News on Medicaid

DaVita says U.S. govt probes payment for infusion drugs

2011-10-25T07:00:14Z

(Reuters) - DaVita Inc, the biggest U.S. operator of dialysis clinics, said it is the subject of a government probe into payments for infusion drugs covered by the Medicaid health program for the po...

President's Ôopt-out' stance may force health care law onto crowded docket

2011-03-29T03:31:51Z

WASHINGTON - Nevada has joined 20 states to have the new federal health care law declared unconstitutional. At the same time, Gov. Brian Sandoval has ordered the state to begin implementing it because at this point, it's the law of the land.

Now, Nevada might not have to travel those divergent paths.

Last week, Reuters) - The costs to U.S. states of the Medicaid insurance program for the poor will grow by hundreds of billions of dollars under the healthcare law passed last year, according to a report released by Republicans in the Senate and Reuters) - An estimated five million uninsured children in the United States were eligible for Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) but were not enrolled in either plan, according to a new report.

The...

What Rights Do Uninsured Patients Have Regarding Payments?

2010-11-02T14:34:30Z

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How Do I Apply for an Illinois Medical Card?

2010-11-02T14:34:09Z

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Medicaid pay commission to begin work in September

2010-11-02T12:43:32Z

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Medicaid Eligibility Standards

2010-11-02T14:22:37Z

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Medicaid funding extension hitting roadblocks in Congress

2010-11-02T12:43:31Z

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Health reform law may trump Indiana health plan for poor

2010-11-02T12:43:42Z

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Extra Medicaid funding in limbo

2010-11-02T12:43:30Z

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With Medicaid Set to Expand, a Closer Look at Generic Policies

2010-10-27T08:05:14Z

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New estimate says health plan to cost Ind. $2.9B

2010-05-21T11:15:28Z

New estimate shows federal health care overhaul will cost Indiana $2.9 billion in next decade

A new estimate shows the federal health care overhaul will cost Indiana at least $2.9 billion over the next decade.

That estimate released Friday from an outside actuary hired by the state is lower than the actuary's "worst case scenario" given two weeks ago. But Gov....

CHIP, Medicaid cuts in Arizona on hold for now

2010-11-02T12:43:12Z

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The Drug Stock Sell-Off

2010-10-27T06:44:37Z

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Health-Care Overhaul and Industry Outlook: Bristol–Myers

2010-10-27T08:04:58Z

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Summary Box: Merck sees health overhaul impact

2010-04-23T13:00:27Z

HEALTH OVERHAUL IMPACT: Drugmaker Merck & Co. expects the health care legislation passed last month to cost it about $320 million this year.

COST BREAKDOWN: About half of that, $170 million, is from the expected reduction in revenues from paying bigger Medicaid rebates; the other $150 million is a charge for loss of a tax benefit for providing prescription c...

Merck: Health Overhaul to Pare $170 Million from ‘10 Sales

2010-10-27T08:04:56Z

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Health-Care Overhaul and Industry Outlook: Baxter

2010-10-27T08:04:56Z

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New Rules on Medicaid Discounts a Bummer for States

2010-10-25T14:38:49Z

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Health reform reality: Forecast for uninsured includes familiar faces

2010-11-02T12:41:03Z

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Obama to name new Medicare/Medicaid chief: official

2010-07-14T13:52:32Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has picked a top health policy expert to run Medicare and Medicaid, an administration official said on Saturday, filling a role at the heart of his historic healthcare reform.

Obama plans to nominate GOP gubernatorial front-runners not calling for Nevada to file a lawsuit against the new national health care law.

On Tuesday, 13 Republican attorneys general filed a lawsuit arguing that the law is unconstitutional, and VirginiaÕs attorney general filed a separate lawsuit making a similar argument.

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Medicaid funding extension moving through Congress

2010-11-02T12:43:31Z

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KidsCare repeal said to jeopardize Ariz. funding

2010-06-12T15:27:58Z

Repeal of children's program puts Arizona's Medicaid funding at risk under health overhaul

A controversial decision by Arizona lawmakers to eliminate a health insurance program for poor children puts it at risk of losing billions of dollars in federal Medicaid funding under the historic health care bill approved by Congress.

Arizona last week became the first state ...

