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By Susan Jaffe | 11:26 am | August 30, 2011
A provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act that intends to increase Medicare beneficiaries' share of healthcare costs is meeting resistance from a group charged with revising Medigap insurance policies that cover most out-of-pocket expenses.
By Stephanie Bouchard | 01:54 pm | August 29, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs appears to be dodging its responsibilities to veterans in need of mental healthcare by seeking to appeal a ruling made by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco last spring. The side effects of the VA's stonewalling include an increased burden on the nation's healthcare system and dire consequences for the veterans in need of services.
By Healthcare Finance Staff | 01:51 pm | August 29, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held National HIPAA 5010 Testing Week last week, and those clearinghouses, providers and payers that were unable to participate should take heed.
By Chris Anderson | 12:01 pm | August 29, 2011
UnitedHealthcare, area YMCAs and local pharmacies have announced they will partner to launch the "NOT ME" diabetes prevention program of the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance (DPCA), an employer- and community-based initiative aimed at diabetes prevention.
By Healthcare Finance Staff | 11:15 am | August 29, 2011
athenahealth announced Monday it will launch the Patient-Centered Medical Home Accelerator Program, which aims to assist primary care physician groups in meeting the National Committee for Quality Assurance's (NCQA) newest PCMH recognition standards.
By Rene Letourneau | 11:05 am | August 29, 2011
Nearly 75 percent of people who lost their employer-sponsored health insurance when they lost their jobs over the last two years said that they skipped needed healthcare or did not fill prescriptions because of cost, according to a new Commonwealth Fund brief.
By Stephanie Bouchard | 10:26 am | August 29, 2011
The National Labor Relations Board issued a final rule last week requiring employers to post notices advising employees of their rights to unionize. The new rule, which goes into effect Nov. 14, faced much opposition from businesses that argued that current rules suffice and the board lacks the authority to create such a rule.
By Eric Wicklund | 10:09 am | August 29, 2011
Two prominent healthcare organizations are seeking subscription-based affiliations with single-specialty practices to build their outpatient networks at a time when hospital-based revenues are declining. The decision may also be seen as laying the first blocks of a foundation for an accountable care organization.
By Bernie Monegain | 10:03 am | August 29, 2011
North Carolina employers have a chance to help improve patient care and save healthcare costs thanks to First in Health, a public-private partnership that will make it possible for them to tap into a medical home created for Medicaid recipients that has helped improve care while saving more than $1 billion.
By Healthcare Finance Staff | 02:52 pm | August 26, 2011
A broad-based, year-and-a-half old program aimed at improving the safety of in-patient care across California helped save 800 lives in its first year, according to a report from the National Health Foundation, one of the collaborators in the program.