Medicine & Health articles from September 2005

Medicine & Health archives from September 2005

Studies blame increased consumer demand, rising wages for healthcare cost growth: provider-owned capacity expanding into profitable specialties spikes costs.(Healthcare Costs)
September 5, 2005... Two new studies released Aug. 24 on the escalation of healthcare costs--one by the American Hospital Association and the other by the Center for Studying Health System Change--offer different views on the underlying causes. Both, however, point...

NIH retains ban on researchers' outside consulting activities: Zerhouni issues landmark ethics regs for NIH scientists.(Medical Research)
September 5, 2005... Following an extensive internal review of 81 scientists suspected of unethical relations with nongovernmental organizations, National Institute of Health Director Elias Zerhouni announced on Aug. 25 final ethics regulations. The new regulations...

Health agencies slow to respond to disease outbreaks, study says: only 2 agencies sampled consistently met federal requirements.(Infectious Disease)
September 5, 2005... Local public health agencies may not be answering reports of urgent infectious disease outbreaks as quickly and consistently as the federal government requires, a new study by the RAND Corp. suggests. Federal guidelines call for health...

Attitudes shift as PDP enrollment approaches: most seniors say they don't know enough about the benefit to decide to enroll.(Medicare Part D)
September 5, 2005... Do more seniors believe that the upcoming Medicare prescription drug plan will save them money, even as drug prices continue to increase faster than inflation? Yes, says a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey released Aug. 15. The poll...

Millions of family caregivers lack needed healthcare: most caregivers have trouble holding down jobs, paying medical bills.(Uninsured)
September 5, 2005... Of the 16 million working-age adults caring for a sick or disabled family member, many are unemployed and lack health insurance coverage, leaving them financially vulnerable and unable to obtain needed health care. While these individuals are...

Survey says: individual insurance may not break benes' banks: plans more affordable than consumers may think, AHIP contends.(Health Plans)
September 5, 2005... Potential beneficiaries put off by the perceived high cost of purchasing an individual insurance plan may not realize that the plans are more accessible and affordable than they think. That's the conclusion America's Health Insurance Plans...

Paper advocates competition between integrated systems, not at provider level: consumer choice of IDS results in increased healthcare quality, cost restraints.(Health Care Competition)
September 12, 2005... A new study published on the Health Affairs Web site on Sept. 7 argues that competition in health care should occur between integrated provider systems, not at the individual provider level, because increased competition between individual...

NGA, Finance Committee not thrilled about Medicaid Commission's recommendations; proposals affect drug reimbursement, eligibility and tax treatment of MCOs.(Medicaid)
September 12, 2005... The controversial Commission on Medicaid Reform submitted its report to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt on Sept. 1 with recommendations for achieving $11 billion in savings during the next five years. Congressional...

CMS relaxes regs in wake of health care crisis; HHS designates four states as having a public health emergency.(CMS)
September 12, 2005... To remove any potential roadblocks victims of Hurricane Katrina may face in receiving health care, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has waived its Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation, including State Children's Health...

Health problems cost billions in lost productivity; study calculates economic savings of providing access to health care benefits.(Health Care)
September 12, 2005... Health problems among working-age Americans and their families carry an estimated price tag of $260 billion in lost productivity each year, a new Commonwealth Fund report released on Aug. 31 shows. According to the survey, an estimated 18...

Percentage of uninsured remained steady in '04; new Census survey sheds light on the latest coverage statistics.(Uninsured)
September 12, 2005... Thanks to government programs, the plight of individuals without health insurance did not worsen over the last year--despite reductions in employer health plans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's recent findings. Overall, the number of...

Hospitals need to measure up to new quality standards, CMS says; CMS raises the bar for hospitals seeking incentive payments.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
September 12, 2005... How well a hospital provides prevention measures for surgical infections and pneumonia could determine whether they will receive incentive payments. On Sept. 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Hospital Quality Alliance...

Special-needs children struggle with health care coverage, access: budget pressures mean problem may not improve anytime soon.(Access To Care)
September 19, 2005... Federal and state politicians are considering cuts to public health insurance programs that, in many cases, are still not covering more than 650,000 sick and disabled children. And if legislatures do pass cuts, children's health care access...

Medical residents consider cross-cultural issues important in providing care: doctors confident of treating patients from diverse backgrounds, but cite lack of information.(Health Care Disparities)
September 19, 2005... Although new physicians are concerned with cross-cultural issues in treating patients, most do not receive formal training in providing care to patients from diverse cultures during their residencies, two Commonwealth Fund-supported studies...

Plan shows how to pry 'shutters' off unused hospitals: AHRQ outlines steps to re-opening closed facilities during surge capacity.(Hospitals)
September 19, 2005... When a disaster hits a community, how should officials deal with the inevitable public health crisis accompanying the catastrophe? Hospitals could expand their capacities--and they can most easily accomplish this by getting "shuttered"...

Commissioners set to make health care digital: the goal is for widespread use of electronic records within a decade.(electronic health records)
September 19, 2005... After years of lagging behind other industries, health care providers may finally be able to take advantage of modern information technology now that Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has chosen 16 commissioners to serve on the...

