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Plan to convert 6 Mass. charity hospitals to for-profit - a model for other areas?

The New York private equity firm that last week struck a deal to buy Caritas Christi Health Care could build the chain of six Catholic community hospitals into a competitive lower-cost provider of medical services in Massachusetts, touting it as a profitable national business model in the age of health care reform, analysts say.

31 Mar 2010

How the overhaul will affect insurance premiums for three key groups

One looming question for many consumers is whether the health overhaul will change how much they pay for insurance. Reports explore how the legislation will affect insurance premiums for three different groups.

31 Mar 2010

Roche Diagnostics' CoaguChek XS Plus system granted CLIA-waived status

Roche Diagnostics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted CLIA-waived status to the CoaguChek® XS Plus system, a point-of-care anticoagulation monitor that offers connectivity and data management tools to help healthcare professionals manage PT/INR (blood clotting time) testing.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 31 Mar 2010

Kaiser Permanente to deploy solar power systems at 15 facilities across the state

Committed to improving the health of the communities it serves, Kaiser Permanente has agreed to deploy 15 megawatts of solar power in a deal that will put solar power systems at 15 facilities across the state by the summer of 2011.

31 Mar 2010

CMS delays Medicare doctor pay cut until after congressional recess

"Doctors slated to have their Medicare reimbursements cut 21 percent on April 1 got a reprieve from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is delaying lowered payments until after Congress reconvenes," Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports.

31 Mar 2010

Nonprofit hospitals come under congressional scrutiny

A bipartisan effort is being made in Congress to crack down on nonprofit hospitals that refuse to offer charity care. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) are leading the effort.

31 Mar 2010

Primary care crisis has been a long time coming

"For decades, just about everybody who has looked at the supply of primary care doctors in this country has warned of trouble ahead"

31 Mar 2010

Obama signs final health changes into law

President Barack Obama signed Congress's health reconciliation bill today, making final changes to the health overhaul law. 'This day affirms our ability to overcome the challenges of our politics and meet the challenges of our time,' Obama told a college audience outside Washington, as he signed into law final changes to the sweeping plan approved by lawmakers last week, along with reforms in college student loan programs."

31 Mar 2010

Insurers agree to administration view on kids' coverage

Uncertainty over whether the health overhaul would deliver promised insurance protections to children came to a quick end Monday when insurers told the administration they would not seek to block regulations clarifying the matter, The Associated Press reports. At issue is whether insurers would be required to offer plans to children with preexisting conditions right away.

31 Mar 2010

State roundup: Romney on Mass. care, Kansas Rx costs, Colorado insurance costs

The Boston Globe, on former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney's reaction to the new federal health law: "The former governor, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate again for president in 2012, had labeled Obama's bill 'unhealthy for America' and has called for its repeal, even as conservative critics say it was modeled on Romney's policy."

31 Mar 2010

Insurers brace for overhaul changes

The Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail: The health overhaul seeks to insure millions of Americans who do not currently have coverage with new subsidies, in essence, delivering millions of new customers to insurers. But, the bill would also guarantee people won't be excluded from coverage because of sickness, a potentially costly proposition for insurance firms who continue to complain that too few Americans will become insured and the risk won't be spread thinly enough to offset coverage of the sickest people.

31 Mar 2010

United Anesthesia Services deploys Quantum Clinical Navigation System in Bryn Mawr Hospital

United Anesthesia Services, P.C. has taken the lead in the Pennsylvania marketplace regarding its commitment to patient quality by deploying the Quantum Clinical Navigation System™ in Bryn Mawr Hospital.

31 Mar 2010

Close-ups on how the health overhaul gives and takes away

"An association representing 300 large corporations urged President Obama and Congress on Monday to repeal a provision of the health care overhaul that prompted AT&T, Caterpillar and other companies to announce substantial charges for the current quarter."

31 Mar 2010

States mull joining health care reform lawsuits or keeping out of it

The Associated Press/New York Times: Indiana has joined the lawsuit brought by 13 states challenging the constitutionality of a mandate on Americans to carry health insurance in the new health reform law. "State Attorney General Greg Zoeller said Monday that Indiana would be added to an amended version of the lawsuit against the law that is expected to be filed soon" (3/29).

31 Mar 2010

Women, diabetics, dementia patients most likely to fall in 'doughnut hole'; Reform seeks to close coverage gap

Among elderly Americans, women and those with diabetes and dementia are most likely to find themselves in the Medicare Part D drug plan 'doughnut hole,' the coverage gap that occurs after a beneficiary has reached the annual coverage limit but hasn't spent enough on drugs to qualify for catastrophic coverage.

31 Mar 2010

Despite simmering GOP rage on health bill, some Republicans say they can still work with Democrats

NPR reports: "Though conservative anger with Washington over the newly signed bill has been particularly hot, some longtime political observers see a revival of previous populist movements from the right. ... Chip Berlet with Political Research Associates, a liberal group that tracks populist anti-government movements, says this is nothing new.

31 Mar 2010

MedeAnalytics' white paper focuses on potential reductions of annual updates to the IPPS

MedeAnalytics, a leading provider of healthcare performance management solutions, today released a white paper on one of the HITECH Act's measures designed to motivate hospitals to become meaningful users of electronic health records (EHRs): potential negative adjustments to Medicare's market basket updates to the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS).

30 Mar 2010

Seniors at Springhill retirement community find a secret to stay young and active

Seniors at Springhill retirement community have found a secret to staying young and active—HealthAbility. Springhill resident Joe Bertoncini, 88, has always been active, with 64 Senior Olympic medals over the past 14 years. He says the HealthAbility program has helped him to build on those healthy results.

30 Mar 2010

Posting calorie counts on menus and menu boards also needed in Ontario

US President Barack Obama's groundbreaking health care legislation includes a provision requiring restaurants to post calories on menus and menu boards. For the past year, Ontario's doctors have been calling for similar action from the government, chain restaurants and school cafeterias in the province and believe now is the perfect time for this initiative to be implemented.

30 Mar 2010

AMGA praises members for including ACOs in health reform legislation

The American Medical Group Association announced significant accomplishments in its advocacy efforts to reward members for the high level of quality, cost-efficient, coordinated care they bring to their communities with the inclusion of language establishing Accountable Care Organizations in the recently passed health reform legislation.

30 Mar 2010