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USPSTF mammography recommendations: Avon Foundation for Women survey confirms states denying coverage

A recent Avon Foundation for Women survey confirms what the American College of Radiology and other experts warned would happen: states are using deeply flawed and widely discredited U.S. Preventative Services Task Force mammography recommendations to deny women coverage for mammograms, and many women are foregoing long proven, life-saving mammography care based on the mistaken USPSTF recommendations.

23 Feb 2010

OUTCOME, REACH Call partner to integrate stroke-telemedicine data into Get With The Guidelines–Stroke program

Outcome Sciences, Inc., the leading provider of patient registries, studies, and technologies for evaluating real-world outcomes, and REACH Call, the leading provider of web-based telemedicine services, today announced a partnership to integrate stroke-telemedicine data into the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke program.

23 Feb 2010

Unitrin to sell Reserve National Insurance to Physicians Mutual

Unitrin, Inc. today announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to sell its health insurance subsidiary, Reserve National Insurance Company, to Physicians Mutual®. The transaction is subject to negotiation and execution of a definitive purchase agreement, completion of due diligence and regulatory approval. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2010. Terms of the transaction were not announced.

23 Feb 2010

Multidisciplinary rounds may facilitate implementation of best clinical practices: Study

Multidisciplinary care teams consisting of clinicians, nurses and other health care professionals appear to be associated with a lower risk of death among patients in the intensive care unit, according to a report in the February 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. A second report finds that an increasing number of surgical patients are being managed jointly by a surgeon and another clinician, such as a hospitalist or internal medicine sub-specialist.

23 Feb 2010

Pelosi calls for passage of comprehensive, affordable health insurance reform

"The President today made available to all Americans the Administration's health insurance reform proposal, which contains positive elements from the House and Senate-passed bills. I look forward to reviewing it with House Members and then joining the President and the Republican leadership at the Blair House meeting on Thursday. This discussion will continue a year-long historic level of transparency and open debate of this crucial reform effort.

23 Feb 2010

More research needed for osteoporosis treatments

Dr. Angelo Malamis says that 90 percent of his patients who have undergone a treatment called balloon kyphoplasty for vertebral fractures report significant reductions in pain and disability.

23 Feb 2010

ATR rates Obama's draft healthcare plan

Today, the White House released President Obama's draft healthcare plan.

23 Feb 2010

Committee calls for strategies to curb hypertension

Public health officials and health care providers need to step up their efforts to reduce Americans' increasing rates of high blood pressure and better treat those with the condition, which triggers more than one-third of heart attacks and almost half of heart failures in the United States each year, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

23 Feb 2010

Health Net and Stanford University team up to provide healthcare benefits for students

Health Net of California, Inc. announced today a partnership with Stanford University to provide health benefits to the university’s undergraduate and graduate students, effective September 1, 2010.

23 Feb 2010

Omega Healthcare Investors declares net income of $16.2M for fourth-quarter 2009

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. today announced its results of operations for the quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2009. The Company also reported Funds From Operations available to common stockholders for the three months ended December 31, 2009 of $24.9 million or $0.29 per common share.

23 Feb 2010

Nursing workforce issues: An expanded role for nurse practitioners, Calif. doctors sue for supervision of nurse anesthetists

News outlets report on nursing workforce issues, including a push for an expanded role for nurse practitioners, supervision of nurse anesthetists and a trend toward delayed retirement.

23 Feb 2010

Medicaid cuts hurt Calif. dental coverage, drive away doctors in Okla; Public hospitals in NYC fear possible reductions

NPR: "In California, it's been seven months since some 3 million poor and disabled adults lost their dental coverage to budget cuts. ... While the recession may be easing, California and other states across the country continue to face eye-popping budget deficits. As a result, states are cutting deep into public health programs, and dental benefits for Medicaid recipients top the list. ... Before the state budget cuts, Medicaid patients here could get annual exams, cleanings and, if needed, root canals to save their teeth.

