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Omni Home agrees to pay the United States $1.97 million to settle claims

Omni Home Care, a home health care agency in Evansville, Ind., and its parent corporation, Omni Home Health, have agreed to pay the United States $1.97 million to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act between 2006 and 2008, by failing to obtain certain required physician approvals before submitting bills for home health services to Medicare, the Justice Department announced today.

21 Oct 2009

GOP message: Democratic health reforms are bad for America

Politico: "Through the summer, congressional Republicans were able to stand back and let the health care debate play out around them — watching public support for the idea plummet amid bitter town halls and Democratic infighting." And even as the chances increase that "President Barack Obama will have a chance to sign a health reform bill, Republicans say they're content to stick by that strategy — believing they can define the Democratic plan as a bad mix of higher premiums, more taxes and cuts to Medicare. And that, they believe, is a winning formula for them in 2010."

21 Oct 2009

Some Medicare recipients will see jump in premium costs next year

"The basic Medicare premium will shoot up next year by 15 percent, to $110.50 a month, federal officials said Monday," The New York Times reports. "The increase means that monthly premiums would top $100 for the first time, a stark indication of the rise in medical costs that is driving the debate in Congress about a broad overhaul of the health care system."

21 Oct 2009

Missouri group accuses Humana of using scare tactics

After administration officials retreated last week on an order to silence insurers, activists in Missouri accused Humana of using scare tactics aimed at seniors. The Springfield, Mo., News-Leader reports: "Days after the Obama administration backed away from a gag order against health insurers, a small group of state activists traveled to Humana's corporate office in Springfield [Missouri] and lodged a formal complaint."

21 Oct 2009

The medical homes model is spreading

A new model of health care called "medical homes" offers a stark contrast to hurried doctor visits, long waits and rushed physicians, the Chicago Tribune reports. Instead, a patients gets regular phone calls and e-mails from medical staff, reminders for flu screenings and vaccines, and less hurried doctors.

21 Oct 2009

New poll finds most Americans back public option in health reform

The Washington Post leads the paper today with a report that "a new Washington Post-ABC poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public."

21 Oct 2009

Senate health bill negotiators discussing, debating versions of public option

Senator Max Baucus says there is still the possibility for some sort of public option in the Senate health bill, though he doubts it can get 60 votes, as Majority Leader Harry Reid negotiates to shape the final legislation.

21 Oct 2009

Computerized decision support solution from GE Healthcare

As part of GE’s healthymagination commitment, GE Healthcare today announced a new solution that puts clinical data and treatment practices in the hands of doctors and clinicians in real-time so that they can make informed decisions right at the point of care.

20 Oct 2009

By protecting doctors' Medicare pay, lawmakers look to keep health reform tab low

The Los Angeles Times reports on a Democratic plan to cancel scheduled cuts to physician pay under the Medicare program with a bill separate from their sweeping health reform proposal. It would allow lawmakers to "reconcile a nearly $250-billion difference between the House and Senate" while at the same time keeping the American Medical Association on board with their plans.

20 Oct 2009

Eclipsys supports healthcare providers to meet the goal of ARRA

To support healthcare organizations in making the appropriate technology decisions to maximize federal stimulus dollar opportunity, Eclipsys Corporation®, The Outcomes Company®, today announced the multiple superior outcomes its client organizations are achieving today.

20 Oct 2009

Pfizer announces fiscal 2009 third-quarter results

Pfizer Inc. today reported financial results for third-quarter 2009. Revenues were $11.6 billion, a decrease of 3% compared with $12.0 billion in the year-ago quarter.

20 Oct 2009

Meeting to discuss latest information on anti-aging medicine and euthanasia

America's foremost authorities on aging will share the latest information on "death panels," anti-aging medicine, health care reform, and other current topics at The Gerontological Society of America's upcoming 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting. This four day event - the country's largest interdisciplinary conference in the field of aging - will take place from November 18 to 22 in Atlanta, GA. Media representatives can register free of charge.

20 Oct 2009

First Edition: October 20, 2009

A new poll finds increased support for a public insurance plan in health reform just as Senate leaders discuss and debate in closed door meetings the various versions of this approach that might still draw enough votes to gain passage.

20 Oct 2009

Unitedhealth announces third quarter results; reports growth in revenues and net earnings

UnitedHealth Group reported third quarter results today, including growth in revenues and net earnings and a continued strong financial position.

20 Oct 2009

Conference to discuss the pent-up demand for home based eldercare personal robots

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. announced today that during their first annual "Mobile Robots in Motion" conference November 4-5, 2009, attendees will be able to learn and discuss the basis for GeckoSystems' belief that pent-up demand exists for their cost effective, home based eldercare personal robots.

20 Oct 2009

Pharmacy services still in demand despite recession

Despite the onset of an economic recession during 2008, pharmacy services were still in demand due to their value in the health care delivery system. The average community pharmacy saw its total sales increase by 7.6% to $3.9 million.

20 Oct 2009

Aspect Medical Systems to present a complete family of BIS monitoring technologies at ASA meeting

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting will feature 62 scientific presentations that reference BIS® monitoring when it convenes on October 17-21, 2009 in New Orleans. BIS-related research will cover a broad range of applications for BIS monitoring, including initial results from studies conducted as part of a comparative effectiveness research collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic as well as findings from a study evaluating use of a Composite Variability Index (CVI) that is based on BIS parameters.

20 Oct 2009

Two high blood pressure medicines effective in treating stable ischemic heart disease

Two medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure appear to be effective in treating a common type of heart disease known as stable ischemic heart disease, according to a new comparative effectiveness review funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

20 Oct 2009

CMS requested for coverage of two FDG PET scans during the initial treatment

Seven medical imaging groups wrote a joint letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to formally request coverage of two fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scans for a patient during the initial treatment evaluation. Currently, CMS covers only one FDG-PET study during initial treatment-a limitation that the groups believe is contrary to good clinical practice under certain circumstances.

20 Oct 2009

Unemployment for people with disabilities has reached its highest rate since January, says study

Unemployment for people with disabilities has reached its highest rate since January, according to a quarterly study by Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare services.

20 Oct 2009