama builds on Senate health bill in hopes of broader support

President Barack Obama's health care proposal, an effort to resuscitate the debate, merges the separate legislation passed in the Senate and House "into a final version that could pass muster in both chambers," The Washington Post reports.

24 Feb 2010

Government, with billions in loans, bets electronic medical records can improve care

The New York Times reports that electronic health records hold potential for major improvements in health outcomes for patients as the federal government puts a renewed emphasis on implementing and digitizing patients' information. "President Obama's economic stimulus included $19.2 billion for health information technology, and a number of hospital systems around the country are taking advantage of this financial incentive and investing their own money to foster the creation and use of electronic records that are expected to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of medical care."

23 Feb 2010

EHSI: Health stocks gain after federal decision on payments

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. voiced encouragement from the climb of healthcare stocks on Monday after a federal announcement on Medicare payment rates - helping offset any worries about a White House proposal to regulate premiums.

23 Feb 2010

AMA calls for fix to Medicare's doctor payments

With a sizable cut to Medicare physician payments taking effect in just one week, the American Medical Association is seeking clarity from Congress on its plan of action to stop the 21.2% reduction.

23 Feb 2010

Access Systems awarded $3.5M contract to support HHS FTS2001-Networx Transition Program Management Office

Access Systems, Inc. (ACCESS), an information technology (IT) solutions provider, has been awarded a $3.5M contract by GSA's National Capital Region to support the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) FTS2001-Networx Transition Program Management Office. ACCESS and team partner, BCCP Consulting, LLC, will assist HHS to conduct Fair Opportunity for selecting the Networx vendors that will provide telecommunications and associated professional services to the HHS OPDIVs.

23 Feb 2010

Study proves accuracy of MTWA non-invasive test in identifying patients at risk of arrhythmic events and SCD

Cambridge Heart, Inc., today announced that results of a clinical study presented at the 29th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Belgian Society of Cardiology in Brussels, Belgium, reinforce the value of the Microvolt T-wave Alternans (MTWA) as an accurate non-invasive test to identify patients at risk of arrhythmic events and sudden cardiac death (SCD).

23 Feb 2010

Amedisys reports 19.2% increase in fourth-quarter net service revenue

Amedisys, Inc., one of America’s leading home health nursing companies, today reported its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2009. We posted record financial performance with net service revenue and net income attributable to Amedisys, Inc., increasing 19.2% and 43.5%, respectively, over the three month period ended December 31, 2008.

23 Feb 2010

Medco Health Solutions announces record 16.7% increase in total net revenues for 2009

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today reported record fourth-quarter 2009 GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.70, up 29.6 percent compared to $0.54 in fourth-quarter 2008. Excluding the amortization of intangible assets that existed when Medco became a publicly traded company in 2003, fourth-quarter 2009 diluted earnings per share increased 28.8 percent to a record $0.76. Medco also reported record full-year 2009 GAAP diluted earnings per share of $2.61, up 22.5 percent -- exceeding the high-end of the company's guidance.

23 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 23, 2010

Today's headlines focus on President Obama's revamped health reform proposal, what it includes and how Democrats, Republicans and the insurers are reacting to it.

23 Feb 2010

Medicare News and Research

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

Tenet Healthcare announces 9.0% increase in fourth-quarter EBITDA

Officials crack down on Medicare fraud in Miami and Los Angeles

Rising Medicare costs linked to the growth in common costly chronic conditions: Study

MAXIMUS receives contract to review reconsiderations of Medicare Part D program

Obama builds on Senate health bill in hopes of broader support

Government, with billions in loans, bets electronic medical records can improve care

EHSI: Health stocks gain after federal decision on payments

AMA calls for fix to Medicare's doctor payments

Access Systems awarded $3.5M contract to support HHS FTS2001-Networx Transition Program Management Office

Study proves accuracy of MTWA non-invasive test in identifying patients at risk of arrhythmic events and SCD

Amedisys reports 19.2% increase in fourth-quarter net service revenue

Medco Health Solutions announces record 16.7% increase in total net revenues for 2009

First Edition: February 23, 2010

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

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

Latest News