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Prices on medications most commonly used by older people rose 4.3% in first half of 2006

Manufacturer prices for the brand-name drugs most commonly used by individuals ages 50 and older increased by an average of 6.3% during the 12-month period ending in June, according to an AARP survey released on Tuesday, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

22 Sep 2006

Lawmakers push AMA to support linking Medicare payments, quality measures

House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Chair Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) on Wednesday met with physician groups to discuss legislation that would stop a 5.1% reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements that is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2007, CQ Today reports.

22 Sep 2006

Some Senators concerned about plan to address Medicare premium refund checks sent erroneously

Some senators have raised concerns that a plan developed by CMS Administrator Mark McClellan and Social Security Administration Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart to address errors in the deduction of Medicare prescription drug benefit premiums from Social Security checks "might be too harsh" for low-income beneficiaries, The Hill reports.

20 Sep 2006

Resignation of McClellan offers him 'golden opportunity' for Medicare reform

The resignation of CMS Administrator Mark McClellan will provide him with "a golden opportunity" to "tell us what to do about Medicare," the "monster of our future," columnist Robert Samuelson writes in a Washington Post opinion piece.

18 Sep 2006

Doctors decline Rep. Thomas' offer to increase Medicare reimbursements in exchange for quality program participation

The American Medical Association and other doctors' groups last Thursday rejected an offer from House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) to block a scheduled reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements in exchange for participation in a quality of care program, CQ HealthBeat reports.

18 Sep 2006

Congressional action on Medicare physician reimbursements unlikely before election

William Hoagland, the top budget aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), on Tuesday told health insurance industry officials that Congress likely will address a scheduled 5.1% reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements this year but not until after the midterm election, CQ HealthBeat reports.

14 Sep 2006

Medicare Part B premiums to rise 5.6% next year

The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B in 2007 will increase to $93.50 from $88.50, CMS Administrator Mark McClellan announced on Tuesday, the Washington Post reports.

14 Sep 2006

Department of Justice joins Whistleblower lawsuit alleging overcharging by drug company Dey

The Department of Justice on Monday joined a whistleblower lawsuit filed against California-based Dey, a generic medication division of Germany-based Merck KGaA, over allegations that the company inflated prices reported to federal health insurance programs, the Boston Globe reports.

13 Sep 2006

Johns Hopkins ACG team releases pharmacy-based predictive model

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have developed Johns Hopkins ACG Rx-PM - new predictive modeling software based on retail pharmacy claims information.

11 Sep 2006

New data on Federal funding for HIV/AIDS to states

Statehealthfacts.org has just updated FY 2005 data on federal funding streams for HIV/AIDS.

11 Sep 2006

Surveys show most pharmacists, doctors believe Medicare Drug Benefit helps patients, though most think it is too complicated

Most pharmacists and physicians believe that the Medicare prescription drug benefit has helped beneficiaries save money on their medications but also believe that the program is overly complex, according to two surveys released on Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

11 Sep 2006

AMA lobbies Congress to block planned Medicare physician payment cut before recess

Most U.S. residents are not aware of a Bush administration proposal to cut Medicare reimbursements for physician services by 5.1% for 2007, but when informed, a majority say they are concerned that the cuts could restrict access, according to a survey released on Thursday by the American Medical Association, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

11 Sep 2006

'Plenty of time' to pass final health care IT Bill, Rep. Deal says

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Chair Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) on Thursday said Congress has "plenty of time" prior to midterm elections to pass legislation that would promote the implementation of health care information technology, CQ HealthBeat reports (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 9/7).

11 Sep 2006

Medicare should increase oversight to ensure privacy, security

Nearly half of insurers who sponsor Medicare Advantage plans experienced security breaches involving Medicare beneficiaries' private health records in the last two years, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports.

7 Sep 2006

Some drug companies experiencing higher prescription volume, revenue with Medicare drug benefit

The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday examined how the Medicare prescription drug benefit "is boosting prescription volume and revenue for drug companies."

5 Sep 2006

Bush Administration, Republicans 'refuse' to acknowledge success of VA Health System

The Department of Veterans Affairs health care system "is a stunning success -- but the [Bush] administration and the Republicans in Congress refuse to build on that success because it doesn't reflect their conservative agenda," columnist Paul Krugman writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

5 Sep 2006

Pennsylvania starts the Pace Plus Medicare program

Pennsylvania on Friday began the Pace Plus Medicare program, under which the Medicare prescription drug benefit will provide primary coverage for low-income residents and the state PACE and PACENET programs will fill any gaps in coverage, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

4 Sep 2006

Md. Senatorial Candidate Mfume touts single-payer health care system

Former Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), a candidate for Maryland's Democratic Senate nomination, on Wednesday touted universal health insurance during an event at the University of Maryland Medical Center, at which he gained endorsements from Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.), the Baltimore Sun reports.

1 Sep 2006

Report questions CMS Cancer Care Research Program

HHS inspector general Daniel Levinson in a report released on Wednesday questioned the legitimacy of a one-year research program conducted by CMS in which the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries paid oncologists a total of about $275 million to report information on chemotherapy side effects that might lead to improved care for cancer patients, the AP/South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

30 Aug 2006

Primary care physicians should receive pay by the hour

"We must make primary care a more manageable business by changing the way we pay for it," with primary care physicians paid by the hour, Robin Cook, a physician and author of the novel "Crisis," writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

30 Aug 2006

Medicare News and Research

Prices on medications most commonly used by older people rose 4.3% in first half of 2006

Lawmakers push AMA to support linking Medicare payments, quality measures

Some Senators concerned about plan to address Medicare premium refund checks sent erroneously

Resignation of McClellan offers him 'golden opportunity' for Medicare reform

Doctors decline Rep. Thomas' offer to increase Medicare reimbursements in exchange for quality program participation

Congressional action on Medicare physician reimbursements unlikely before election

Medicare Part B premiums to rise 5.6% next year

Department of Justice joins Whistleblower lawsuit alleging overcharging by drug company Dey

Johns Hopkins ACG team releases pharmacy-based predictive model

New data on Federal funding for HIV/AIDS to states

Surveys show most pharmacists, doctors believe Medicare Drug Benefit helps patients, though most think it is too complicated

AMA lobbies Congress to block planned Medicare physician payment cut before recess

'Plenty of time' to pass final health care IT Bill, Rep. Deal says

Medicare should increase oversight to ensure privacy, security

Some drug companies experiencing higher prescription volume, revenue with Medicare drug benefit

Bush Administration, Republicans 'refuse' to acknowledge success of VA Health System

Pennsylvania starts the Pace Plus Medicare program

Md. Senatorial Candidate Mfume touts single-payer health care system

Report questions CMS Cancer Care Research Program

Primary care physicians should receive pay by the hour

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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