Chelsey Ledue

A growing number of geriatricians and physicians with large senior populations are turning to alternative practice models, including direct pay, full-model and hybrid concierge programs, according to Concierge Choice Physicians.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals will pay $422.5 million to resolve criminal and civil charges of illegal marketing of certain pharmaceutical products, according to the Department of Justice.

In the past five years, non-hospital/IDS-owned medical groups reported a 0.09 percent increase in total relative value units per patient and a nearly 13 percent increase in work RVUs per patient, according to the Medical Group Management Association.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $320 million in grants under the Affordable Care Act to strengthen the healthcare workforce.

The Government Accountability Office has released a report on group purchasing organizations which details the steps taken by GPOs to ensure transparency, fair contracting and discount product pricing for hospitals.

Charitable giving for U.S. healthcare plunged 11 percent in 2009, compared with a 5 percent boost in Canada, according to the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $68 million in grants to help seniors, the disabled and caregivers better understand and navigate their health and long-term care options.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced a new program to help New Orleans community clinics and continue healthcare access for low-income and uninsured households that are still struggling five years after Hurricane Katrina.

The number of licensed registered nurses (RNs) in the United States grew to a new high of 3.1 million between 2004 and 2008, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Questionable medical claims referred to the National Insurance Crime Bureau totaled 28,553 in 2009, a 10 percent increase over 2008's 25,945 claims.