Study reveals factors common to nursing home discharges: long-stay residents likely have mental or cognitive disorders.(Long-Term Care)
September 19, 2005... The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured issued a report in August showing that nursing homes tended to discharge residents back into the community who had shorter lengths of stay, were younger and had spouses. The prevalence of a...

CMS launches ambitious quality demonstration: project aim: developing, testing major healthcare system improvements.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
September 19, 2005... The federal government has announced an incentive-based plan designed to elicit healthcare providers' input on care quality and the effectiveness of current and proposed payment systems. On Sept. 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

Officials insist free EHR software rollout on track: officials attempt to quash rumors of delays.(electronic health records software)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2005... Despite rumors that Medicare's new electronic health record technology is delayed indefinitely, officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are still insisting that the VistA-Office software implementation is on schedule. ...

While 84 percent of individuals who called Medicare-funded call centers said they were satisfied with their customer service.(In Other News)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2005... While 84 percent of individuals who called Medicare-funded call centers said they were satisfied with their customer service, several recent reports question the accuracy of the information that these call centers give Medicare beneficiaries....

The HHS Office for Civil Rights issued special Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance guidance on Sept. 9 for providers and insurers responding to individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina, which also translates for other natural disaster situations.(In Other News ...)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2005... The HHS Office for Civil Rights issued special Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance guidance on Sept. 9 for providers and insurers responding to individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina, which also translates for...

Paper advocates competition between integrated systems, not at provider level: consumer choice of IDS results in increased healthcare quality, cost restraints.(Health Care Competition)
September 19, 2005... A new study published on the Health Affairs Web site on Sept. 7 argues that competition in health care should occur between integrated provider systems, not at the individual provider level, because increased competition between individual...

NGA, Finance Committee not thrilled about Medicaid commission's recommendations: proposals affect drug reimbursement, eligibility and tax treatment of MCOs.(Medicaid)
September 19, 2005... The controversial Commission on Medicaid Reform submitted its report to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt on Sept. 1 with recommendations for achieving $11 billion in savings during the next five years. Congressional...

CMS relaxes regs in wake of health care crisis: HHS designates four states as having a public health emergency.(CMS)
September 19, 2005... To remove any potential roadblocks victims of Hurricane Katrina may face in receiving health care, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has waived its Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation, including State Children's Health...

Health problems cost billions lost productivity: study calculates economic savings of providing access to health care benefits.(Health Care)
September 19, 2005... Health problems among working-age Americans and their families carry an estimated price tag of $260 billion in lost productivity each year, a new Commonwealth Fund report released on Aug. 31 shows. According to the survey, an estimated 18...

Percentage of uninsured remained steady in '04: new Census survey sheds light on the latest coverage statistics.(Uninsured)
September 19, 2005... Thanks to government programs, the plight of individuals without health insurance did not worsen over the last year--despite reductions in employer health plans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's recent findings. Overall, the number of...

Hospitals need to measure up to new quality standards, CMS says: CMS raises the bar for hospitals seeking incentive payments.(Hospitals)
September 19, 2005... How well a hospital provides prevention measures for surgical infections and pneumonia could determine whether they will receive incentive payments. On Sept. 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Hospital Quality Alliance...

HIT adoption offers big savings, but logistics worries persist: patients role in widespread HIT is uncertain at best, study says.(HIT)(health information technology)
September 26, 2005... Powerful cost savings and quality improvement opportunities continue to drive the debate about the adoption of health information technology on a comprehensive national basis, but several recent studies argue that policymakers must maintain...

Healthcare premiums doomed to outpace wages, inflation: citing costs, more employees are dropping plans.(health insurance)
September 26, 2005... If workers are hoping for relief in the availability and cost of health insurance then they are out of luck. A new study shows that in 2005, fewer businesses offered coverage to employees while premiums increased three times faster than wages....

Smaller physician practices sluggish in EHR adoption: groups not using EHR technology to its full capability.(EHRs)
September 26, 2005... Small or solo medical practices have been slow to adopt electronic health records--and once they do, many of them struggle for several years before recouping costs and beginning to realize financial and other benefits, two new studies on the...

National HIT structure prepares for EHR boom: disparities between small and large facilities threaten continuity of care.(health information technology, electronic health records)
September 26, 2005... Further insight into the policy debate of health information technology appears in a Commonwealth Fund study reported in Health Affairs. Writing in "Functional Gaps in Attaining a National Health Information Network," researchers--drawing on a...

States' revenue troubles lead to lackluster SCHIP enrollment efforts: economic downturn, legislative policies help slow growth.(Healthcare Programs)
September 26, 2005... When it comes to healthcare coverage, many low-wage workers are between that proverbial rock and hard place. An economic downturn and fewer companies offering coverage has led many to seek state or federal programs to help cover their families,...

Low comprehension of consent forms creates surge in medical errors: NQF provides update on providers who adopted Safe Practice 10.(National Quality Forum)
September 26, 2005... As all eyes turn to preventing medical errors, one organization claims to have the answers to avoiding detrimental language barriers between physicians and patients and improving the informed consent process. In May 2003, National Quality...