Insights into the Necessity of Clinical Documentation Improvements
November 10th 2014As the healthcare industry transitions to new initiatives such as accountable care organizations and pay-for-performance, clinical documentation improvement is necessary, according to a report from the American Health Information Management Association.
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New and Improved HealthCare.gov Site Reopens, With Subsidies for Now
November 10th 2014More than a year after its disastrous debut, the federal website HealthCare.gov reopened last night, giving shoppers a few days to browse ahead of the November 15 start date for open enrollment, when consumers will have 60 days to make changes or, for some, select first-time coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
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Are State-Run Marketplaces Ready to Be Financially Self-Sustaining?
November 8th 2014In less than 2 months the health insurance Marketplaces will need to be financially self-sustaining, which will occur through a variety of approaches, as federal establishment funds will run out on January 1, 2015.
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First Case of Successful Personalized Treatment in Liver Cancer Reported
November 8th 2014The treatment, conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, identified a mutation in the BRaf gene which is commonly mutated in melanoma. Subsequent treatment with dabrafenib and trametinib resulted in rapid tumor shrinkage.
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Of All ACA Elements, Medical Device Tax Seems Most Endangered
November 7th 2014Three days after the Republican Party gained control of the US Senate and rose to 250 seats in the House of Representatives, the airwaves are filled with bluster aimed at respective bases over what will become of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While experts from both sides of the aisle agree that a full repeal is unlikely, 1 item has shown up on almost every early list of elements unlikely to survive the next Congress: the medical device tax.
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Mediterranean Diet Helps Prevent Stroke, AHA Guidelines Say
November 6th 2014The so-called "Mediterranean diet" has long been recommended as a way to control weight and prevent diabetes. Now, the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association have issued new guidelines that say the diet should be encouraged to reduce a person's risk of first-time stroke.
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Meaningful Use Numbers Disappointing But Not Surprising
November 5th 2014Recently released numbers from the CMS Meaningful Use program were lower than expected, which further highlights the changes that need to be made in meeting federal guidelines for electronic health record requirements, according to officials 4 healthcare organizations.
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After the Republican Wave, What Will Election 2014 Mean for ACA, Medicaid, Managed Care?
November 5th 2014A special report on what the historic election of Republicans in races for the Senate, US House of Representatives, and governor means for the future of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, and managed care, and reports on important healthcare ballot measures from around the country.
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Renewed Efforts to Target the Ras Protein in Cancer
November 5th 2014Despite decades of efforts to target the Ras protein, mutated in a number of different cancers, the progress has been slow. Now, scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Germany have devised a way to prevent translocation of Ras to the cell surface, a process essential for protein activation.
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Significant Survival Advantage Combining Ipilimumab With an Immune Booster in Metastatic Melanoma
November 5th 2014The study, published in JAMA, found a 50% improvement in survival in patients with metastatic melanoma who were treated with ipilimumab, if they simultaneously received an immune stimulant.
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Obama Admin Goes After Plans that Lack Hospital Coverage
November 4th 2014Large employer health plans will now be required to cover in-patient hospitalization services, according to a notice from the Treasury Department and HHS on Tuesday morning. The final regulation will be issued next year.
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Global Budget Payment Model Lowers Spending, Improves Care Over 4 Years
November 4th 2014Using global budgets for healthcare instead of traditional fee-for-service improves quality of patient care and lowers costs, according to a new study by researchers from Harvard Medical School's Department of Health Care Policy.
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Drawing Attention to Low Pay, Fragile Existence of Home Health Workers
November 4th 2014Their role is essential and growing as the nation's elderly population increases, and many older persons seek to stay in their homes. But with pay and benefits only a rung above fast food workers, home health aides are a little seen and often unheard part of the managed care continuum. That changed one September morning in Ohio, when a rally brought their plight literally into the sunshine.
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Biosimilars a Big Cost Saver, RAND Study Finds
November 4th 2014The study by Andrew Mulcahy, a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, found that the predicted $44 billion saving to the US healthcare system over the next decade, would depend on FDA decisions on newer biosimilar drug candidates.
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