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Sen. Schumer proposes holding public health insurance option to same standards, rules as private insurers

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday proposed that any public health insurance option developed as part of comprehensive health care reform legislation be subject to the same rules and standards as private insurance, the New York Times reports.

5 May 2009

CMS announces series of proposed regulations, including payment cuts

CMS last week announced a series of proposed regulations, including a proposal to reduce Medicare payments for inpatient hospital care by 0.5% in fiscal year 2010, CQ HealthBeat reports. The agency said the proposed cut primarily is the result of adjustments for excessive payments to hospitals in past years.

5 May 2009

Arizona agreement aims to extend PTSD treatment to Navajo nation

The Navajo Area Indian Health Service and the Northern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System recently signed an agreement that aims to improve access to post-traumatic stress disorder treatment for war veterans, the Farmington Daily Times reports.

5 May 2009

Utah hospitals significantly affected by Medicaid reimbursement cuts

Hospital officials in Utah say that recent cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates were much steeper than anticipated and that they might be forced to offset costs by increasing fees on insured patients or scaling back on charity care, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Hospitals are facing a nearly 25% cut in Medicaid reimbursement beginning July 1.

5 May 2009

Chrysler deal could jeopardize retiree health benefits if restructured company does not return to profitability

United Auto Workers "appears to be enjoying relative safety in helping steer the course of the [Chrysler Group] bankruptcy," but if the company does not survive post-bankruptcy, UAW's stake in the restructured company "could be worthless," the New York Times reports.

5 May 2009

Few hospitals have adopted a no-cost electronic health records system offered by VA

Few U.S. hospitals have taken advantage of a no-cost, open-source electronic health records system developed by the Veterans Health Administration, the Boston Globe reports (Wangsness, Boston Globe, 5/4).

5 May 2009

CMS announces series of proposed regulations, including payment cuts

5 May 2009

Social security benefits likely will not increase in 2010, would have 'major implications' on Medicare Parts B, D

The Obama administration and the Congressional Budget Office have indicated that Social Security beneficiaries will not receive a cost-of-living increase in 2010 or 2011, which would have "major implications for Medicare," the New York Times reports.

5 May 2009

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer examines proposal that would allow people ages 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday examined a plan being touted by Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that would allow people ages 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare. The plan would target people who purchase insurance on the individual market or have no insurance because of unemployment.

5 May 2009

Hospital volume an imperfect proxy for healthcare quality

A new review finds hospital volume to be a useful, albeit imperfect, predictor of short term mortality. While studies, when combined, show a quantifiable and statistically significant inverse association between case volume and mortality, the review finds that individual studies often fail to show such an association, leading the authors to conclude volume is at best an imperfect proxy for healthcare quality.

4 May 2009

e-prescribing boosts efficiency, may lead to improved quality of care

New research published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons indicates that the adoption of electronic prescribing systems may allow for greater efficiency at hospitals, which could result in long-term cost savings and improved quality of care.

4 May 2009

Private Medicare Advantage to receive $11.4 billion more in 2009

Private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will be paid $11.4 billion more in 2009 than what the same beneficiaries would have cost in the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program, according to a new report released today by The Commonwealth Fund.

4 May 2009

VA electronic health records system could be low-cost option for non-VA hospitals

The Veterans Health Administration's open-source electronic health records system could be an effective and low-cost option for non-Veterans Affairs hospitals that are seeking to implement such a system but have been held back by the cost, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Apr 2009

Sen. Baucus proposes Medicare changes he says could drive 'transformation of the health care delivery system'

The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday during a six-hour meeting discussed proposed changes to the Medicare system from committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 4/30).

30 Apr 2009

Congress approves $3.5 trillion budget resolution that includes reconciliation language

Congress on Wednesday -- President Obama's 100th day in office -- passed a $3.5 trillion fiscal year 2010 budget resolution (S Con Res 13) that includes budget reconciliation as an option for passing health reform legislation, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Apr 2009

Global health organizations are doing too little to support health system strengthening

Existing health systems in the developing world are fragile and many are unable to provide effective health services - and so there is growing consensus that the success of global health initiatives will depend on "health system strengthening" (a recent buzzword in global health).

30 Apr 2009

Healthcare News

Sen. Schumer proposes holding public health insurance option to same standards, rules as private insurers

CMS announces series of proposed regulations, including payment cuts

Arizona agreement aims to extend PTSD treatment to Navajo nation

Utah hospitals significantly affected by Medicaid reimbursement cuts

Chrysler deal could jeopardize retiree health benefits if restructured company does not return to profitability

Few hospitals have adopted a no-cost electronic health records system offered by VA

CMS announces series of proposed regulations, including payment cuts

Social security benefits likely will not increase in 2010, would have 'major implications' on Medicare Parts B, D

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer examines proposal that would allow people ages 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare

Hospital volume an imperfect proxy for healthcare quality

e-prescribing boosts efficiency, may lead to improved quality of care

Private Medicare Advantage to receive $11.4 billion more in 2009

VA electronic health records system could be low-cost option for non-VA hospitals

Sen. Baucus proposes Medicare changes he says could drive 'transformation of the health care delivery system'

Congress approves $3.5 trillion budget resolution that includes reconciliation language

Global health organizations are doing too little to support health system strengthening

New cancer centre launched in Southampton

IT to enhance healthcare across Europe

Change to Medicare reimbursement policy may pose risks to black kidney patients

Policy brief outlines hurdles of access to health care for people with mental disorders in Europe

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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