MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'medicare'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:49:44 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181975&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fehr-incentives-likely-improve-quality Healthcare is one of the last industries in the United States to universally incorporate technological advancements. While most sectors have made significant investments in information technology to improve efficiency and consumer relationships, America’s health care system is still largely paper-driven. As a result the healthcare system is plagued by inefficiency and poor quality. Delivery is slower, more prone to errors, and harder to measure and coordinate than it should be. Investments in health information technology can help improve this situation. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181975 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:19:45 +0100 5181975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174586&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F29%2Faco-101-the-basics-of-accountable-care%2F Regarding the subject of “health care reform” during the past year, it is certain that more has been written about, more conferences have been devoted to, and more consultants have been engaged for the topic of “accountable care organizations” (ACOs) than any other.  ACOs are in the spotlight both because of several provisions in the [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174586 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:51:11 +0100 5174586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174587&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F26%2Fthe-cost-of-medicare-you-get-what-you-pay-for%2F In the battle over bending the cost curve in Medicare, a recent article in Health Affairs should set off alarms.  In it, Francis Lukas and colleagues describe the proliferation of new cardiac surgery programs—300 in 10 years–at exactly the same time that the number of cardiac bypass grafts fell.  Moreover, the new programs generally did [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174587 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:11:24 +0100 5174587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169531&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtpVlZ8rFxyc%2F By Michael F. CannonThe federal government, four states, and a whistleblower have extracted a $154 million settlement from Par Pharmaceuticals for fraudulently inflating the prices it charges Medicaid, according to the Associated Press. With Medicare and Medicaid losing roughly $100 billion each year to fraud and other improper payments, however, the fact that a paltry $154 million settlement is news can only mean that federal and state governments are not even trying to combat fraud in any serious way.   As I explain in this video, that’s because politicians have almost zero incentive to do so — which makes massive amounts of fraud an inherent part of these programs: Under ObamaCare, Medicare and Medicaid fraud will only get worse. $154 Million Medicaid Fraud Settlement a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169531 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:58:12 +0100 5169531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158920&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F25%2Frisk-shifting-in-health-care-and-its-implications-part-two%2F Yesterday, in the first installment of a two-part Health Affairs Blog post, Troyen Brennan and Thomas Lee discussed the shifting of risk they see taking place in the health care system, from insurers and employers to provider and patients. In part two below, Brennan and Lee discuss the implications of this shift for various health [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158920 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:02:47 +0100 5158920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158993&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcardiac-devices-causing-more-infections-whats-the-cause%2F2011.08.25 A new report published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and reported in theHeart.org and elsewhere, suggests the infection rate of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CEID’s) between 1993 and 2008 has greatly increased from 1.53% in 2004 to 2.41% in 2008 (p < 0.001) with a dramatic rise in 2005: Click image to enlarge The authors explain this sudden increase on the basis of comorbities: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158993 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5158993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159889&cid=t_99859_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2Fo3HRZJGDll8%2Fcost-of-medicine-continues-to-be.html Approximately 10% of Medicare beneficiaries do not comply with their prescribed medication regimen because they simply cannot afford it, researchers from Harvard Medical School reported in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship. They added that elderly Medicare patients, whether or not they are being treated for cancer, commonly skip taking a pill so that they can last longer, or forgo filling a prescription completely because it is just too expensive. The authors believe that their findings suggest that seniors with cancer or those who survived it do not face greater medical costs than other patients. The rise in medication costs has occurred in parallel with an aging population, leading to greater financial burdens for the patient. Cancer costs have risen considerably. Patients being treat... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159889 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:33:00 +0100 5159889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158921&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F24%2Fmedicares-looming-risk-transfer%2F Editor’s Note: Below, Jaan Sidorov analyzes the risk-shifting inherent in proposals for Medicare reform. Today, Health Affairs Blog is also publishing the first installment of a two-part post by Troyen Brennan and Thomas Lee, which addresses risk-shifting in the health care system as well. Suppose, despite my good health and lifelong habit of avoiding doctors, [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158921 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:53:07 +0100 5158921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158922&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F24%2Frisk-shifting-in-health-care-and-its-implications-part-one%2F Editor’s Note: Below, in the first installment of a two-part Health Affairs Blog post, Troyen Brennan and Thomas Lee discuss the shifting of risk they see taking place in the health care system, from insurers and employers to provider and patients. In part two tomorrow, Brennan and Lee will discuss the implications of this shift [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158922 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:50:18 +0100 5158922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158923&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F19%2Ftoo-many-medicare-advantage-choices-can-decrease-enrollment%2F A new Health Affairs Web First study finds that increased choice among Medicare Advantage plans leads to increased enrollment in the program among elderly Americans, but only when beneficiaries are choosing among 15 or fewer plans. When Medicare beneficiaries have a choice of 15 to 30 private plans, increased choice does not result in increased Medicare Advantage [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158923 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:20:41 +0100 5158923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139588&cid=t_99859_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FD316k-meqTw%2Fcutting-medicaid-cost-long-run.html I usually write about healthcare reform from a pediatrician’s viewpoint, but what grabbed my attention recently was a story my husband, Randy, told me about an adult in his practice – a patient on Medicaid.Randy is a neurologist in a private practice, and Medicaid patients come from every corner of Rhode Island to see him. They make this cumbersome pilgrimage because he is a member of a dying breed: Randy still accepts Medicaid. He does this for $27.  That is not a copay; that is the total per patient reimbursement he gets from the state. It is clearly not a good deal for Randy, who will start losing money about 10 minutes into the visit.  And it is often not a good deal for his patients, who may have to travel a very circuitous route to receive simple, appropriate care. But it is al... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139588 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:00:58 +0100 5139588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139673&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F17%2Fnarrative-matters-eleanor-clift-on-her-husbands-death-and-end-of-life-issues%2F In the newest Health Affairs Narrative Matters essay, prominent journalist Eleanor Clift writes about her husband Tom Brazaitis and his death from metastatic cancer at age 64. Clift describes the multiple ways in which she and her husband benefited from hospice care, in which Brazaitis spent the last four months of his life. Clift uses [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139673 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:19:54 +0100 5139673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139695&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOehssZVSty8%2F By Tad DeHavenThe Washington Post’s editorial board issued a challenge to the president and his Republican opponents: “show us your plans” for deficit reduction. In fact, the Post says it would be “delighted” to receive plans from its readers. However, the Post isn’t interested in “meaningless promises” to cut “waste, fraud, and abuse”—it wants specifics: Here’s what we’re not looking for: pablum about eliminating unnecessary spending without identifying where. Gauzy rhetoric about making hard choices without making them. Meaningless promises about eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Broad assertions about where to find the money — “Medicare savings,” “tax reform” — without specifics. Arbitrary spending caps without accompanying details about how those... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139695 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:16:31 +0100 5139695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139953&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fmu-spurring-adoption-cpoe-or-it You say "po-tay-to," I say "po-tah-to." It often seems that the old song could be applied to any number of policy discussions, and it appears applicable once again to the latest news concerning the use of CPOE among hospitals. More to the point, what seems to be open to interpretation is whether “meaningful use” is successfully leading more providers to incorporate CPOE into their practices. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139953 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:18:34 +0100 5139953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139683&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FIyG05aaQWBI%2F Viagra Protection: A federal judge ruled yesterday that a Pfizer patent on the erectile-dysfunction treatment Viagra is valid and enforceable, protecting the blockbuster drug against generic competition until 2019, the WSJ reports. Teva Pharmaceutical had proposed a generic version of the drug, arguing that certain claims of that 2019 Pfizer patent were invalid, the paper says. Cheap Screening: Hospitals are advertising inexpensive low-dose CT scans for current and former smokers on the heels of a government study that found such lung-cancer screening can save lives in a certain group of people, Kaiser Health News reports. But the study didn’t fully answer questions about who might benefit from the screening and how they should be screened, and the tests produce a lot of false positi... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139683 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:43:51 +0100 5139683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130746&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysician-enjoys-the-ease-of-a-new-emr%2F2011.08.15 Seven months into 2011, things look very different than they did this time last year at my office. Not only have I been using an electronic medical record for nine months now, but I’ve also been submitting claims electronically (through a free clearinghouse) using an online practice management system. I’ve also begun scanning patients’ insurance cards into the computer, as well as converting all the paper insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) into digital form. I’ve even scanned all my office bills and business paperwork and tossed all the actual paper into one big box. As of the first of the year I even stopped generating “daysheets” at the end of work each day. After all, with my new system I can always call up the information I want whenever I need it. How did such a comm... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130746 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:00:48 +0100 5130746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130748&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-pros-and-cons-of-ipab-and-why-it-shouldnt-be-repealed%2F2011.08.15 In recent weeks, several Democrats and some health reform advocates including the AMA have joined Republicans in calling for a repeal of provisions in the new health law that create the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). For these people, IPAB represents the worst aspects of the new law–an unelected, centralized planning authority empowered by government to make decisions about the peoples’ health care. Arbitrary cuts to providers, short-sighted decisions that stifle innovation and rationing of care are sure to follow, they claim. While it’s true that the rules governing IPAB are flawed and should be fixed, eliminating IPAB altogether would be a mistake. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Pizaazz* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130748 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:00:44 +0100 5130748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130872&cid=t_99859_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2FX8JuuH6We8U%2Fpartners-health-care-acquiring-neighborhood-health-plan-the-800-pound-gorilla-and-the-fig-leaf.html Partners Health Care (the dominant provider network in Greater Boston) and Neighborhood Health Plan (a local mostly-Medicaid HMO) just announced that the former intends to acquire the latter, and maintain it as a separate operating entity.  No money will change hands between the parties, but an unspecified amount of money will be given by Partners as grants to community health centers where NHP members receive much of their health care services. Gary Gottlieb, CEO of Partners, graciously allowed that it would not seek to interfere with the current referral patterns of NHP members to the two local safety-net hospitals (which get disproportionate share hospital payments; Partners hospitals do not). The deal is contingent on several layers of regulatory review, including review by the Commo... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130872 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:35:15 +0100 5130872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125736&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38962&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbeatblog.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fmedicare-spending-slows-sharply-few-seem-to-notice-part-1.html While our elected representatives wrangle over slicing entitlements, virtually no one seems to be paying attention to an eye-popping fact: Medicare reimbursements are no longer accelerating at a break neck-pace. The new numbers should be factored into any discussion about healthcare spending:  From 2000 through 2009, Medicare’s outlays climbed by an average of 9.7 percent a year. By contrast, since the beginning of 2010, Medicare spending has been rising by less than 4 percent a year. On this,  both Standard Poor’s Index Committee and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) agree. (S&P tracks healthcare spending with the help of Milliman Inc., an independent actuarial and consulting firm.) What explains the 18-month slow-down?  No one is entirely certain.