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AAHSA commends Senator Reid for including CLASS provisions in health reform bill

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) commends Senator Reid (D-Nev.) for his leadership on ensuring that the Community Living and Supportive Services (CLASS) Plan provisions are included in the Senate's health reform bill.

18 Nov 2009

AARP tells GOP it won't reverse support for Democrats' House health bill

"House Republicans want the AARP to rescind its endorsement of comprehensive health reform legislation after a government report showed it could cause some providers to stop accepting Medicare patients," CongressDaily reports. The report, issued by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "warned some Medicare beneficiaries could lose access to providers if the House bill becomes law."

18 Nov 2009

CLASS Act, individual mandate draw new attention to health bills

Some provisions in the health bills are attracting a new wave of analyses and some criticism of the health reform bills.

18 Nov 2009

Seniors struggle with drug costs while Congress debates Medicare 'doughnut hole'

Minnesota Public Radio reports: "Since 2006, senior citizens have been able to choose plans for Medicare prescription drug coverage, but that coverage contains a gap known as the 'doughnut hole,' a gap that health care reform plans being debated in Congress would address."

18 Nov 2009

White House reports billions lost in improper payments for Medicare, other government programs

The White House announced Tuesday that billions of federal dollars were spent in improper payments in 2009 and that spending in the Medicare and Medicaid programs accounted for more than half of that total. President Barack Obama will issue an executive order to crack down on the problem, officials said.

18 Nov 2009

Tempest over new mammography guidelines affect health legislation, insurance guidelines

Newspapers across the country featured front-page follow-up stories on new mammogram recommendations today.

18 Nov 2009

House Medicare 'doc fix' vote likely Thursday amidst disputes about cost, role in health reform

"On Thursday, the House is expected to pass a $210 billion measure — known as the 'doc fix' — that will adjust Medicare payment rates to avoid a 21 percent cut in January and continuing cuts in the years ahead," The New York Times reports, adding: "The House originally included the provision in its big health care bill. But it was dropped because its steep cost would have meant the bill would add to future federal deficits, violating one of President Obama's central requirements for the health legislation."

18 Nov 2009

Cymetrix announces a partnership with Montefiore Medical Center

Cymetrix, a leader in providing hospitals and healthcare networks with revenue cycle management solutions, today announced a partnership with Montefiore Medical Center to provide a unique service to reduce ambulatory charity and bad-debt write-offs.

18 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 18, 2009

Mary Agnes Carey writes about what might become of the Children's Health Insurance Program. One of it's staunchest backers, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D- W.Va., isn't ready to see it swallowed up by a new health insurance marketplace designed by Congress (Kaiser Health News).

18 Nov 2009

Homecare, an important part of the solution to nation's healthcare crisis

During November -- National Homecare Month -- the American Association for Homecare celebrates the thousands of dedicated professionals who provide cost-effective and consumer-preferred homecare.

18 Nov 2009

In home evaluation trials for GeckoSystems' home care robot begins

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. (http://www.geckosystems.com/) announced today that they have started limited in home evaluation trials for their first product, a fully autonomous personal companion home care robot, the CareBot™.

18 Nov 2009

NCQA to revise landmark evaluation of medical practices to improve care quality

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced plans to revise its landmark evaluation of medical practices through the Physician Practice Connections®-Patient-Centered Medical Home™ (PPC®-PCMH™) to reflect the growing interest in this promising approach to improving care quality.

18 Nov 2009

Leading advocates join together to call for passage of legislation in the House

Today, leading advocates for seniors, military families and physicians joined together to call for passage of legislation in the House that will preserve access to care for seniors, baby boomers and military families through repeal of the broken Medicare physician payment formula.

18 Nov 2009

Abbott and BG Medicine announce a development and commercialization agreement for galectin-3 biomarker

Abbott and BG Medicine, Inc. today announced a development and commercialization agreement for galectin-3, a novel biomarker that may play a role in detecting the development and progression of heart failure. The assay will be developed for Abbott's ARCHITECT immunochemistry instrument platform, specifically the company's i1000SR and i2000SR instruments. The agreement grants Abbott a license to BG Medicine's intellectual property related to galectin-3.

17 Nov 2009

Medicare doctor payment "fix" could slip, jeopardizing AMA support for health reform

The American Medical Association backed the House Democrats' reform bill earlier this month, at a time when it appeared likely lawmakers would move to permanently end looming cuts to doctors' Medicare payments that Congress defers from year to year, Politico reports.

17 Nov 2009

White House deal with drug makers may be unraveling

"Congressional Democrats' intensifying efforts to pay for their healthcare overhaul and provide more relief for consumers are threatening to unravel a White House deal with the pharmaceutical industry and turn one of Washington's most powerful lobbies against the legislation," the Los Angeles Times reports.

17 Nov 2009

Business opponents of health overhaul ramp up advertising

"Business foes of health care overhaul legislation are outspending supporters at a rate of 2-to-1 for TV ads as they grow increasingly nervous over a final bill," The Associated Press reports.

17 Nov 2009

Startling new mammogram guidelines incite debate about risk, cost

The Washington Post: "Women in their 40s should stop routinely having annual mammograms and older women should cut back to one scheduled exam every other year, an influential federal task force has concluded, challenging the use of one of the most common medical tests" (Stein, 11/17).

17 Nov 2009

As Senate debate approaches, partisans step up political high jinks

Volleys of rhetoric, attack advertisements and procedural parries are echoing through Congress's health care debate. Here's a look at some of the latest political jabs.

17 Nov 2009

Wisconsin town has highest rate of living wills, lowest cost of care

NPR reports on a town in Wisconsin with the highest rates of living wills in the country.

17 Nov 2009

Medicare News and Research

AAHSA commends Senator Reid for including CLASS provisions in health reform bill

AARP tells GOP it won't reverse support for Democrats' House health bill

CLASS Act, individual mandate draw new attention to health bills

Seniors struggle with drug costs while Congress debates Medicare 'doughnut hole'

White House reports billions lost in improper payments for Medicare, other government programs

Tempest over new mammography guidelines affect health legislation, insurance guidelines

House Medicare 'doc fix' vote likely Thursday amidst disputes about cost, role in health reform

Cymetrix announces a partnership with Montefiore Medical Center

First Edition: November 18, 2009

Homecare, an important part of the solution to nation's healthcare crisis

In home evaluation trials for GeckoSystems' home care robot begins

NCQA to revise landmark evaluation of medical practices to improve care quality

Leading advocates join together to call for passage of legislation in the House

Abbott and BG Medicine announce a development and commercialization agreement for galectin-3 biomarker

Medicare doctor payment "fix" could slip, jeopardizing AMA support for health reform

White House deal with drug makers may be unraveling

Business opponents of health overhaul ramp up advertising

Startling new mammogram guidelines incite debate about risk, cost

As Senate debate approaches, partisans step up political high jinks

Wisconsin town has highest rate of living wills, lowest cost of care

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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