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States push for additional Medicaid funding with budget cuts on the horizon

Inside Health Policy reports that Democrats and hospital groups are pushing hard for the Senate to increase Medicaid payments as part of the "tax extenders" bill. "Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) told a crowd of hospital stakeholders that the enhanced Medicaid funding, which failed to make its way into health reform, is by no means a lock, despite the pleas of even some Republican governors for its passage."

17 Jun 2010

PVAHCS receives 2010 Silver Anvil Award from PRSA

Led by the Phoenix VA Health Care System, the VA Veterans Day Parade in Phoenix received the prestigious Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America. The Silver Anvil, which recognizes outstanding achievement in strategic public relations planning and implementation, was presented during the Silver Anvil Awards Ceremony held June 3 in New York City.

17 Jun 2010

Senate rejects plan to extend jobless aid, avert looming Medicare cuts

Every Senate Republican and 12 Democrats rejected a White House-backed proposal to extend jobless programs and state aid created in last year's economic stimulus bill in a 52-45 vote Wednesday. Because the "test vote" on the extension plan failed, "Democrats seeking to reduce the measure's deficit impact are looking at rolling back last year's $25 a week increase in unemployment checks and giving doctors just a short reprieve from scheduled cuts in their Medicare payments" (6/16).

17 Jun 2010

Scientists receive over $3M to launch training and mentorship programs for promising young researchers

Scientists from the Universit- de Montr-al and its affiliated engineering school, -cole Polytechnique, have received major funding from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Over $3 million was awarded to enable both institutions to launch training and mentorship programs for promising young researchers.

17 Jun 2010

Young canvassers part of nationwide health care drive

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz, working in collaboration with USA Today, writes: "On a cool weekday afternoon, a small group of young adults gathers outside Covenant House, a homeless shelter where some of them live or go to school.

17 Jun 2010

Renewed threat of Medicare pay cuts leaves doctors with 'sense of fatigue'

Doctors across the country find themselves - once again - putting their Medicare claims on hold while they wait for Congress to take action.

17 Jun 2010

U.S. Department of Labor announces over $14.7M in health care career grants

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $14.7 million in health care career grants authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The four grantees are the American Association of Community Colleges, Goodwill Industries International, the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services and SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc.

17 Jun 2010

Wednesday's OpEds: Berwick nomination; Health reform costs and benefits; Medicaid and COBRA in jobs bill

As its real costs become clearer, Obama's program is looking even more expensive for employers, seniors, and taxpayers (Rick Santorum, 6/16).

17 Jun 2010

JHUSON joins Maryland Alliance to address Maryland's growing healthcare needs

The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing has taken a significant step in addressing Maryland's growing healthcare needs by joining the Maryland Alliance to Transform the Health Professions.

17 Jun 2010

Money for early retirees and insurers' customer service

Consultants are pushing big companies to apply quickly for money from a $5 billion fund to help cover retiree health costs as part of the new health law, The Wall Street Journal reports.

17 Jun 2010

OnDemand AP solution helps hospitals reduce processing costs

For many healthcare providers, 90 percent of the costs associated with invoices are tied to manual processing. By automating all invoices through the OnDemand AP solution from GHX, hospitals can reduce processing costs by an average of $12 per invoice.

17 Jun 2010

Hospital lobbying spending down

"American Hospital Association, which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, spent $3.7 million lobbying the federal government in the first quarter on Medicare, health care reform and a host of other topics," which included "Medicare fraud prevention, a requirement for minimum nurse staffing rations for some Medicare providers and a bill that provides for the application of a consistent part B premium for all Medicare beneficiaries, according to a 34-page lobbying report filed with the clerk of the House of Representatives…

17 Jun 2010

Healthcare clinicians' disruptive behaviors negatively affect patient care: Data

Disruptive behavior was reported in 177 events submitted to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority from May 2007 to October 2009. In many of the events patient care was compromised, according to data released today by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority and published in the June Supplementary Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory.

17 Jun 2010

Health Record Services awarded Multiple Award Schedule contract by GSA

HRS, a leading clinical coding and audit services firm in healthcare, is proud to announce that they have been awarded a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract by the General Services Administration (GSA). HRS can now support the coding and audit needs of any governmental agency including all Veteran Administration (VA) hospitals and any other healthcare provider that falls under the federal umbrella. The announcement was made by Wendy Coplan-Gould, RHIA, President of HRS.

17 Jun 2010

Highlands Hospital, Cleveland Clinic collaboration promises brighter future for children with autism

A unique collaboration in one of Pennsylvania's most medically underserved regions promises a brighter future for children with autism and their families. Highlands Hospital, a not-for-profit community hospital in Connellsville, Pa., has entered into a consultation agreement with the Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic to develop state-of-the-art services for children with autism in southwestern Pennsylvania.

17 Jun 2010

Federal government seeks power to exclude those involved with health fraud from working again with Medicare

Independent federal investigators hoping to rein in Medicare fraud are asking Congress for broad new authority to boot offending corporate executives from the insurance program. The change is designed to control Medicare claims fraud by punishing culpable owners, managers and other corporate higher-ups, and not just the convicted companies.

17 Jun 2010

GOP-led health law repeal vote fails

A vote pushed by House Republicans to repeal the mandate on citizens to carry health insurance failed Tuesday, despite some Democrats joining Republicans to rescind what is known as the requirement known as the individual mandate, Politico reports. "Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, called for the repeal under a 'motion to recommit' — a parliamentary tool often used by the minority party to change bills on the House floor.

17 Jun 2010

CDC survey shows 3 million more uninsured in 2009

The number of uninsured Americans increased slightly last year, compared with 2008, but the change was not statistically significant according to a just-released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey. "The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics said in its report that 15.4 percent of Americans lacked health insurance in 2009, compared to 14.7 percent in 2008." The number of uninsured, 46.3 million last year, increased by less than 3 million compared to the prior year. Six million children remain uninsured (Fox, 6/16).

17 Jun 2010

Doctors still waiting for Capitol Hill action on Medicare payment cuts

The Wall Street Journal: The Senate continues to weigh a bill with wide-ranging provisions, including a postponement of the scheduled Medicare pay cut for doctors, but Democratic leaders appear to be having difficulty finding a plan that will appeal to members. "Repeated short-term fixes in recent years have left doctors frustrated and some … are refusing to take new Medicare patients.

17 Jun 2010

Health on The Hill – June 15, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey and the Los Angeles Times' Noam Levey talk with KFF's Jackie Judd about recent events in Congress. For instance, the Senate is debating ways to reverse a 21 percent cut in Medicare physician payments that began on June 1.

16 Jun 2010