&#016... Health Beat blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125736 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:31:00 +0100 5125736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125830&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhit-acos-need-part-i-analytic-data The Accountable Care Organization draft rule (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-7880.htm) is out, and the political, clinical and technical trek to establishing these lynchpins of the Affordable Care Act and health reform is on. Community physicians and hospitals are jockeying for potential shares of the incentives that will be distributed via the ACO program. Health Information Technology has been so frequently cited as being a critical part of making ACOs successful that it is now de rigueur. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125830 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:17:53 +0100 5125830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118990&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwbuuG2ELBEc%2F As Washington looks to shrink overwhelming deficits, the pharmaceutical industry is gearing up to fight any plan to seek more discounts and rebates for Medicare. Having contributed $112 billion to health care reform last year, drugmakers are bolstering their lobbying efforts and are warning that any move to extract more money will cost them a collective $20 billion and jeopardize 260,000 jobs. “We made a contribution to the Affordable Care Act that was substantial and fundamental,” Pfizer ceo Ian Read tells Bloomberg News. “We are only 10 percent of the health-care spend in the United States, and we are the most efficient part of that.” And he adds that Pfizer will “oppose any further changes” to Medicare. The industry is centering on the Medicare Part D drug benefit, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118990 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:43:43 +0100 5118990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118590&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F11%2Fhealth-spending-projection-spin-cycle-rinse-and-repeat-or-reset%2F One of the annual rituals of Washington’s health policy calendar involves the release of projections for the next ten years of national health spending by actuaries at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It then is followed immediately by desperate efforts by various interest groups and advocacy “analysts” to spin the new numbers [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118590 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:41:21 +0100 5118590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118708&cid=t_99859_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F11%2Fannouncing-the-psych-central-drug-discount-card%2F I’m proud to tell you about a new, free benefit offered to Psych Central members and readers — a drug discount card. The Psych Central drug discount card can save you up to 80% or more off the cost of prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and pet prescription drugs. The Psych Central Drug Discount Card is accepted at over 60,000 pharmacies, including major chains such as Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and at regional chains and local stores. It is offered in partnership with NeedyMeds. The card may be used by those without insurance and by those who decide not to use their insurance — for example if the drug is not covered under their plan, the copay or deductible is high, the cap has been reached, or if they are in the donut hole. There are no income, insu... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118708 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:11:01 +0100 5118708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118606&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7jzQr-5f1RE%2F By Michael F. CannonFrom today’s Los Angeles Times: On Tuesday, a jury found [south Los Angeles pastor Christopher] Iruke, his wife and an employee who worked for the couple guilty of healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud… Authorities said Iruke and associates often supplied power wheelchairs to Medicare patients perfectly capable of walking on their own —including one who did jumping jacks to show agents he never needed one. Also among the patients Iruke and his associates filed reimbursement claims for were two people who were deceased, according to court papers… After purchasing the wheelchairs at about $900 wholesale and paying for the prescriptions, he pocketed the remainder of about $6,000 in taxpayer money he received as Medicare reimbursements, accordi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118606 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:50:05 +0100 5118606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118994&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FX-4k_OX50Ks%2F Top of the morning to you. And what a morning it is. A lovely sun is shining overhead and a cool breeze is wafting through the Pharmalot corporate campus. This calls for a celebratory cup of stimulation. Nonetheless, meetings and deadlines loom. So let us all get started. A few interesting items can be found below. Meanwhile, if you hear of anything interesting, drop us a line. Have a great day, everyone… FDA OKs Gilead And J&J Once-Daily HIV Pill (Reuters) Pfizer Pays First Compensation To Nigerian Trovan Victims (BBC) Vioxx Lawyers Get More Fees After Filing Objections (Bloomberg News) Pfizer To Shed 130 Jobs And Close Former King Plant (TriCities) FDA Sets Review Deadline For Amylin Diabetes Drug (Reuters) FDA Questions Adventrx Trial Run By CRO In Argentina (Outsourcing Phar... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118994 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:53:50 +0100 5118994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118592&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F09%2Fa-legal-challenge-to-cms-reliance-on-the-ruc%2F This week in a Maryland federal court, six physicians based at the Center for Primary Care in Augusta, GA filed suit against HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and CMS Administrator Donald Berwick. The complaint, spearheaded by Paul Fischer MD with DC-based lead counsel Kathleen Behan, alleges that the doctors have been harmed by the Medicare payment [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118592 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:28:22 +0100 5118592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118593&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F09%2Fis-medicare-more-efficient-than-private-insurance%2F Of all the issues bandied about in the recent debate over the debt ceiling, none generated more contention, more TV ads and more unseemly rhetoric than potential changes to Medicare. Health economists generally believe that Medicare is on an unsustainable course and is desperately in need of reform. Yet public opinion polls show that most [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118593 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:53:05 +0100 5118593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107514&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysician-discusses-the-confusing-aspects-of-medicare-part-d%2F2011.08.09 I have discussed Medicare Part B and Part F in recent blogs. A reader asked about Medicare Part D: Dr. Feld “Please discuss Medicare Part D, the drug benefit plan available to seniors. It is very complicated and completely confusing to me. My physician gave me a prescription for Levequin 500 mg once a day for 10 days. The pharmacist told me it would cost me $330 dollars. Medicare Part D would pay an additional $110 dollars for a total of $440 dollars. I asked the pharmacist if there was a generic equivalent. The answer was yes. It cost $10 dollars. This is unconscionable. It is highway robbery. Sincerely a.g.” Several issues are presented in this readers note. It is essential to understand these issues. The issues are an indictment against government “controlled” programs. (m... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107514 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:00:44 +0100 5107514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107898&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FjT4ncXm_IJU%2F The group of drugs known as ESAs are apparently being used inappropriately in cancer patients, suggesting that the expensive treatments are being wasted and exposing patients unnecessarily to serious side effects, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Specifically, the meds were administered for no more than one week in 24 percent of patients, which is an insufficient amount of time to offer a useful benefit, according to the researchers (read the abstract). Moreover, nearly eight percent of the patients received one of the drugs for more than 14 weeks, while almost 14 percent were getting the drugs when they weren’t on chemotherapy.” The meds are approved for cancer patients who are getting chemotherapy, and recommended treatment is between two and 14 w... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107898 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:55:04 +0100 5107898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107523&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-best-thing-a-patient-can-do-following-a-heart-attack%2F2011.08.07 I’ve been telling my smoking patients for years that nothing I do for them is going to make an ounce of difference until they quit smoking for good.  And the Italians are out to prove me right.  The American Journal of Cardiology reported July 11th, 2011 on the Effect of Smoking Relapse On Outcome After Acute Coronary Syndrome. In a study of just under 1,300 patients,  Reuters reports that just over 1/2 the patients started smoking within 20 days of hospital discharge, despite in-hospital smoking cessation consultation for all patients.   Researchers also found that resuming smoking increased  death 3-fold compared with those that did not relapse and quitting smoking had a similar lifesaving effect as taking cholesterol and blood pressure medications.  And I’m sure these ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107523 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0100 5107523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103514&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHhaDzWm8_2c%2F After months of mystery, the US Department of Health & Human Services has decided not to exclude Forest Laboratories ceo Howard Solomon from doing business with federal healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. The move came four months after the HHS Office of Inspector General shocked the drugmaker with its plan to ban the 83-year-old executive. “Based on a review of the information in our file and consideration of the information that your attorneys provided to us, both in writing and during an in-person meeting, we have decided to close this case. We anticipate no further action related to this matter,” Peter Clark, the OIG exclusions director wrote in a letter to Solomon this afternoon (here is the letter). Last September, Forest made a $313 million payment that incl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103514 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 22:32:59 +0100 5103514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097078&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FeWhDi30BCsE%2F Earlier this week, Dendreon shocked investors by scrapping its 2011 sales forecast for its controversial and innovate Provenge prostate cancer vaccine after disclosing that sales were slower than planned. The stated reason was that many doctors, particularly those in smaller settings, were slow to adopt the $93,000 vaccine since they had to wait for reimbursement. Along with unexpected layoffs, the announcement stunned investors, causing Dendreon stock to plunge 60 percent. Wall Street wags began deciphering the extent to which some doctors are truly worried about reimbursement or are simply unethusiastic about the product (back story). We spoke with Leonard Liang, a Los Angeles urologist who is sufficiently enthusiastic about Provenge that he posted his own YouTube video. He maintains he ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097078 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:47:52 +0100 5097078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096192&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FC8uUKj_w1Lo%2F The latest video from the Alliance for Health Reform is now available. It  features Karen Davis, president of The Commonwealth Fund. Health care spending will be a target of efforts to cut the federal deficit. The best way to reduce unnecessary spending, Dr. Davis says, is to make sure everyone gets the right care, using new provider payment mechanisms such as bundled payment and value-based purchasing. In this video, Dr. Davis describes some of these payment reforms and lays out the case for greater use of comparative effectiveness research to learn “what really works.” This video is part of a series produced by the Alliance and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096192 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:07:01 +0100 5096192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096149&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FbrUJztOZS6E%2F Early Focus: Research increasingly suggests that Alzheimer’s disease damages the brain years before symptoms appear, raising the possibility that treatments should be focused on this early phase if there’s a hope of slowing or reversing the disease, the WSJ reports. That’s why Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb are looking to treat patients with signs of milder memory loss, the paper says. Hackable Devices: Security researcher Jay Radcliffe says insulin pumps and blood-sugar monitors can be hacked, too, raising the question of how to keep high-tech medical devices secure, the Associated Press reports. Many devices contain wireless chips, but most are too small to contain encryption technology, the AP says. Lab-Grown Sperm: Mouse sperm created from embr... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096149 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:33:21 +0100 5096149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097083&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FNigM4gh7KXI%2F And so, another working week is about to come to an end. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, of course, our signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our modest agenda includes golfing with our shortest of short people, catching up on some reading and taking at least one cozy nap. And you? How about a day at the beach? A night out with someone special? Or perhaps a shopping trip to stimulate what is left of the economy? Whatever you do, be safe and enjoy. Meanwhile, here is an assortment of tidbits. See you soon… Pharma Collaborations Are On The Rise (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery) Payers Will Want More Biosimilar Data Than FDA (Pharma Times) Cost Of Medicare Part D Drug Plan Is Dropping (The Los Angeles Times) Takeda And Amylin Pull The Plug On Obesity Drug (Bloomberg News) NICE Reje... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097083 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:08:49 +0100 5097083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096193&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FN-g7Cqy56zw%2F By Robin Strongin. In the 1993 movie Dave, the temp agency owner posing as the President of the United States (if you haven’t seen the film, just trust me on this) is determined to come up with the funding to save a federal homeless shelter program.  Gathering all of the cabinet officials together with pencils, legal pads and calculators, they brainstorm different wasteful programs that can be cut, totaling numbers as they go, until they come up with the necessary $350 million. A bit of Hollywood silly escapism?  No doubt.  But, you can say this for President Dave and his fictional cabinet.  At least they approached the budget process with a constructive purpose and vision. We can only hope that the same holds true for the supercommittee, the panel of 12 Senators and Representatives ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096193 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:36:23 +0100 5096193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096146&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F04%2Fdeficit-and-debt-politics-a-wake-up-call-for-the-health-care-industry%2F Editor’s Note: Below, Jonathan Oberlander analyzes the implications of the recently enacted agreement to increase the nation’s debt ceiling. See also Joe Antos’ analysis of the same topic on Health Affairs Blog. The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) called for significant Medicare savings.  