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Increased cost sharing may hurt seniors' health care

Cost sharing and increased co-pays, even if it's just a few dollars, can lead seniors to put off visits to the doctor and result in increased hospital admissions and longer hospital stays, according to a new study.

28 Jan 2010

Mcdonnell says Democratic agenda, including health care effort, is too expensive

In his response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said the nation cannot afford the Democratic agenda, including health care, The Associated Press/Wall Street Journal reports.

28 Jan 2010

Federal panel awards almost $500 million to La. to replace New Orleans Charity Hospital

Ending one of the longest-running disputes left by Hurricane Katrina, a federal arbitration panel ruled Wednesday that Louisiana would receive $474.8 million — nearly all it had requested — to pay for the replacement of Charity Hospital in New Orleans, which has been closed since the storm.

28 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 28, 2010

It's the morning after the State of the Union address. What's the state of health reform?

28 Jan 2010

National summit to focus on new ways of eliminating health care fraud

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder will convene a “National Summit on Health Care Fraud” on Thursday January 28, bringing together leaders from the public and private sectors to identify and discuss innovative ways to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse in the U.S. health care system.

28 Jan 2010

Centering Healthcare Institute receives the Cares Award for its CenteringPregnancy Group Prenatal Care program

Centering Healthcare Institute has been honored by the Premier healthcare alliance with the 18th Annual Monroe E. Trout Premier Cares Award for its CenteringPregnancy Group Prenatal Care program, which provides an innovative prenatal group care model now present in more than 300 sites across America. Centering Healthcare Institute last night received the Cares Award and $70,000 for the work it has done to provide care to mothers and babies nationwide.

28 Jan 2010

American Academy of Actuaries urges policymakers to reform national financial security and fiscal health

As President Obama readies his State of the Union address, the American Academy of Actuaries is urging policymakers to adopt four cornerstones to focus the nation's domestic policy agenda to improve the financial security of all Americans and restore the nation's fiscal health.

28 Jan 2010

National home care and health care leaders launch national home-health quality-improvement campaign

National home care and health care leaders kicked off an 18-month national home-health quality-improvement campaign this month at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) headquarters.

28 Jan 2010

Med-IC aims to improve health care for older adults

The Medicare Innovations Collaborative, or Med-IC, is a pilot program that will put some of the nation’s best ideas for improving health care for older adults into practice at hospitals around the country, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University announced.

28 Jan 2010

Medicare false claims: Los Angeles DME company owner pleads guilty

The owner and operator of a Los Angeles durable medical equipment (DME) company pleaded guilty today to submitting nearly $1 million in false claims to Medicare, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney George S. Cardona for the Central District of California.

28 Jan 2010

Researchers urge for a national health trust for personal and public health

The United States has an inefficient and expensive health care system, but it could be improved with a new integrated health care system detailed in a new study in the American Journal of Public Health (February 2010 Vol. 100 No. 2).

28 Jan 2010

Health organizations urge Congress to protect Medicare beneficiaries' access to critical rehabilitative services

A coalition of organizations representing consumers, health professionals and providers recently sent a letter to Congressional Leadership, calling for the immediate reinstatement of the exceptions process for Medicare Part B outpatient therapy services. Without such efforts, thousands of Medicare beneficiaries will exceed arbitrary limitations on physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services.

28 Jan 2010

Epidemiological study shows Parkinson's disease is more common among whites and Hispanics

The largest epidemiological study of Parkinson's disease in the United States has found that the disease is more common in the Midwest and the Northeast and is twice as likely to strike whites and Hispanics as blacks and Asians.

28 Jan 2010

Access Scientific's PICC WAND receives FDA clearance

Access Scientific has received FDA clearance for The PICC WANDTM, which enables clinicians to insert a peelable sheath for PICC or Midline catheter placement using the new Accelerated Seldinger Technique (AST). The PICC WAND is an all-in-one safety introducer that addresses the over-wire vascular access market, valued at more than $1 billion, by providing faster, safer and simpler vascular access.

27 Jan 2010

Two former LA Medical Center owners to pay $10 million in Medicare fraud case

"The two former owners of City of Angels Medical Center will pay $10 million as part of a consent judgment over allegations that they performed unnecessary medical work on homeless people recruited from skid row shelters as part of a Medicare fraud scheme." Authorities alleged that the center would charge the government for the treatments (Grad, 1/26).

27 Jan 2010

Experts duel on plight of health reform and merits of specific provisions

NPR interviewed two leading health care experts - Uwe Reinhardt, a Princeton professor, and Gail Wilensky, an economist who ran Medicare under the first President Bush - to shed light on the current plight of pending health care overhaul.

27 Jan 2010

CBO: Stimulus more expensive than expected, Medicare costs to double by 2020

A new Congressional Budget Office report "provides more ammunition for Republicans who say the stimulus has been long on spending and short on creating promised jobs," The Associated Press/ABC News reports. The report says the stimulus will cost $75 billion more than expected, because of increased unemployment, requirements for the food stamp program and the high popularity of an infrastructure bonds program. The report comes as Democrats consider a second stimulus bill that could include another extension of unemployment benefits, job creation tax credits and further help for jobless people to buy health coverage (Taylor, 1/26).

27 Jan 2010

Home health care fraud: Detroit-area physical therapist pleads guilty

Detroit-area resident Jessica Vigil pleaded guilty today for her role in a Detroit-area home health care fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade; Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena of the FBI's Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General's (HHS-OIG) Chicago Region.

27 Jan 2010

FedSources to host an InFocus Event on Healthcare Technology

FedSources, a Washington Management Group company, is hosting an InFocus Event on Healthcare Technology on Thursday, January 28, 2010.

27 Jan 2010

WellPoint announces net income of $2.7 billion for fourth-quarter fiscal 2009

WellPoint, Inc. today announced that fourth quarter 2009 net income was $2.7 billion, or $5.95 per share. The results included net after-tax income of approximately $2.2 billion, or $4.79 per share, resulting from a gain on the sale of the NextRx pharmacy benefit management subsidiaries ("NextRx"), partially offset by costs for restructuring activities and intangible asset impairments.

27 Jan 2010

Medicare News and Research

Increased cost sharing may hurt seniors' health care

Mcdonnell says Democratic agenda, including health care effort, is too expensive

Federal panel awards almost $500 million to La. to replace New Orleans Charity Hospital

First Edition: January 28, 2010

National summit to focus on new ways of eliminating health care fraud

Centering Healthcare Institute receives the Cares Award for its CenteringPregnancy Group Prenatal Care program

American Academy of Actuaries urges policymakers to reform national financial security and fiscal health

National home care and health care leaders launch national home-health quality-improvement campaign

Med-IC aims to improve health care for older adults

Medicare false claims: Los Angeles DME company owner pleads guilty

Researchers urge for a national health trust for personal and public health

Health organizations urge Congress to protect Medicare beneficiaries' access to critical rehabilitative services

Epidemiological study shows Parkinson's disease is more common among whites and Hispanics

Access Scientific's PICC WAND receives FDA clearance

Two former LA Medical Center owners to pay $10 million in Medicare fraud case

Experts duel on plight of health reform and merits of specific provisions

CBO: Stimulus more expensive than expected, Medicare costs to double by 2020

Home health care fraud: Detroit-area physical therapist pleads guilty

FedSources to host an InFocus Event on Healthcare Technology

WellPoint announces net income of $2.7 billion for fourth-quarter fiscal 2009

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