Amgen falls on new Medicare policy
Shares of Amgen Inc. fell Tuesday after the agency that runs Medicare outlined a new policy which analysts say will sharply limit reimbursements for Amgen’s anemia drug Aranesp.
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Archive for July, 2007
Study compares specialty orthopedic and general hospitals
Specialty orthopedic hospitals serve a healthier population of Medicare patients compared to general hospitals, according to a new study by investigators at the University of Iowa and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Iowa City health care System.
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Esse hopes to build lucrative practice through information technology
Esse Health, one of the area’s largest independent physician practices, has hired a new chief executive to refine its brand, expand physicians’ use of information technology and give founder Dr. Charles Willey more time to focus on the practice’s other venture, a Medicare insurance plan.
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House SCHIP Legislation Needs Revision To Meet Pay/Go Requirements
House legislation (HR 3162) that would expand and reauthorize SCHIP and make revisions to Medicare will need to be revised to meet pay/go rules before it can be considered by the full chamber, CongressDaily reports (Johnson, CongressDaily, 7/27). [click link for full article]
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Medicare plan boosts statins, ulcer drugs: report
New prescription drug coverage in the federal Medicare insurance plan for the elderly drove a boost in use of pricey brand-name drugs such as statins and ulcer medications, an analysis released on Tuesday said.
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Seniors to Congress: Raise Tobacco Taxes to Fund SCHIP
Washington ( Map ) – By a 15-to-1 margin, seniors prefer raising tobacco taxes rather than cutting Medicare Advantage as a means to fund the State Children’s health insurance Program (SCHIP), according to a survey released today.
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Doctors’ group prescribes private health care
The CMA says that private sector solutions should be found to the problems – particularly patient waiting lists – that plague Canada’s overburdened Medicare system.
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HHS awards $90M Medicare, Medicaid database contract
The Health and Human services Department awarded a contract worth as much as $90 million to five software vendors to develop and maintain an enterprise relational database management system to handle Medicare and medicaid information, HHS said in a posting on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site July 30. The relational database system will advance [...]
Coventry Health profit rises on cost management
New York (Reuters)�U.S. health insurer Coventry health care Inc. on Tuesday posted a 12% rise in quarterly profit, boosted by better management of medical costs and an increase in Medicare membership.
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Medicare Releases Positive Results On Provider Satisfaction With Fee-For-Service Contractors, USA
Most Medicare health care providers continue to be satisfied with services provided by Medicare fee-for-service contractors, the Centers for Medicare & medicaid services (CMS) reported last week. [click link for full article]
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Health insurer Humana’s earnings more than double
Increased sign-up in Advantage plan spurs profit rise Humana Inc. , the second-largest provider of Medicare advantage health plans, said earnings more than doubled as the company increased enrollment in the sponsored coverage by 18 percent and profit margins swelled.
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Consultant Says Florida Health Insurance Proposal Cuts Medicare – Increases Tobacco Taxes
The debate over health insurance continues in Washington. Florida health insurance Web reports House Democrats are hoping to pay for their new health plan by raising taxes on tobacco – and some minor cuts to Medicare insurers to pay for the proposed $50 billion expansion of a children’s health insurance program. (PRWeb Jul 31, 2007) [...]
Cuts affect oxygen therapy
The Standard-Times this week welcomes Mitch Ellis, a San Angelo medical equipment firm manager who will write a monthly column on the intricacies of Medicare. Over the past couple of decades, many changes have come about in the world of oxygen therapy.
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Health care legislation goes to House
Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee approved major legislation extending health insurance coverage to millions of children and improving the Medicare program.
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Medicare tightens reimbursement for anemia drugs
The Centers for Medicare & medicaid services (CMS) issued final reimbursement rules on Monday that tighten usage and dosing allowances for a class of anemia drugs due to concerns over their safety and potential overuse.
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