All told, the Congressional Budget Office projected that the law would trim [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096146 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:22:41 +0100 5096146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096194&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ama-assn.org%2Fama1%2Fpub%2Fupload%2Fmm%2F399%2Fmedicare-survey-results-0510.pdf By Mary Grealy. I wonder how long it will take before people who should know better stop implying, or even saying outright, that payment cuts to Medicare providers don’t affect beneficiaries. This weekend, I was among those following the cable news shows to see if Congress would finally reach agreement on a debt ceiling package.  It appears now that, even though it may be a “sugar-coated Satan sandwich” to some, a legislative approach has been crafted that will raise the debt ceiling and establish a process for achieving approximately $2.5 trillion in budget cuts over 10 years.  In this process, a congressional super-committee will be charged with identifying $1.5 trillion in deficit reductions by Thanksgiving.  If they fail to do so, automatic cuts will occur and fall most heavil... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096194 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:24:24 +0100 5096194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096157&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FBHxwkhyvIwY%2F Medicare a Likely Target: The deal reached to increase the debt ceiling will mean a bipartisan group of legislators will be seeking an additional $1.5 trillion in cuts later this fall, and health-care spending, including on Medicare, is likely to be in the crosshairs, the WSJ reports. Some form of means-testing and raising the age of Medicare eligibility will probably be on the table, the paper says. If Congress fails to approve sufficient cuts, automatic spending cuts, namely lower payments to providers, will go into effect automatically. Not Effective: Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that Risperdal — and, possibly, similar antipsychotic drugs — doesn’t ease post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in veterans, the New York T... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096157 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:20:30 +0100 5096157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096147&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F02%2Fthe-debt-ceiling-deal-kicking-the-can-down-the-road%2F Editor’s Note: Below, Joseph Antos provides his take on Budget Control Act of 2011, which embodies the deal reached by President Obama and congressional leaders to increase the nation’s debt ceiling. See also Jonathan Oberlander’s post on the same topic. Congressional leaders and the President have come to agreement on a deal to increase the [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096147 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:02:45 +0100 5096147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096199&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38962&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbeatblog.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-debt-ceiling-debate-a-charade-says-paul-volcker-trumped-up-political-drama-never-an-economic-crisis.html In Washington, Medicare cuts are back on the table. Sunday afternoon, the Senate failed to find the 60 votes needed to pass Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s debt-cutting proposal, a bill which would have left Medicare and Medicaid untouched. The vote was 50 to 49.  That it was so close illustrates just how divided this country is. Now the president and Congressional leaders have signed off on a “compromise” that might best be described as “Conservatives 10; Liberals 0. What is mind-boggling is that none of this had to happen. We were not facing a debt crisis. Conservatives manufactured a crisis, and then demanded Draconian spending cuts.  For decades, the U.S., like other developed countries, has been lifting its debt ceiling on a regular basis.  Normally, rais... Health Beat blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096199 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:12:37 +0100 5096199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086166&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38962&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbeatblog.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-debt-ceiling-debate-a-charade-says-paul-volcker-trumped-up-political-drama-never-an-economic-crisis.html In Washington, Medicare cuts are back on the table. Sunday afternoon, the Senate failed to find the 60 votes needed to pass Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s debt-cutting proposal, a bill which would have left Medicare and Medicaid untouched. The vote was 50 to 49.  That it was so close illustrates just how divided this country is. Now the president and Congressional leaders have signed off on a “compromise” that might best be described as “Conservatives 10; Liberals 0. What is mind-boggling is that none of this had to happen. We were not facing a debt crisis. Conservatives manufactured a crisis, and then demanded Draconian spending cuts.  For decades, the U.S., like other developed countries, has been lifting its debt ceiling on a regular basis.  Normally, rais... Health Beat blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086166 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:12:37 +0100 5086166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086132&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F01%2Frethinking-the-value-of-medical-services%2F One of American politics’ most disingenuous conceits is that health care must cost what we currently pay. Another is that the only way to make it cost less is to deny care. It has been in industry executives’ financial interests to perpetuate these myths, but most will acknowledge privately that the way we value and [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086132 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:08:54 +0100 5086132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077641&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F29%2Fa-call-for-physicians-to-contribute-to-solutions-not-costs%2F  It’s time for America’s physicians, particularly its highly paid procedural specialists, to make a choice.  Are we primarily businessmen with a keen eye on the financial bottom line, or are we above all professionals, well versed in the healing arts and dedicated to our patients’ care, regardless of their circumstances?  America’s medical system is breaking [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077641 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:11:18 +0100 5077641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077642&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F28%2Fu-s-health-spending-projected-to-grow-5-8-percent-annually%2F All health care spending in the United States is projected to grow at an annual average rate of 5.8 percent for the period 2010 through 2020, 1.1 percentage points faster than expected growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2020, health care spending is projected to be 19.8 percent of GDP, nearly one-fifth of economic [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077642 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:48:45 +0100 5077642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069465&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FzGD2KUZ3Hx4%2F Many of the debt-reduction plans being considered by Congress and the Administration include proposals that would achieve substantial savings from the Medicare program over time. A  side-by-side summary of the proposals allows users to easily compare the key Medicare provisions found in five major debt-reduction plans put forward by the White House, Congress and independent, bipartisan commissions. The five plans are: the President’s Framework for Shared Prosperity and Shared Fiscal Responsibility; the House Concurrent Budget Resolution; the Senate “Gang of Six” Proposal; the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Bowles-Simpson); and the Bipartisan Policy Center Debt Reduction Task Force (Domenici-Rivlin). The summary also includes brief descriptions o... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069465 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:06:32 +0100 5069465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069827&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FF8mqg7j2n-k%2F One of the biggest providers of kidney dialysis deliberately wasted medicine in order to gain hundreds of millions of dollars in extra payments from Medicare, according to a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former clinic nurse and doctor. They claim DaVita used unnecessarily large vials of different meds because Medicare would pay for unused portions of each vial if these were deemed unavoidable waste, The New York Times writes. DaVita denies the accusations. The charges, the paper notes, underscore how financial incentives may have prompted overuse of drugs in the dialysis business, which DaVita dominates. In January, though, Medicare changed payment systems and now pays for overall treatment and instead of paying separately for drugs, the Times writes, adding that clinics could make a pr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069827 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:31:16 +0100 5069827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057821&cid=t_99859_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2F-BwTVHJROKY%2F These are my links for July 23rd from 18:59 to 19:25: How the White House killed the deal – In an aggressive move, the House speaker’s office has put out a blow-by-blow on how the debt talks collapsed: The White House is misleading reporters tonight by claiming that new revenue in the framework that was discussed would have been generated by letting the current tax rates expire. That is simply false. Under the framework, a CEILING was offered by the White House that would generate $800 billion in new revenue over ten years. This would be done through comprehensive tax reform that would clear out deductions, credits, and loopholes in the system – and spur economic growth. After the gang of six plan came out, the White House moved the goal posts and insisted on $400 billio... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057821 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 03:00:03 +0100 5057821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057710&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F22%2Fassessing-the-gang-of-six-deficit-reduction-plan%2F The “Bipartisan Plan to Reduce our Nation’s Deficits” developed by the “Gang of Six (or Seven)”, a group of Senators from both parties, certainly is not something I would brag about before a group of Princeton students who, I routinely tell them, will have to grow up quickly to clean up the mess their parents [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057710 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:12:16 +0100 5057710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051233&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F_Ne7ygGc-0w%2F Faced with being banned from doing business with such federal healthcare programs as Medicare and Medicaid, Forest Laboratories ceo and president Howard Solomon recently retained former US Senator John Breaux as a lobbyist. The Louisiana pol is now a senior counsel with the Patton Boggs law firm, which has a large healthcare practice (see here). His lobbying registration form was filed on June 14, two months after the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Health & Human Services notified the drugmaker that its 83-year-old executive was facing exclusion (read this). The Hill first reported Forest hired Breaux. Last year, Forest pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and made a $313 million payment that included $164 million in criminal penalties, and signed a corporate ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051233 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:48:51 +0100 5051233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050577&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-investigates-a-percutaneous-option-for-aortic-valve-replacement%2F2011.07.21 To ensure rational and responsible dissemination of this new technology (transcatheter aortic valve replacement [TAVR]), government, industry and medicine will need to work in harmony.” - David R. Holmes, Jr., MD, FACC President, American College of Cardiology Today, Edwards Lifesciences’ will request pre-market approval of its SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve from the FDA’s Circulatory Systems Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. And for the first time, the groundwork for our complicated new era of health care rationing will be exposed. To win an expensive technology on behalf of patients these days, there will have to be “harmony” between doctors and their professional organizations and government regulators. If not, patients lose. At issue is a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050577 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5050577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050529&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F01Hsa0pm0OM%2F The “Gang of Six” senators has released an outline of budget reforms that would supposedly reduce deficits by $3.7 trillion over 10 years. Revenues would rise by at least $1 trillion, while spending would be theoretically trimmed by various procedural mechanisms. The plan promises to “strengthen the safety net,” “maintain investments,” and “maintain the basic structure” of Medicare and Medicaid, which doesn’t sound very reform-minded to me. The Gang of Six plan is a grander version of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s recent debt-limit proposal, which was aimed at putting off any spending cuts. The Gang outline has a few specific cuts, but the document mainly consists of promises to restrain spending and raise taxes in the future. I’m surprised that Sen. Tom Coburn supports the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050529 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:24:21 +0100 5050529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050502&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F20%2Fbringing-diabetes-prevention-to-national-scale%2F The burden imposed on our society by type 2 diabetes mellitus has grown dramatically over the last decade.  Greater numbers of people than ever before are being diagnosed with diabetes at younger ages.  These people and their families must face the spectrum of implications brought on by diabetes, including its many associated medical complications. The [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050502 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:43:24 +0100 5050502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050583&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-doctors-should-participate-in-the-debt-ceiling-debate%2F2011.07.20 Joe Scarborough reminds us that the divisions in American government are hardly new, paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin’s observation that “When you assemble a number of men, to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble . . . all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views. From such an assembly can a perfect production be expected?” (This comes from a September 17, 1787 speech by Mr. Franklin to urge ratification of the U.S. Constitution, read on his behalf because he was too ill to deliver it in person. The Constitution was ratified the same day.) I suppose we should be encouraged that Congress’s prejudices, passions, errors of opinion, local interests and selfish views are as American as apple pie,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050583 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0100 5050583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050503&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F19%2Fgang-of-six-presents-plan-to-save-3-7-trillion%2F As has been widely reported, the bipartisan group of Senators known as the “Gang of Six” today unveiled a long awaited framework to reduce the nation’s projected debt by $3.7 trillion over ten years. The plan presented by the group — which includes Democrats Conrad (ND), Durbin (IL), and Warner (VA) and Republicans Chambliss (GA), [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050503 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:34:46 +0100 5050503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036230&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-can-history-tell-us-about-healthcare-in-america%2F2011.07.17 Millions of our citizens do not now have a full measure of opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health. Millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. The time has arrived for action to help them attain that opportunity…The poor have more sickness, but they get less medical care. People who live in rural areas do not get the same amount or quality of medical attention as those who live in our cities. The above quote wasn’t taken from an Obama administration policy proposal. These words are from a 1945 speech by President Harry Truman. It is astonishing that over 60 years later, the health care crisis is not only still with us, but is slowly smothering us. How many years of oxygen do we have left until health care in America is entirely asphy... