Hospitals Serving Vulnerable Populations Penalized for Readmission Rates
September 14th 2015Unaccounted for social and clinical characteristics of a hospital's patient population explain nearly half of the difference in readmission rates between the best and the worst performing hospitals when it comes to Medicare penalties for hospital readmission rates.
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This Week in Managed Care: September 12, 2015
September 12th 2015The top stories in managed care this week include value-based pricing of the new PCSK9 inhibitors, CMS unveiled a new health equity plan for Medicare, and the American Medical Association released analyses on proposed health insurance mergers.
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Bernie Sanders Takes Aim at Prescription Drug Costs
September 12th 2015Democratic president hopeful Bernie Sanders took aim at the pharmaceutical industry with a new bill that would provide the government with negotiating power, allow the import of lower-cost drugs from Canada, and requires reporting of information that affects drug pricing.
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New Medicare Advantage Entrants Increase Consumer Options
September 11th 2015Although a new report from The Commonwealth Fund raised concerns about the competition of Medicare Advantage (MA) programs available across the country, a new analysis from Avalere Health found that there has been a growing number of MA plan options for consumers.
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House Republicans Will Have Their Day in Court: Challenge to ACA Will Be Heard
September 10th 2015House Republicans won a minor victory in a new lawsuit against the Obama administration for the legality of spending money from the Treasury for health insurers under the Affordable Care Act. Arguments will be heard this fall.
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Surgeon General Urges Americans to Walk More to Combat Chronic Disease
September 9th 2015Research shows that about 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, such as walking, can have significant health benefits. Changes in American lifestyles in recent decades have made limited the amount of time spent walking, with unfortunate results.
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