Health overhaul promises pain, gain for businesses

2010-03-22T15:15:31Z

Health bill will squeeze industry profits but holds promise for long-term gains

When historians write the book on how President Barack Obama's health care overhaul became law, they'll need to leave space for some unlikely advocates: lobbyists for the drug, insurance and hospital industries.

Last summer, executives from those groups visited the Wh...

Sen. Landrieu defends Medicaid deal for La.

2010-06-12T16:37:08Z

Defiant Sen. Landrieu defends special Medicaid deal for La. in health care bill

Called a prostitute by conservative talk show hosts, a Louisiana Democrat on Thursday defended a deal she cut for her Hurricane Katrina-ravaged state in the Senate health care bill.

Sen. Mary Landrieu insisted ...

If health care dies, Obama's modest budget Plan B

2010-04-16T07:14:21Z

Obama's modest health care budget reveals what'll happen if overhaul dies in Congress

President Barack Obama's modest health care budget may be a harbinger of what's ahead if his overhaul plan dies in Congress.

The budget released Monday contains lots of respectable ideas to squeeze savings, expand coverage and improve quality, but no ambitious change that launches the nation on a path to health care fo...

What Obama’s Budget Will Say About Health Spending

2010-10-24T15:31:10Z

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Obama to propose further Medicaid help for states

2010-06-25T18:42:42Z

Obama to propose $25B for Medicaid help for states in Monday's budget plan

The Obama administration will propose giving cash-strapped states about $25 billion worth of help with their Medicaid budgets when presenting its 2011 budget on Monday, a White House official with knowledge of the plan said Fri...

W.Va. lawmaker questions health care cost figures

2010-04-16T07:31:53Z

W.Va. lawmaker questions cost estimates of federal health care bills, seek new calculations

A top lawmaker has asked West Virginia to re-examine its estimate that federal health care legislation could cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars.

Delegate Don Perdue, chairman of the House Health and Human Resources committee, said Monday that the state agency that produced the estimates has agreed t...

Health spending growth at lowest recorded rate

2010-11-02T12:43:02Z

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Report shows U.S. healthcare spending growth slows

2010-06-25T19:06:04Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. healthcare spending rose at the lowest rate on record in 2008 due to the recession, but still reached $2.3 trillion and devoured 16.2 percent of the U.S. economy, government analysts said in a report on Tuesday.

The report, issued by the government's Centers for Medicare and Me...

Sections

2010-11-02T12:43:11Z

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Issue dates

2010-11-02T12:43:11Z

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Regions

2010-11-02T12:41:04Z

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Deal-making gets job done, Reid says

2010-06-25T19:08:36Z

WASHINGTON -— Just as he made no apology for securing a special deal for Nevada three months ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made none Monday for enticing reluctant Democratic senators to support health care legislation with high-end sweeteners.

The only difference is that this time, itÕs other states, not Ne...

Feds investigating high prescribing Fla. docs

2010-04-16T08:19:09Z

Grassley calls for federal probe after Fla. doc writes nearly 97K prescriptions in 18 months

The federal government has stopped reimbursing a Miami doctor who wrote nearly 97,000 prescriptions for mental health drugs to Medicaid patients over 18 months.

The case of the Florida physician and other cases of high-prescribing do...

Oklahoma's Medicaid provider to seek more funding

2010-04-16T08:42:35Z

Oklahoma's Medicaid provider to seek more state money for program as enrollment swells

More people are enrolled in Oklahoma's Medicaid program than ever before, but the health care services they receive will likely be cut as officials roll back costs due to a deepening statewide budget shortfall, the program's chief executive said.

During the past year, 825,000 Ok...

NC Medicaid dealing with cost-control delays

2010-04-16T08:45:22Z

NC Medicaid program's spending $160 million over budget because of higher enrollment, flu

North Carolina is breaking the Medicaid budget lawmakers approved this summer because more people need health insurance coverage after losing their jobs and are getting treated for swine flu, an agency official said Tuesday.

State spending for the government healt...

Major Medicaid and CHIP outreach effort launched by groups across U.S.

2010-11-02T12:43:01Z

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Uninsured Children May Be More Likely to Die in the Hospital

2010-10-24T09:51:27Z

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Waves of new fund cuts imperil US nursing homes

2010-06-25T20:25:35Z

The nation's nursing homes are perilously close to laying off workers, cutting services — possibly even closing — because of a perfect storm wallop from the recession and deep federal and state government spending cuts, industry experts say.

