Medicine & Health articles from October 2005

Medicine & Health archives from October 2005

Legislators attempt to reduce Part D to help fund Katrina relief: opposition terms Part D delay 'a non-starter' as Congress moves ahead with health care proposals.(Part D)
October 3, 2005... Despite calls by several key fiscal conservatives in Congress to delay Medicare Part D, many legislators and the White House strongly oppose reducing the new Medicare prescription drug benefit to help fund Katrina health care relief. ...

Americans prefer employer-sponsored health plans over HSAs: survey finds people have faith in employers to make wise choices.(Health Plans)
October 3, 2005... Recent trends show that health savings accounts are becoming increasingly popular with employers as a way to provide insurance benefits to employees, while keeping costs down. However, a recent study suggests that this new form of...

Lawmakers act to provide health care relief for hurricane victims: AMA calls for further assistance for displaced physicians, more vaccine supplies.(Legislation)
October 3, 2005... Despite disaster-budget debates, Congress pressed ahead with the Emergency Health Care Relief Act of 2005, the primary legislative vehicle to address the health care needs of Hurricane Katrina victims. In what has proved to be a fairly...

CMS finalizes new Medicare prescription drug plans: Medicare Advantage also slated to offer more comprehensive coverage.(Prescription Drugs)
October 3, 2005... Medicare took a major step toward its new prescription drug coverage on Sept. 23 by formally approving prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans that will offer coverage starting Jan. 1, 2006, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike...

Millions of workers 'churning' in rocky healthcare system: young adults, Hispanics among the most likely to see lapses in coverage.(Uninsured)
October 3, 2005... Many policymakers rightly focus their energies on helping the 46 million uninsured Americans find health care coverage Yet, at the same time, they might be overlooking an equally troubled segment of the population: those who have unstable...

CMS gears up for nursing home pay-for-performance: voluntary program nets bonuses across wide variety of quality measurements.(Demonstration)(Brief Article)
October 3, 2005... As part of its ongoing program to encourage improved quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has begun to develop a specially focused nursing home pay for-performance initiative. In a recent...

Report: MMA changes will dig at oncologists' bottom lines: PWC's updates on Medicare Part B savings projections clash with CBO's predictions.(Medicare)(Medicare Modernization Act)
October 3, 2005... Oncology providers may have to dig even deeper than they might have expected to cover some of their pharmaceutical bills, according to a report on the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003's effects on future changes in drug rates. The good...

Capitol Hill panelists want FDA intervention in DTC drug advertising: officials say DTC ads are dangerous and misleading.(Prescription Drugs)(Panel Discussion)
October 10, 2005... As more revealing data become available on pharmaceutical companies' direct-to-consumer advertising and its effects on prescribing trends, panelists from influential organizations have shed some light on the real impact of DTC ads--and why the...

Medicare should bargain for lower drug prices, study says: CMS argues that such a move wouldn't present clear savings.(Medicare)
October 10, 2005... Beneficiaries who use Medicare drug discount cards pay $220 more per year for the top 50 most frequently prescribed medications than those who receive benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs, a new Families USA report discovered....

Grassley insists White House name new full-time FDA commissioner: strong leadership is critical in wake of drug scandals, senators say.(FDA)
October 10, 2005... In a recent letter, the Senate Finance Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) admonished White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card to scrap the Bush administration's plan to allow Andrew von Eschenbach to serve as acting Food and Drug...

U.S. Health Care System suffering from massive waste and inefficiency--what's the next step? Industry leaders point to P4P, care coordination as best opportunities to cut crippling costs.(Special Report)
October 10, 2005... The U.S. health system is fraught with waste and inefficiency and in dire need of reform, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System, which the organization released Oct. 3 at a Capitol...

Why many hospitals aren't prepared for terrorist bombings: hospitals don't have arrangements for patient overflow and mass casualties.(Hospitals)
October 10, 2005... Most U.S. hospitals have updated their preparedness plans for bioterrorism and mass casualties since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but many still could improve their collaboration with outside organizations and stage more drills for responding to...

New bill asks physicians to say 'I'm sorry' to avoid a med mal suit: legislation proposes use of patient safety officers as watchdogs.(Medical Malpractice)
October 17, 2005... Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (DIL) introduced a bill Sept. 28 intended to break the legislative stalemate on medical liability overhaul. The bill would provide liability protections for physicians who disclose medical...

Part E draws support as a Medicare plan that covers all the bases: Medicare Extra would simplify drug plan, eliminate need for multiple supplemental programs.(Medicare)
October 17, 2005... As Medicare beneficiaries and health care consumer organizations become increasingly confused and dissatisfied with the new prescription drug benefit, the Commonwealth Fund is touting an all-inclusive option for Medicare enrollees. Offering...

Managed care payments, drug prices ripe for savings efforts: two new reports provide alternatives to proposed cuts to entitlement programs.(Managed Care)
October 17, 2005... Two Congressional committees that must find $10 billion in reductions to the Medicaid and Medicare programs for fiscal year 2006 budget could double the savings goal--if they reduce payments to certain Medicare managed care companies and secure...

$15 million program aims to improve medical education: hospitals don't have arrangements for patient overflow and mass casualties.(Medical Research)
October 17, 2005... To help providers and patients better determine the most effective drugs and other medical treatments to use, the government has launched a new three-part program that will include 13 new research centers, as well as an innovative center for...

