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Nancy Pelosi: Insurance companies funneled between $10M and $20M to fund deceptive television ads

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on a news report (http://undertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2010/01/health-insurers-funded-chamber.php) showing that the nation's largest insurance companies funneled between $10 million and $20 million through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to fund deceptive television ads opposing health insurance reform.

13 Jan 2010

AACE sends petition to Congress opposing new Medicare policy

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) sent a petition to Congress today signed by 1,325 AACE members, non-AACE member physicians, allied health professionals and patients opposing a new Medicare policy which would eliminate consultation codes for specialists.

13 Jan 2010

MedAssets to demonstrate how its solutions help optimize hospital’s revenue cycle

MedAssets, Inc. will demonstrate how its revenue cycle management and spend management solutions help hospitals and healthcare systems reduce costs, increase efficiency and increase revenue at the inaugural HFMA Virtual Trade Show, to be held on January 12-13, 2010.

13 Jan 2010

Self-employment tax changes for 2009

Prior to preparing 2009 tax forms, the self-employed and micro-businesses (fewer than 10 employees) should be aware of a few tax law changes, including changes in the standard mileage rate and the self-employment tax.

13 Jan 2010

PIMs usage among elderly patients may increase adverse events and health care costs

A new study provides important evidence that the use of certain potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) among the elderly may increase adverse events and health care costs.

13 Jan 2010

Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center expands use of clinical components in Eclipsys Sunrise Enterprise solutions

Eclipsys Corporation®, The Outcomes Company®, announced today that Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center (Bronx Lebanon), the largest voluntary, not-for-profit healthcare system in south and central Bronx, NY, has quickly expanded its use of integrated clinical components of Eclipsys Sunrise Enterprise™ suite of solutions.

13 Jan 2010

ACP supports equality of Medicaid and Medicare rates for primary care services

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today was one of 118 organizations that joined to send a letter to House and Senate leaders supporting equality of Medicaid and Medicare rates for primary care services.

13 Jan 2010

Studies suggest ways to prevent post-surgical infections in hospitals

Two new studies are suggesting relatively simple ways in which hospitals can prevent many post-surgical infections by killing bacteria the patients themselves bring in, according to Monday's New York Times.

13 Jan 2010

Health care bill not as positive for seniors as stated, says TSCL

Health care reform legislation could be worse for America’s seniors than the Administration and Congressional leaders are publicly stating, according to The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), one of the nation’s largest nonpartisan seniors advocacy organizations.

13 Jan 2010

Medicare pay irks physicians, leaves some patients stranded

Doctors' payments through the Medicare program are scheduled to be lowered by 21 percent in March, prompting some physicians to drop Medicare patients or refuse taking on new ones, The Columbus Dispatch reports.

13 Jan 2010

Budget and cost issues continue to plague states

The (San Luis Obispo) Tribune News: In California, local programs will be hit hard under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts to plug a $20 billion budget gap. "In-Home Supportive Services would be cut entirely. Medi-Cal would be limited and participants would be called upon to share more of the costs"

13 Jan 2010

Labor leaders confront Obama on 'Cadillac' tax proposal

Labor leaders were invited to the White House to discuss negotiations to merge the House- and Senate-passed health overhaul packages.

12 Jan 2010

Miami resident pleads guilty to conspiring in Medicare fraud program

Miami resident Ingrid Mazorra pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Terrence I. Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan; Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office; and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).

12 Jan 2010

Skeptics question health overhaul savings, cost-controls

USA Today reports that independent analysts are increasingly questioning whether the long-term savings promised in the health care bills being considered by Congress are realistic.

12 Jan 2010

Health bill negotiators consider applying Medicare tax to investment income, WSJ reports

News outlets explore some of the unsettled and sticky policy questions - such as what taxes might pay for it, and whether mandates to buy coverage should be included - in the health overhaul legislation.

12 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 12, 2010

Today's news coverage details developments related to pending health reform plans with President Obama's meeting with organized labor regarding the 'Cadillac' tax claiming a lot of headlines.

12 Jan 2010

Quantros' application for fulfilling complex reporting requirements of MMSEA Section 111

Quantros announces the availability of MMSEA Manager, an application facilitating the online reporting of claims data required by CMS for Medicare clients who are part of a lawsuit and/or an ongoing medical payment or settlement. Testing and optional submission of MMSEA claim input files began January 1, 2010, with mandatory submission beginning April 1, 2010. The application is the latest addition to the Quantros Safety and Risk Management (SRM) product family.

12 Jan 2010

U.S. physicians can receive interest-free loan from Ingenix to license and implement CareTracker EHR

Ingenix today introduced a package that includes interest-free financing, health information technology (HIT) services and performance guarantees to help physicians integrate HIT into their practices.

12 Jan 2010

New GAO report shows price increase for brand-name drugs doubles from 2000 to 2008

A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that finds “extraordinary price increases” for brand-name drug products from 2000 – 2008 was largely fueled by the “lack of therapeutically equivalent drugs” and “limited competition,” underscores the need for policymakers to promote policies in health reform which increase competition and lower costs, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) said today.

12 Jan 2010

Notice of Proposed Rule Making moves healthcare industry closer to securing ARRA stimulus payments

NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. and a leading provider of healthcare and connectivity solutions, today commented that the Notice of Proposed Rule Making issued last week on electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs moves the healthcare industry closer to securing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus payments for healthcare IT adoption.

12 Jan 2010

Medicare News and Research

Nancy Pelosi: Insurance companies funneled between $10M and $20M to fund deceptive television ads

AACE sends petition to Congress opposing new Medicare policy

MedAssets to demonstrate how its solutions help optimize hospital’s revenue cycle

Self-employment tax changes for 2009

PIMs usage among elderly patients may increase adverse events and health care costs

Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center expands use of clinical components in Eclipsys Sunrise Enterprise solutions

ACP supports equality of Medicaid and Medicare rates for primary care services

Studies suggest ways to prevent post-surgical infections in hospitals

Health care bill not as positive for seniors as stated, says TSCL

Medicare pay irks physicians, leaves some patients stranded

Budget and cost issues continue to plague states

Labor leaders confront Obama on 'Cadillac' tax proposal

Miami resident pleads guilty to conspiring in Medicare fraud program

Skeptics question health overhaul savings, cost-controls

Health bill negotiators consider applying Medicare tax to investment income, WSJ reports

First Edition: January 12, 2010

Quantros' application for fulfilling complex reporting requirements of MMSEA Section 111

U.S. physicians can receive interest-free loan from Ingenix to license and implement CareTracker EHR

New GAO report shows price increase for brand-name drugs doubles from 2000 to 2008

Notice of Proposed Rule Making moves healthcare industry closer to securing ARRA stimulus payments

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