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New American Medical Association adverts blast Senate inaction on Medicare cuts

Reflecting physicians' frustration with a group of senators that blocked action last week on legislation that would stop harsh Medicare physician payment cuts, the AMA began airing new TV and radio ads urging opponents of H.R. 6331 to put patients' access to care before insurance profits.

1 Jul 2008

House votes 355-59 to approve legislation that would delay Medicare physician fee cut

The House on Tuesday voted 355-59 to approve legislation (HR 6331) that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% reduction to Medicare physician fees scheduled to take effect on July 1, among other provisions, the Washington Post reports (Kane, Washington Post, 6/25).

26 Jun 2008

New York Times Editorial, column address provision in Medicare bill to delay DME competitive bidding program

The New York Times on Wednesday published an editorial and column that addressed a provision included in a Medicare bill (HR 6331) passed by the House that would delay for 18 months a competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment.

26 Jun 2008

Millions pledged to autistic children in Australia welcome news

The announcement that the Australian Government plans to spend $190 million in funding for parents of children with autism is welcome news.

25 Jun 2008

Future of Medicare at stake in Presidential election, opinion piece states

"At stake in the presidential election is whether we will all need to consult lobbyists to have our medical issues heard by a remote, bureaucratic Medicare program," Scott Gottlieb, a former CMS official and an American Enterprise Institute fellow, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

24 Jun 2008

Social Security officials call for social security numbers to be removed from Medicare ID cards

Social Security Administration officials have requested that CMS take immediate action to issue beneficiaries new membership cards that do not include their Social Security numbers to address concerns regarding identity theft, the New York Times reports.

24 Jun 2008

House to vote on modified version of Senate Democrats' Medicare physician pay patch bill

The House on Tuesday is scheduled to vote on a modified version of Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus' (D-Mont.) legislation (S 3101) that would eliminate a 10.6% reduction to Medicare physician fees scheduled for July 1, CQ Today reports. According to CQ Today, "If the House moves a bill, it will put pressure on Senate Democrats and Republicans to reach an accord."

24 Jun 2008

Drug-releasing coronary artery stent use linked with decrease in procedures to unblock coronary arteries

The widespread adoption of the use of drug-releasing coronary artery stents into routine practice is associated with a decrease in the need for repeat procedures to unblock coronary arteries and also do not appear to increase the risk of death, compared to bare-metal stents, according to a study in the June 25 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association

24 Jun 2008

Drug assistance programs help the medicine go down

A new study of state-subsidized pharmacy assistance programs showed that providing prescription drug coverage for low-income seniors reduces Medicaid and Medicare costs. Moreover, needy seniors enrolled in the programs were able to cut their dose skimping and nursing home admissions in half, according to the Brandeis University research.

24 Jun 2008

The impact of socioeconomic status on survival after cancer in the United States

Cancer patients with low socioeconomic status (SES) have more advanced cancers at diagnosis, receive less aggressive treatment, and have a higher risk of dying in the five years following cancer diagnosis, according to a new study.

23 Jun 2008

Study shows generics now own 63% of Medicare Part D market

Wolters Kluwer Health, a division of Wolters Kluwer, has released the results of a study that looks at key statistical outcomes of the Medicare Part D (MPD) prescription drug program.

23 Jun 2008

Australian Medical Association says aged care residents the victims of 'inertia' by the government

According to the Australian Medical Association, the Federal Government is guilty of "policy inertia" when it comes to addressing the needs of aged care residents.

23 Jun 2008

Employer health care costs projected to rise by nearly 10% in 2008 and 2009

Employer health care costs are expected to increase by 9.9% in 2008 -- more than double annual inflation rates -- and 9.6% in 2009, according to a study released Tuesday by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

17 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy report feature highlights recent blog posts

While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics.

17 Jun 2008

Few community health centers receive reimbursement for providing language services, report indicates

While 84% of community health centers treat patients with limited English proficiency on a daily basis, only 5% receive direct reimbursement for language services from Medicare, Medicaid or private insurers, according to a report released Monday by the National Association of Community Health Centers, CQ HealthBeat reports.

17 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report rounds up health news from the campaign trail

Fifty-three percent of U.S. adults trust presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) more than presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) to address the issue of health care, compared with 33% who trust McCain more than Obama to address the issue, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, the Post reports.

17 Jun 2008

Insurers often improperly reimburse physicians, adding $200 billion annually to U.S. health care costs, AMA report finds

Insurers' failure to properly process and reimburse physicians costs the U.S. $200 billion annually, according to a report released on Monday by the American Medical Association, the Los Angeles Times reports.

17 Jun 2008

Washington post examines Medicare's 'growing fraud problem'

The Washington Post on Friday examined Medicare's "growing fraud problem and the need to devote more resources to theft prevention." According to the Post, law enforcement officials estimate that health care fraud costs taxpayers more than $60 billion annually.

17 Jun 2008

American Medical Association members say 'secret shoppers' should not be used to gauge quality at physicians' offices

Using "secret shoppers" to evaluate the way physicians manage relationships with patients could get in the way of providing needed care to actual patients, according to more than 12 doctors who testified before an American Medical Association panel, the Chicago Tribune reports. AMA on Sunday held its annual House of Delegates meeting in Chicago.

17 Jun 2008

Newspapers highlight health care, economic proposals of Presidential candidates Obama, McCain

In broader pieces on the economy and taxes, two newspapers recently addressed parts of the health care proposals of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

17 Jun 2008

Medicare News and Research

New American Medical Association adverts blast Senate inaction on Medicare cuts

House votes 355-59 to approve legislation that would delay Medicare physician fee cut

New York Times Editorial, column address provision in Medicare bill to delay DME competitive bidding program

Millions pledged to autistic children in Australia welcome news

Future of Medicare at stake in Presidential election, opinion piece states

Social Security officials call for social security numbers to be removed from Medicare ID cards

House to vote on modified version of Senate Democrats' Medicare physician pay patch bill

Drug-releasing coronary artery stent use linked with decrease in procedures to unblock coronary arteries

Drug assistance programs help the medicine go down

The impact of socioeconomic status on survival after cancer in the United States

Study shows generics now own 63% of Medicare Part D market

Australian Medical Association says aged care residents the victims of 'inertia' by the government

Employer health care costs projected to rise by nearly 10% in 2008 and 2009

Kaiser Daily Health Policy report feature highlights recent blog posts

Few community health centers receive reimbursement for providing language services, report indicates

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report rounds up health news from the campaign trail

Insurers often improperly reimburse physicians, adding $200 billion annually to U.S. health care costs, AMA report finds

Washington post examines Medicare's 'growing fraud problem'

American Medical Association members say 'secret shoppers' should not be used to gauge quality at physicians' offices

Newspapers highlight health care, economic proposals of Presidential candidates Obama, McCain

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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