Medicaid News and Research

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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.

Gloomy health care statistics in Texas top state news

New outlets report on a variety of health issues at the state level including gloomy health statistics and the rising cost of premiums for sick workers in Texas, a Medicaid program that could provide a model for national health care reform in North Carolina and Medicaid cuts in Michigan.

19 Oct 2009

CBO estimate: House bill closing in on Obama's $900 billion limit

An initial Congressional Budget Office estimate of a version of health reform legislation favored by House liberals puts the price-tag within reach of President Obama's stated $900 billion limit for the overhaul, The Washington Post reports.

19 Oct 2009

Democratic lawmakers seek momentum, Republican votes as two versions of reform bills are combined

Democrats are seeking momentum and votes -- from both Democrats and Republicans -- as leaders work to combine the two versions of reform approved by Senate committees.

19 Oct 2009

Ultimate Software's healthcare customers report significant improvements after implementing UltiPro

Ultimate Software, a leading provider of end-to-end strategic human resources, payroll, and talent management solutions, announced today that long-term healthcare customers, including Homewood Retirement Centers, Mather LifeWays, and Holiday Home Health, are reporting significant improvements as a result of UltiPro’s comprehensive human capital management (HCM) features—including UltiPro’s sophisticated reporting, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, and robust functionality.

15 Oct 2009

Premier's corporate headquarters relocated in North Carolina

The Premier Inc. healthcare alliance today announced that it has relocated its corporate headquarters to Charlotte, N.C. Premier also has offices in San Diego, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

15 Oct 2009

Policymakers urged to preserve access to advanced imaging in final health care reform legislation

Survivors and patients with cancers and heart disease, along with patient advocate organizations and physicians, today urged policymakers to enhance early diagnosis of deadly diseases by preserving access to advanced imaging, such as MRI and CT scans, in final health care reform legislation.

15 Oct 2009

Senate Finance Committee passes health bill, but with plenty of grumbling

The Senate Finance Committee yesterday became the fifth and final committee in Congress to pass a health care overhaul bill. The committee voted 14-9 in favor of the bill with Sen. Olympia Snowe, of Maine, joining all of the panel's Democrats to cast the sole Republican "yea" vote.

15 Oct 2009

Senator Snowe's continued fight to ensure stable Medicare funding for seniors praised

The long term care sector's ongoing concern with deep Medicare cuts, in conjunction with the state Medicaid funding crisis fueled by the recession, was reflected in Senator Snowe's comments on the Senate Finance Committee health care reform package. We thank her for focusing much-needed attention on the unique challenges our sector faces in the continued provision of quality care to the vulnerable patients we serve in Maine and across the nation.

15 Oct 2009

AbbeyMoor Medical's The Spanner temporary prostatic stent insertion procedure receives Category I CPT code

AbbeyMoor Medical Inc. announced today they have been granted a Category I CPT code by the American Medical Association (AMA) for The Spanner(TM) temporary prostatic stent insertion procedure. This important action, effective in January 2010, upgrades The Spanner from a Category III emerging technology procedure code to a Category I procedure code for established procedures.

15 Oct 2009

Medicaid enrollments jump but states are trying to cut costs

Several states are noting significant increases in Medicaid enrollment, even as they look to find ways to create savings in the programs.

15 Oct 2009

After key vote, Senate still has long way to go on health care reform

The Associated Press breaks down the different health care reform packages in Congress and takes a look at where the bills — five in all — stand after the Senate Finance Committee voted Tuesday to send their bill out of committee.

15 Oct 2009

Status report on the health care reform proposals in Congress

14 Oct 2009

ACS to develop and maintain the Kentucky Health Information Exchange

Affiliated Computer Services, Inc., today announced that it has been awarded a contract that will help improve the quality of healthcare in Kentucky by providing physicians with a more complete picture of a patient’s medical history.

14 Oct 2009

Renal artery stenosis does not necessitate surgical procedures

Some invasive procedures that are becoming increasingly common as a first line of treatment for patients diagnosed with narrowed arteries in and around the kidneys may not be necessary, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

14 Oct 2009

Chamberlin Edmonds and Associates to help improve patient access to state and federal benefit programs

Chamberlin Edmonds and Associates, Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive patient eligibility services to hospitals, today announced that it was selected by Sky Lakes Medical Center (Klamath Falls, Ore.) to help improve patient access to state and federal benefit programs. Eligibility specialists from Chamberlin Edmonds will work at the hospital to guide patients through complex application processes to secure federal and state benefits for medical care.

14 Oct 2009

Connexin Software announces updated EMR software version to support H1N1 vaccine administration

With initial shipments of the much anticipated H1N1 vaccine arriving in doctors’ offices last week, Connexin Software today announced it is delivering an expedited update of its Office Practicum pediatric EMR with features to support the special forecasting, administration, and billing requirements of the new vaccine.

14 Oct 2009

Seniors and people with disabilities to choose new healthcare coverage

More than 600,000 seniors and people with disabilities will be required to choose new healthcare coverage during the upcoming Medicare annual enrollment because their current plan is being eliminated. However, millions more could benefit by changing to a plan that better fits their needs, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare services.

14 Oct 2009

Patients at highly rated hospitals have a 52% lower chance of dying: Study

The largest annual study of patient outcomes at each of the nation’s 5,000 nonfederal hospitals found a wide gap in quality between the nation’s best hospitals and all others. According to the study, issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, patients at highly rated hospitals have a 52 percent lower chance of dying compared with the U.S. hospital average, a quality chasm that has persisted for the last decade even as mortality rates, in general, have declined.

14 Oct 2009

Mayo's decision to limit patients makes it a poor model, critics say

The Mayo Clinic has started limiting the number of Medicare and Medicaid patients it admits and critics argue that such restrictions have made Mayo too selective to serve as a model for health-care reform.

14 Oct 2009

States eye budget cuts and health reform

Pennsylvania's hospitals got a small piece of good news when an overdue budget came with smaller than expected cuts. But there and in other states, programs continue to find programs and budgets on the chopping block.

14 Oct 2009