A Medicare rate adjustment that cuts an estimated $16 billion in nursing home funding over the next 10 years was enacted at week's end by the federal Governors worry federal health reform could strain budgets in states with many poor, jobless

States with high levels of poverty and unemployment have been struggling with growing Medicaid budgets during the recession, and some governors worry their financial burdens could get worse as Congress works on a comprehensive health care bill.

They're especially worried about possible expansion of Medicaid, the federal...

Small town pharmacy takes MTM to the people

2010-10-22T11:00:02Z

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John Chafee

2010-10-22T10:14:05Z

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'FTC identity theft rule takes effect Aug. 1'

2010-11-02T12:42:35Z

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Cooper Says Health Reform Can't Add to Deficit

2010-10-26T20:58:33Z

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The High Cost of a Mediocre Health Care Fix

2010-10-24T09:53:57Z

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Louisiana may cut Medicaid pay to physicians

2010-11-02T12:40:55Z

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Recession Scrambling Health Spending in U.S.

2010-10-23T21:04:32Z

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By region

2010-11-02T12:42:18Z

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Feb. 19, 2009

2010-10-23T20:53:40Z

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House approves children's health bill

2010-04-16T14:52:26Z

House approves children's health bill, hands Obama an early win

The House has overwhelmingly approved a bill to provide government-sponsored health coverage to 4 million more children.

The vote was 290-135. President Barack Obama, eager for a win on health care, plans to sign it into law later in the day on Wednesday.

The legislation is designed to provide government-sponsored coverage to an addit...

Healthcare reform requires a hard look at drug costs and savings

2010-10-25T07:06:28Z

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New dynamic in children's health debate

2010-06-26T01:00:27Z

Increased clout give Democrats the upper hand in children's health debate

Republicans appear to have overplayed their hand when blocking the expansion of a children's health care program last year.

They face the likelihood that Democrats in the coming weeks will pass a bill that they dislike even more.

With more Democrats in Congress and President Barack Obama in the

National Health Reform Begins

2010-11-03T08:32:05Z

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Children's health debate moves to Senate

2010-06-26T01:11:43Z

Senate committee votes for children's health bill after overwhelming win in House

A key Senate committee voted Thursday to expand a children's health insurance program to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children. The vote comes one day after the House passed a similar measure.

The legislation to increase spending on the State Children's Health Insurance ...

By section

2010-11-02T12:40:59Z

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CMS Reports Lowest Rate of Overall Growth in National Health Spending Since 1998

2010-10-23T18:37:34Z

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Insurer of last resort gains numbers in downturn

2010-04-16T13:44:43Z

States feel pinch of growing reliance on health insurance for the poor as unemployment rises

That day in July was one that Tammy Morse won't soon forget.

Five months earlier, her husband lost his job as a recruiter for the financial services industry. Now it was the summer and the family savings were gone. She saw no way to get health insurance coverage for her family other than to apply for U.S. health care system in terms of rising costs, uneven quality of service, and limited accessibility are well known. Medical costs are high, and they continue to rise rapidly. Since 1989, medical care costs, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), have risen at a 4.9% compound annualized rate, compared with the 2.9% pace for the overall CPI. While this differential has narrowed to about 1.5 percentage ...

News briefs

2010-11-02T12:42:08Z

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Insurance Matters When It Comes to Kids' Health Care

2010-10-23T15:59:23Z

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Delaying Major Changes

2010-11-03T08:32:23Z

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States' Scorecard Finds Big Differences in Kids' Health Care

2010-10-23T09:56:53Z

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Jobless Sock Government Spending on Health Care

2010-10-22T23:04:11Z

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CMS denials of state Medicaid expansions fuel confusion

2010-11-02T12:41:37Z

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2007 index

2010-11-02T12:41:35Z

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2008 index

2010-11-02T12:41:35Z

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Bush budget plan slashes billions from Medicare, Medicaid spending

2010-11-02T12:41:25Z

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Congress plugs $650 million SCHIP funding gap

2010-11-02T12:41:24Z

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After Bush veto, SCHIP strategy shifts to courting override votes

2010-11-02T12:41:20Z

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Getting aboard SCHIP

2010-11-02T12:41:05Z

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Failure to reach agreement could force states to trim SCHIP rolls

2010-09-10T04:11:31Z

Nearly two dozen states may have to trim the number of families covered under a children's health program in coming months if Democratic lawmakers and the Bush administration don't reach an agreement on how much money to set aside for the program.

