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Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states.

Wisconsin cuts $600 million from Medicaid budget, still faces deficit

The Associated Press reports that the top Wisconsin health official said Thursday that the state is "on track to cut more than $600 million from Medicaid, but even with those reductions, high demand from the poor for insurance benefits could result in up to a $150 million shortfall."

18 Dec 2009

Roundup of health policy research and analyses

Urban Institute/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: What Would Health Care Reform Mean for Small Employers and Their Workers? - "Small employers and their workers face a broad assortment of barriers to obtaining health insurance coverage today," such as "high administrative costs, limited ability to spread health care risk, and a low-wage workforce."

18 Dec 2009

Health industry revenue up 5.7 percent, some seniors head south for care

The Dallas Morning News reports that the U.S. Census released a report Thursday that showed health care industry's revenues grew 5.7 percent in 2008 to $1.75 trillion. The number represents 30 percent of economic activity in the U.S., according to a Census official. "The Census Bureau cites Texas as one of the most expensive states for health care.

18 Dec 2009

Senate leaders in hot pursuit of the elusive 60th vote: Ben Nelson

The Associated Press: "With just days remaining to prove that they can meet a self-imposed Christmas deadline and pass President Barack Obama's signature initiative through the Senate, Democrats seeking a rendezvous with history instead detoured to an intraparty brawl. ... All eyes were on the only known Democratic holdout, moderate Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, whose primary concern is that abortion funding restrictions in the bill were too lax.

18 Dec 2009

NHCAA, LearnSomething partner to develop a fraud, waste and abuse compliance training solution

The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, the leading national organization focused exclusively on the fight against health care fraud, has partnered with LearnSomething, Inc., to develop a compliance training solution that satisfies the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) requirement for fraud, waste and abuse training.

18 Dec 2009

Three New York home health agencies to pay $24M for resolving Medicaid and Medicare fraud allegations

The Department of Justice announced today that the United States and the state of New York have entered into settlement agreements with three home health agencies to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to the New York Medicaid and Medicare programs.

18 Dec 2009

Medicare expenditures less for POHs compared to non-POHs, says new study

The cost to Medicare of a patient receiving treatment at a physician owned and operated hospitals is "4.6 to 6.00% lower" than hospitals not run by physicians, according to a new study by Oxford Outcomes, an internationally respected research agency.

18 Dec 2009

LaserBand signs agreement to provide patient ID wristbands for Premier’s ASCEND members

LaserBand LLC, a worldwide leader in patient identification wristbands, was announced as the sole source provider of proprietary patient identification (ID) wristbands and related products for Premier’s ASCEND (Accelerated Supply Chain Endeavor) members.

18 Dec 2009

IASIS Healthcare achieves DNV accreditation

IASIS Healthcare® LLC today announced the completion of a system-wide initiative to accredit all 16 of its hospitals through DNV Healthcare, the only Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved accreditation program that integrates the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System.

18 Dec 2009

Antidepressants may play a key role in improving adolescents’ mental health

Suicidal adolescents who were prescribed an antidepressant medication during inpatient psychiatric hospital treatment were 85 percent less likely than others to be readmitted within a month after discharge, a new study found.

18 Dec 2009

Duane Reade offers H1N1 immunization vaccines for New York residents

Duane Reade, the largest drug store chain in New York City, today announced plans for its H1N1 immunization program as part of the Company's commitment to meet the health and wellness needs of New Yorkers and to be a destination for their flu related needs.

18 Dec 2009

HHS money targets chronic disease management for seniors

McKnight's Long Term Care News "The Department of Health and Human Services is disbursing $27 million in stimulus package funds to bolster care and prevention of chronic conditions among the elderly through the HHS Administration on Aging (AoA), it said Wednesday.

17 Dec 2009

Report estimates how many would gain coverage under senate health bill

Families USA analyzed Congressional Budget Office data to estimate how many people would gain health insurance coverage if the Senate bill passes. Some local news outlets report on how their state would be affected.

17 Dec 2009

Medicaid woes lead to a creative solution in Utah, cuts in Kansas

The Salt Lake Tribune: "After years of fighting the hated 'sick tax,' Utah hospitals are working with legislative leaders to craft a new levy aimed at helping pay for treating Utah's poor." Hospitals and the state legislature have found a way to raise around $50 million in new federal Medicaid funding by taxing hospitals about $23 million more.

17 Dec 2009

Federal tech panel still defining electronic health records terminology

The mid-December "milestone" for a federal advisory panel to come up with a definition of "meaningful use" of electronic medical records has come and gone, Modern Healthcare reports. That definition is to be used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to determine who is eligible for a share of $34 billion in subsidies provided as part of the February stimulus bill. The members of the federal panel began shaping their definition in May.

17 Dec 2009

Dangers of excess radiation exposure: Stricter measures needed to prevent unnecessary scans

MedSolutions (www.medsolutions.com), a leading provider of medical cost management services, today commended two new studies highlighting the dangers of excess radiation exposure from CT scans and other diagnostic imaging tests.

17 Dec 2009

Quantros launches new healthcare IT consulting division

Quantros, Inc., a leading provider of safety and quality software and professional services solutions for the healthcare industry, announces the creation of a new healthcare IT consulting division.

17 Dec 2009

Healthcare sector achieves modest revenue growth in 2008

Health care sector revenue increased by 5.7 percent in 2008 to $1.75 trillion, up from $1.66 trillion in 2007, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This sector is classified under the North American Industry Classification System as NAICS 62.

17 Dec 2009

HCRS awarded a contract to support AETC with medical records coding and training services

HealthCare Resolution Services, Inc., a leading provider of program integrity support, health information technology services and professional medical and technical staffing services, announced today that it has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Air Force's Commodities Council to support the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) with medical records coding and analysis, auditing, and provider training.

17 Dec 2009

Portable bladder volume ultrasound now included in 2009 CDC guidelines for the prevention CA-UTIs

Verathon®, maker of BladderScan® bladder volume instruments is pleased to announce that portable bladder volume ultrasound is now included in the new 2009 CDC guidelines for the Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CA-UTIs).

17 Dec 2009