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Safety nets in Australia’s Medicare questioned while expert claims $3 billion inappropriate use

In a scathing article for the Medical Journal of Australia published on Monday, GP Dr Tony Webber has described the Medicare scheme as a “monster”. He wrote, “I estimate that $2 billion to $3 billion are spent inappropriately each year.” As former chief of the Professional Services Review - set up to police Medicare - he said he gained insight into how dysfunctional the system had become.

16 Jan 2012

Doctors need more incentives to remain committed to rural Australia: AMA

According to the Australian Medical Association (AMA) every rural GP and specialist should be paid tens of thousands of dollars per year in extra incentives to encourage more to commit to country practice, warning that “urgent intervention” is required to tackle a workforce crisis.

15 Jan 2012

Viewpoints: GOP moving away from compassionate conservatism; Competing strategies for fighting obesity

Romney asserts that President Obama wants to "fundamentally transform America," turning the country "into a European-style entitlement society." In fact, (Mitt) Romney and his Republican presidential rivals have a far more radical transformation in mind. They envision a dramatically shrunken federal government and a dangerously unraveled social safety net.

13 Jan 2012

Work of WHO essential medicines department at risk due to funding shortage, Oxfam warns

"The work of the essential medicines department of the World Health Organization (WHO) is under threat because of a serious shortage of funds, says a worrying and important letter published in the Lancet [on Thursday]," Guardian Health Editor Sarah Boseley reports in her "Global Health Blog."

13 Jan 2012

Research Roundup: Raising Medicare's eligibility age; Insurance status affects ER imaging services

Raising The Ages Of Eligibility For Medicare And Social Security -- The authors analyzed a scenario in which the eligibility age - current 65 - would be increased by two months every year until it reached 67 in 2027. They found that would cut Medicare expenditures by 5 percent but many people between the ages of 65 and 67 would pay more for health care.

13 Jan 2012

Improving obstetric care with solar power

In the National Geographic News blog "Mobile Message," "a series of posts from FrontlineSMS about how mobile phones and appropriate technologies are being used throughout the world to improve, enrich, and empower billions of lives," Laura Stachel, an obstetrician-gynecologist and the co-founder and executive director of WE CARE Solar, writes about the "'Solar Suitcase,' a portable, rugged, complete solar electric kit packed with solar panels, a charge controller, batteries, medical LED lights, phone chargers, headlamps, and a fetal monitor."

13 Jan 2012

S.C. GOP primary puts spotlight on Romney abortion stance

Nine days before the South Carolina primary, Mitt Romney has 'picked up his pro-life rhetoric' as Newt Gingrich goes on the attack.

13 Jan 2012

MedPAC: Raise, and also lower, Medicare reimbursements to hospitals

Medicare payments for hospitals' inpatient and outpatient services should increase 1%, Medicare's advisory panel recommended Thursday, while pay for evaluation and management in hospitals' outpatient facilities should drop to the amount provided to physicians' offices for such services. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted 16-1 to recommend the 1% update for inpatient and outpatient hospital services for 2013.

13 Jan 2012

Women's health, rights especially vulnerable during an election year

In this Huffington Post opinion piece, Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity, writes, "In 2012, there is a presidency at stake -- so what does that mean for women's health and rights in the coming year? How will political posturing and the race for votes affect what really matters?"

13 Jan 2012

State Roundup: Iowa mental health budget tussle; Calif. orders Anthem to pay docs, hospitals

Anthem Blue Cross has been ordered to pay doctors and hospitals for outstanding services dating back to 2007 after the insurer failed to remediate violations revealed by a state audit, California regulators said Thursday. It's unclear how much money the medical providers would get if Anthem complies with the order from the Department of Managed Health Care.

13 Jan 2012

Health law's individual mandate, essential benefits draw headlines

A new study concludes that dropping the individual mandate would result in overall lower health spending, but increases in health insurance premium costs. Meanwhile, CQ HealthBeat reports on the drama that surrounds the Obama administration's essential benefits proposal.

13 Jan 2012

Red wine and dark chocolate are the real food of love

Forget the oysters and the champagne this Valentine's Day. If you want to keep your true love's heart beating strong, Susan Ofria, clinical nutrition manager at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, said the real food of love is dark chocolate and red wine.

13 Jan 2012

Governors' agendas include Medicaid but not much on state insurance exchanges

Meanwhile, a Colorado legislator seeks to force the governor to ask for a waiver to change the Medicaid program.

13 Jan 2012

HHS Secretary Sebelius helps India mark one year since last recorded polio case

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "administered polio vaccination drops to children in New Delhi on Friday as India marked one year since its last case of the crippling disease," the Associated Press reports (1/13).

13 Jan 2012

U.S. Army working to bring virtual health care to Albanian hospitals

The U.S. Army in a news article on its website reports on how it is working to "bring virtual health care to Albanian hospitals" through a telemedicine program that "aims to link different levels of health care to ensure a better functioning and sustainable system."

13 Jan 2012

Oregon, Georgia following very different health exchange paths

In Georgia, the state GOP leaders and the governor have agreed not to push an exchange bill. Meanwhile, in Oregon, consumer groups have offered a list of priorities to the organization responsible for developing its exchange.

13 Jan 2012

Despite pending state health law legal challenge, some legislators take opposite stand

Media outlets from Connecticut, Texas and Iowa report on how a Supreme Court brief, which was filed by the Progressive States Network and signed by hundreds of state officials, is shaking up some state-level policy discussions.

13 Jan 2012

HHS says Trustmark's planned insurance rate hikes are 'unreasonable'

The insurance company, whose proposed increases would have taken place in five states, has a very different view of the situation.

13 Jan 2012

Journalists discuss challenges of reporting on global health issues

The Global Post's "Global Pulse" blog reports on a GlobalPost and Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard seminar that took place in December, at which "journalists discussed the challenges in telling compelling global health stories in the digital age."

13 Jan 2012

CVS agrees to pay $5M to settle Medicare drug false advertising claims

After more than two years of investigation, CVS Caremark agreed on Thursday to pay $5 million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that the company had misrepresented the price of certain prescription drugs in one of its Medicare drug plans, causing many older consumers to pay significantly higher prices than advertised.

13 Jan 2012