MedWorm: Health Management Top 20

Is U.S. Health Spending Finally Under Control?

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:54:20 +0100

“Growth in U.S. health spending remains slow in 2010” was the headline of a news release on Jan. 9 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

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Digital Doctoring

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:04:12 +0100

Among the most common reasons why people come to an emergency room are bouts of heart failure or pneumonia. Note: Viewing this article may require a subscription. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

State Health Access Reform Evaluation - 2012 Call for Proposals

RWJF - Upcoming Calls For Proposals — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:12:13 +0100

Release Date: 2012-01-17 09:00:00.0 (Source: RWJF - Upcoming Calls For Proposals)

Necessary Health Care and Basic Needs: Health Insurance Plans and Essential Benefits

Health Care Analysis — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:03:06 +0100

Abstract According to HealthCare.gov, by improving access to quality health for all Americans, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will reduce disparities in health insurance coverage. One way this will happen under the provisions of the ACA is by creating a new health insurance marketplace (a health insurance exchange) by 2014 in which “all people will have a choice for quality, affordable health insurance even if a job loss, job switch, move or illness occurs”. This does not mean that everyone will have whatever insurance coverage he or she wants. The provisions of the ACA require that each of the four benefit categories of plans (known as bronze, silver, gold and platinum) provides no less than the benefits available in an “essential health benefits package”. However,...

Insurer WellPoint to Revamp Primary Care Pay

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:13:53 +0100

Health insurer WellPoint Inc. plans to improve primary care doctor payments and start reimbursing physicians for care management it doesn't currently cover as a way boost treatment and save money. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

Active surveillance best for prostate cancer?

PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:13:30 +0100

(Source: PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News)

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CVS buys Health Net’s Medicare PDP

Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:07:37 +0100

One of the largest pharmacy benefits managers in the U.S. is about to get bigger. Health Net Inc. says it will sell its Medicare prescription-drug plan (PDP) business to CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) for about $160 million in cash. (Source: Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online)

Are Your Claims Being Rejected?

Blogged_Arteries — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

TMA and the American Medical Association report that many medical practices are seeing more of their claims rejected in recent weeks. The conversion to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Version 5010 transaction standards on Jan. 1 could be the culprit. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)

Pfizer and GSK extend pneumonia vaccine agreements with GAVI

PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:11:42 +0100

(Source: PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News)

The price sensitivity of Medicare beneficiaries: a regression discontinuity approach

Health Economics — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:10:45 +0100

ABSTRACTWe use 4 years of data from the retiree health benefits program of the University of Michigan to estimate the effect of price on the health plan choices of Medicare beneficiaries. During the period of our analysis, changes in the University's premium contribution rules led to substantial price changes. A key feature of this ‘natural experiment’ is that individuals who had retired before a certain date were exempted from having to pay any premium contributions. This ‘grandfathering’ creates quasi‐experimental variation that is ideal for estimating the effect of price. Using regression discontinuity methods, we compare the plan choices of individuals who retired just after the grandfathering cutoff date and were therefore exposed to significant price changes to the choices ...

Medicaid cost control has lead to less use of antipsychotics

PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:13:30 +0100

(Source: PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News)

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Influenza immunisation program at three tertiary paediatric hospitals in NSW in 2010.

New South Wales Public Health Bulletin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:06:49 +0100

Authors: Wood NJ, Cashman PM Abstract This is a report of an innovative influenza immunisation program in three tertiary paediatric hospitals in NSW. A targeted once-off program of influenza immunisation funded by NSW Health was offered during 2010 at the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospital and the John Hunter Children's Hospital. Authorised immunisers offered influenza immunisation to paediatric patients, outpatients and relatives of children with chronic illnesses. Influenza immunisation was administered to 3458 people, 1251 (36%) of whom were children with chronic conditions. In 2009 before the program, 420 influenza vaccines were prescribed for children in two of these hospitals. This number increased to 949 in 2010, the year of the program. Dedicated va...

Study: Hospitals Overpay for Devices

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Some hospitals pay thousands of dollars more than others for big-ticket medical devices such as defibrillators and hip replacements, and a portion of the higher costs could be passed on to the federal Medicare program, a new government report says. Note: Viewing this article may require a subscription. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

Oncotype DX testing a winner for guiding breast cancer therapy

PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:13:30 +0100

(Source: PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News)

Directions & Connections

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:20:44 +0100

(Source: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association)

Caring Often Goes Beyond the Technical Expertise

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:31:51 +0100

Days before my husband entered the hospital where a team of medical professionals would peer inside his lungs and remove what should not live inside him, I read an article that scared the heebie-jeebies out of me. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

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Long-Term Breastfeeding Support: Failing Mothers in Need

Maternal and Child Health Journal — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:42:38 +0100

Abstract This qualitative study analyzes mothers’ reports of breastfeeding care experiences from pregnancy through infancy. Most research on medical support for breastfeeding examines a specific practice or intervention during an isolated phase of care. Little is know about how mothers experience breastfeeding education and support from the prenatal period through their child’s first year. A convenience sample of 75 black and white WIC participants with infants was recruited at three Maryland WIC agencies. In-depth interviews covered mothers' comprehensive experiences of breastfeeding education and support from pregnancy through the interview date. Most mothers received education or support from a medical professional prenatally, at the hospital, or during the child’...

The Effectiveness of Implementing an Electronic Health Record on Diabetes Care and Outcomes

Health Services Research — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:46:45 +0100

ConclusionImplementation of a commercially available EHR in primary care practice may improve diabetes care and clinical outcomes. (Source: Health Services Research)

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has released new guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of menopause.

PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:11:42 +0100

(Source: PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News)

Candidates propose Medicare shift to defined contribution

Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

GOP candidate Mitt Romney argues that his proposal to convert Medicare from a defined-benefit program to a defined-contribution program will rescue Medicare by creating competition among plans and drive down costs. Republican Paul Ryan and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden have a similar proposal. (Source: Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online)