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First Edition: February 19, 2010

Today's headlines highlight a White House plan to "get specific" on health reform, an analysis showing a nationwide jump in Medicaid enrollment and more on the firestorm surrounding health insurance premium increases.

19 Feb 2010

Amerigroup's fourth-quarter revenues rise 18.5%

Amerigroup Corporation today announced that net income for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $40.2 million, or $0.79 per diluted share, versus $35.9 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2008. For the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company's net income was $149.3 million, or $2.85 per diluted share.

19 Feb 2010

SSHS selects Eclipsys’ Sunrise Enterprise suite of solutions for integrating EHR across multiple care venues

Eclipsys Corporation®, The Outcomes Company®, today announced that Sound Shore Health System (SSHS) will undergo an accelerated activation of Eclipsys’ Sunrise Enterprise™ integrated suite of solutions at both its Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester (New Rochelle, NY) and Mount Vernon Hospital (Mount Vernon, NY) facilities.

19 Feb 2010

Cancer patients frequently face barriers to accessing oral drugs: Study

A comprehensive study of oral oncolytic (anti-cancer) drug treatments revealed that while their use is increasingly common, cancer patients frequently face barriers to accessing oral drugs compared to those delivered intravenously in oncology practice settings.

19 Feb 2010

NIA supports FDA initiative to reduce radiation overexposure from medical imaging

National Imaging Associates (NIA), a Magellan Health Services company, today applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its leadership and progress in addressing the issue of radiation overexposure through its Initiative to Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure from Medical Imaging.

19 Feb 2010

Medicare coverage for prescription drugs: HHS to apply ARRA increased FMAP to clawback payments

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $4.3 billion in financial relief to states by reducing the amount they will have to pay the federal government to offset the cost of Medicare coverage for prescription drugs for state residents eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

19 Feb 2010

Study: Elderly people with untreated visual disorders more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease

Elderly people with visual disorders that are left untreated are significantly more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease -- the most common form of dementia, according to a University of Michigan Health System study.

19 Feb 2010

Insight Imaging to provide Enterprise Solutions to Progressive Imaging Center

Insight Imaging announced today that it reached a three-year agreement to provide Insight Imaging Enterprise Solutions to the Progressive Imaging Center located on the campus of Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, New Jersey, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, New Jersey’s largest not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system.

19 Feb 2010

Report examines how medical technology changes state of health care

Federal researchers Wednesday released a report that examines how medical technology is changing the state of health care.

19 Feb 2010

Universal American announces fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 financial results

Universal American Corp. today announced financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

19 Feb 2010

Physicians look toward profitable Medicare services; Former Virginia official tapped for a position at CMS

A study finds physicians veer toward more profitable services amid lower Medicare fees. Meanwhile, Humana tests a patient-centered medical home program in Florida and a former Virginia official is chosen to take on a top position at the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

19 Feb 2010

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

The epic of health care evolution is complex and is worth reviewing over the last five decades. Having practiced medicine in the same community in Southeast Missouri for more than 30 years, I have seen changes in health care beyond the scope of imagination (Dr. S.D. Madduri, 2/18).

18 Feb 2010

Humana schedules layoffs as insurers struggle to cut costs

Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal reports that Humana, one of the nation's largest health insurers, "said it will shed nearly 1,400 jobs, or 5% of its work force, this year" because of declines in enrollment. The company will cut a total of 2,500 jobs, but plans to hire 1,100 new employees to help with such issues as controlling medical costs and managing pharmacy benefits.

18 Feb 2010

'Cadillac' tax would have non-union impact, analysis finds

"A proposed tax on high-cost ['Cadillac'] health insurance plans, an element of Democratic health-care legislation that has been strongly opposed by organized labor, would actually fall equally on nonunion plans, according to a new analysis. ... at least 80 percent of the workers whose plans would be subject to the tax in 2019 would be in nonunion jobs," according to Ken Jacobs of the University of California at Berkeley Labor Center and William H. Dow, professor of health economics at Berkeley and a member of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers.

18 Feb 2010

Centene to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan

Centene Corporation today announced that its South Carolina subsidiary, Absolute Total Care, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan (CCHP), the state's largest non-profit Medicaid managed care organization, from University Health Services, Inc. (UHS). CCHP serves more than 40,000 Medicaid members in 46 counties across the state.

18 Feb 2010

Fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2009 results announced by DJO Incorporated

DJO Incorporated, a global provider of medical device solutions for musculoskeletal health, vascular health and pain management, today announced financial results for its operating subsidiary, DJO Finance LLC (“DJOFL”), for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2009. ReAble Therapeutics, Inc. (“ReAble”) acquired DJO Incorporated (“DJO Opco”) in a transaction completed on November 20, 2007 (the “DJO Merger”).

18 Feb 2010

Gentiva Health Services announces fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2009 results

Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of home health and hospice services, today reported fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2009 results.

18 Feb 2010

Dartmouth Atlas hospital ratings could be misleading, says former CMS Senior Policy Advisor

A "Perspective" piece in today's New England Journal of Medicine by Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, points out that policy makers are relying on hospital ratings from the Dartmouth Atlas that could be misleading.

18 Feb 2010

WellCare Health Plans reports net income of $39.9M for 2009

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. today reported results for the year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2009. As determined under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Company reported net income of $39.9 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, for the year 2009, compared with a net loss of $36.8 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, for the year 2008.

18 Feb 2010

Vertebroplasty effective in treatment of VCFs

The results of a study of more than 4500 patients from six Italian EVEREST (European Vertebroplasty Research Team) Centers (Dr. G.C. Anselmetti-Candiolo Torino, Dr. G. Bonaldi-Bergamo, Dr. P. Carpeggiani-Pisa, Dr. S. Masala-Roma, Dr. M. Muto-Napoli,) confirms the effectiveness of vertebroplasty in treating vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), finding that the procedure provides significant and sustained pain relief.

18 Feb 2010

Medicare News and Research

First Edition: February 19, 2010

Amerigroup's fourth-quarter revenues rise 18.5%

SSHS selects Eclipsys’ Sunrise Enterprise suite of solutions for integrating EHR across multiple care venues

Cancer patients frequently face barriers to accessing oral drugs: Study

NIA supports FDA initiative to reduce radiation overexposure from medical imaging

Medicare coverage for prescription drugs: HHS to apply ARRA increased FMAP to clawback payments

Study: Elderly people with untreated visual disorders more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease

Insight Imaging to provide Enterprise Solutions to Progressive Imaging Center

Report examines how medical technology changes state of health care

Universal American announces fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 financial results

Physicians look toward profitable Medicare services; Former Virginia official tapped for a position at CMS

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

Humana schedules layoffs as insurers struggle to cut costs

'Cadillac' tax would have non-union impact, analysis finds

Centene to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan

Fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2009 results announced by DJO Incorporated

Gentiva Health Services announces fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2009 results

Dartmouth Atlas hospital ratings could be misleading, says former CMS Senior Policy Advisor

WellCare Health Plans reports net income of $39.9M for 2009

Vertebroplasty effective in treatment of VCFs

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