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PHS implements new program to sell franchises

Preferred HealthStaff (PHS), a family-owned and operated company built on the idea of providing assistance and care to those in need or want of services, announced today that it was implementing a new program to sell franchises, beginning their expansion efforts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware, then going nationwide.

26 Jun 2014

State highlights: L.A. County to trim new hire retiree benefits; lapses in state education for those with disabilities

Los Angeles County supervisors finalized reforms to health benefits for future employees Tuesday, in a move that is projected to save the county as much as $840 million over the next 30 years. Retiree health benefits became a sticking point in contentious labor negotiations last year. Although not technically part of the contract talks, unions objected to the proposal to reduce retiree benefits (Sewell, 6/24).

26 Jun 2014

Molecule that blocks bone destruction could provide potential therapeutic target for osteoporosis

UT-Southwestern cancer researchers have identified a promising molecule that blocks bone destruction and, therefore, could provide a potential therapeutic target for osteoporosis and bone metastases of cancer.

26 Jun 2014

House approves trauma care programs, newborn screening changes

The House on Tuesday passed legislation by voice vote to reauthorize trauma care programs. Traumatic injury is the top cause of death for people under age 45, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One of the bills, H.R. 4080, would reauthorize Trauma Care System Planning Grants to boost access to trauma care through fiscal 2019 (Marcos, 6/24).

25 Jun 2014

Where you go when you survive but don't recover

The number of critically ill patients in the nation's long-term acute care hospitals has more than tripled in the past decade to 380,000, many of them sustained by respirators and feeding tubes, reports The New York Times. Meanwhile, MinnPost examines services for rural seniors who live at home.

25 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Overlooked costs for insurers; Medicaid disparities; dropping doctors from Medicare Advantage

In a Think Tank post Thursday, I wrote about how insurers deciding to participate next year in the health exchanges established under Obamacare could be expecting funds that the federal government may not have legal authority to disburse. But that's not the only potential pitfall for carriers: They could also end up on the hook for payment reductions caused by sequestration (Chris Jacobs, 6/23).

25 Jun 2014

Long-term care for soaring numbers of people with dementia need to be improved, says new RAND study

As millions of Americans struggle to help loved ones with dementia, policymakers should consider more ways to improve long-term services and supports for the soaring numbers of people with the debilitating condition and their caregivers, a new RAND Corporation study says -- and it offers possible ways to do so.

23 Jun 2014

Research roundup: Improving colon cancer screening; disparities in heart care; Medicaid expansion's effect on cities

This report estimated the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on 14 large and diverse cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Columbus, Charlotte, Detroit, Memphis, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, and Miami.

21 Jun 2014

State highlights: N.Y. lawmakers deal on heroin abuse; N.Y. birth control discrimination bill; nursing home costs in Mich.

A selection of health policy stories from New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, California, Texas, Washington state, Missouri, Massachusetts and Colorado.

20 Jun 2014

State highlights: Illinois Medicaid digital shift delayed; N.C. hospitals fight cuts; heroin in New England

Alexian Brothers Health System is suspending its effort to launch a new Medicaid program, blaming the difficulty of connecting physicians using different electronic records systems. The Arlington Heights, Ill.-based health system was spearheading a so-called accountable care entity (ACE) to coordinate the care of about 46,000 patients on Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled. The ACEs are a form of managed care, one of Gov. Pat Quinn's initiatives to focus on preventative treatment to keep patients healthy and reduce health care costs (Schorsch, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

Fireworks, public transportation, construction sites can induce hearing loss

Summer sounds include much more than crickets chirping. Outdoor concerts, parades, 4th of July fireworks, public transportation and construction sites all have one thing in common.

19 Jun 2014

Medicare faces cost tension with lawmakers, advocates

More than 130 lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to expand coverage for a lung-cancer test under Medicare that could cost the program billons, calling the screening important for vulnerable seniors. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the lawmakers called for a timely decision on coverage for low-dose CT scans for older patients at higher risk of developing lung cancer. ... A CMS spokesman said the agency's decision will be based on whether the test is "reasonable and necessary," without regard to its cost to Medicare (Yen, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

Counseling, medication management by pharmacist can lower hospital readmissions

Getting discharged from the hospital and then having to go right back in again can be emotionally draining for a patient and their family. It can also cause financial strain for all involved - the patient, the hospital system and the insurers-including Medicaid and Medicare, which are taxpayer funded.

19 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 18, 2014

Today's headlines include a report that the cost of health law subsidies may push the measure's overall price tag beyond projections.

18 Jun 2014

State highlights: State retiree benefit shortfalls; health data claims and cost

A selection of health policy stories from California, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, Virginia, Iowa, Florida, Missouri, Washington state, Connecticut, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.

18 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Could Congress sue Obama?; abortion coverage for Peace Corps volunteers

President Obama is setting a dangerous precedent by suspending his enforcement of laws on health care, immigration, drugs, banking and so much else, but the courts may soon be asked to throw a brushback pitch. .

17 Jun 2014

Affordable Care Act to have significant impact on patients with diabetes

The Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) is dramatically changing health care delivery in the U.S. Specific parts of the new law, which will be phased in through 2020, will have a significant impact on patients with diabetes and prediabetes, as explored in a comprehensive Review article published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

17 Jun 2014

Research roundup: Hospital readmissions; researchers mistrust social media; premiums in Washington state

Reducing hospital readmissions is a major target for current quality improvement and cost-containment efforts.

16 Jun 2014

Two Regenstrief investigators receives Career Development K23 Awards from NIH

Two Regenstrief Institute investigators and Indiana University Center for Aging Research scientists -- Michael LaMantia, M.D., MPH, and Noll L. Campbell, PharmD -- have each received five-year Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development K23 Awards from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health.

13 Jun 2014

Proteins causing daytime sleepiness also play crucial role in bone formation

Orexin proteins, which are blamed for spontaneous daytime sleepiness, also play a crucial role in bone formation, according to findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers.

13 Jun 2014

Seniors News and Research

PHS implements new program to sell franchises

State highlights: L.A. County to trim new hire retiree benefits; lapses in state education for those with disabilities

Molecule that blocks bone destruction could provide potential therapeutic target for osteoporosis

House approves trauma care programs, newborn screening changes

Where you go when you survive but don't recover

Viewpoints: Overlooked costs for insurers; Medicaid disparities; dropping doctors from Medicare Advantage

Long-term care for soaring numbers of people with dementia need to be improved, says new RAND study

Research roundup: Improving colon cancer screening; disparities in heart care; Medicaid expansion's effect on cities

State highlights: N.Y. lawmakers deal on heroin abuse; N.Y. birth control discrimination bill; nursing home costs in Mich.

State highlights: Illinois Medicaid digital shift delayed; N.C. hospitals fight cuts; heroin in New England

Fireworks, public transportation, construction sites can induce hearing loss

Medicare faces cost tension with lawmakers, advocates

Counseling, medication management by pharmacist can lower hospital readmissions

First Edition: June 18, 2014

State highlights: State retiree benefit shortfalls; health data claims and cost

Viewpoints: Could Congress sue Obama?; abortion coverage for Peace Corps volunteers

Affordable Care Act to have significant impact on patients with diabetes

Research roundup: Hospital readmissions; researchers mistrust social media; premiums in Washington state

Two Regenstrief investigators receives Career Development K23 Awards from NIH

Proteins causing daytime sleepiness also play crucial role in bone formation

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

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