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036230 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5036230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036234&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbudget-cuts-and-their-potential-complications-for-family-medicine%2F2011.07.16 Every day in the news, you hear about the United States federal budget and the potential political complications if something is done or if nothing is done. And every day in the news you hear about possible cuts in Medicare. What you don’t know is that some cuts in Medicare can significantly impact the training of future Family Physicians. What do I mean by this? Well, did you know that residency programs are paid Medicare funds (called Graduate Medical Education funds) going to hospitals? Check out this great article about how residency programs are funded. So, let’s play this out with its potential complications for Family Medicine. If GME funds are cut as they are proposed, then many hospitals with only one residency program (usually a Family Medicine program), may be forced... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036234 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:00:45 +0100 5036234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036316&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ftrimming-medicare-save-economy-social-media-reactions President Barack Obama seems desperate for a compromise with Republicans over the debt ceiling. In a press conference on Monday, he once again agreed to consider cuts in Social Security and Medicare. The deal would cut benefits within Medicare and Social Security, in addition to raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. But as the weeks roll by, congressional Democrats are showing more displeasure on that endorsement, creating difficult choices for the administration. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036316 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:58:06 +0100 5036316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029206&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9bl9WpBKcU8%2F In a bid to help federal and state governments save money, a bipartisan trio of US Senators has introduced a bill to promote the use of generics in the Medicaid program. The move comes as brand-name drugmakers are also fighting on Capitol Hill to fend off a proposal that would restore rebates for drugs taken by seniors who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare (see this). Called the Affordable Medicines Utilization Act of 2011, the bill would give states incentives to increase generic drug use by letting them keep part of the difference that the federal government receives between the cost of a generic and its brand-name counterpart (here is the bill). In making their case, the pols cite a recent study by the American Enterprise Institute that maintained Medicaid needlessly spent app... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029206 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:43:12 +0100 5029206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028563&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fit-true-acos-arent-going-away If you aren’t in an accountable care organization or planning to join one, chances are you are just plain sick of hearing about them. Some people have called ACOs the HMOs of today, indicating they are likely to be just another newfangled idea for containing healthcare costs that will die along the wayside. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028563 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 04:19:50 +0100 5028563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028040&cid=t_99859_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FwUnqhb2y1n0%2Fmedicaid-represents-nations-moral-commitment-poor.html by Ricky Y. Choi, MD, MPHWhat if I were to tell you that Washington is trying to balance the budget by making cuts to a program that covers 70% of the nation’s nursing home costs and 43% of all births in California? Well they are.The rancorous debate over how to balance the federal budget includes drastic cuts to Medicaid. And while this program may seem distant to people in power and the general public, the reality is that cuts will effect far more people than you expect and may even impact you or someone you know.(...)Read the rest of Medicaid represents our nation’s moral commitment to help the poorCategory: Policy | Tags: Health reform, Medicare | 16 comments (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028040 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:00:58 +0100 5028040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028200&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F6Yvhta4ECuk%2F By Hope Ditto. Most of the country is sweltering its way through this week’s heat wave, but there is one thing here in DC rising faster than the mercury in our thermometers – tensions on the Hill as the debt ceiling stalemate continues. Whispers [well, tweeted whispers] of default “what ifs” abound here in the nation’s capital as lawmakers continue to play a high-stakes game of chicken through day after day of floor debates, committee hearings and negotiating sessions. With interest rates, Social Security payments and America’s credit score dangling in the balance, and the clock ticking towards the Aug. 2 deadline, the air is even thicker with panic than it is with humidity (though my frizzy hair would say otherwise). As with April’s narrowly-avoided government shutdown, pun... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028200 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:00:17 +0100 5028200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028134&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fk5W9J0x-YwM%2F Curbing HIV: Two new studies show the same drugs used to treat HIV infection can also be used to lower the risk of heterosexual transmission of the virus, the WSJ reports. The studies, conducted in Africa, showed antiretroviral drugs marketed by Gilead Sciences could help cut the risk of infection by at least 62%. Research has previously shown that one of the drugs can help reduce transmission of the virus in gay and bisexual men by 44% — 73% when taken every day, as directed. Happier Meals?: Nineteen restaurant chains say they will take steps to up the nutritional quality of their menu offerings for children as part of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids Live Well campaign, the Los Angeles Times reports. Burger King will give parents the option of swapping out fries and... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028134 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:54:44 +0100 5028134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028570&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Favoid-1-e-prescribing-penalty The Federal Government’s commitment to advancing healthcare IT is seen in its “carrot and stick” approach. Now, for the first time, physicians who are not yet e-prescribing are feeling the “stick” end of the equation. Those doctors who did not report at least 10 paperless drug orders to CMS by the end of June will be penalized by a 1% reduction in Medicare payments. A limited number of hardship exceptions exist: read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028570 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:25:05 +0100 5028570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008379&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fsmall-isolated-rural-hospitals-show-pooerer-results-measures-quality-care-patient-outcomes In the first national study to examine care at critical access hospitals (CAHs) in rural areas of the U.S., Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that CAHs have fewer clinical capabilities, lower quality of care, and worse patient outcomes compared with other hospitals. The researchers found that patients admitted to a CAH for heart attack, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia were at greater risk of dying within 30 days than those at other hospitals. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008379 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:19:48 +0100 5008379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028574&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhospital-association-predicts-regulatory-perfect-storm-ahead The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently took advantage of the Obama Administration’s regulatory review process to urge HHS to simplify, among other things, the myriad regulations surrounding the implementation and use of new HIT. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028574 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:22:07 +0100 5028574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008414&cid=t_99859_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2F5bURn4uodAs%2Fsgr-in-the-mpfs-again-duck-season-wabbit-season-doc-season.html It's doc season again, that time of year when the sustainable growth rate rules are trotted out, and physicians are informed that they will face catastrophic rate reductions courtesy of Medicare (29.5%, effective January 1, 2012, per the July 1 announcement).  There will be much breast beating about how we've gotten into this fine mess, and what we should cut instead in order to maintain physician reimbursement levels (suggestions I've seen range from cutting the defense budget to eliminating Medicare coverage for dialysis).  Docs will say they've had enough and are opting out of Medicare.  We can look back to MedPAC recommendations on how to fix this so we don't need an annual doc fix, or look forward to a permanent fix, for which Don Berwick made an impassioned plea, even as he annou... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008414 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:40:12 +0100 5008414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008139&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6jdRyezxVhw%2F By Michael F. CannonFrom their editorial the other day: There is no doubt that Medicaid… has to be cut substantially in future decades to help curb federal deficits. For cash-strapped states, program cuts may be necessary right now. But in reducing spending, government needs to ensure any changes will not cause undue harm to millions. How would the Times cut Medicaid spending? The magic of central planning! The best route to savings — already embodied in the reform law — is to make the health care system more efficient over all so that costs are reduced for Medicaid, Medicare and private insurers as well. Various pilot programs to reduce costs might be speeded up…. And if government were smart, rather than stupid, that would work. I’ve got a better idea for cutting Me... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008139 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:58:44 +0100 5008139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008380&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fcoding-rest-us-why-everyone-your-practice-needs-basic-knowledge-coding There is no one, and I do mean no one, in your medical practice who does not need to know the basics of coding. Here is why: read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008380 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:15:51 +0100 5008380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992990&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FLVsy771S9hA%2F The FDA may want to yank the breast cancer indication for Avastin, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will continue to provide coverage, even if treatment amounts to off-label usage. “As long as doctors continue to prescribe it, we will continue to pay, even for an off-label use, until and unless some time in the future we decide to change our coverage policy. We have no such thing underway at this time,” a CMS spokesman tells us. “We often pay for off-label use of drugs, but not always.” The move will, no doubt, cheer many breast cancer patients and their loved ones, who feared the FDA would soon put Avastin out of reach (look here), now that an agency advisory panel unanimously voted - once again - to rescind the indication. The vote came earlie... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992990 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:36:13 +0100 4992990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992647&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FRb9MlJdtTh4%2F Coverage Decisions: Medicare will cover Dendreon’s Provenge for certain forms of advanced prostate cancer, calling the $93,000 treatment “reasonable and necessary,” the WSJ reports. (Here’s the decision memo.) Medicare will also continue to cover Roche’s Avastin for breast-cancer patients, even if the FDA follows the advice of its outside advisory committee and revokes approval for that use, the New York Times reports. Anti-Obesity Laws Challenged: Local laws requiring restaurants to eliminate trans fats, label menus with calorie counts and institute other anti-obesity measures are being banned by state legislatures, the NYT reports. Public-health groups say state restaurant lobbies are behind the new state-level efforts; the National Restaurant Association te... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992647 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:49:19 +0100 4992647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992996&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIKpuqSGxcXI%2F Good morning, everyone. And how are you today? Another beautiful morning is rising over the Pharmalot corporate campus. However, we will be rolling in the sidewalks early as we prepare for a long weekend on this side of the pond. Our modest agenda includes a dip in the pool, hanging with the short people, catching up on some research (with thanks to our sources) and one of our favorite sports - hunting for mice. What about you? Anything special planned? Maybe a ride in the country, a barbecue in the backyard or how about a day at the beach? This will be Independence Day, after all, so perhaps this is a good time to think of suggestions for trimming the national debt. The symbolism is heavy, yes? Whatever you do, have a great time and be safe. See you soon… Glaxo Kicks Off Sale Of OTC... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992996 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:50:16 +0100 4992996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997647&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F5UZx6zS7roM%2F Ever since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act became law in February 2009, giving birth to the phrase “meaningful use,” I’ve wondered when private insurers would follow the federal government’s lead and start offering financial carrots and sticks for using and not using EHRs. After all, one of the purposes of the Medicare and Medicaid incentive program was to address the fact that payers tend to reap the greatest financial gains from hospitals and physicians adopting EHRs, even though most if not all of the cost of acquiring the technology falls on the provider. Federal officials have made it clear all along that “meaningful use” is just that, the meaningful use of the technology. The government was not simply going to write checks so providers c... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997647 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:02:52 +0100 4997647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975988&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=35744&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fe-CareManagement%2F%7E3%2FKNUpsAvSVXc%2F A study released last week by the Massachusetts Attorney General contains surprising data to challenge two commonly held ACO (accountable care organization) ”Field of Dreams” assumptions. These assumptions relate to patient ”leakage” — out-of-network patient care and referrals. 