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State highlights: Colo. effort to reduce hospital readmissions pays off

A 2-year-old initiative between the Colorado Hospital Association and UnitedHealthcare to reduce costly unnecessary readmissions is reporting major gains on a lingering problem. The readmission rate for "same cause" patients -- those coming back for the same malady as their initial visit -- dropped to just over 5 percent from 9.8 percent the year before, at 19 Colorado hospitals, according to a release by the collaboration (Booth, 8/21).

26 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Republican patient takes GOP health message to task; the deadlines the administration has missed

In recent months, President Obama and his subordinates have waived or delayed a number of Obamacare's notable features, such as the law's employer mandate, and its procedures for protecting taxpayers from fraud and identity theft.

21 Aug 2013

Study shows ERs are not meeting needs of senior citizens

Emergency departments are not meeting the needs of senior citizens, according to a new international study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

21 Aug 2013

Research roundup: Use of high-deductible plans limits some E.R. visits; older folks not as sick as they used to be

One-third of US workers now have high-deductible health plans, and those numbers are expected to grow in 2014 as implementation of the Affordable Care Act continues. There is concern that high-deductible health plans might cause enrollees of low socioeconomic status to forgo emergency care as a result of burdensome out-of-pocket costs.

12 Aug 2013

Insurance agents target navigators; GOP Rep. Mchenry grilled at town hall; questions remain for Capitol Hill staff

When states and the federal government launch the new insurance marketplaces, or &quotexchanges&quot, on October 1, one of their greatest challenges will be reaching the very people the marketplaces are meant to help. ... Enter the navigators.

12 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 9, 2013

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including Kathleen Sebelius' outreach to Texans and a look at Americans' comprehension of health insurance.

9 Aug 2013

Romney warns against linking efforts to undo health law to govt. shutdown threat

The former GOP presidential hopeful warned fellow Republicans that the party will "suffer" if some lawmakers continue to pursue this strategy.

8 Aug 2013

Some states say they won't enforce the health law's insurance reforms

Six states have taken this position, according to the Texas Tribune. Meanwhile, media outlets report on new developments regarding state activity on the health law's Medicaid expansion and health exchanges.

8 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 7, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how deadlines have been missed regarding tests for the health cxchange privacy system.

7 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Republicans' 'temper tantrum' on health care; 'mixed message' on cancer

Last week House Republicans voted for the 40th time to repeal Obamacare. Like the previous 39 votes, this action will have no effect whatsoever. But it was a stand-in for what Republicans really want to do: repeal reality, and the laws of arithmetic in particular.

6 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Shutting down the government over health law is 'nutty' idea; GOP's Obamacare playbook for summer recess

Led by Sens. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, the GOP insurgents are threatening to shut down the government on Oct. 1 if the stopgap funding bill contains money for Obamacare. This is nuts. The president will never sign a bill defunding the singular achievement of his presidency. Especially when he has control of the Senate. Especially when, though a narrow 51 percent majority of Americans disapproves of Obamacare, only 36 percent favors repeal. President Obama so knows he'll win any shutdown showdown that he's practically goading the Republicans into trying. ... Every fiscal showdown has redounded against the Republicans (Charles Krauthammer, 8/1).

3 Aug 2013

Home healthcare sector: A steady source of job growth, employment in healthcare field

The July 2013 jobs report, released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, continues to demonstrate that the home healthcare sector is a steady source of job growth and employment in the healthcare field.

3 Aug 2013

New survey commissioned by PhRMA identifies America's top health priorities

A new survey commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America shows 86 percent of Americans believe developing cures for more forms of cancer should be one of the top national health priorities, followed by developing effective treatments for heart disease (78 percent) and more intensive medical care for seniors (76 percent).

2 Aug 2013

Obama seeks to calm 'jittery Democrats' on health law rollout

Meanwhile, senior GOP leaders plan more votes to chip away at Obamacare, in part to dissuade their rank and file from demanding a government shutdown this fall unless the health law is defunded.

2 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 1, 2013

Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about if the health law requires employer-sponsored insurance to cover maternity benefits for an employee's dependents (8/1).

1 Aug 2013

Obama administration touts slower health care cost increases

According to USA Today, personal health care costs rose at the slowest rate in the last 50 years, based on statistics for the past year ending in May.

31 Jul 2013

State highlights: Mandatory treatment for mental illness working in NY, study finds; Ore. regulators lower insurance rates $69M

A year ago, Montana opened the nation's first clinic for free primary health care services to its state government employees. The Helena, Mont., clinic was pitched as a way to improve overall employee health, but the idea has faced its fair share of political opposition. A year later, the state says the clinic is already saving money (Boyce, 7/30).

31 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: Rove warns against government shutdown; 'despicable' GOP tactics; Medicare database a tool to control costs

President Obama would love nothing more than Republicans' providing him a bully pulpit and big stick with which he can beat them daily through the 2014 midterm elections. That's what the Republicans would give Mr. Obama if they shut down the government by trying to defund Obamacare in the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government after October 1. That's because the Continuing Resolution only affects discretionary spending. Virtually all of Obamacare costs are mandatory spending, unaffected by what's in the CR (Karl Rove, 7/26).

30 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 30, 2013

Today's headlines include a USA Today story reporting that personal health care costs rose in the 12 months ending in May at the slowest rate in the last 50 years -- a finding that makes the White House happy.

30 Jul 2013

U.S. bans new home health, ambulance providers in three high-fraud cities from Medicare, Medicaid

Federal officials are temporarily banning certain types of home health and ambulance providers in three major, high-fraud cities from enrolling in Medicare or Medicaid.

30 Jul 2013

Seniors News and Research

State highlights: Colo. effort to reduce hospital readmissions pays off

Viewpoints: Republican patient takes GOP health message to task; the deadlines the administration has missed

Study shows ERs are not meeting needs of senior citizens

Research roundup: Use of high-deductible plans limits some E.R. visits; older folks not as sick as they used to be

Insurance agents target navigators; GOP Rep. Mchenry grilled at town hall; questions remain for Capitol Hill staff

First Edition: August 9, 2013

Romney warns against linking efforts to undo health law to govt. shutdown threat

Some states say they won't enforce the health law's insurance reforms

First Edition: August 7, 2013

Viewpoints: Republicans' 'temper tantrum' on health care; 'mixed message' on cancer

Viewpoints: Shutting down the government over health law is 'nutty' idea; GOP's Obamacare playbook for summer recess

Home healthcare sector: A steady source of job growth, employment in healthcare field

New survey commissioned by PhRMA identifies America's top health priorities

Obama seeks to calm 'jittery Democrats' on health law rollout

First Edition: August 1, 2013

Obama administration touts slower health care cost increases

State highlights: Mandatory treatment for mental illness working in NY, study finds; Ore. regulators lower insurance rates $69M

Viewpoints: Rove warns against government shutdown; 'despicable' GOP tactics; Medicare database a tool to control costs

First Edition: July 30, 2013

U.S. bans new home health, ambulance providers in three high-fraud cities from Medicare, Medicaid

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