AHRQ HIT projects are testing grounds for implementation: multi-million dollar awards will help use IT systems to improve safety and quality of health care.(HIT)(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
October 17, 2005... The Department of Health and Human Services continues to pour millions of dollars into the nationwide advance towards health information technology integration, as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality announced awards of $22.3 million...

United States has a 'patchwork system' of health coverage: pollsters point to effectiveness of Medicaid, SCHIP.(Medicaid)
October 17, 2005... As the federal government looks to guarantee adequate health coverage for more Americans, a new poll shows that most of the health care sector supports working toward expanding access for underprivileged citizens. In "Assessing Health Care...

The HHS Office of the Inspector General released a proposed rule that grants electronic prescribing-related anti-kickback safe harbor.(In Other News ...)(Brief Article)
October 17, 2005... * The HHS Office of the Inspector General released a proposed rule that grants electronic prescribing-related anti-kickback safe harbor to hospitals, group practices, prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare Advantage plans. The...

Not-for-profit Hospitals Alter Billing and Collection Practices for Uninsured Patients: revised charity policies show negligible impact on bottom line.(Hospitals)
October 24, 2005... Following a barrage of criticism alleging aggressive billing practices and overcharging uninsured patients, many hospitals have adopted more generous charity care guidelines, according to a Center for Studying Health System Change study...

Approval of drug marketed to African Americans raises political, economic issues: study criticizes manufacturer for re-branding generic drug with race-specific indication.(Pharmaceuticals)
October 24, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration's recent decision to allow a pharmaceutical manufacturer to market a heart medication to African Americans "distorts public understanding of health disparities and of efforts to address them," according to a new...

Country's Health Care Quality up, performance feedback down: consumer-directed plans place less importance on quality, study says.(Health Plans)
October 24, 2005... The good news that Americans received better health care in 2004 may be tempered by the fact that fewer insurers are actually reporting their performance--while enrollment in these tight-lipped plans is increasing. Nonetheless, the...

Unscrupulous suppliers continue to defraud Medicare: GAO audit suggests CMS contractor fails in key fraud-fighting areas.(Fraud)
October 24, 2005... The Senate's top fraud hawk is now taking aim at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for not doing enough to protect the Medicare program from the fraudulent and abusive billing of prosthetics, orthotics and other medical equipment....

Jobs in jeopardy as feds cope with unfunded liabilities: report: millions could be without work if Medicare doesn't cut spending.(Medicare)
October 24, 2005... As the bills for future Medicare services continue to pile up in Washington, D.C., lawmakers are more seriously considering the idea of a huge tax increase to pay for unfunded liabilities. But a new study from the Heritage Foundation predicts...

CBPP ridicules governors' ideas to reduce Medicaid costs: advocacy group claims proposals endanger low-income, disabled benes.(Medicaid)
October 24, 2005... Dismayed by the National Governor's Association's proposed short-term Medicaid budget cuts, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities released its retort Oct. 14, claiming that NGA proposals risk reducing access to necessary health services...

Senate budget chairman pushes potentially less painful health care savings plan; Medicaid, Medicare proposals face opposition from White House, fellow Republicans.(Regulations)
October 31, 2005... Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) released his reconciliation proposal that nets $10 billion in savings from Medicare and Medicaid, which would actually benefit hospitals and physicians. Grassley has proposed a 1...

New evidence confirms dangers of physician self-referrals to specialty hospitals; legislators side with community hospitals over objections to self-referral abuse.(Specialty Hospitals)
October 31, 2005... One study backs community hospitals' objections to controversial patient referrals to physician-owned specialty hospitals. The study's authors support community hospitals' complaints that the growth in the number of limited-service specialty...

HHS approves experimental Medicaid overhaul in Florida; competition for consumer business means lower costs and better care, demonstration's promoters insist.(Medicaid)(Health and Human Services)
October 31, 2005... Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt approved on Oct. 19 a landmark Medicaid reform plan that will allow Florida beneficiaries to choose health care plans that best suit their needs--for the first time introducing competition and...

User-fee boost would up safety, reputations; a new paper suggests that drug makers, FDA can't afford not to raise user fees.(Prescription Drugs)
October 31, 2005... With the recent Vioxx scandal and allegations of "imbalances" in the Food and Drug Administration's drug regulation, increasing user fees could not only make drugs safer for those who take them, but may also restore the pharmaceutical...

House Committee spares Medicare in latest cuts; find out which programs did get slashed.(Medicare)
October 31, 2005... The House Ways and Means Committee on Oct. 26 approved several reconciliation recommendations that propose to save $8 billion over the coming years--largely by cutting programs that benefit low-income Americans. The committee, however, avoided...

Medicaid, SCHIP's financial future looking brighter: but states are worried about reduced federal role and erosion of private plans.(Coverage)(State Children's Health Insurance Program)
October 31, 2005... A combination of economic recovery and sustained state cost-containment measures has helped improve the financial outlook for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, according to three recent state surveys the Kaiser...

Perceptions don't matter--lack of coverage does; new study sheds light on attitudes of the insured and uninsured.(Uninsured)
October 31, 2005... When people need medical attention, those without health insurance are less than half as likely as their covered counterparts to seek care, according to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Despite this...

WellPoint purchase of WellChoice shakes up health care marketplace; health plans will face tough competition for national products.(Mergers & Acquisitions)
October 31, 2005... The consolidation of health plans continues, as WellPoint has made a key acquisition that many insiders see as a response to the $8.4 billion merger between UnitedHealth Group and PacifiCare Health Systems earlier this year. But the merger has...