Democrats made clear Tuesday that they'll keep pushing to expand the program, even if they can't override President Bush's veto of a $35 billion spending increase. But failure to...

Dispute could result in SCHIP cuts

2010-09-10T04:11:27Z

Failure to Reach Agreement Could Force States to Trim SCHIP Rolls

Democrats made clear Tuesday that they'll keep p...

Senators hope strong vote for children's insurance program will change Bush's opposition

2010-09-09T23:53:25Z

Democratic lawmakers persisted Thursday in their efforts to persuade President Bush to set aside his veto threat of a large spending increase for a children's health insurance program.

The Senate began debate on a proposal to increase spending on the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years....

Kids' Health Insurance

2010-10-15T09:50:49Z

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New guidelines for children's health

2010-09-09T15:42:54Z

Bush Administration Issues New Guidelines on Children's Health Program

Many children who attempt to enroll in a popular children's health insurance program will have to be uninsured for at least a year before they'll be allowed to participate, the Bush administration has informed state health officials.

The administration has repeatedly voiced concerns that some states were expanding their Children's Health Insurance Programs to the point that families were ...

Bush administration issues new guidelines on children's health program

2010-09-09T15:41:36Z

The administration has repeatedly voiced concerns that some states were expanding their Children's Health Insurance Programs to the point that families were dropping private coverage for public coverage. Its latest directive is designed to prevent such...

House Democrats offer child health plan

2010-09-09T10:37:40Z

House Democrats Unveil Proposal to Expand a Children's Health Insurance Program

House Democrats would rely less on tobacco taxes than the Senate would and more on cuts to Medicare insurers to pay for a proposed $50 billion expansion of a childr...

House Democrats unveil children's health proposal

2010-09-09T10:37:32Z

House Democrats would rely less on tobacco taxes than the Senate would and more on cuts to Medicare insurers to pay for a proposed $50 billion expansion of a children's health insurance program.

The proposal, introduced late Tuesday, also would eliminate a 10 percent cut in the reimbursement rate for doctors who treat Medicare patients. The cut is scheduled to t...

It's deeds vs. words on health program

2010-09-09T03:22:35Z

Deeds Conflict With Words on Children's Health Program

Even as the Bush administration laments the expansion of a children's health insurance to adults, it has granted fresh permission to cover them.

Fourteen states now cover adults through the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Wisconsin is one of th...

Bush administration touts latest estimate of uninsured children in proposing funding

2010-09-09T02:57:35Z

There are fewer low-income, uninsured children than previously believed, and that means tripling federal funding for a children's health insurance program is unnecessary, the Bush administration said Monday in touting a new study.

Democrats have made expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program a priority. The politically popular program is set to expire on Sept. 30. ...

MEDICAID CUTS

2010-12-13T12:32:10Z

Chart shows breakdown of percentage of Medicaid costs associated with each enrollment group; and the decade long trend between enrollment and Medicaid spending.

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Medicaid Cuts Fallout

2010-12-13T12:32:10Z

FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2010, file photo, 13-year-old Carlos Olivas paces in front of the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix to help raise money for his friend Francisco Felix who was denied a liver transplant because Sarrell Dental Center office in a depressed neighborhood in Bessemer, Ala. Sarrell Dental, a non-profit corporation that treats young people on Medicaid, is at odds with the Robert Hansen sells copies of the street paper "Real Change," outside a grocery store in Seattle's Seward Park neighborhood. Hansen and most other poor adults without young children don't qualify for Medicaid. The proposals in Congress would expand Medicaid coverage to people like Hansen. In the leading Senate proposa...

Hospice Cares For Terminally Ill During Final Days

2010-03-31T07:12:56Z

LAKEWOOD, CO - OCTOBER 07: Volunteers assist terminally ill patient Jackie Beattie, 83, back to her room after she released a dove on October 7, 2009 while at the Hospice of Saint John in Denver, Colorado. The dove releases are part of an animal t...