1) Hospital administrators assume that tighter physician-hospital integration (e.g., through employment of physicians) will result in ”captive referrals” by physicians back to the mother-ship hospital. 2) Medicare administrators are assuming that Medicare Shared Savings ACOs will be able to coordinate patient care even without limitations on patients’ choice to go to providers outside of the ACO provider network. Here’s the data that challenges the validity of ... e-CareManagement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975988 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:21:41 +0100 4975988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975821&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FZzdnVg-ddDc%2F It’s no secret that there’s a shortage of physicians that will likely only get worse when the health-care overhaul law brings an estimated 33 million new people into the health-care system starting in 2014. To gauge the current access situation, the government is planning a mystery shopper program that is already raising the hackles of some physicians, the New York Times reports. Federal contractors will pose as potential patients and call more than 4,000 physicians to see if they are accepting patients, how long the wait for different types of care is and whether the answers vary depending on whether the “patient” has private or public insurance. (A fraction of the doctors will be called back by contractors asking similar questions but identifying themselves as HHS... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975821 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:17:59 +0100 4975821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975841&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fm_tMpvIn4JY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThis new video, based in large part on the good work of Michael Cannon, explains why Medicaid should be shifted to the states. As I note in the title of this post, it’s good federalism policy and good fiscal policy. But the video also explains that Medicaid reform is good health policy since it creates an opportunity to deal with the third-party payer problem. One of the key observations of the video is that Medicaid block grants would replicate the success of welfare reform. Getting rid of the federal welfare entitlement in the 1990s and shifting the program to the states was a very successful policy, saving billions of dollars for taxpayers and significantly reducing poverty. There is every reason to think ending the Medicaid entitlement will have similar positive... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975841 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:55:48 +0100 4975841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975995&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fincreasing-hospital-efficiency-growing-value-mid-level-providers Mid-level providers, commonly called registered nurses (RNs) or physicians’ assistants (PAs) are a beacon of hope for struggling hospitals as the physician attrition rate and the number of aging Americans continues to spiral upwards. RNs and PAs may help lower costs as well as increase patient care for hospitals in several ways. Two of them are: Medicare reimbursements and reduced readmissions. Reimbursements: read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975995 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:52:54 +0100 4975995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968486&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprimary-care-is-undervalued-what-should-be-done%2F2011.06.26 An article by Brian Klepper and Paul Fischer at Health Affairs has me all fired up. Finally these two health experts are calling it like it is. The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and EverythingHealth have written before about the way primary care is undervalued and underpayed in this country and how it is harming the health and economics of the United States. A secretive, specialist-dominated panel within the American Medical Association called the RUC has been valuing medical services for decades. They divvy up billions of Medicare and Medicaid dollars and all insurance payers base their reimbursement on these values also. The result has been gross overpayment of procedures and medical specialists and underpayment of doctors who practice primary care in internal medicine, family medi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968486 Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4968486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968442&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F24%2Festablishing-sensible-cost-sharing-for-medicare-cancer-patients%2F A new study by Avalere Health, presented at the recent meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, analyzed the pharmacy claims of 10,508 commercially-insured and Medicare patients who required oral therapy for cancer. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of cost-sharing on the abandonment of these medications. The analysis showed [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968442 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:19:10 +0100 4968442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968444&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fan-aco-is-born-in-camden-but-can-it-flourish-in-medicaid%2F Across the country, policy experts are heralding accountable care organizations (ACOs) as the way to rethink the delivery of higher quality and more efficient care. Yet Medicaid, which cares for many of the nation’s sickest and highest-cost patients, has been largely absent from the ACO conversation. Now that the June 6 deadline for comments to [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968444 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:41:08 +0100 4968444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968647&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat%25E2%2580%2599s-driving-your-ehr-adoption The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced it has paid out more than $75 million for the meaningful use of electronic health records under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  Is this really spurring adoption? read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968647 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:04:07 +0100 4968647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960179&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat%25E2%2580%2599s-driving-your-ehr-adoption The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced it has paid out more than $75 million for the meaningful use of electronic health records under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  Is this really spurring adoption? read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960179 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:04:07 +0100 4960179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953060&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fready-meaningful-use-attestation When the clock struck midnight on April 18, 2011, Jennifer Brull, MD, was ready. She had already registered for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. She had her certified EHR system firmly in place, and working with the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, the Regional Extension Center for Kansas, she had confirmation that her practice met meaningful use criteria. Dr. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953060 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:27:59 +0100 4953060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952801&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQwv2iThY9Gw%2F By Michael F. CannonIn press release, a new video, and an elusive new report, the Obama administration is boasting about the “free” preventive services that ObamaCare provides to Medicare enrollees. Here we go again. First, these preventive-care subsidies are not “free.” They are costing taxpayers dearly by adding to America’s $14 trillion national debt.  There is no such thing as a free lunch.  And there is nothing “free” about ObamaCare. Second, ObamaCare supporters have claimed that more preventive care would reduce health care spending, but research shows that it will not. Third, I hope someone is keeping track of all the taxpayer dollars this administration has wasted trying to convince the American people that they’re wrong to dislike O... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952801 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:55:46 +0100 4952801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953062&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2F4-innovative-hospital-programs-driving-efficiency A new Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative, Partnership for Patients, is calling hospitals to focus on nine specific types of medical errors where the potential is great for increased care. The initiative has two over arching goals: keep hospitals patients’ symptoms from worsening, and facilitate patients’ treatment process from the hospital environment to other care settings. This ambitious project’s goal is to reduce readmissions by 20% by 2013. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953062 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:14:47 +0100 4953062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952787&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fff5Ff0xfAp4%2F Heart Risk?: The FDA says that people who already have cardiovascular disease may see their chances of a heart attack rise if they take Pfizer’s Chantix smoking-cessation drug, the WSJ reports. The agency based its warning on a trial of 700 heart-disease patients, and says it will update the product’s label and medication guide. Pfizer notes there are big heart benefits to be gained by quitting smoking. No Change: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will leave the issue of reimbursement for Amgen’s Aranesp and Epogen and Johnson & Johnson’s Procrit up to regional contractors rather than making a so-called national coverage determination, Bloomberg News reports. An analyst says the decision on the anemia drugs will remove an “overhang” on A... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952787 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:51:52 +0100 4952787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934071&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F16%2Fhealth-policy-brief-medicare-advantage%2F A new Health Policy Brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation describes the provision in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 that will gradually reduce federal payments to the Medicare Advantage program. Roughly one in four of the nation’s 47 million Medicare beneficiaries currently participate in Medicare Advantage. These are private health [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934071 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:00:56 +0100 4934071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934095&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F9FKcbVKIg40%2F Inadvisable Use?: Pricey heart devices used in cardiac resynchronization therapy may not help 38% of the patients for whom they’re currently indicated, the WSJ reports, citing a study published online by the Archives of Internal Medicine. The devices — whose makers include Medtronic, St. Jude and Boston Scientific — help synchronize the contraction of the left and right ventricles, but a subset of patients don’t seem to receive any benefit. The president of the Heart Rhythm Society says the study isn’t enough to change current practice guidelines. Humira Suit: A man who took Abbott’s Humira for rheumatoid arthritis has sued the company, saying it failed to warn him about the risk of the serious fungal infection he developed, Bloomberg News reports. The s... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934095 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:26:45 +0100 4934095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953049&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F1TWLSkQ0aF0%2F CMS published a list (pdf) of the first providers who received incentive payments under the Medicare portion of the EHR program. What distinguishes these incentive recipients from those announced in early January—(See “Meaningful Use? Not Yet”)—is that these providers actually had to attest to earning these incentives by demonstrating meaningful use. The earlier recipients received their payments through the Medicaid program, which for the first year’s incentive only requires adoption, implementation, or upgrade of a certified EHR, not meaningful use. There are 320 providers on this first Medicare list. Here’s how the list breaks down: Approximately 40 are hospitals/health care centers. As anticipated, the vast majority of the physicians are primary-care providers—over two-t... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953049 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:23:04 +0100 4953049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921420&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysicians-must-do-their-part-to-reduce-unnecessary-hospital-expenses%2F2011.06.10 Hospital costs are out of control. We have an aging population living longer with more complicated presentation of disease. We have an insurance driven platform instead of a health driven accountability. The long term sustainability of that architecture is one of guaranteed insolvency. One way or another hospitals are going to find their lifeline cut off. Medicaid is bankrupt. Hospital profit margins from Medicare have been negative for almost a decade. In addition, the rapid rise in private insurance premiums and industry’s gradual but accelerating exit from the health insurance benefit market all tell me that hospitals must find a way to reduce the cost of providing care. There are many ways hospital costs can be reduced. Administrators are paid handsomely to make it happen. Either... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921420 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:00:00 +0100 4921420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921427&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-who-report-more-than-1-billion-people-are-disabled%2F2011.06.09 The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank just revealed the first-ever global estimate of disability. The report suggests that at least 1 billion people are currently disabled, and about 1/5 of those are experiencing significant difficulties with their activities of daily living. Since  people with disabilities experience poorer health, lower educational achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities, this vulnerable segment of the population needs much closer attention. I’m a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) specialist by training, and there are only about 8000 of us in the United States. Some have called PM&R specialists: “primary care physicians for the disabled” and I think that&... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921427 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:00:37 +0100 4921427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911635&cid=t_99859_114_f&fid=34646&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthCareBlogLaw%2F%7E3%2F_wHqOCsFXSI%2Foig-heat-provider-compliance-training.html The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has made available the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Team (HEAT) Provider Compliance Training webcast. OIG is making the training information available to help highlight and educate providers on the the federal government's effort to fight health care fraud and abuse. More information about  HEAT Task Force and its mission and efforts can be found on the StopMedicareFraud website. The training information includes 16 modules: Welcome Remarks 4:37 Overview of OIG 9:56 Navigating the Fraud and Abuse Laws 26:26 Compliance Program Basics 17:01 Operating an Effective Compliance Program 15:59 Understanding Program Exclusions 10:26 Navigating the Government 5:10 Overview of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 34:24 Import... Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911635 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:58:57 +0100 4911635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911446&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FmrLV7gLbBZE%2F With looming cuts to Medicare payments for preventable readmissions,  hospitals are stepping up efforts to improve discharge planning and follow-up once patients go home, today’s Informed Patient column reports. So many organizations are jumping into the readmissions space that the Commonwealth Fund and the John A Hartford Foundation last year funded an “action guide” to help health care executives sort through the programs. One solution getting growing attention is Project Red — for Re-Engineered Discharge — developed by Boston University; in a study at Boston University Medical Center the program and its after-hospital care plan for patients reduced readmissions by 30%. Brian Jack, the Boston University researcher who developed RED, tells the Health Blog that under a new ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911446 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:29:01 +0100 4911446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902396&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F06%2Fsaving-the-shared-savings-program-acos-part-three-quality-payment-and-data-issues%2F Editor’s Note: This is the third and last installment of a series of blog posts by Ron Klar offering suggestions on how to make the Medicare Shared Savings Program a more viable vehicle for the creation of accountable care organizations. You can read the first installment here and the second installment here. In this posting I will [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902396 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:03:30 +0100 4902396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902521&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fovercrowding-er-spurs-new-facility-development Even before accounting for the mass influx of Americans rushing to hospitals’ emergency departments from healthcare reform, EDs are in serious need of fine tuning as over crowding and escalating inpatient costs are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits increased 117 million from 2007 to 2008 and it shows no sign of slowing. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902521 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:21:14 +0100 4902521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893392&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSupFXbwS5V8%2F By Michael F. CannonThat’s the title of my latest Kaiser Health News column. Excerpts: Obamacare‘s number-one idea for improving health care quality and reducing costs is to promote something called “accountable care organizations” in Medicare. That effort is sinking like a stone, because it – like the rest of this sweeping law – is premised on the fatal conceit that government experts can direct the market better than millions of consumers making their own decisions… The only way to improve quality while reducing costs is to give patients the incentive and the power to say “no” to inefficient providers. The Medicare reforms that passed the House don’t go as far as they should, but they are a good start. For one thing, they would do a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893392 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:47:43 +0100 4893392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893368&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F03%2Fpost-on-health-reform-and-medicare-tops-mays-ha-blog-most-read-list%2F Thomas Saving’s and John Goodman’s post on the implications of the Affordable Care Act for Medicare leads the list of most-read Health Affairs Blog posts for May. On the list as well are posts on the hazards of ignoring the lessons of the Clinton years; the opportunities offered by clinical registries; and the implications of [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893368 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:40:41 +0100 4893368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893399&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAGhq6fZl69g%2F By Michael F. CannonSome tidbits from the health care policy world: Philip Klein is perhaps too kind to the Obama administration’s latest defense of ObamaCare in “Obama solicitor general: If you don’t like mandate, earn less money.” The Obama administration launches a hospital payment reform effort that, rather than promote high-quality, low-cost medical care, will demonstrate once again why Medicare is incapable of such. The physicians lobby, having thrown its support behind ObamaCare with the expectation that Congress would jack up Medicare’s physician price controls, is still begging Congress to do so. The Obama administration launches a lame effort to reduce medical errors in Medicaid, decades after markets devised far more powerful deterrents. That&#82... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893399 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:08:34 +0100 4893399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893643&cid=t_99859_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2F2B2X0b39ekw%2Faco-pgp-demonstration-cms-dont-kick-a-unicorn-when-its-down.html There has been a significant outcry against the proposed ACO regs: everything's wrong and nothing's right about them, or so some would have us believe.  (The comment period is still open, and CMS is still soliciting input; much of the outcry is a form of posturing and negotiation ... not that there's anything wrong with that.) Today's "nattering nabobs of negativism" focus on: the estimated price tag for complying with the regulatory requirements (IT and other infrastructure incuded), the slim chance of success by ACOs in righting the wrongs of decades of bloat in the health care system, the premature pledging of allegiance to an idea only partly proven through the PGP demo, the likelihood of failure due to the whole endeavor's being tied to FFS reimbursement, on the one hand, and due to... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893643 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:40:18 +0100 4893643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893381&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FvIfg8bDkWsA%2F Frosty Reception: The Obama administration’s proposed guidelines governing how hospitals and doctors can form accountable care organizations are unpopular with many health-care providers, who say they won’t participate in the program unless the financial incentives are improved and the regulatory burden reduced, the WSJ reports. ACOs are intended to coordinate care for Medicare patients, with an aim to improving quality while saving the government and providers money. MRSA in Cows: Researchers have discovered a new strain of MRSA — the nasty staph infection that is resistant to certain antibiotics — that can exist in cows as well as humans, the Washington Post’s Checkup blog reports. A researcher at the University of Cambridge said it’s unlikely the stra... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893381 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:31:46 +0100 4893381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893371&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F02%2Fcreating-value-based-incentives-for-primary-care%2F In a remarkable recent interview, Donald Berwick MD, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), eloquently described his vision of value-based health care. Paying for value is an incentive…The underlying idea of improvement is that American health care, historically built in fragments, often cannot achieve for patients what it really wants to [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893371 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:25:08 +0100 4893371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893372&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F01%2Fsen-menendez-no-way-to-make-medicare-premium-support-acceptable%2F Here’s a brief Q&A between Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Health Affairs Blog. It took place earlier this afternoon during a press call by Senator Menendez, which was coordinated by the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). In the exchange, Senator Menendez rules out any reform that turns Medicare into [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893372 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:31:21 +0100 4893372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883530&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Ffresenius-fined-82-million-for-false.html We open the week with yet another story of a large health care organization found by the judicial process to have misbehaved. Here is the story, courtesy of the Kansas City InfoZine:The United States Attorney’s Office announced that a federal judge has entered a judgment of $82,642,592 in favor of the United States in a 'whistleblower' lawsuit originally filed in the federal district court in St. Louis in 2005, and then transferred to the federal district court in Nashville, Tennessee. The lawsuit claimed that Renal Care Group, Renal Care Group Supply Company and Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. recklessly disregarded federal law when billing the Medicare program for home dialysis supplies and equipment during 1999-2005.The judge's reasoning was apparently based on some colorful fac... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883530 Tue, 31 May 2011 21:48:00 +0100 4883530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883556&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4gQD5uysK4k%2F By Tad DeHavenLast week, a motion to proceed on a budget resolution introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was decisively defeated in the Senate (7 in favor, 90 opposed). Paul’s proposal would have balanced the budget in five years (fiscal year 2016) through spending cuts and no tax increases. Social Security and Medicare would not have been altered. Instead, the proposal merely instructed relevant congressional committees to enact reforms that would achieve “solvency” over a 75-year window. That’s hardly radical. Paul’s proposed spending cuts were certainly bold by Washington’s standards, but they weren’t radical either. For example, military spending would have been cut, in part, by reducing the government’s bootprint abroad. From the Paul proposal: The ability to ut... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883556 Tue, 31 May 2011 19:14:12 +0100 4883556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883549&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F31%2Fsaving-the-shared-savings-program-part-2-financial-issues%2F Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of a series of blog posts by Ron Klar offering suggestions on how to make the Medicare Shared Savings Program a more viable vehicle for the creation of accountable care organizations. You can read the first installment here. In this posting I will address the three financial issues [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883549 Tue, 31 May 2011 16:25:27 +0100 4883549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883553&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FrrKa2cYtV7Q%2F Contaminated Cucumbers?: There’s finger-pointing over the source of an E. coli outbreak that has killed 14 people in Germany and sickened hundreds there and in other countries, the WSJ reports. An EU spokesman says cucumbers from Spain have been pegged as possible sources of contamination by the bacteria and that another batch from the Netherlands or Denmark is also being investigated; Spanish officials say the outbreak didn’t begin in that country. Efficiency in Medicare: Hospitals are displeased with a provision of the health-care overhaul law that will make health-care spending for individual Medicare beneficiaries — even after they’ve left the hospital — a measure of institutional performance, the New York Times reports. Hospitals say they can’t be r... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883553 Tue, 31 May 2011 12:47:10 +0100 4883553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872476&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fl6OCIRjRzwE%2F And so another working week is about to come to an end, which means we can daydream about weekend plans. Our modest agenda includes hanging out with the short people and catching up on some reading. What about you? Maybe a dip in the pool? A walk in the park? Perhaps gazing into the future? This side of the pond has a three-day break, of course, so there will be more time to indulge. Whatever you do, have a great time and see you soon… Novartis Found Not Liable For Jaw Disease (Reuters) Medco Loses Blue Cross Blue Shield Contract (Reuters) Trimeris Gets $5M In Roche Settlement (Triangle Business Journal) Pharma Protests UK Pricing Plan (Bloomberg News) AstraZeneca Confirms Endings Payments For Docs To Attend Meetings (Reuters) CMS Proposes Looser E-Prescribing Rules (Internal Medicin... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872476 Fri, 27 May 2011 12:09:07 +0100 4872476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872049&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F26%2Fhealth-wonk-review-memorial-day-edition%2F If you’re traveling over the long weekend, you’ll want to take along some reading material. While some might reach for a good novel by John Grisham or Dan Brown, the health policy blogs in this edition of the Health Wonk Review tackle equally compelling mysteries. Was the Medicare Trustees report really that gloomy? If Workers [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872049 Thu, 26 May 2011 13:29:21 +0100 4872049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872072&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvwEops27Y9w%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: How will yesterday’s largely symbolic Senate vote rejecting the Ryan FY 2012 budget plan affect the 2012 political fortunes of Republicans, especially those facing possible Tea Party-fueled primary challenges? My response: Yesterday’s Senate vote was simply an effort by Democrats to capitalize on the outcome of Tuesday’s NY-26 election. It changed nothing on the ground. Responding to that election, most congressional Republicans, far from deserting the Ryan plan, have only rallied more strongly behind it. And well they should, because there’s nothing worse in politics than disarray, as wayward moderate Republicans will likely discover in 2012. What 2010 showed was that deficits and debt are dominating our politics like n... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872072 Thu, 26 May 2011 13:01:18 +0100 4872072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872084&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F-PNnvtaDT_A%2F By Mary Grealy. It wasn’t a head-to-head battle, as such, but Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) squared off against the USA Today editorial board yesterday on the subject of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), and I believe the lawmaker clearly made the better arguments. USA Today’s editorial made the point that the IPAB, created as part of the Affordable Care Act to curb Medicare costs, is essential to do the job that Congress won’t in cutting program spending.  The newspaper compared the new board to the base closing commission that successfully shuttered unneeded military installations. That’s a dubious argument, though, at best.  The base closing commission carefully studied the value and usefulness of military bases before choosing which ones could be closed w... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872084 Thu, 26 May 2011 13:00:30 +0100 4872084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872056&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FPCUX1nLz6Eg%2F Not Going Away: Republicans continued to support Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to overhaul Medicare despite its apparent role in an election defeat this week, the WSJ reports. Ryan’s plan, which would convert Medicare to subsidies with which seniors could purchase private insurance, was a flashpoint in a special congressional election in New York, in which a Democrat won a seat in a traditionally Republican district. How Much Hypertension?: A large new study finds that 19% of young adults aged 24 to 32 have high blood pressure, USA Today reports. The government-funded study, published in Epidemiology, conflicts with another big study that found 4% of Americans aged 20 to 39 have hypertension, the paper says. Ruled Incompetent: Jared Loughner, the accused gunman in the shootings that ki... