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ASA Urges CMS to Include Pain Care in Essential Health Benefits Package

ASA News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 09:31

ASA Urges CMS to Include Pain Care in Essential Health Benefits Package

Categories: Anesthesia News

Kansas Medicaid reform plan wins points with state's medical society

American Medical News - Gov't - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 08:07

The proposal won't cut physician pay but will set quality goals and establish medical homes.

Categories: AMA

Hospital HCAHPS Scores Beat Expectations

HealthLeadersMedia.com - Managed Care Contracting and Reimbursement Advisor - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 07:52

Hospitals have been scurrying to improve their patient experience scores under Medicare's value-based purchasing rules. Those efforts are paying off, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey responses show.

Categories: Healthcare News

Don't Give Up on Dead Claims

Healthcare News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 07:27

Denials can wreck a provider’s revenue stream, but physician practices often give up on payment too soon, says an attorney. "Providers have a lot more leverage than they realize," he says.

Categories: Healthcare News

Don't Give Up on Dead Claims

HealthLeadersMedia.com - Managed Care Contracting and Reimbursement Advisor - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 07:27

Denials can wreck a provider’s revenue stream, but physician practices often give up on payment too soon, says an attorney. "Providers have a lot more leverage than they realize," he says.

Categories: Healthcare News

House repeals long-term care program Obama viewed as too costly

Healthcare News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 06:55

The U.S. House repealed a long-term care insurance program created by the 2010 health-care law that the Obama administration decided was too costly to put in place. The 267-159 vote sends the bill to the Senate, where Democrats don't plan to bring it up. The program, known as the Class Act, was proposed by the late Senator Edward Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who died in August 2009 before passage of the law. "While the goals of the program are worthy, good intentions don't make up for fundamentally flawed, actuarially unsound policies designed to show the illusion of savings," Pennsylvania Republican Joe Pitts, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee, said during yesterday's floor debate.

Categories: Healthcare News

Insurer Cigna's 4th quarter profit drops 37 pct

Healthcare News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 06:30

Cigna's fourth-quarter earnings dropped 37 percent compared to the same period last year, when the managed care provider recorded a $101 million gain related to the completion of an IRS audit. Results fell well short of Wall Street expectations, and Cigna shares tumbled in Thursday premarket trading. The Bloomfield, Conn., health insurer also recorded a $28-million charge in the 2011 quarter related to its acquisition of insurer HealthSpring Inc., a $3.8-billion deal it completed on Tuesday. Cigna earned $290 million, or $1.04 per share, in the three months that ended Dec. 31. That compares to $461 million, or $1.69 per share, in the 2010 quarter. Revenue climbed less than 1 percent to $5.46 billion.

Categories: Healthcare News

Businesses divided on VT healthcare exchange legislation

Healthcare News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 06:15

The business community sent a mixed message to lawmakers Wednesday about the future of health care for their employees. Some business owners are concerned that they will have to give up the health insurance plans they have worked hard to set up as the state transforms its health care system. Others feel their costs of paying for health care are breaking the bank, and they want everyone to pay into a program that provides care for everyone.

Categories: Healthcare News

Healthcare reform saves MI Medicare recipients $49M on prescriptions

Healthcare News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 06:05

More than 84,000 Michigan residents receiving Medicare benefits saved nearly $49 million on prescriptions in 2011 under health care reform, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services said Thursday. Health care reform provided seniors with Medicare a 7 percent discount on covered generic medications when they hit the prescription drug coverage gap called the donut hole. This year, health care reform provides Medicare recipients a 50 percent discount on brand-name prescriptions and a 14 percent discount on generics. "The Affordable Care Act is already saving money for millions of Americans with Medicare," Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary, in a statement.

Categories: Healthcare News

Sebelius: Healthcare law makes Medicare stronger, more affordable

Healthcare News - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 06:00

When President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union last week, he talked about American values—the idea that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to make a good life for yourself and family, and have something left for retirement. Part of those values is the promise of Medicare that older Americans won't have to spend the last part of their lives worrying about going broke from a hospital bill. Today, I am visiting Tampa to talk about how the 2010 health care law, the Affordable Care Act, is strengthening that promise.

Categories: Healthcare News

Mostashari Says Health Information Exchange Will Ramp Up This Year

Making Sense of Meaningful Use - Fri, 02/03/2012 - 03:00

During this week’s Health IT Policy Committee meeting, National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari said he expects the use of health data exchanges to grow in 2012, partly because health IT systems are becoming more interoperable. Healthcare IT News.

Categories: Making Sense of Meaningful Use

Millions with Medicare enjoyed lower costs and better benefits in 2011

Making Sense of Meaningful Use - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 10:02

Categories: Making Sense of Meaningful Use

Pharmacists say marketing of Medicare drug plans is misleading

American Medical News - Gov't - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 07:59

A community pharmacy association has asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to allow disgruntled patients to switch Part D plans midyear.

Categories: AMA

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Grows, Premiums Shrink

HealthLeadersMedia.com - Managed Care Contracting and Reimbursement Advisor - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 07:52

Medicare Advantage plans are showing a 10% increase in enrollment from a year ago, says U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, but the insurance industry warns of dramatic declines in the future.

Categories: Healthcare News

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Grows, Premiums Shrink

Healthcare News - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 07:52

Medicare Advantage plans are showing a 10% increase in enrollment from a year ago, says U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, but the insurance industry warns of dramatic declines in the future.

Categories: Healthcare News

Primary Care Docs Weigh Advantages of PCMH

HealthLeadersMedia.com - Managed Care Contracting and Reimbursement Advisor - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 07:34

An insurer's plan to increase reimbursements for primary care physicians who transition to patient-centered medical homes could signal a tipping point in the move toward the new care management model.

Categories: Healthcare News

War savings may be key to long-term 'doc fix' deal

Healthcare News - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 07:15

KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about the congressional conference committee trying to hammer out a bargain on a payroll tax cut extension and the Medicare "doc fix." If the conferees—who are now discussing the possibility of a permanent "doc fix"—fail to agree to a proposal, doctors who see Medicare patients are in line for a 27 percent cut slated to take effect in March.

Categories: Healthcare News

MGMA Executive Urges HHS To Address HIPAA 5010 Challenges

Making Sense of Meaningful Use - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 03:00

Medical Group Management Association President and CEO Susan Turney has sent a letter calling for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to address several challenges health care providers are facing as they work to adopt HIPAA 5010 transaction standards. The letter reiterated MGMA’s request for CMS to delay enforcement of HIPAA 5010 standards until June. Modern Healthcare et al.

Categories: Making Sense of Meaningful Use

Survey: 51% of Midsize Physician Practices Have Fully Implemented EHRs

Making Sense of Meaningful Use - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 03:00

A survey by the Medical Group Management Association finds that 51% of physician practices with three or more doctors have fully implemented an electronic health record system. However, many EHR users said their systems lack certain capabilities. InformationWeek.

Categories: Making Sense of Meaningful Use

CMS Posts Central-Line Infection Data to its Hospital Compare Site

Making Sense of Meaningful Use - Thu, 02/02/2012 - 03:00

Data on central line-associated infections in intensive care units have been added to CMS’ Hospital Compare website, which aims to help consumers compare various data on hospital quality. The agency will add information on surgical-site and urinary tract infections next year. Salt Lake City Deseret News et al.

Categories: Making Sense of Meaningful Use