Category: CMS

California schools may give students insulin injections and other medications without having to call in licensed nurses, the state’s highest court ruled Monday. … The unanimous decision was a defeat for the powerful California Nurses Assn., which had argued that only licensed health care workers could administer medicine under a state law that bars the…

Speaking to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she is willing to work with states experimenting with new ways to insure poor Americans. Meanwhile, outlets in Virginia and Michigan report on the debate in those states about expanding the program. From: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130814/Sebelius-signals-openness-to-state-alternatives-to-Medicaid-expansion.aspx

A selection of health policy stories from the District of Columbia, New York, California, Florida, North Carolina and Colorado. From: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130813/State-highlights-Hundreds-lost-DC-Medicaid-without-cause-some-allege3b-NY-firms-accused-of-political-wrongdoing-in-Medicaid3b-unions-fight-NYC-health-care-plan.aspx

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reaching out to the public and asking them to provide input on the best possible ways to make provider-level Medicare data available, the agencies announced in a recent email. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)…

ObamaCare’s cost-cutting board -; memorably called a “death panel” by Sarah Palin -; is facing growing opposition from Democrats who say it will harm people on Medicare. Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean drew attention to the board designed to limit Medicare cost growth when he called for its repeal in an op-ed late…

I eagerly awaited the announcement from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week about how they would respond to their Request for Information on accelerating health information exchange and interoperability. But I was rather disappointed when they unveiled … not much of anything…

As the penalty for avoidable readmissions will continue to grow, one hospital has been proactive in connecting with outside care facilities to help lower its readmission rates—and the results have been impressive. Studies estimate that nearly two million Medicare beneficiaries are readmitted to hospitals within 30 days of discharge annually, costing Medicare $17.5 billion for…

Ken Cuccinelli II touted tax cuts and preschool vouchers while Terry McAuliffe embraced Medicaid expansion Monday night as the candidates for Virginia governor laid out different visions for improving mental health in Virginia. The rivals to succeed Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) appeared at a candidate forum for mental-health advocates and families affected by mental…

News coverage continues regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ hospital readmissions reduction program with details of a final rule released Friday and a local look at how hospitals are faring in Georgia and Missouri. From: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130807/Hospitals-to-face-more-severe-penalties-for-patients-readmissions.aspx

George Ten Eyck is prepped for surgery by Christine Varela, a registered nurse, at Victory Healthcare in Hurst. The facility is part of a physician-owned chain that is growing despite not taking Medicare or Medicaid patients. Physician-owned hospitals in North Texas are finding ways to expand despite being banned from accepting Medicare and Medicaid patients…