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HHS receives more than thirty applications for electronic health records pilot program

HHS has received more than 30 applications from communities that seek to participate in a Medicare pilot program that uses electronic health records, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/20).

22 May 2008

New efforts to improve medical products for patient safety

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced efforts underway at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that will complement each other to improve patient safety and the quality of medical care.

22 May 2008

White House opposes use of Medicare Advantage indirect medical education funds as offset in Medicare bill, Sen. Baucus says

Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Tuesday after a meeting of committee leaders said that the White House opposes the use of a decrease in Medicare Advantage indirect medical education funds to offset the cost of a provision in a broader Medicare bill that would delay for 18 months a scheduled 10.6% reduction in physician reimbursements, CQ HealthBeat reports.

21 May 2008

Senate to vote Thursday on war supplemental appropriations bill with Medicaid provisions

Senate Democrats on Tuesday "scaled down" their version of the war supplemental appropriations bill but retained a provision that would block for one year seven new Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush administration, CQ Today reports.

21 May 2008

Rep. Ryan proposes plan to reduce entitlement spending, revise health care system

A "growing, bipartisan consensus" exists among lawmakers about the "greatest threat to our nation's long-term economic prosperity: the explosion of entitlement spending," which "Washington is not planning to address ... this week, or any time soon," effectively "shackling our future with unsustainable debt and taxes," Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), a member of the House Budget Committee, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

21 May 2008

Seniors face 'soaring costs' for health care, Chicago Tribune reports

The Chicago Tribune on Sunday examined how, "with soaring costs of prescription drugs, housing, gasoline and groceries, it is easy for seniors on fixed incomes to go over budget."

20 May 2008

Simple checklist at NYC public hospitals effective in preventing infections

A "simple checklist" used by the 11 New York City public hospitals is "credited with drastically reducing" the number of infections at the facilities, the New York Times reports.

20 May 2008

CMS announces contract winners in first phase of Medicare durable medical equipment bidding program

CMS on Monday announced that 325 suppliers have won contracts in the first phase of a durable medical equipment competitive bidding program for Medicare scheduled to begin on July 1, CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 5/19).

20 May 2008

Some specialty hospitals would benefit from amendment in supplemental war appropriations bill

Several physician-owned specialty hospitals in the states of four Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats would benefit from an amendment to a supplemental war appropriations bill (HR 2642) that would allow the facilities to continue participating in Medicare and Medicaid, CQ Today reports.

20 May 2008

CMS to launch three-year Medicare demonstration program that bundles payments for physician, hospital services

CMS on Friday announced plans to launch a three-year Medicare pilot project in 2009 that will test a bundled-payment system in which physicians and hospitals are paid a single amount for all services associated with surgical procedures, CQ HealthBeat reports.

19 May 2008

National Community Pharmacists Association to launch ad campaign to lobby lawmakers for policy changes

The National Community Pharmacists Association this week plans to launch a new advertising campaign that asks lawmakers to address two policies that the group maintains has or will result in closures of community pharmacies, CongressDaily reports. As part of the launch of the campaign, about 500 community pharmacists and independent pharmacy owners will visit Washington, D.C.

19 May 2008

Michigan Judge rules against Blue Cross Blue Shield rate hikes, cites large surplus

A Michigan administrative law judge on Wednesday ruled that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan would not be justified in increasing premiums by 24% to 42% for individual health insurance plans, the Detroit Free Press reports.

19 May 2008

House Committee holds hearing on concerns about nursing home ownership, inspections

The House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Thursday held a hearing to examine the effects that the "increasingly veiled nature" of nursing home ownership and problems with inspections have had on the quality of care for elderly and disabled residents, CQ HealthBeat reports (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 5/15).

19 May 2008

New report details cancer prevention efforts

An annual report from the American Cancer Society highlights that long-term favorable trends have stalled for several factors that have been responsible for declining cancer death rates in the U.S.

15 May 2008

Lawmakers criticize agencies for lack of coordination of prescription drug benefits for federal retirees

A lack of coordination between CMS and the Office of Personnel Management on prescription drug benefits for federal retirees has cost those retirees and the federal government as much as $200 million annually, according to a letter sent to the agencies on Monday by two House Democrats, CQ HealthBeat reports.

13 May 2008

Report proposes near-universal health coverage system allowing individuals, small businesses to purchase insurance through private plans or new Medicare-like option

A national health insurance "connector" program that allows individuals and small businesses to buy public and private health coverage could provide insurance for up to 44 million uninsured U.S. residents, according to an article by the Commonwealth Fund published in the May/June issue of the journal Health Affairs, CQ HealthBeat reports.

13 May 2008

Physician Gainsharing programs reduce hospital spending

Giving physicians cash payments for reduced hospital spending can help control costs without sacrificing quality or access to care, researchers report in a study released today in the May/June 2008 issue of the journal Health Affairs. The issue is a thematic volume on health reform supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

13 May 2008

Facing the Presidential candidates; pollsters say sweeping health reform unlikely in new administration and congress

Despite the prominent role that health care reform is playing in the 2008 presidential election, leading Republican and Democratic pollsters agree that deep partisan divides among voters -- combined with a worsening economy -- may permit only incremental, rather than sweeping, changes to the health care system. The perspectives of political pollsters William McInturff and Celinda Lake are featured in a far-reaching thematic issue on health reform in the May/June 2008 issue of the journal Health Affairs.

13 May 2008

American Medical Association officials outline provisions physicians would accept in electronic prescribing legislation

The American Medical Association on Friday discussed a set of standards that physicians would accept for any electronic prescribing requirement under Medicare, CongressDaily reports.

13 May 2008

CQ's Carey looks at new Medicare marketing guidelines, health care provisions added to supplemental war spending bill, House panel approval of health care bills

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, examines proposed marketing guidelines for private Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare and Medicaid provisions that Republicans want removed from a supplemental war spending bill, and a House panel's approval of several health care-related measures in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

13 May 2008

Medicare News and Research

HHS receives more than thirty applications for electronic health records pilot program

New efforts to improve medical products for patient safety

White House opposes use of Medicare Advantage indirect medical education funds as offset in Medicare bill, Sen. Baucus says

Senate to vote Thursday on war supplemental appropriations bill with Medicaid provisions

Rep. Ryan proposes plan to reduce entitlement spending, revise health care system

Seniors face 'soaring costs' for health care, Chicago Tribune reports

Simple checklist at NYC public hospitals effective in preventing infections

CMS announces contract winners in first phase of Medicare durable medical equipment bidding program

Some specialty hospitals would benefit from amendment in supplemental war appropriations bill

CMS to launch three-year Medicare demonstration program that bundles payments for physician, hospital services

National Community Pharmacists Association to launch ad campaign to lobby lawmakers for policy changes

Michigan Judge rules against Blue Cross Blue Shield rate hikes, cites large surplus

House Committee holds hearing on concerns about nursing home ownership, inspections

New report details cancer prevention efforts

Lawmakers criticize agencies for lack of coordination of prescription drug benefits for federal retirees

Report proposes near-universal health coverage system allowing individuals, small businesses to purchase insurance through private plans or new Medicare-like option

Physician Gainsharing programs reduce hospital spending

Facing the Presidential candidates; pollsters say sweeping health reform unlikely in new administration and congress

American Medical Association officials outline provisions physicians would accept in electronic prescribing legislation

CQ's Carey looks at new Medicare marketing guidelines, health care provisions added to supplemental war spending bill, House panel approval of health care bills

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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