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Drug-releasing coronary artery stent use linked with decrease in procedures to unblock coronary arteries

The widespread adoption of the use of drug-releasing coronary artery stents into routine practice is associated with a decrease in the need for repeat procedures to unblock coronary arteries and also do not appear to increase the risk of death, compared to bare-metal stents, according to a study in the June 25 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association

24 Jun 2008

Drug assistance programs help the medicine go down

A new study of state-subsidized pharmacy assistance programs showed that providing prescription drug coverage for low-income seniors reduces Medicaid and Medicare costs. Moreover, needy seniors enrolled in the programs were able to cut their dose skimping and nursing home admissions in half, according to the Brandeis University research.

24 Jun 2008

The impact of socioeconomic status on survival after cancer in the United States

Cancer patients with low socioeconomic status (SES) have more advanced cancers at diagnosis, receive less aggressive treatment, and have a higher risk of dying in the five years following cancer diagnosis, according to a new study.

23 Jun 2008

Study shows generics now own 63% of Medicare Part D market

Wolters Kluwer Health, a division of Wolters Kluwer, has released the results of a study that looks at key statistical outcomes of the Medicare Part D (MPD) prescription drug program.

23 Jun 2008

Australian Medical Association says aged care residents the victims of 'inertia' by the government

According to the Australian Medical Association, the Federal Government is guilty of "policy inertia" when it comes to addressing the needs of aged care residents.

23 Jun 2008

Employer health care costs projected to rise by nearly 10% in 2008 and 2009

Employer health care costs are expected to increase by 9.9% in 2008 -- more than double annual inflation rates -- and 9.6% in 2009, according to a study released Tuesday by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

17 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy report feature highlights recent blog posts

While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics.

17 Jun 2008

Few community health centers receive reimbursement for providing language services, report indicates

While 84% of community health centers treat patients with limited English proficiency on a daily basis, only 5% receive direct reimbursement for language services from Medicare, Medicaid or private insurers, according to a report released Monday by the National Association of Community Health Centers, CQ HealthBeat reports.

17 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report rounds up health news from the campaign trail

Fifty-three percent of U.S. adults trust presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) more than presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) to address the issue of health care, compared with 33% who trust McCain more than Obama to address the issue, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, the Post reports.

17 Jun 2008

Insurers often improperly reimburse physicians, adding $200 billion annually to U.S. health care costs, AMA report finds

Insurers' failure to properly process and reimburse physicians costs the U.S. $200 billion annually, according to a report released on Monday by the American Medical Association, the Los Angeles Times reports.

17 Jun 2008

Washington post examines Medicare's 'growing fraud problem'

The Washington Post on Friday examined Medicare's "growing fraud problem and the need to devote more resources to theft prevention." According to the Post, law enforcement officials estimate that health care fraud costs taxpayers more than $60 billion annually.

17 Jun 2008

American Medical Association members say 'secret shoppers' should not be used to gauge quality at physicians' offices

Using "secret shoppers" to evaluate the way physicians manage relationships with patients could get in the way of providing needed care to actual patients, according to more than 12 doctors who testified before an American Medical Association panel, the Chicago Tribune reports. AMA on Sunday held its annual House of Delegates meeting in Chicago.

17 Jun 2008

Newspapers highlight health care, economic proposals of Presidential candidates Obama, McCain

In broader pieces on the economy and taxes, two newspapers recently addressed parts of the health care proposals of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

17 Jun 2008

Health care disparities found for female veterans

Female veterans do not receive the same quality of outpatient care as male veterans at about one-third of the 139 Department of Veterans Affairs facilities that offer it, according to a report released on Friday by VA, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

17 Jun 2008

Warning about use of psychiatric drugs with the elderly

Health officials in the U.S. are warning doctors that prescribing certain psychiatric drugs to elderly people suffering from dementia can increase their risk of death.

17 Jun 2008

Advanced cancer patients often unaware of life expectancies, effects of chemotherapy, according to perspective

Patients with advanced cancer often are not aware of their life expectancies or the effect that chemotherapy will have on their lives, according to a perspective published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, USA Today reports.

11 Jun 2008

Medicare News and Research

Drug-releasing coronary artery stent use linked with decrease in procedures to unblock coronary arteries

Drug assistance programs help the medicine go down

The impact of socioeconomic status on survival after cancer in the United States

Study shows generics now own 63% of Medicare Part D market

Australian Medical Association says aged care residents the victims of 'inertia' by the government

Employer health care costs projected to rise by nearly 10% in 2008 and 2009

Kaiser Daily Health Policy report feature highlights recent blog posts

Few community health centers receive reimbursement for providing language services, report indicates

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report rounds up health news from the campaign trail

Insurers often improperly reimburse physicians, adding $200 billion annually to U.S. health care costs, AMA report finds

Washington post examines Medicare's 'growing fraud problem'

American Medical Association members say 'secret shoppers' should not be used to gauge quality at physicians' offices

Newspapers highlight health care, economic proposals of Presidential candidates Obama, McCain

Health care disparities found for female veterans

Warning about use of psychiatric drugs with the elderly

Advanced cancer patients often unaware of life expectancies, effects of chemotherapy, according to perspective

CMS to launch Medicare pilot project that will provide physicians with incentives to use health IT

Study finds obese people have higher lifetime medical costs despite shorter life expectancies

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blogs

CMS announces $15 million funding increase for Medicare counseling programs

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