Medicare News and Research

RSS

Obama plans to offer own health bill before summit as parties stake claims

President Obama will offer "comprehensive" health reform legislation in advance of next week's planned summit with Republicans, The New York Times reports. "Democratic officials said the president's proposal was being written so that it could be attached to a budget bill as a way of averting a Republican filibuster in the Senate. The procedure, known as budget reconciliation, would let Democrats advance the bill with a simple majority rather than a 60-vote supermajority."

20 Feb 2010

Stalled health bills could lead to increase in hospital mergers

Some analysts expect an increase in hospital mergers if health care overhaul remains stalled and the head of the Cleveland Clinic discusses why he thinks an overhaul won't lower health costs.

20 Feb 2010

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

All of us who have been at this task before understand three important realities: One, no president who has launched such an effort unsuccessfully has ever been able to relaunch; two, the Senate legislation, at least, has been the product of much bipartisan effort over the last several years, even though no Republican senators voted for it, and three, the status quo costs and quality of this country's health care system are totally unacceptable -- to the health care industry and to those who depend on it (Dave Durenberger, 2/18).

19 Feb 2010

Loxogon's new healthcare software application integrates multiple hospital information systems in real-time

Loxogon, Inc. today announced the release of a new healthcare software application specializing in operational intelligence solutions.

19 Feb 2010

Medicare Advantage premiums jump 14 percent

The Associated Press: "Millions of seniors who signed up for popular private health plans through Medicare are facing sharp premium increases this year — another sign that spiraling costs are a problem even for those with solid insurance. A study to be released Friday ... found that premiums for Medicare Advantage plans offering medical and prescription drug coverage jumped 14.2 percent on average in 2010, after an increase of only 5.2 percent the previous year. Some 8.5 million elderly and disabled Americans are in the plans, which provide more comprehensive coverage than traditional Medicare."

19 Feb 2010

HMS reports financial results for fourth-quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2009

HMS today announced financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

19 Feb 2010

LifePoint Hospitals reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 financial results

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

19 Feb 2010

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

Medicare News and Research

Obama plans to offer own health bill before summit as parties stake claims

Stalled health bills could lead to increase in hospital mergers

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

Loxogon's new healthcare software application integrates multiple hospital information systems in real-time

Medicare Advantage premiums jump 14 percent

HMS reports financial results for fourth-quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2009

LifePoint Hospitals reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 financial results

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

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