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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.

Safety tips for OTC and prescription medications

The beginning of October marks the start of Talk About Prescriptions Month, which is sponsored by the National Council on Patient Information and Education. In support of this annual awareness effort, Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) is sharing tips to help consumers safely take over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications.

23 Sep 2009

Aetna selected as sole provider of Medicare Advantage PPO plans to retired state employees

Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced today that it has been selected by the Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund (PEBTF) as the sole provider of Medicare Advantage PPO plans to retired state employees. Aetna will be one of three health plans providing Medicare Advantage HMO plans. The contract takes effect Jan. 1, 2010.

23 Sep 2009

State Round-Up: Michigan wrestles with Medicaid cuts

News outlets examine state health issues, including potential Medicaid cuts in Michigan and the effect of swine flu on Louisiana's Medicaid budget.

23 Sep 2009

Proposed cuts can impact Ohio's health care services

The health reform bill currently pending in the House of Representatives, combined with the impact of the cuts being waved in front of Medicare-funded nursing homes -- an estimated $12 billion over 10 years -- will find Ohio's seniors in need of nursing and rehabilitative care on shaky ground.

23 Sep 2009

McLaren Health Care and ProTom partner to bring Proton beam therapy to Michigan

Cancer patients residing in and near Michigan are one step closer to receiving one of the most advanced forms of treatment available with a new partnership being formed between McLaren Health Care and ProTom International, a Texas-based health care technology company.

23 Sep 2009

Many amendments already introduced to Senate Finance bill

The Salt Lake Tribune: "Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has 51 ways he wants to change the latest health reform proposal including one amendment that would ease a tax on high-end insurance plans for 'any state with a name that begins with the letter 'U.'

23 Sep 2009

Small business operators worried over proposed health care legislation

The U.S. Congress is back in session with Health Care legislation dominating the attention of lawmakers and the public. The current proposed health care legislation will mandate small business with payrolls more than $250,000 to provide health insurance to their workers or pay a fine.

22 Sep 2009

T-M-Partners chooses InterSystems Ensemble for its CMS Quality Manager healthcare application

InterSystems Corporation today announced that Technology Medical Partners (T-M-Partners) has selected the InterSystems Ensemble® rapid integration and development platform for its CMS Quality Manager healthcare application. The first of many healthcare technology solutions under development by T-M-Partners, CMS Quality Manager is designed to vastly improve the data abstraction and administrative processes of reporting core measures to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS).

22 Sep 2009

IASIS Healthcare implements the Medicity Novo Grid solution to exchange health information electronically

Medicity, Inc. today announced that IASIS Healthcare went live with the Medicity Novo Grid solution in two (Florida and Utah) of its six regions. The solution enables IASIS to exchange health information electronically with providers connected on the Grid – whether the providers use an electronic health record (EHR) or operate a paper-based practice.

22 Sep 2009

NYC Health Insurance Link launches new website for high quality health insurance access

HealthConnect Systems, the leading online network for buyers and sellers of health insurance and employee benefits, announced today that its technology powers the NYC Health Insurance Link (www.nyc.gov/HILink), which went live today at a ceremony hosted by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. New York City’s Office of Citywide Health Insurance Access (OCHIA) and Management Information Systems (MIS), divisions of NYC’s Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services (HRA/DSS), developed this innovative website to bring high quality health insurance access to New York City residents and small businesses.

22 Sep 2009

Congress urged to delay pending Medicaid cuts

A diverse coalition of health care industry groups has sent an urgent letter to the bipartisan leadership in Congress seeking to delay pending Medicaid cuts and to enact a more equitable formula to reimburse pharmacies for dispensing generic drugs to Medicaid beneficiaries.

22 Sep 2009

Medicare round up: News coverage of cost issues and leadership gap

"The national average for Medicare spending on such patients was $46,412, including outpatient care," the Times reports. "But in Los Angeles County, the average cost was nearly double that, $84,179, according to a Los Angeles Times review of Dartmouth data. In seeking to explain why, some researchers have concluded that doctors in areas such as Los Angeles, with more hospitals and other resources, are more likely to have patients admitted, order tests and schedule visits, largely because they can."

21 Sep 2009

First Edition: September 21, 2009

Today's headlines indicate that President Obama's weekend media blitz will set the stage for this week's health policy action.

21 Sep 2009

Widespread misinformation about Obama's healthcare proposals

A new Harris Poll finds that large numbers of people either believe damaging misinformation about the health care proposals being discussed in Washington or are not sure what to believe. The polls also shows that almost half of all adults continue to support what they see as President Obama’s health care reform proposals, significantly but not substantially more than oppose them.

21 Sep 2009

Douglas: State Governors need 'time, flexibility' for successful health reform

KHN reports that "[w]hen it comes to making changes in the nation's health care system, states will need 'time and flexibility,' according to Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the Republican head of the National Governors Association."

21 Sep 2009

Medicaid: Budget gaps, informants, and a plan to expand coverage by going private

States are dealing with their unique Medicaid problems in different ways: New Mexico plans deep cuts, Florida seeks new Medicaid fraud informants, and a California gubernatorial candidate wants to privatize the program in the interest of covering the uninsured.

21 Sep 2009

Governors worry about major Medicaid expansion

The GOP fears the burden of a health care overhaul on states, Roll Call reports: "Senate Republicans joined with GOP governors on Thursday and harshly criticized Finance Chairman Max Baucus' (D-Mont.) health care plan, charging the bill would expand Medicaid while forcing a massive unfunded mandate on cash-strapped states. Republicans have criticized the bill for using the Medicaid system, which is partially funded by states and partially by the federal government, as a way to ensure greater health care coverage for Americans" (Stanton, 9/17).

21 Sep 2009

RAM Technologies' health care suite helps health plans to reduce expenses

Today's economic conditions coupled with the anticipated impacts of health insurance reform are forcing health plans to find ways to reduce expenses. RAM Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of software applications for health care payers, enables health plans to reduce expenses with the cost saving features of their health care administrative solution suite HEALTHsuite(R) and eHealthsuite(TM).

21 Sep 2009

Drug sellers, benefit managers poise for court-ordered price cuts

"A forthcoming rollback of benchmark drug prices -- a court-approved move meant to benefit consumers -- should have little effect on the bottom line for pharmacy-benefit managers or their clients, as companies have taken protective steps," the Wall Street Journal reports. Pharmacies, however, worry the 4 percent reduction in benchmark prices could result in Medicaid reductions. Benefit managers initially opposed the cut, but say they have adjusted contracts to make up for it.

21 Sep 2009