News
Cases of swine flu, or A/H1N1, have been increasing, with doctor visits for influenza-like illnesses higher than expected during this time of year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The General Accounting Office estimates that fraud in healthcare ranges from $60 billion to $600 billion per year – or anywhere between 3 percent and 10 percent of the $2 trillion healthcare budget.
NOT SINCE 1965 has America seen the kind of healthcare reform revolution that is brewing today.
Diversified Collection Services, the Medicare recovery audit contractor for Region A, will begin audits on durable medical equipment billed to Medicare, bringing the RAC program live nationwide.
A study done by the Group Health Cooperative indicates the "patient-centered medical home" model could reduce the cost of care for patients and help solve the nation’s primary care physician shortage.
The Senate Finance Committee is considering a measure to open up drug negotiating and pricing for government monitoring.
The health reform proposal introduced last month by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, includes a nonprofit health insurance co-op component. There is precious little detail of what the co-op policy would look like, but the concept is drawing just as much strong opinion as the public option.
The Senate Finance Committee voted in late September to reject an amendment including a public health insurance option in the healthcare reform bill.
Expanding health centers to reach an additional 20 million patients would result in overall healthcare savings of $212 billion over the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, including federal Medicaid savings of $59 billion.
The nine-month COBRA health insurance subsidy, which helped an estimated 14 million laid-off workers in 2009, is due to expire on Dec. 1.