23 Feb 2010

Study shows hospitals costs vary widely and are not associated with quality of care

The costs that hospitals incur in treating patients vary widely and do not appear to be strongly associated either with the quality of care patients receive or their risk of dying within 30 days, according to a report in the February 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 Feb 2010

GOP plans to attend health summit as Obama calls for compromise

President Barack Obama warned during the weekend that both Republicans and Democrats should be careful not to turn this week's health care summit into "political theater" but to work to find "common ground" on the issues, The Washington Post reports. "The Thursday event, scheduled to be televised live on C-SPAN, could prove a pivotal moment in the year-long effort to overhaul the health-care system.

22 Feb 2010

Shire reports total revenues of $3,008 million for 2009

Shire plc the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announces results for the year to December 31, 2009.

22 Feb 2010

During open enrollment Medicare recipients may make changes to their Medicare Advantage coverage

Medicare recipients may still make changes to their Medicare Advantage coverage during open enrollment period, which runs Jan. 1 to March 31.

22 Feb 2010

Pelosi releases statement on HHS Secretary's decision to increase aid to states for Medicare Part D payment

I applaud the Administration's decision, which will mean much-needed relief to states facing severe budget constraints in light of the tough economic climate. The California Congressional delegation's diligence in raising this issue with HHS has paid dividends for California, which will be rewarded with an additional $680 million, all due to the FMAP increase included in the Recovery Act that we passed a year ago.

20 Feb 2010

Research Roundup: Financing boomers' care; California's budget cuts; Racial disparities in surgical outcomes

Health Affairs: Chronic Conditions Account For Rise In Medicare Spending From 1987 To 2006 - "Medicare beneficiaries' medical needs, and where beneficiaries undergo treatment, have changed dramatically over the past two decades." For example, the authors write, "heart disease ranked first among the top-ten conditions in terms of attributable share of growth from 1987 to 1997, accounting for nearly 14 percent of the increase in Medicare spending."

20 Feb 2010

Georgia State Senate praised for passing legislation to help kidney failure patients have access to health insurance

Georgia’s kidney care community today praised the Georgia State Senate for unanimously passing important legislation (S.B. 316) to secure access to needed health insurance for approximately 2,000 Georgians suffering from kidney failure. The bill, which was originally introduced by Senators Don Thomas (R-Dalton) and Ed Harbison (D-Columbus), has received support from across the patient advocacy community and legislators alike.

20 Feb 2010

Health care fraud: Massachusetts hospital to pay $2.79M for settling False Claims Act allegations

Mercy Hospital Inc. (d/b/a Mercy Medical Center) of Springfield, Mass., has agreed to pay the United States $2,799,462 to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act between 2005 and 2006 by failing to provide, or failing to document that it provided, the minimum number of hours of rehabilitation therapy required under Medicare guidelines, the Justice Department announced today.

20 Feb 2010

Medicare News and Research

USPSTF mammography recommendations: Avon Foundation for Women survey confirms states denying coverage

OUTCOME, REACH Call partner to integrate stroke-telemedicine data into Get With The Guidelines–Stroke program

Unitrin to sell Reserve National Insurance to Physicians Mutual

Multidisciplinary rounds may facilitate implementation of best clinical practices: Study

Pelosi calls for passage of comprehensive, affordable health insurance reform

More research needed for osteoporosis treatments

ATR rates Obama's draft healthcare plan

Committee calls for strategies to curb hypertension

Health Net and Stanford University team up to provide healthcare benefits for students

Omega Healthcare Investors declares net income of $16.2M for fourth-quarter 2009

Nursing workforce issues: An expanded role for nurse practitioners, Calif. doctors sue for supervision of nurse anesthetists

Medicaid cuts hurt Calif. dental coverage, drive away doctors in Okla; Public hospitals in NYC fear possible reductions

Study shows hospitals costs vary widely and are not associated with quality of care

GOP plans to attend health summit as Obama calls for compromise

Shire reports total revenues of $3,008 million for 2009

During open enrollment Medicare recipients may make changes to their Medicare Advantage coverage

Pelosi releases statement on HHS Secretary's decision to increase aid to states for Medicare Part D payment

Research Roundup: Financing boomers' care; California's budget cuts; Racial disparities in surgical outcomes

Georgia State Senate praised for passing legislation to help kidney failure patients have access to health insurance

Health care fraud: Massachusetts hospital to pay $2.79M for settling False Claims Act allegations

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