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Policy and Legislation

By Ernie De Los Santos | 01:40 pm | January 21, 2011
Connolly Healthcare, the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) for Region C posted 77 new issues and DCS, the RAC for Region A posted seven new issues, continuing the pattern that healthcare providers have come to expect from all four RACs - postings that present confusing, incomplete and oftentimes contradictory information.
By Chris Anderson | 11:41 am | January 21, 2011
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced that 3 million Medicare beneficiaries have saved money on prescription medications as a result of the Affordable Care Act, via $250 rebate checks mailed to beneficiaries in the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap.
By Chris Anderson | 11:13 am | January 21, 2011
The Arizona Legislature on Thursday authorized Gov. Jan Brewer to apply for a federal waiver with the Department of Health and Human Services that seeks to drop 280,000 people from the state's Medicaid rolls.
By Molly Merrill | 04:16 pm | January 20, 2011
States can apply for a second round of grant funding to help implement health insurance exchanges mandated under the Affordable Care Act, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on Thursday.
By Chris Anderson | 11:50 am | January 20, 2011
Texas lawmakers under Republican leadership unveiled a budget proposal this week to cover the years 2012-2013 that would cut Medicaid reimbursements to long-term care facilities by 33 percent and payments to hospitals by 10 percent.
By Molly Merrill | 10:57 am | January 20, 2011
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has proposed a two-year project targeting the barriers Medicaid providers face in meeting meaningful use requirements in order to receive federal incentives.
By Kester Freeman | 10:49 am | January 20, 2011
The status of mental health in the U.S. in 2011 is one of the worst problems I have ever seen. So many people are affected by mental illness and the numbers just continue to grow. The suspect in the Tucson shooting slipped through the cracks.
By Bernie Monegain | 10:39 am | January 20, 2011
A survey of almost 3,000 physicians indicates 65 percent are worried that healthcare reform would result in less pay for them and lower the quality of care for their patients.
By Jeffrey Kreisberg | 01:16 pm | January 19, 2011
It’s been estimated that fraud adds as much as $60 billion a year to our healthcare costs. Well, the problem has gotten the attention of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) which is tasked with protecting the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and the health and welfare of program beneficiaries.
By Diana Manos | 12:03 pm | January 19, 2011
A new study by the Department of Health and Human Services indicates 129 million Americans under age 65 have a pre-existing condition that could render them unable to afford or to qualify for health insurance without the safety provided under the Affordable Care Act.