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AAPA applauds Baucus' efforts to move forward on health care reform legislation

The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), representing 75,000 clinically practicing physician assistants (PAs) in the United States, is very pleased that America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, produced yesterday by Senator Max Baucus, fully integrates PAs into new team-based models of care that are designed to promote primary care and the coordination of care for patients with chronic medical conditions.

18 Sep 2009

Plans could change how Medicare pays doctors, hospitals

Sen. Max Baucus' health proposal includes achieving cost savings, in part, by reconfiguring the way doctors and hospitals are paid for their services, The Wall Street Journal reports.

18 Sep 2009

AFA welcomes inclusion of cognitive impairment screening in healthcare reform proposal

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) today applauded Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), who spearheaded the provision, for including cognitive impairment screening for Medicare beneficiaries in Baucus' healthcare reform proposal, "America's Healthy Future Act of 2009."

18 Sep 2009

Federal officials say Louisiana owes $362 million for overpayments to public hospitals

The federal government says Louisiana public hospitals were overpaid by hundreds of millions of dollars.

18 Sep 2009

Health plan advanced by Senator Baucus is a step in the right direction: CEO of AHCA

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care (Alliance) characterized the health care finance reform plan released by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus as a step in the right direction, and said the process moving forward to a final bill should avoid steep cuts to Medicare financed nursing home care for the benefit of U.S. seniors, the overall stability of the nation's vital long term care sector, and the ongoing success of quality improvement initiatives.

18 Sep 2009

Health policy research roundup

Implementation Choices for the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 - This report examines two key areas of the implementation process of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 - outreach and enrollment, and quality of care - and issues a set of recommendations. "Recommendations include: giving funding priority to states that will adopt or maintain key simplifications… ensuring quality measures focus on priority health needs for children, and building quality measurement and improvement capabilities into electronic health information systems, among others," according to a Commonwealth Fund description of the report (Simpson, Fairbrother, Touschner and Guyer, 9/10).

18 Sep 2009

Baucus Bill in at $774 billion, would reduce deficit by nearly $50 billion over decade

Sen. Max Baucus' bill, which he said would cost $774 billion over the next 10 years, would reduce budget deficits by about $50 billion over the same time period, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

17 Sep 2009

Medicare to create pilot program for medical home model

Medicare will create a pilot program for a "medical home" model. The Wall Street Journal reports: "The Obama administration said Medicare will help fund state pilot projects that use primary-care doctors and teams of coordinators to manage patient care and reduce costs. Under the 'medical home' model, pioneered in Vermont and several other states, physicians are paid more for coordinating care for their patients.

17 Sep 2009

Fourth-quarter and fiscal year end 2009 results announced by Pioneer Behavioral Health

PHC, Inc., d/b/a Pioneer Behavioral Health (NYSE Amex: PHC), a leading provider of inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services, reported financial results for the company's fourth fiscal quarter and year ended June 30, 2009. The results exclude the operations of the company`s research division, Pivotal Research Centers, Inc. ("Pivotal"), which was sold during the 2009 third fiscal quarter and was classified as a discontinued operation.

17 Sep 2009

PIPC supports new comparative effectiveness research proposal

The Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC), a non-partisan, patient- focused, grassroots organization focused on securing patient-centered comparative effectiveness research (CER) voiced its strong support of the comparative effectiveness research provisions in Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus’s health reform proposal released today.

17 Sep 2009

Secretary Sebelius' new initiative to improve health care delivery

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, along with Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle today announced an initiative that will allow Medicare to join Medicaid, and private insurers in state-based efforts to improve the way health care is delivered.

17 Sep 2009

Military families to benefit from expansion of Health Net Federal Services

As flu season approaches, Health Net Federal Services, LLC, the government operations division of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT), is proud to expand the provider network as well as promote awareness, education and resources to encourage all TRICARE North Region U.S. service members, retirees and their families to receive the influenza vaccine and practice preventive measures to avoid the virus this season.

17 Sep 2009

Models of care developed by nurses discussed at a briefing on health care reform

Two innovative and highly successful models of care developed by nurses were the centerpiece of a briefing today on health care reform. The event, which brought together women's health leaders and health care experts, focused on the ways in which innovative health care models can help to improve efficiency, reduce costs and ensure quality care for patients and their families.

17 Sep 2009

NCPA happy with Baucus' proposals for community pharmacies

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) commended Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) for including several critical provisions to help community pharmacies better serve patients in the “America’s Healthy Future Act” proposed today.

17 Sep 2009

Canadian Prime Minister's silence is frustrating and disheartening, says Canadian Health Coalition

Canadians are "frustrated and disheartened" by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's silence in the face of attacks on Canada's public health care system, says Michael McBane, National Coordinator of the Canadian Health Coalition. The healthcare group is calling on the Prime Minister to show Canadians where he stands on keeping Canada's health care system public.

17 Sep 2009

Will undocumented immigrants be covered under 'health care' or 'health coverage'?

Contending that President Barack Obama and U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson were both right and both wrong in their much noted confrontation during the President's address to Congress on Wednesday, the Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE), www.coverageforall.org, points out that the issue is with the definition of health coverage versus health care for undocumented immigrants in HR3200, the House's version of healthcare reform legislation.

17 Sep 2009

Senate Finance Committee proposes cuts for home medical equipment

This morning, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) issued his recommendations for healthcare reform in his long-awaited "Chairman's mark" version of the bill.

17 Sep 2009

Coalition to Protect Patients’ Rights opposes cuts to Medicare

The doctor-led Coalition to Protect Patients’ Rights (Coalition) urged caution to legislators and the public as they consider Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus’s healthcare reform proposal, America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, which was released today.

17 Sep 2009

Weis Markets to hold low-cost flu shot program

Beginning this month, Weis Markets will hold more than 100 low-cost flu shot clinics in its Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia stores. In addition, as part of its WEISCARE Adult Immunization program, many Weis Markets' pharmacies will offer flu shots as an on-going service.

17 Sep 2009

Unemployed and uninsured to have easy access to free medicines from GSK

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) today announced that it is making free medicines easier to obtain for patients who are unemployed, uninsured or struggling to make ends meet.

17 Sep 2009

Medicare News and Research

AAPA applauds Baucus' efforts to move forward on health care reform legislation

Plans could change how Medicare pays doctors, hospitals

AFA welcomes inclusion of cognitive impairment screening in healthcare reform proposal

Federal officials say Louisiana owes $362 million for overpayments to public hospitals

Health plan advanced by Senator Baucus is a step in the right direction: CEO of AHCA

Health policy research roundup

Baucus Bill in at $774 billion, would reduce deficit by nearly $50 billion over decade

Medicare to create pilot program for medical home model

Fourth-quarter and fiscal year end 2009 results announced by Pioneer Behavioral Health

PIPC supports new comparative effectiveness research proposal

Secretary Sebelius' new initiative to improve health care delivery

Military families to benefit from expansion of Health Net Federal Services

Models of care developed by nurses discussed at a briefing on health care reform

NCPA happy with Baucus' proposals for community pharmacies

Canadian Prime Minister's silence is frustrating and disheartening, says Canadian Health Coalition

Will undocumented immigrants be covered under 'health care' or 'health coverage'?

Senate Finance Committee proposes cuts for home medical equipment

Coalition to Protect Patients’ Rights opposes cuts to Medicare

Weis Markets to hold low-cost flu shot program

Unemployed and uninsured to have easy access to free medicines from GSK

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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