Democratic efforts to expand SCHIP come with "a catch": Senior citizens enrolled in Medicare advantage plans might have to "help pay the bill," the Los Angeles Times reports. Lawmakers this year have proposed increasing federal spending by as much as $60 billion over five years to provide health care coverage to as many as six [...]
MORE than 10 bands will perform in a 10-hour musical extravaganza this weekend at Hotel Armada Petaling Jaya’s Wharf.
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CMS by May plans to decide whether to expand Medicare coverage for an expensive procedure to treat carotid artery disease, which occurs when major arteries in the neck narrow or become blocked, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. The procedure involves the insertion of a balloon to expand carotid arteries in the neck followed by [...]
The Centers for Medicare and medicaid services (CMS) today announced an Arizona collaborative as its newest participant in an effort to produce more accurate, comprehensive measures of the quality of services at the provider level. [click link for full article]
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The Centers for Medicare & medicaid services (CMS) issued a final rule today setting forth the requirements that transplant centers must meet to participate in the Medicare program that moves Medicare covered transplant programs toward an outcome-focused system. [click link for full article]
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Nearly one in five of the health care providers in the United States have failed to obtain a new identification number from the Centers for Medicare and medicaid services, although the deadline for using the so-called National provider Identifier (NPI) is less than two months away. Even those who have obtained the new ID numbers [...]
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt during a speech before America's health insurance plans on Thursday said that proposed cuts to Medicare advantage plans should not be made, CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 3/22). The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee on Wednesday held a hearing to examine whether the government overpays MA plans, which are [...]
To: HEALTH/MEDICAL EDITORS Contact: Phi
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The American health care Association (AHCA) said today that passage of HR 1459 – newly-introduced legislation would weaken Medicare's so-called "75% Rule and is contrary to the continued provision of quality long term care to America's most vulnerable seniors. As well AHCA noted that it is contrary to the interests of U.S. [click link for [...]
RESTON, Va.—-The American Academy of Audiology applauds Rep. Mike Ross on the introduction of his legislation, the "Medicare Hearing health care Enhancement Act of 2007" – HR 1665.
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If you carry private third-party health insurance, you are more likely than a Medicare/medicaid patient is to receive a drug-eluting stent for similar medical conditions for which a drug-eluting stent is approved.
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"Revising Medicare's Physician Fee Schedule — Much Activity, Little Change," New England Journal of Medicine: In the perspective piece, Paul Ginsburg, president of the Center for Studying Health System Change, and Robert Berenson, a senior consulting researcher at the center and a senior fellow at [click link for full article]
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March 26, 2007 – AARP, a giant broker of insurance to senior citizens and other adults, was a strong supporter of the original Medicare drug program but has now decided it needs a major change.
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After watching Saturday's presidential candidate forum on health care , and judging the candidates using Roger Hickey's five health care questions , I'm left with key questions for each Oval Office aspirant. To former Sen. John Edwards: your plan sets up competition between private insurers and a new "Medicare-style" government plans for everyone under 65. [...]
The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee on Wednesday held a hearing to examine whether the government overpays Medicare advantage plans, which are operated by private insurers, the Washington Times reports. Democrats have suggested that extra government payments to MA plans increase premiums and costs for all Medicare beneficiaries (Lopes, Washington Times, 3/22). [click link [...]