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Congressional progressive caucus issues letter stating majority of members will only support health reform that includes public plan option

A majority of members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus will not support any health reform legislation that does not include a public plan option, according to a letter sent on Thursday by CPC co-chairs Reps. Lynn Woosley (D-Calif.) and Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, Roll Call reports (Bendery, Roll Call, 4/2).

5 Apr 2009

One out of five Medicare patients readmitted to hospital within a month

When a patient is discharged from the hospital, just about the last thing he or she wants is to be back in again within the next month.

1 Apr 2009

One of five hospitalized Medicare patients readmitted to hospital within 30 days

One of five Medicare beneficiaries discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days, and half of non-surgical patients are readmitted to the hospital without having seen an outpatient doctor in follow-up, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study in today's New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Apr 2009

Pennsylvania health system decreasing complications, costs with 'warranty' system emphasizing best practices

The Washington Post on Tuesday examined how Pennsylvania's Geisinger Health System has successfully improved outcomes for elective heart surgery patients through its 90-day warranty program, which charges a flat fee covering the cost of the procedure and any needed follow-up care. Geisinger operates its own insurance plan and has 41 clinics, three hospitals and 650 staff physicians.

31 Mar 2009

CMS announces new rules for Medicare Advantage plans that aim to protect sick beneficiaries from high out-of-pocket costs

CMS on Monday announced that insurers looking to offer Medicare Advantage plans this year must cap out-of-pocket charges and that the agency will eliminate MA plans that have 10 or fewer beneficiaries, the Wall Street Journal reports.

31 Mar 2009

Couples retiring this year need $240,000 to cover medical expenses

65-year-old retired couple this year would need $240,000 on average to cover medical expenses, according to a recent study by Fidelity Investments, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.

31 Mar 2009

HHS report says health reform vital to U.S. economy as costs rise, quality of care worsens

Comprehensive health care reform is necessary this year because of rising costs and the declining quality of care, according to an HHS report released on Monday, Reuters/Boston Globe reports.

31 Mar 2009

Ultrasound saves money, improves rheumatologic care

A few years back, 76-year-old Joseph Buggie woke up to pain so throbbing, he couldn't muster the strength to roll over, let alone crawl out of bed.

31 Mar 2009

CQ's Armstrong discusses budget reconciliation, coverage proposal from private insurers, Sebelius confirmation

Drew Armstrong, a Congressional Quarterly staff reporter, discusses efforts to use budget reconciliation to fast-track health reform, a compromise offered by private health insurers and the scheduled confirmation hearing for Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), President Obama's nominee for HHS secretary, in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

30 Mar 2009

NIH might use stimulus funds for comparative effectiveness research that includes cost comparisons, acting director says

NIH Acting Director Raynard Kington on Thursday during a House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee hearing said that the agency might use some of the $10.4 billion it received from the economic stimulus package to fund comparative effectiveness research that includes comparisons on the cost of treatments, CQ HealthBeat reports.

30 Mar 2009

Health Reform Dialogue Coalition releases recommendations for U.S. health care system overhaul

A coalition representing health care firms, patients and medical providers on Friday presented a five-page report to Congress recommending changes to the health care system, CQ HealthBeat reports (Adams, CQ HealthBeat, 3/27).

30 Mar 2009

Corthera's Relaxin in acute heart failure shows promising results

Corthera Inc. has announced that results from Pre-RELAX-AHF, the Phase II portion of a Phase II/III multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled international study, demonstrated promising efficacy and safety for relaxin, the company's investigational drug for treatment of acute heart failure (AHF).

30 Mar 2009

Drug-coated stents lower risk of heart attack and death

Heart disease patients 65 and older who receive stents coated with medicine to prevent blockages are more likely to survive and less likely to suffer a heart attack than people fitted with stents not coated with medication, according to a new study supported by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry.

30 Mar 2009

Obama discusses health reform during internet town hall meeting

President Obama on Thursday fielded questions from U.S. residents on a range of topics, including health care, at a town hall meeting that was broadcast on the Internet and cable news channels, Politico reports (Gerstein, Politico, 3/26).

30 Mar 2009

Senate committee advances budget resolution; debate remains over whether to use reconciliation to fast track health reform

The Senate Budget Committee on Thursday voted 13-10 along party lines to approve a $3.5 trillion fiscal year 2010 budget resolution that does not include budget reconciliation instructions for comprehensive health care reform legislation, CQ Today reports (Clarke et al., CQ Today, 3/26).

30 Mar 2009

New survey tracks behavioral health treatment trends

Behavioral healthcare systems are playing a major role in responding to the needs of the millions of Americans of all ages who experience psychiatric and substance use conditions each year, according to the latest annual survey from the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) released.

30 Mar 2009

Drug-eluting stents found to be safer and superior to bare metal stents

Drug-eluting stents were safe and superior to bare metal stents in preventing death and heart attacks among 262,700 "real-world" patients enrolled in a nationwide registry of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers from Duke University Medical Center.

29 Mar 2009

Clinical effectiveness of coronary stents in the elderly

29 Mar 2009

New York State to offer low-income, disabled residents prescription drug discount cards

New York state officials on Monday announced a statewide prescription drug discount card program for residents with disabilities, people who are too young to qualify for Medicare and those whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports.

25 Mar 2009

CMS orders end to 'referral fees' to sales agents for Medicare Advantage plans

CMS has ordered private insurers to payment of "'referral fees' to sales agents who steer a beneficiary to a company for enrollment," Florida Health News reports.

25 Mar 2009

Medicare News and Research

Congressional progressive caucus issues letter stating majority of members will only support health reform that includes public plan option

One out of five Medicare patients readmitted to hospital within a month

One of five hospitalized Medicare patients readmitted to hospital within 30 days

Pennsylvania health system decreasing complications, costs with 'warranty' system emphasizing best practices

CMS announces new rules for Medicare Advantage plans that aim to protect sick beneficiaries from high out-of-pocket costs

Couples retiring this year need $240,000 to cover medical expenses

HHS report says health reform vital to U.S. economy as costs rise, quality of care worsens

Ultrasound saves money, improves rheumatologic care

CQ's Armstrong discusses budget reconciliation, coverage proposal from private insurers, Sebelius confirmation

NIH might use stimulus funds for comparative effectiveness research that includes cost comparisons, acting director says

Health Reform Dialogue Coalition releases recommendations for U.S. health care system overhaul

Corthera's Relaxin in acute heart failure shows promising results

Drug-coated stents lower risk of heart attack and death

Obama discusses health reform during internet town hall meeting

Senate committee advances budget resolution; debate remains over whether to use reconciliation to fast track health reform

New survey tracks behavioral health treatment trends

Drug-eluting stents found to be safer and superior to bare metal stents

Clinical effectiveness of coronary stents in the elderly

New York State to offer low-income, disabled residents prescription drug discount cards

CMS orders end to 'referral fees' to sales agents for Medicare Advantage plans

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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