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Research roundup: Structural concerns in ACOs; public's view of mandated contraception coverage

The Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs reward participating health care provider groups that achieve slower spending growth and high quality of care.

26 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 25, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about a recommendation that Oregon switch its troubled health exchange from a state-run marketplace to healthcare.gov.

25 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: Health spending ready to start climbing again; Cruz's 'nightmare' comes true

Standing before a roomful of economists, policy makers and health care experts earlier this month, Amitabh Chandra, director of Health Policy Research at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, closed a presentation about the slowdown in health care spending over the last decade by citing an article in The New York Times.

25 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: The case against Jenny Mccarthy's vaccine stand; apathy on HIV; defeating Alzheimer's

What do you call someone who sows misinformation, stokes fear, abets behavior that endangers people's health, extracts enormous visibility from doing so and then says the equivalent of "Who? Me?" I'm not aware of any common noun for a bad actor of this sort. But there's a proper noun: Jenny McCarthy (Frank Bruni, 4/21).

23 Apr 2014

Polls offer competing visions of electorate's views on health law

A Fox poll finds more than half of voters are inclined to support candidates that oppose the health overhaul, but Democrats say that other polls show a band of independent voters who may not like the law but don't want it repealed.

23 Apr 2014

WOTV 4's Maranda and Forest Hills Central students honored for contributing to community-based causes

The second annual Carol Van Andel Angel of Excellence dinner and award presentation took place on April 17, 2014. The event, hosted by Van Andel Institute (VAI), honored individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Institute through volunteer service, philanthropy, special event support, innovation or scientific support.

18 Apr 2014

Medicare pays doctors even after they're sanctioned

A ProPublica report finds that the agency continued paying doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals even after they were charged with bilking the program. Meanwhile, a report recommends that Medicare pay hospitals less for low-risk outpatient surgeries.

17 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 17, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about emerging political strategies related to the health law and the upcoming congressional elections.

17 Apr 2014

UnitedHealth Group reports strong revenue growth in Q1 2014

UnitedHealth Group today reported first quarter results, highlighted by Optum's strong growth in revenues, operating earnings and revenue backlog and UnitedHealthcare's continued strong, diversified performance despite the negative impacts of newly effective ACA taxes and regulatory provisions and sequestration cuts to Medicare.

17 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: Cooking the Census books; immigrants left off health law; abortion still a 'tripwire'

You can't manage what you don't measure, as the great Peter Drucker used to say, and for the White House that seems to be the goal. Out of the blue, the Census Bureau has changed how it counts health insurance - at the precise moment when ObamaCare is roiling the insurance markets (4/15).

17 Apr 2014

Highlights: N.Y.'s $8B Medicaid waiver; Conn. Medicaid application delays settlement; managed care overpayment in Washington state

New York and federal officials report final agreement allowing the state to reinvest $8 billion in Medicaid savings to support hospital overhauls and expand primary medical care over the next five years. The goal of the Medicaid waiver is to reduce avoidable hospital use by 25 percent while helping financially struggling hospitals shift to more primary and outpatient care (4/14).

16 Apr 2014

New set of criteria for diagnosing sarcopenia in older adults

Sarcopenia - the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength - may put up to 50 percent of seniors at greater risk for disability, yet there is no consensus within the medical community for how this condition should be measured.

16 Apr 2014

Fallout continues around Medicare Advantage payment rates

The Obama administration's decision to reverse a proposed Medicare Advantage payment cut has been panned by insurance analysts and governors, among others.

16 Apr 2014

Cognitive impairment common among seniors living in nursing homes and community

More than 70% of elderly Medicare beneficiaries experience cognitive impairment or severe dementia near the end-of-life and may need surrogate decision makers for healthcare decisions. Advance care planning for older adults with dementia may be particularly important for individuals who do not reside in a nursing home or a long-term care facility, according to an article published in the April issue of Health Affairs.

11 Apr 2014

Taking a close-to-home look at the Medicare billing data

Other news outlets offer localized takes on the Medicare data, including the Miami Herald's coverage of a physician who emerged as the federal program's top-paid doctor, the Philadelphia Inquirer's look at an ambulance business' billing patterns and the Seattle Times' examination of ophthalmologists.

11 Apr 2014

CMS releases trove of Medicare physician billing data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is making this information available for the first time in 35 years. Meanwhile, in their first run at the data, news outlets report that a small number of doctors account for a large share of Medicare costs.

10 Apr 2014

Seniors News and Research

Research roundup: Structural concerns in ACOs; public's view of mandated contraception coverage

First Edition: April 25, 2014

Viewpoints: Health spending ready to start climbing again; Cruz's 'nightmare' comes true

Viewpoints: The case against Jenny Mccarthy's vaccine stand; apathy on HIV; defeating Alzheimer's

Polls offer competing visions of electorate's views on health law

WOTV 4's Maranda and Forest Hills Central students honored for contributing to community-based causes

Medicare pays doctors even after they're sanctioned

First Edition: April 17, 2014

UnitedHealth Group reports strong revenue growth in Q1 2014

Viewpoints: Cooking the Census books; immigrants left off health law; abortion still a 'tripwire'

Highlights: N.Y.'s $8B Medicaid waiver; Conn. Medicaid application delays settlement; managed care overpayment in Washington state

New set of criteria for diagnosing sarcopenia in older adults

Fallout continues around Medicare Advantage payment rates

Cognitive impairment common among seniors living in nursing homes and community

Taking a close-to-home look at the Medicare billing data

CMS releases trove of Medicare physician billing data

First Edition: April 9, 2014

Healthy Aging Brain Center care model improves health outcomes and quality of care in older adults

House Democrats' budget plan leaves health law and Medicare intact

HHS reverses plan to cut Medicare advantage rates

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How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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