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872056 Thu, 26 May 2011 12:29:51 +0100 4872056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862451&cid=t_99859_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FNBdWMV2D8U0%2Feprescribe-risk-medicare-penalty.html by Rosemarie Nelson, MSDoctors who do not successfully e-prescribe 10 times for Medicare patients in the first six months of 2011 using claims-based reporting may be hit with a 1% penalty on their Medicare Part B payments for covered professional services in 2012.The penalty will increase to 1.5% in 2013 for those who don’t e-prescribe for 25 Medicare patients during 2011.Not yet e-prescribing?Maybe your EMR will be implemented soon, but maybe not soon enough!(...)Read the rest of E-prescribe now, or risk a Medicare penaltyCategory: Policy | Tags: Health reform, Medicare, Primary care, Specialist | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862451 Wed, 25 May 2011 18:00:26 +0100 4862451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862508&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkDZgKmwqKDs%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: Reacting to yesterday’s NY-26 election results, Paul Ryan this morning said, “I saw the ads. I saw burning people’s Medicare cards. If you can scare seniors into thinking that their current benefits are being affected, that’s going to have an effect. And that is exactly what took place here.” Do Republicans have a messaging problem on Medicare? My response: Some Republicans have a messaging problem — that partially explains the NY-26 result. Others, like Paul Ryan, are telling it straight, for which they should be commended. Medicare “as we know it” will soon end, as every honest analyst has recognized. If Democrats continue to demagogue the issue, we have a character problem on our hands. And if enough voters fal... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862508 Wed, 25 May 2011 16:48:42 +0100 4862508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862487&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F25%2Fpioneer-acos-the-right-direction-but-whats-the-goal%2F Editor’s Note: The post below discusses the recent announcement regarding accountable care organizations by the Center For Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. This is also the topic of another post, by Douglas Hastings, published today on Health Affairs Blog. For large entities that already successfully participate in managed care, the recently announced Center for Medicare and [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862487 Wed, 25 May 2011 15:31:01 +0100 4862487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862488&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F25%2Fpioneer-acos-surging-to-a-new-level-of-integration%2F Editor’s Note: The post below discusses the recent announcement regarding accountable care organizations by the Center For Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. This is also the topic of another post, by Steve Lieberman, published today on Health Affairs Blog. In a speech on February 1, among other comments, Dr. Don Berwick, the Administrator for the Centers [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862488 Wed, 25 May 2011 15:28:44 +0100 4862488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862489&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F24%2Fstifling-primary-care-why-does-cms-continue-to-support-the-ruc%2F Editor’s Note: In addition to Brian Klepper and Paul Fischer (photos and bios above), this article is authored by Kathleen Anne Behan, a skilled trial and corporate lawyer who provides advice to a range of individual and corporate clients. She has 20 years of experience practicing law, including as a partner with Arnold & Porter LLP, and [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862489 Tue, 24 May 2011 20:05:47 +0100 4862489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862458&cid=t_99859_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FHcpYnHjym24%2Fbasing-physician-pay-popularity-marginalizes-patients.html Part one of the three-part series, Let’s Pay Popular People More!by Jan Gurley, MDMy patient only had 20 minutes to wait for the van headed to detox. The people who had worked to get him into a detox program already numbered in the double digits. Sam (not his real name) was the classic public inebriate — he woke on sidewalks with the shakes, vomited blood on a regular basis, had lost most of his teeth, and was such a frequent victim of head trauma that depressions and scars ridged his balding skull.Over the last week, our substance abuse counselor had daisy-chained together an impressive series of phone calls, blood tests, and clearance forms to line him up for one of our rarely-available detox beds.Only 20 minutes to go.(...)Read the rest of How basing physician pay on popularity ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862458 Tue, 24 May 2011 20:00:44 +0100 4862458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862694&cid=t_99859_114_f&fid=34646&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cms.gov%2FMLNProducts%2Fdownloads%2FSignature_Requirements_Fact_Sheet_ICN905364.pdf I was recently researching the physician signature requirements under the Medicare program and found this resource outlining some of key questions and answers around the requirements.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Learning Network has issued a fact sheet on Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) Signature Requirements with the Q and A. Also mentioned in the guidance as a resourceis the Medicare Learning Network's MLN Matters Article MM6698, "Signature Guidelines for Medical Review Purposes." (Source: Health Care Law Blog) Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862694 Tue, 24 May 2011 13:40:59 +0100 4862694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862539&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FxqlsdGvGlEM%2F “What Does Health Reform Do for People on Medicare?”  The new health reform law benefits people on Medicare in a number of ways. This video explains some of the ways, such as ending out-of-pocket expenses for recommended screenings, checkups and other preventive services, and reducing prescription drug prices in the “doughnut hole.” Featuring John Rother, executive vice president of policy and strategy for AARP. “Will Health Reform Reduce the Federal Deficit?”   The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the health reform law will reduce the federal deficit by $124 billion by 2020. Respected analysts disagree, however. In this video, economist Joe Antos of the American Enterprise Institute explains why he believes health reform will cost much more than expected, primaril... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862539 Tue, 24 May 2011 13:06:41 +0100 4862539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852843&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-miUoPAPrsM%2F By George Scoville Please join us this Wednesday, May 25 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern for a Policy Forum with former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, “Limiting Government: What Washington Can Learn from Minnesota,” with opening remarks from Cato founder and president Edward H. Crane. Governor Pawlenty received an “A” grade on Cato’s biennial “Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors: 2010,” by Cato director of tax policy studies Chris Edwards. Complimentary registration is required of all attendees by noon Eastern tomorrow, Tuesday, May 24–seating is limited and not guaranteed. If you cannot join us in person, please join us on the web for a live video stream of the event. Washington’s use of tax dollars to strong-arm states into ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852843 Mon, 23 May 2011 14:23:45 +0100 4852843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841689&cid=t_99859_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2FZ9Inn_LpIEY%2Fwhy-do-10-of-cancer-patients-on-oral-meds-stop-taking-them-.html Ten percent of cancer patients failed to fill their initial prescriptions for oral anti-cancer drugs, according to a new study published jointly today in the Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) and American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC)[, based on data]... Read the full post on HealthBlawg. (Source: HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog) HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841689 Wed, 18 May 2011 02:36:35 +0100 4841689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841690&cid=t_99859_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2FFtmKA-h810c%2Fis-the-aco-doa-reasonable-minds-can-improve-the-draft-regulations.html In the current all-ACO, all the time, health care policy news cycle, we've been inundated with declarations that the ACO is dead, because a handful of big boys say they don't want to play. Today, CMS announced that it is... Read the full post on HealthBlawg. (Source: HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog) HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841690 Tue, 17 May 2011 19:35:33 +0100 4841690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841450&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3FKNcw-Lq0o%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThis new video, narrated by yours truly, discusses a proposal to solve Medicare’s bankrupt finances by replacing an unsustainable entitlement with a “premium-support” system for private insurance, also known as vouchers. This topic is very hot right now, in part because Medicare reform is included in the budget approved by House Republicans, but also because Newt Gingrich inexplicably has decided to echo White House talking points by attacking Congressman Ryan’s voucher plan. Drawing considerably from the work of Michael Cannon, the video has two sections. The first part reviews Congressman Ryan’s proposal and notes that it is based on a plan put together with Alice Rivlin, who served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget und... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841450 Tue, 17 May 2011 13:30:08 +0100 4841450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829337&cid=t_99859_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2Fn5FC2zyqTNw%2Felderly-are-better-off-than-advertised.html The following is a very good article that appeared in the Washington Post on May 15 by opinion columnist Robert Samuelson When House Speaker John Boehner calls for trillions of dollars of spending cuts, the message is clear. Any deal to raise the federal debt ceiling must include significant savings in Social Security and Medicare benefits. Subsidizing the elderly is the biggest piece of federal spending (more than two-fifths of the total), but trimming benefits for well-off seniors isn’t just budget arithmetic. It’s also the right thing to do. I have been urging higher eligibility ages and more means-testing for Social Security and Medicare for so long that I forget that many Americans still accept the outdated and propagandistic notion that old age automatically impoverishes people... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829337 Tue, 17 May 2011 00:58:00 +0100 4829337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828849&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqX-jd6IVntY%2F By Roger PilonNow that Rep. Ron Paul is again a presidential candidate, his constitutional views will come under increasing scrutiny, as happened yesterday when he was interviewed by Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. Not surprisingly, critics immediately leapt on Paul’s “crankish view” that Social Security, Medicare, and other such programs are unconstitutional. Even Wallace seemed taken aback, citing the document’s General Welfare Clause: The Congress shall have the Power to lay and collect Taxes … to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States. “Doesn’t Social Security come under promoting the general welfare of the United States?” Wallace asked, incredulously. One does not have to agree with everything Paul has said or stood... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828849 Mon, 16 May 2011 20:06:10 +0100 4828849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828853&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuPF7uPz-6kg%2F By Michael F. CannonIn 1995, shortly after becoming Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich mulled a radical overhaul of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  As he put it to a room full of health insurers, “Maybe we’ll take out FDA.” What made Newt likable to advocates of freedom is sadly no longer part of his schtick.  Here’s how Andrew Stiles reports on Newt’s appearance on Meet the Press yesterday: “I don’t think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering,” he said when asked about [House Budget Committee chairman Paul] Ryan’s [R-WI] plan to transition to a “premium support” model for Medicare. “I don’t think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828853 Mon, 16 May 2011 18:27:19 +0100 4828853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829302&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FcRURfUu9jhQ%2F One of the nation’s big unions and a shareholder in Forest Laboratories has asked the board to request the resignation of ceo Howard Solomon. The move comes in response to the recent disclosure that Solomon faces being excluded from participating in federal healthcare programs by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. The feds took that step not long after a subsidiary, Forest Pharmaceuticals, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, distributing an unapproved drug and illegally promoting two other meds. As part of its deal, Forest made a $313 million payment that included $164 million in criminal penalites, and signed a corporate integrity agreement (back stories here and here). “These are very serious matters and, at the very least, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829302 Mon, 16 May 2011 16:06:31 +0100 4829302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828844&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FI01GOVFm0So%2F Newt Gingrich, now officially a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, is staking out some of his positions on the divisive issue of health-care overhaul. As the WSJ reports, the former Speaker of the House dismissed the plan to rejigger Medicare put forth by the current GOP House majority as “right-wing social engineering,” while also endorsing the individual mandate to buy insurance that is vilified by critics on the right. The Medicare plan spearheaded by Rep. Paul Ryan would essentially replace the government insurance plan with vouchers to help seniors purchase private coverage. (The change would apply only to Americans aged 55 and under.) But the value of those vouchers would rise only as fast as overall consumer inflation, which has been outpaced by the ri... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828844 Mon, 16 May 2011 13:57:15 +0100 4828844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828845&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQXnRY8uAjCs%2F Paying for Quality: WellPoint’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 14 states will tie hospital reimbursement increases to quality of care, as measured by a 51-indicator test, the WSJ reports. The assessment is based 55% on health outcomes, 35% on measures of patient safety and 10% on patient satisfaction; the company’s chief medical officer tells the paper that using the formula can save both WellPoint and the overall health-care system money. Proposed Changes: Florida’s plans for its Medicaid program involve a $10 monthly premium for all beneficiaries not in nursing homes, plus a $100 charge for using the ER for non-emergency services, Kaiser Health News reports. The Obama administration, however, is likely to reject the proposed changes because they will make it harder for... