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.

Pharmacies sue states they say underpaid them for prescription drugs

New York, California and Washington state have been sued by drug store groups who say their members were underpaid in Medicaid payments for prescription drugs.

3 Oct 2009

New (and old) ideas for health care show possibility of savings, improvements

The search for reform models continues, with news reports exploring the Veterans Administration's "government-run health care," Washington State's "reputation for lower-cost, higher-quality health care," and Kaiser Permanente's new money-saving approach to heart attack treatment.

3 Oct 2009

$1 million grant to expand health insurance coverage to uninsured children

The Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey, an affiliate of the New Jersey Hospital Association, has been awarded a grant of nearly $1 million under a federal program aimed at expanding health insurance coverage to uninsured children.

3 Oct 2009

Reid's Medicaid deal for Nevada draws criticism

Politico: "Reid moved swiftly to ensure that his home state of Nevada wouldn't be hurt by Medicaid changes included in the health care reform bill moving through the Senate Finance Committee. Now some of his Democratic colleagues are demanding the same treatment for their states."

1 Oct 2009

Democrats shoot down Republican abortion amendment, others pass

Members of the Senate Finance Committee wrangled Wednesday over proposed amendments to tighten abortion restrictions to the panel's health reform bill, with Democrats ultimately defeating the effort.

1 Oct 2009

First Edition: October 1, 2009

The progress continues, and so does the drama, as the Senate Finance Committee complete another day of its health bill mark up. Meanwhile, in the House, leaders are counting votes among their members.

1 Oct 2009

57% of Americans believe that tackling health care reform is more important than ever: Kaiser poll

Public support for health reform ended its summer slide, reversed course and moved modestly upwards in September, according to the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.

1 Oct 2009

Medicaid members to receive cover for administration cost of the H1N1 vaccine from WellCare

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) announced it will cover the full cost of administration of the H1N1 vaccine as a preventative care benefit for Medicare Advantage, Medicare private fee-for-service (PFFS) and Medicaid plan members when it becomes available to the public.

1 Oct 2009

North Shore-LIJ Health System to implement the largest EHR program in the New York metropolitan area

The North Shore-LIJ Health System announced today it is subsidizing up to 85 percent of the cost of implementing and operating an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system in the offices of its more than 7,000 affiliated physicians in New York City and Long Island -- part of a $400 million investment to strengthen the quality of care throughout the region by automating inpatient and outpatient records in all medical settings, including 13 hospitals.

1 Oct 2009

State budget cuts continue to erode Medicaid programs, new and old models gain traction

News outlets report on health stories, especially budget cuts, around the country. In Minnesota, however, three quiet, low-cost health providers have received grants to test whether their programs could become new models for others to emulate, while a panel in Louisiana has advised that the state resort to its old one.

1 Oct 2009

Edifecs offers free CMS compliant solution for Medicare Administrative Contractors

Edifecs, Inc., the proven leader in healthcare transaction interoperability solutions, announced today it is providing a free Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solution that is fully compliant with the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements for Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).

1 Oct 2009

Senate Committee rejects public insurance option

The Senate Finance Committee voted down Tuesday two amendments to include a public options for health insurance coverage in health care reform.

1 Oct 2009

HHS announces grants to help them find eligible uninsured children for Medicaid or CHIP

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $40 million in grants to 69 grantees in 41 states and the District of Columbia to help them find and enroll children who are uninsured but eligible for either Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

1 Oct 2009

Press Ganey Associates approved as qualified HH-CAHPS survey vendor

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved Press Ganey Associates, Inc. as a qualified survey vendor for the Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HH-CAHPS).

1 Oct 2009

Jindal to GOP: Time to say "here's what we're for"

In interviews Tuesday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Republicans need to lay out their own plans for health reform, rather than just rejecting Democratic proposals..

1 Oct 2009

New report: Without reform, state health costs could skyrocket

Even as state government officials worry that a health overhaul will compel them to spend more on Medicaid, a new report finds that states face rapid cost increases if the health care system is not reformed.

1 Oct 2009

HMS announces the acquisition of IntegriGuard

HMS today announced that it has acquired the business of IntegriGuard LLC, an ISO-certified and URAC-accredited organization devoted to the prevention and detection of fraud, waste, and abuse in the healthcare system. The company is based in Omaha, Nebraska and will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of HMS Holdings Corp.

1 Oct 2009

GAO: Medicaid wastes millions on phony prescriptions for painkillers

A new report by the Government Accountability Office "finds that state and federal officials failed to detect millions of dollars in Medicaid prescription drug abuse," USA Today reports. "An audit of the government program in five large states found about 65,000 instances of beneficiaries improperly obtaining potentially addictive drugs at a cost of about $65 million during 2006 and 2007 — including thousands of prescriptions written for dead patients or by people posing as doctors."

30 Sep 2009

PACeHR chooses e-MDs and Noteworthy Medical Systems to drive EHR adoption in Arizona

The Purchasing & Assistance Collaborative for Electronic Health Records (PACeHR) today announced the selection of e-MDs and Noteworthy Medical Systems, Inc. as technology partners to provide accessible and affordable electronic health records (EHR) to small and medium-sized physician group practices in Arizona.

30 Sep 2009

First edition: September 30, 2009

A look at today's headlines offers evidence that just about everyone is talking about yesterday's Senate Finance Committee blow to the public option and if -- and how -- the concept will survive.

30 Sep 2009