September 2010 - Posts

IOM to Study How to Maximize Patient Safety Through Use of HIT
September 30, 2010 9:49 AM by Frank Irving

ONC authorizes $989,000 contract for one-year study of best policies and practices. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) will conduct a one-year study aimed at ensuring that health information technology (HIT) will achieve its full potential for improving Read More...

0 comments »     

Final Awardees Named in System to Help Practices and Hospitals Move to EHRs
September 29, 2010 8:32 AM by Frank Irving

National HIT coordinator says Regional Extension Centers now in place in every region of the country. On Sept. 28, David Blumenthal, MD, national coordinator for health information technology, announced selection of the final Regional Extension Centers Read More...

0 comments »     

New Resources Support National HIV/AIDS Strategy
September 28, 2010 7:47 AM by Frank Irving

$30 million in funding includes $21.6 million in grants from Affordable Care Act's Prevention Fund for state and local health departments. On Sept. 24, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced that the Centers for Disease Control Read More...

0 comments »     

Public Workshop on ACOs to be Held Oct. 5
September 27, 2010 10:08 AM by Frank Irving

Listening session, hosted by FTC, CMS and OIG, is open to all. Guest commentary from Peter Rich, partner in the health advisory practice group of global law firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP Physicians, physician associations, hospitals, health systems Read More...

3 comments »     

Census Bureau Report Finds Historic Drop in U.S. Health Insurance Coverage
September 24, 2010 9:47 AM by Frank Irving

Number of people without coverage rose from 46.3 million in 2008 to 50.7 million in 2009. On Sept. 16, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report titled Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009 . The bureau compiled the Read More...

2 comments »     

Contracts Awarded for Producing Countermeasures to Biological Threats
September 23, 2010 9:12 AM by Frank Irving

Funding supports new technologies and approaches that can overcome current bottlenecks and restrictions. On Sept. 21, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced the Read More...

0 comments »     

CDC Data Show Gains in Public Health Preparedness
September 22, 2010 10:03 AM by Frank Irving

State and local departments operating at high level of readiness. State and local health departments have made significant progress toward improving public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities, according to a Centers for Disease Control Read More...

0 comments »     

Affordable Care Act Provisions Go Into Effect This Week and Next
September 21, 2010 10:29 AM by Frank Irving

Table outlines 180-day milestones. Sept. 23 is the 180-day anniversary of the passage of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The following table, provided by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions , presents an overview of 180-day milestones Read More...

0 comments »     

$130 Million in Grants Allocated to Health Professions Workforce
September 20, 2010 10:56 AM by Frank Irving

HHS awards will provide training opportunities and support equipment purchases. On Sept. 17, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced $130.8 million in grants to strengthen and expand the health professions workforce. The grants Read More...

0 comments »     

HHS Funds Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
September 17, 2010 10:39 AM by Frank Irving

More than $14 million allocated to support programs at Centers of Excellence. On Sept. 15, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced the award of more than $14 million to develop, implement and test strategies to increase the Read More...

0 comments »     

Trend Survey Forecasts Double-Digit Health Care Cost Increases
September 16, 2010 7:45 AM by Frank Irving

Risk-management consulting firm says health care reform will add 2 to 5 percent to costs over the next three years. Medical plan costs will increase at double-digit rates in the next 12 months, according to risk-management firm Aon Consulting, which released Read More...

0 comments »     

Four States Qualify for ARRA Matching Funds for EHR Incentives Program
September 15, 2010 11:00 AM by Frank Irving

Hawaii, Massachusetts, North Dakota and Ohio will receive 90 percent federal match for planning activities. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on Sept. 13 that the Medicaid program in four states -- Hawaii, Massachusetts, Read More...

0 comments »     

AARP Survey Finds Low-Income Adults Cutting Back on Medical Care
September 14, 2010 9:46 AM by Frank Irving

Nearly 40 percent of low-income adults cancelled or postponed health or dental care in the first half of 2010. A report released Sept. 13 by social welfare organization AARP reveals some of the struggles lower-income older adults are facing during the Read More...

0 comments »     

HHS Awards New Round of Funding to Support Rural Hospitals’ Switch to EHRs
September 13, 2010 10:34 AM by Frank Irving

Nearly $20 million will go to 1,655 critical access and rural facilities. On Sept. 10, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced nearly $20 million in new technical support assistance to help critical access Read More...

0 comments »     

Payments for Medical Care Exceed 50 Percent of Workers’ Comp Benefits
September 10, 2010 9:29 AM by Frank Irving

Growth in medical spending may reflect higher prices for care and greater use of services. Workers' compensation payments for medical care and cash benefits for U.S. workers injured on the job increased 4.4 percent to $57.6 billion in 2008, according Read More...

1 comments »     

HHS Sets Up National Web Site to Register Emergency Volunteers
September 9, 2010 9:30 AM by Frank Irving

The ESAR-VHP network verifies the identity, licenses and credentials of health professionals. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) wants to make it easier for health professionals to volunteer their services in response to an emergency. Read More...

0 comments »     

Cincinnati, Detroit Selected as Final Beacon Program Health IT Pilot Communities
September 8, 2010 9:40 AM by Frank Irving

HealthBridge and SEMHA join 15 other projects that use IT to address community-specific health problems. Cincinnati and Detroit are the two final pilot communities selected under the new Beacon Community Program that uses health information technology Read More...

0 comments »     

IRS Guidance Explains 2011 Changes to FSAs
September 7, 2010 11:06 AM by Frank Irving

Effective Jan. 1, 2011, the cost of a drug cannot be reimbursed without a prescription. On Sept. 3, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance reflecting statutory changes regarding the use of certain tax-favored arrangements, such as flexible Read More...

0 comments »     

HHS Awards $17 Million for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
September 3, 2010 9:37 AM by Frank Irving

Three-year funds made available under ARRA will flow to organizations that serve diverse and vulnerable populations. On Sept. 1, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced three sets of grants and cooperative agreements totaling nearly Read More...

0 comments »     

ERRP Will Pay Health Benefits for Early Retirees
September 2, 2010 10:08 AM by Frank Irving

Nearly 2,000 employers and unions will receive reimbursements for employee claims this fall. On Aug. 31, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced the first round of applicants accepted into the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program Read More...

0 comments »