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Obama hosts health care summit at White House

A White House health care summit hosted on Thursday by President Obama will enable attendees to discuss reform proposals for the U.S. health care system, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/5).

5 Mar 2009

Sen. Baucus hopes to introduce comprehensive health reform legislation this summer

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Tuesday said enacting comprehensive health reform this year is his "top priority," the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

4 Mar 2009

Obama administration officials defend health care, other provisions in FY 2010 budget proposal

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag and Department of the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday during a House Budget Committee hearing defended health care and other provisions included in the $3.6 trillion fiscal year 2010 budget proposed by President Obama last week, the Washington Post reports (Montgomery, Washington Post, 3/4).

4 Mar 2009

Federal health officials, prosecutors switch focus to physicians in illegal kickback cases

Federal health officials and prosecutors have begun to investigate physicians who receive money from drug and medical device makers for using their products, in an attempt to halt the illegal kickbacks, the New York Times reports.

4 Mar 2009

Impact of recession on hospitals

The median profit margin of U.S. hospitals has fallen to zero percent, according to a Thomson Reuters analysis of hospital finances published today.

2 Mar 2009

Team-based diabetes care fetches more value for dollar

Diabetes patients undergoing team-based care do not save more in treatment costs under Medicare and Medicaid than other patients, but they are healthier, according to a recent study.

26 Feb 2009

Having health insurance essential for people's health and well-being

The evidence shows more clearly than ever that having health insurance is essential for people's health and well-being, and safety-net services are not enough to prevent avoidable illness, worse health outcomes, and premature death, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

24 Feb 2009

34 percent of all Medicare Part D enrollees select Medicare Advantage plans for 2009

More than nine million people, or 34 percent of all Medicare Part D enrollees, currently receive their prescription drug benefit through Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD plans), says new analysis by Avalere Health.

24 Feb 2009

Racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening persist

Colorectal cancer screening among patients with Medicare coverage is increasing, but a persistent gap remains between whites - who are screened most frequently - and all other racial and ethnic groups, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis and the University of Washington.

20 Feb 2009

Opportunities for the health system in a sick economy

With the interim report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission published yesterday the time for implementing reform could hardly be better.

18 Feb 2009

White patients benefit more than blacks in surviving surgical complications at teaching hospitals

Elderly patients who undergo surgery at teaching-intensive hospitals have better survival rates than at nonteaching hospitals, but these better survival rates apparently occur in white patients, not black patients.

17 Feb 2009

VAP cholesterol test helps find link between a rare gene mutation and heart protection

Using the VAP Cholesterol Test from Atherotech, Inc., University of Maryland researchers have found an association between a rare gene mutation and heart protection.

17 Feb 2009

Survival after surgical complications appears better at teaching hospitals for whites but not blacks

Survival after surgery appears higher at teaching hospitals than at non-teaching hospitals, but this benefit is experienced by white patients and not black patients, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Surgery.

17 Feb 2009

Doctors' resources for off-label prescribing may be incomplete, unclear

The resources doctors use to get important information about indications and reimbursement for use of cancer drugs off-label may be out-of-date and incomplete, according to a study led by researchers in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.

16 Feb 2009

Race and ethnicity affect use of hospice services among patients with advanced cancer

Race and ethnicity appear to have an effect on whether a patient with terminal cancer uses hospice care services, according to a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

10 Feb 2009

Most seniors have drug coverage, study shows

More than 90 percent of Americans age 65 and older have prescription drug coverage today, compared to 76 percent who were covered in 2004, according to a University of Michigan analysis.

10 Feb 2009

Most coordinated care programs for Medicare beneficiaries do not show benefit

Only 2 of 15 Medicare programs designed to improve care and costs for patients with chronic illnesses resulted in reduced hospital admissions, and none of the programs generated net savings, according to a study in the February 11 issue of JAMA.

10 Feb 2009

A happy hospital makes for happy patients

Imagine a hospital where morale is high, employee turnover is low and patient call buttons rarely go unanswered---and if they do, you can call the hospital's CEO.

9 Feb 2009

Emergency physicians question antibiotic guidelines for pneumonia

A new study from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center that assessed emergency physicians understanding of time-based, antibiotic treatment guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) found that more than half believed they prescribed antibiotics needlessly in order to comply with guidelines.

8 Feb 2009

Seniors in Medicare's doughnut hole decrease use of meds

Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part D who reached a gap in health care coverage known as the "doughnut hole" were much less likely to use prescription drugs than those with an employer-based plan, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study.

3 Feb 2009

Medicare News and Research

Obama hosts health care summit at White House

Sen. Baucus hopes to introduce comprehensive health reform legislation this summer

Obama administration officials defend health care, other provisions in FY 2010 budget proposal

Federal health officials, prosecutors switch focus to physicians in illegal kickback cases

Impact of recession on hospitals

Team-based diabetes care fetches more value for dollar

Having health insurance essential for people's health and well-being

34 percent of all Medicare Part D enrollees select Medicare Advantage plans for 2009

Racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening persist

Opportunities for the health system in a sick economy

White patients benefit more than blacks in surviving surgical complications at teaching hospitals

VAP cholesterol test helps find link between a rare gene mutation and heart protection

Survival after surgical complications appears better at teaching hospitals for whites but not blacks

Doctors' resources for off-label prescribing may be incomplete, unclear

Race and ethnicity affect use of hospice services among patients with advanced cancer

Most seniors have drug coverage, study shows

Most coordinated care programs for Medicare beneficiaries do not show benefit

A happy hospital makes for happy patients

Emergency physicians question antibiotic guidelines for pneumonia

Seniors in Medicare's doughnut hole decrease use of meds

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