Medicare – Hearing this week to examine the activities of the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance

CALIFORNIA: The Accountability and Administrative Review Committee chaired by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre is holding a hearing this week to examine the activities of the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance.

Medicare – Prohibiting pre-existing condition and pregnancy exclusions in individual policies have been referred to two separate committees, increasing the likelihood that they will not move forward

ARIZONA: Bills prohibiting pre-existing condition and pregnancy exclusions in individual policies have been referred to two separate committees, increasing the likelihood that they will not move forward.

It’s Not the Hot Dog’s Fault – Medicare and Eating Healthly

They are front and center at summer barbecues. And who hasn’t ordered one at a baseball game? Stuffed in a bun, slathered in ketchup, mustard, or whatever topping your prefer, they scream American summertime. But a group of pediatricians wants to fundamentally change the hot dog because they say its shape poses a choking risk to children. Sadly, hot dogs are the cause of 17 percent of asphyxiations in kids under 10.

Is Medicare Affected with the New Credit Card Rules

Even though I rarely use credit in the check out line, credit card debt is part of my life. I can’t say that I completely understand my monthly statement (I just pay it) but hopefully the next one will make more sense.

NIH-Funded Scientists Are Exploring The Different Ways Music Can Influence Our Bodies And Minds

Several well-controlled studies have found that listening to music can alleviate pain or reduce the need for pain medications. Other research suggests that music can benefit heart disease patients by reducing their blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety. Music therapy has also been shown to lift the spirits of patients with depression. Making music yourself—either playing instruments or singing—can have therapeutic effects as well.

Medicare – NHLBI Funds Preclinical Tests on Devices for Infants and Children with Congenital Heart Defects

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded four contracts totaling $23.6 million to begin preclinical testing of devices to help children born with congenital heart defects or those who develop heart failure. The four-year program is called Pumps for Kids, Infants, and Neonates (PumpKIN).

Medicare – Occasional Forgetfulness

Chances are you’ve walked into a room and forgotten why you went there. And misplaced your keys or eyeglasses at least a few times. Many people worry about these memory lapses. They fear they’re heading toward a serious condition like Alzheimer’s disease, an irreversible brain illness.

Medicare – Lung Disease the Links to Health

People with a mild form of a common lung condition—even those without symptoms—are at increased risk for heart problems, according to a new study. This is the first report that mild, often-symptomless chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be linked to the heart’s pumping ability

Medicare – Health Benefits of Using Less Salt

Some countries have reduced their populations’ salt intake by using various strategies, such as regulating the salt content in processed foods, requiring labels on ready-to-eat foods and educating the public. Researchers led by Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California, San Francisco, set out to explore the potential impact of a modest reduction in dietary salt on the health of the U.S. population.

MEDICARE – CMS LAUNCHES FIFTH ANNUAL MEDICARE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SATISFACTION SURVEY

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the fifth annual health care provider satisfaction survey of the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) contractors that process and pay more than $370 billion in Medicare claims each year.

Medicare – WISCONSIN TO RECEIVE FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS FOR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD INCENTIVES PROGRAM

In another key step to further states’ role in developing a robust U.S. health information technology (HIT) infrastructure, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that Wisconsin’s Medicaid program will receive federal matching funds for state planning activities necessary to implement the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Wisconsin will receive approximately $1.37 million in federal matching funds.