The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly referred to as health care reform, was on everyone’s mind in 2013, according to a special report by A.M. Best. Insurance companies continued to make preparations for changes that were about to become effective, January 1, 2014, many of which began in prior years. In planning… Keep reading →
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A.M. Best Special Report: Health Care Industry Evolves; New Markets and Prospects Emerge
By businesswireHistorically Low Health Job Growth Accompanies Fifth Year of Restrained Health Spending
By businesswireHealth care lost 400 jobs in January 2014, and revised data for December 2013 showed a scant gain of 2,400 jobs. This two-month increase of 2,000 jobs is the lowest since our data series began in 1989, and the 3-month moving average gain of 10,500 jobs has not been lower in more than a decade…. Keep reading →
Former Senators Daschle, Lott, Breaux Form Bipartisan Alliance to Improve Healthcare Delivery through Connected Care
By businesswireLed by former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle and Trent Lott, and former Senator John Breaux, the Alliance for Connected Care (www.connectwithcare.org) was launched today to promote policy reform around telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Long thought of as an issue affecting only rural areas, advances in technology and broadband deployment have fostered new… Keep reading →
The Association for Medical Ethics Joins the University of California, Irvine for Symposium on Transparency and Disclosure in Medicine
By businesswireIn the new era of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, the financial ties between medicine and industry will be unveiled as the law is implemented this year and transforms the medical community and patient care. Physicians, researchers, lawyers and medical industry professionals from across the nation will gather to discuss transparency, the state of medicine… Keep reading →
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) applauds U.S. Reps. Bill Johnson (R–Ohio) and Bruce Braley (D–Iowa) for introducing bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing teen abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines by prohibiting the sale of OTC cough medicines containing dextromethorphan (DXM) to anyone under the age of 18. The Preventing Abuse of Cough Treatments (PACT)… Keep reading →
Study: Consumers Active in Their Own Health Care but Face Financial Pressures and Are Unprepared for Health Care Costs in Retirement
By businesswireThe nation appears to be shifting away from the traditional model of health care, in which doctors have most of the decisionmaking authority. According to a newly released study, 9 out of 10 people want to have a say in important decisions regarding their health care. One-third would like to make a shared decision with… Keep reading →
Congressional Budget Office Warns Congress of $2 Billion Impact of Extending RAC Program Moratorium
By businesswireThe American Coalition for Healthcare Claims Integrity (ACHCI) today issued the following statement regarding the decision by House lawmakers to refrain from extending the moratorium on the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program, which the Congressional Budget Office estimated would cost over $2 billion. Based on the CBO’s feedback, lawmakers removed a proposal from the Sustainable… Keep reading →
Health care prices in October 2013 rose 0.9% above October 2012, the lowest reading in the fifty-plus years for which we have data. Prices for physician services rose by a mere 0.2% while prescription drug prices rose by 0.5%. Hospital prices rose by 1.2%, the lowest rate since November 1998, held down by very low… Keep reading →
More than 60 advanced biofuel companies and four leading trade organizations today wrote to leaders of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees, encouraging Congress to extend critical tax provisions set to expire at the end of this month. The Advanced Ethanol Council, Advanced Biofuel Association, Algae Biomass Organization and Biotechnology Industry Organization… Keep reading →
Study: Strong Nutrition Education Can Lead to Healthier Food Choices Among Low-Income Families
By businesswireWell-designed nutrition education programs can lead to healthier food choices among low-income families who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to a study conducted by Altarum Institute and RTI International. The study SNAP Education and Evaluation Study (Wave II) was funded by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of… Keep reading →