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828845 Mon, 16 May 2011 12:37:36 +0100 4828845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820955&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=35744&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fe-CareManagement%2F%7E3%2F5iLWq8bfPRM%2F It’s time to call it — the Medicare Shared Savings (SS) ACO is dead-in-the-water. Ironically — at the same time — commercial payers are awakening to ACO opportunities. Please read further. (more…) Article Series - Accountable Care Organizations: Cure-du-Jour or Real Collaborative Care?The Big Idea in Understanding “Accountable Care Organizations”The Achilles Heel of ACOs? Shared Savings Payment Model Unlikely to Motivate HospitalsA Dark Horse in ACO Formation: Large Physician Groups“Does This ACO Thing Really Mean We Need to be ‘Accountable’”Will ACO IT Models Be Walled Gardens or Open Platforms?10 Reasons Why an Open IT Platform Strategy is the Right Long-Term Choice for an ACOIs Economic Credentialing A Tool for Primary Care to Lead... e-CareManagement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820955 Fri, 13 May 2011 23:12:43 +0100 4820955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820801&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FvSYrh2tgOck%2F If you need any more evidence that the growth in health-care costs is unsustainable, take a look at two reports out this week. Today, the Medicare trustees issued their annual assessment of the government insurance program’s fiscal health. The prognosis: the trust fund (covering hospital stays) will be exhausted in 2024, as the WSJ reports. That’s five years earlier than they predicted last year; the sluggish economy has led to lower payroll taxes, but health costs keep going up. And even that forecast comes with an asterisk. The long-term outlook for the trust fund and the Medicare Part B program, which pays for physician’ services, depends on assumptions that are “inevitably highly uncertain,” the report says: New technologies and interventions will continue... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820801 Fri, 13 May 2011 18:58:25 +0100 4820801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820800&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F12%2Fwhat-health-reform-means-for-medicare%2F While President Barack Obama and congressional leaders continue to tussle over what to do about the nation’s unsustainable entitlement spending programs, the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) seem to have gone largely unnoticed. This oversight is hard to explain. In recent decades, real Medicare spending has been growing at a [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820800 Thu, 12 May 2011 12:26:08 +0100 4820800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813280&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allhealth.org%2Fhealth-issues-sourcebook2011%2Fcovering-health-issues-2011.pdf The completely updated 200-page Alliance sourcebook, “Covering Health Issues, 6th Edition,” is now available. Written with reporters in mind, “Covering Health Issues” is useful for anyone looking for concise information on health policy issues, and experts from across the political spectrum. Chapters contain fast facts, background, tips for reporters, story ideas and experts with contact information. The book also includes an extensive glossary, ideas and examples for TV and radio reporters, and links to polls on health issues. Supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To see a video demonstration of the book by Julie Rovner of NPR, click here. To see individual chapters, click on any of the chapter titles below. To download the entire sourcebo... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813280 Wed, 11 May 2011 13:00:06 +0100 4813280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813255&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQDY0pPdVFzs%2F By Michael F. CannonUSA Today reports on a new Obama administration study: On average, uninsured families can pay only about 12% of their hospital bills in full. Families with incomes above 400% of the poverty level, or about $88,000 a year for a family of four, pay about 37% of their hospital bills in full, according to the Department of Health and Human Services study. Oy, where to begin? This is pre-existing conditions all over again.  In the hope of saving ObamaCare from the gallows, the Obama administration is blowing a real but relatively small problem way out of proportion. The best data indicate that the problem of the uninsured not being able to pay their medical bills is real but relatively small.  “Uncompensated care” for the uninsured accounts for just 2.8 percent of he... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813255 Tue, 10 May 2011 21:59:25 +0100 4813255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803028&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FFGM-maPaq6Y%2F No Deal: Community Health Systems has dropped its “best and final offer” for Tenet Healthcare after the hospital company rejected the $7.3 billion bid, Bloomberg News reports. Tenet called the latest offer of $7.25 per share “grossly inadequate.” Tenet also said it may buy back stock worth up to $400 million. Digital Detailing: Pharma sales reps are increasingly being supplemented and even replaced by websites, iPad apps and third-party call centers, the WSJ reports. While some say the digital and remote efforts aren’t as effective as in-person sales calls, physicians are increasingly unwilling to take the time for those face-to-face visits. Drugs in Short Supply: Shortages in some states of ADHD drugs — Adderall XR and its generic versions as well as a ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803028 Tue, 10 May 2011 12:37:12 +0100 4803028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803525&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Ff59stkxE_2w%2F The unnecessary use of antipsychotics in nursing homes has been controversial for several years. Now, a report from the US Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General finds that, in the six-month period from January through June 2007, 51 percent of Medicare claims for atypical antipsychotics were erroneous. This amounted to a $116 million series of mistakes. The OIG report was generated at the request of US Senator Chuck Grassley, who expressed concern that atypical antipsychotics - the newest generation of such meds - were being prescribed on an off-label basis, given that the side effects associated with the drugs include increased risk of death in elderly persons with dementia. Nursing homes are a big business for these drugs. But as the OIG notes, Medicare re... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803525 Mon, 09 May 2011 21:25:07 +0100 4803525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803031&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F0w-oKjx2Usw%2F Everyone agrees Medicare spending growth is unsustainable, but the specifics of how to curb it are much tougher to agree on. The health-care overhaul law charges a panel — called the Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB — with making recommendations for cuts in some cases. As Kaiser Health News reports, starting in 2015, if per-beneficiary spending is projected to rise by more than the average of general consumer and medical inflation, the 15-member board can issue its own binding recommendations. (Starting in 2020, the threshold growth rate will be GDP growth plus one percentage point.) KHN continues: Those recommendations will be sent to Capitol Hill at the beginning of the year, and if Congress doesn’t like them, it must pass alternative cuts — of the sam... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803031 Mon, 09 May 2011 16:55:26 +0100 4803031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794832&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F06%2Fto-ipab-or-not-to-ipab-is-that-the-question%2F The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) has been touted as an important tool to control Medicare costs. The President supports it. But many members of Congress and provider groups do not. Can the IPAB survive in this political environment? Should the health policy community take a stand? (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794832 Fri, 06 May 2011 23:36:36 +0100 4794832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794933&cid=t_99859_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Foffering-written-language-preference-patients-looms-challenge-hospitals This is the second post in a multi-part series about the new Joint Commission standards on language access requirements for limited English proficient patients. When hospitals ask patients about their language requirements, it is very important they ask the correct questions. We’ve all heard these questions – “Do you speak English?”, “Where were you born?”, “Where do you come from?”, or “What language do you speak?” Unfortunately, each of these risks complicating matters even further. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794933 Fri, 06 May 2011 16:41:05 +0100 4794933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794836&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fbcec9l1MDKE%2F Off the Table?: It doesn’t look like the House Republicans’ plan to cut Medicare spending — providing seniors with a fixed amount of money with which they could buy private insurance — is going to be a part of budget talks, the WSJ reports. Cuts to entitlement programs are unlikely to be part of the negotiations over raising the debt limit, Rep. Paul Ryan has said. Supplemental Knowledge: A new study finds that taking vitamin E, selenium and soy supplements every day for three years doesn’t seem to help prevent prostate cancer in men at risk for the disease, Reuters reports. Observational studies had seemed to note a benefit for men who consumed those nutrients via food or supplements, but more rigorous studies, including this one, haven’t come to the sa... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794836 Fri, 06 May 2011 12:37:20 +0100 4794836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4795058&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F7SCLQKXldE8%2F Good morning, everyone. Another working week is about to draw to a close, which is our signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda includes watching one of the short people play lacrosse, taking a long walk or two with Mrs. Pharmalot and catching up on some reading. And you? Will you ever clean out the garage? Maybe this is a chance to enjoy the great outdoors? Or simply count your blessings? Whatever you do, have a swell time. And, of course, say hi to mom… CVS Discloses SEC Inquiry Into Caremark (Associated Press) Former Bristol-Myers Chemist Indicted For Killing Her Husband (Daily Record) CVS Will Keep Caremark (The Street) Pfizer Returns Ashtma Med To Rigel (Xconomy) Most New Drugs Marketed Without Comparative Data (Reuters) Novartis Wins Expanded Indication For Pancreatic... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4795058 Fri, 06 May 2011 12:10:08 +0100 4795058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789633&cid=t_99859_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Frn2r9MWhDMo%2F Conceived as part of health care reform, accountable care organizations may become the next big thing in lowering cost. The basic premise involves a network of doctors and hospitals that share responsibility for providing care to patients. Each ACO would receive financial incentives to provide quality care to Medicare beneficiaries while holding down costs. And since the intiative is scheduled to launch in January 2012, there is a scramble under way among physician practices and hospitals to form ACOs. The Obama administration, meanwhile, recently proposed guidelines on how ACOs will work (look here). But what are the implications for the pharmaceutical industry? We spoke with Ian Spatz, a senior advisor to Manatt Health Solutions, founder of Rock Creek Policy Group and a former vp for pub... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789633 Thu, 05 May 2011 20:50:41 +0100 4789633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789193&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F05%2Fways-and-means-chair-panel-won%25e2%2580%2599t-consider-ryan-medicare-plan%2F House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) said this morning that his committee will not take up a proposal this year to replace Medicare’s defined benefits formula with a “voucher” or “premium support” system in which seniors would shop for private coverage using defined contributions from the federal government. Such a reform proposal [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789193 Thu, 05 May 2011 20:01:30 +0100 4789193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789144&cid=t_99859_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FZx601z8lYdQ%2Fgovernment-reversal-life-planning.html by Naomi FreundlichAfter all the ridiculous fear-mongering about “death panels,” Congress dropped a proposal to encourage end-of-life planning from the health reform legislation passed last March.But the administration had in fact quietly included reimbursing doctors for end-of-life counseling along with a host of new Medicare regulations. The provision, which authorizes payment for “voluntary advance care planning,” went into effect on Jan. 1.(...)Read the rest of The government reversal on end of life planningCategory: Policy | Tags: Health reform, Medicare, Patients | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789144 Thu, 05 May 2011 19:00:35 +0100 4789144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789197&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fx9sVFi-kdc0%2F At a House subcommittee meeting today, medical societies weighed in on how to fix the much-maligned Medicare physician payment formula. The current formula, which absolutely no one thinks can continue in its present form, is (ironically) called the Sustainable Growth Rate, or SGR. It pegs the growth of Medicare reimbursement to the GDP — problematic, since GDP growth has famously been outpaced by the increase in health-care spending for years. Automatic, across-the-board reimbursement cuts kick in if spending reaches a certain level. But it’s so expensive to fix this problem — $298 billion just to wipe out accumulated debt — that nothing permanent has been done. Instead, we’ve seen a Chinese water torture of last-minute, short-term fixes. Scheduled to appear t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789197 Thu, 05 May 2011 17:16:47 +0100 4789197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789218&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmFbW55VdKsw%2F By Michael F. CannonOver at The Incidental Economist, Austin Frakt challenges a couple of claims I made on NPR about Medicare reform.  (Here’s how NPR reported my comments in print.) My claims are pretty simple. If Medicare subsidizes enrollees by giving them a fixed amount of money, much like Social Security does, they would be more cost-conscious than they are under the current open-ended subsidy, because enrollees who avoid wasteful spending would themselves get to keep the savings.  Put more plainly, people spend their own money more carefully than they spend other people’s money. Health insurers and health care providers would compete to serve these cost-conscious Medicare enrollees on the basis of both cost and quality.  Prices would fall while quality improves. I&... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789218 Wed, 04 May 2011 22:07:37 +0100 4789218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780263&cid=t_99859_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FbHRkSUTkARo%2Flife-care-influenced-politics.html A version of this op-ed was published on April 12, 2011 in USA Today.by Kevin Pho, MD“Would you like to discuss your end-of-life plans today?”It’s a question that I ask my patients, although not as often as I would like.  Talking about death may be uncomfortable, but it’s a conversation that needs to happen more often.We can never know for sure when health disaster will strike, robbing us of the ability to make our own medical decisions.  More than 40% of elderly Americans will need to make crucial medical decisions before death, yet most of them will lack the decision-making capacity to do so at the time.(...)Read the rest of End of life care is being influenced by politicsCategory: Pho | Tags: Health reform, Medicare, Patients | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780263 Tue, 03 May 2011 18:00:28 +0100 4780263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780295&cid=t_99859_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Frgl-wP5da0Q%2F By George Scoville “Given America’s large-scale, long-term nation-building mission in Afghanistan, another chapter remains unfinished.” “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to refer to a government whose intelligence service assists military efforts by al Qaeda and the Taliban against U.S. troops in Afghanistan as an ‘ally.’” “Terrorists are not superhuman.” “Physicians must either make up for this shortfall by shifting costs to those patients with insurance — meaning those of us with insurance pay more — or treat patients at a loss.” Is America in a libertarian moment? Tuesday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780295 Tue, 03 May 2011 14:51:15 +0100 4780295