Search Results for "Medicare"

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Cancer clinics closing, more at risk

 Chelsey Ledue March 19, 2010
The Community Oncology Alliance reports at least 30 community cancer clinics have closed during the past several months due to cuts in Medicare reimbursement for cancer care.
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Amerinet offers new quality and patient safety toolkits to members

 Industry News Release March 19, 2010
Amerinet Inc., a leading national healthcare group purchasing organization, today announced the addition of resource toolkits featuring best practice tools and information to assist members in lowering costs while enhancing quality and patient safety.
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The Medicaid Integrity Program: The difference $180M makes

 Linda Fotheringill March 19, 2010
The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 provided the resources to establish the Medicaid Integrity Program, the first national strategy in the 40-year history of the Medicaid program to promote the fiscal integrity of Medicaid by detecting and preventing provider fraud, waste and abuse.
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High private-payer margins can lead to negative Medicare margins

 Richard Pizzi March 18, 2010
An article published this week in Health Affairs found that hospitals with strong market power lose money on Medicare patients because these hospitals tend to have high cost structures.
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Medicaid patients 5.5 times more likely to get cataract surgery than VA patients, study finds

 Industry News Release March 18, 2010
Patients seen at private facilities reimbursed by Medicare were more than 550 percent more likely to have routine cataract surgery than those who received their care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, a strong indication that the frequency of cataract surgery may be responsive to financial incentives to either or both the medical facility and the physicians who perform the procedure.
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Fraud referrals from RACs likely

 Carla Engle March 18, 2010
The RACs will now be responsible for referring to CMS any cases of potential fraudulent activity identified during the course of their own improper payment investigations.
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CMS won't enforce 'direct supervision' policy for critical access hospitals

 Richard Pizzi March 17, 2010
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has instructed Medicare contractors not to evaluate or enforce the "direct supervision" requirement for therapeutic services furnished in calendar year 2010 to outpatients in critical access hospitals.
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Brand-name drug prices are rising in 2010

 Chelsey Ledue March 17, 2010
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds that prices for commonly used brand name drugs are rising in 2010.
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Michigan doctor convicted in $18.3M Medicare fraud scheme

 Chelsey Ledue March 12, 2010
A Detroit federal jury has convicted Farmington Hills, Mich. physician Jose Castro-Ramirez on 13 counts in connection with his role in an $18.3 million Medicare fraud scheme.
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Puerto Rican coalition asks Congress for health equality

 Chelsey Ledue March 12, 2010
The National Puerto Rican Coalition has asked Congress to adopt revisions to pending healthcare reform legislation to better address the needs of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico.
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An uncertain future for Medicare patients

 Ed Howe March 12, 2010
In recent months the Mayo Clinic announced their primary care facility near my home in Phoenix would no longer be accepting Medicare. Then the fun began.
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Creative payment reform initiatives abound nationwide

 Patty Enrado March 12, 2010
Innovative programs, such as tying the payment system to the delivery system, could help bend the healthcare cost curve, according to Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund.
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Senate votes to delay doc pay cut until Oct. 1

 Diana Manos March 11, 2010
The Senate voted on Wednesday to delay a 21 percent Medicare physician pay cut until Oct. 1.
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Medicare nixes contract with Fox Insurance drug plan

 Chelsey Ledue March 10, 2010
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has terminated its contract with the Fox Insurance Company.
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The World Congress 6th Annual Leadership Summit on Medicare

 March 09, 2010
As the only industry event scheduled immediately before the congressional recess, The World Congress 6th Annual Leadership Summit on Medicare is the leading forum guaranteed to present up-to-the-minute legislative developments from the Hill. This Executive Summit is designed to maximize your understanding of how current reform initiatives will impact your organization's short and long term strategic plans.
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Health Reform Could Harm Medicaid Patients

 Edward Miller March 08, 2010
Both the House and Senate health-care reform bills call for a large increase in Medicaid—about 18 million more people will begin enrolling in Medicaid under the House bill starting in 2013, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Actuary Richard Foster estimates.
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Focus on comprehensive documentation to prove medical necessity

 Barbara Vandegrift March 04, 2010
Clinical and administrative staff at many organizations are struggling with the issue of what "medically necessary" really means.
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Medicare cuts pushed to April 1

 Molly Merrill March 03, 2010
The Senate voted Tuesday night to postpone the 21 percent Medicare physician payment cuts until April 1, 2010.
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Poll: Physicians up in arms against Medicare cuts

 Kyle Hardy March 03, 2010
The results of a poll of nearly 1,500 physicians found 84 percent saying they will be forced to cut back the number of patients admitted, if the Medicare cuts scheduled to take effect March 3, hold.
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CMS to hold claims for 10 days

 Richard Pizzi March 02, 2010
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has instructed its contractors to hold claims containing services paid under the Medicare physician fee schedule for the first 10 business days of March.
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