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Almost Family records net service revenues of $125 million for Q2 2014

Almost Family, Inc., a leading regional provider of home health nursing and personal care services, announced today its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014.

6 Aug 2014

Research roundup: The effect of expensive cancer therapies; missed hospital handovers; children's mental health needs

Medicare uses more than a dozen different payment systems to set payment rates for the medical items and services the program covers for beneficiaries.

4 Aug 2014

Report examines Medicare spending issues, geographic disparities and hospital payments

The report from the congressional advisory group MedPAC assesses a variety of issues, including penalties that Medicare has recently begun imposing on hospitals and how that affects facilities largely serving poor patients.

18 Jun 2013

NAPHS releases new study that examines readmission patterns within Medicare IPF PPS

The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems today released a new study by The Moran Company that is the first to examine readmission patterns within inpatient psychiatric facilities paid under the Medicare IPF prospective payment system.

13 May 2013

New medical schools aim at doubling number of primary care doctors

New medical schools are trying to double the number of primary care doctors in America, while MedPAC considers better pay for advanced-practice nurses and physicians assistants under Medicare.

9 Apr 2013

Research roundup: Nurse education and post-surgery mortality; The influence of publicly reported quality-of-care measures

Each week, KHN reporter Alvin Tran compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.

16 Mar 2013

A closer look at latest 'doc fix'

As part of the fiscal deal, a scheduled cut in Medicare physician payment rates was postponed -- but its 10-year price tag is being borne by other health care players, especially hospitals.

4 Jan 2013

Medicare advisory group recommends 1% increase in hospital rates

The head of the group that advises Congress on Medicare issued the draft recommendation, which will be voted on by the full board in January.

7 Dec 2012

Decrease in doctor appointments, preventable hospital visits draw scrutiny

Medpage Today offers a pair of stories exploring Census findings regarding doctor visits in 2010 as well as MedPAC's interest in "preventable" hospital visits.

10 Oct 2012

MedPAC staffers recommend allowing geographically based Medicare physician payments to proceed

These pay reductions have long been frozen, but that freeze is set to expire on Dec. 31. MedPAC has yet to vote on the issue. Meanwhile, a pair of KHN stories examine separate Medicare issues, including the difficult decisions in play as a family member enrolls in the program, as well as the details of a study about seniors' ER visits.

9 Oct 2012

Medpac urges changes in Medicare beneficiaries' co-pays, but would cap other costs

The MedPAC recommendations to restructure what they call an outdated system, will be the subject of a congressional hearing Tuesday.

19 Jun 2012

Auditors find Medicare lax in collecting overpayments; New members named to Medpac

Federal auditors say Medicare failed to collect about 80 percent of the more than $400 million that were identified as overpayments, Modern Healthcare reports.

25 May 2012

Kindred Healthcare first quarter consolidated revenues increase 33% to $1.6 billion

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. today announced its operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012. The Company's consolidated financial statements include the operating results of RehabCare Group, Inc. since the closing of the acquisition on June 1, 2011.

2 May 2012

GAO report offers rebuke of Medicare bonus program

A report to be released today by government auditors calls the Medicare bonus program wasteful and questions claims it improves quality of care.

23 Apr 2012

Advisory panel urges new fee on Medigap plans, cap on out-of-pocket costs

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission made recommendations to Congress for changes to the program. It's not clear if Congress will accept the proposals.

7 Apr 2012

MedPAC urges repeal of SGR, recommends Medicare payment cuts for hospitals, nursing homes, home health companies

The Medicare Payment Advisory Board on Thursday recommended cutting payments for hospitals and nursing homes while encouraging use of generic drugs. The panel's March report to Congress reiterates calls for reimbursing doctors' visits at the same rate whether they take place in a hospital or a physician's office. MedPAC says Medicare currently pays 80 percent more for the same routine visit if it takes place in a hospital setting, costing the program anywhere from $1 billion to $5 billion over five years

17 Mar 2012

With new poll showing low public approval, Congress returns to D.C.:'Doc fix,' tax cuts on agenda

The Associated Press reports that in order to prevent a 27 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors, negotiators are trying to find $39 billion in cuts elsewhere in health spending. A deal could be reached faster than initially expected.

18 Jan 2012

MedPAC: Raise, and also lower, Medicare reimbursements to hospitals

Medicare payments for hospitals' inpatient and outpatient services should increase 1%, Medicare's advisory panel recommended Thursday, while pay for evaluation and management in hospitals' outpatient facilities should drop to the amount provided to physicians' offices for such services. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted 16-1 to recommend the 1% update for inpatient and outpatient hospital services for 2013.

13 Jan 2012

Super committee still at loggerheads on deficit, agreement still elusive

With just days remaining to overcome the impasse, deficit panel members appear to be making no progress toward an agreement to reach the 10-year savings target. Still, meetings and discussions continued regarding possible tax increases and cuts in the growth of programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

19 Nov 2011

Medicare touts progress on closing doughnut hole

Meanwhile, MedPAC makes recommendations for controlling costs for "dual eligibles," and Medicare sees new rules bring costs down for weight loss surgery.

7 Nov 2011