Renal Business Today

Medicare

‘Doughnut Hole’ Causes Seniors to Skip Diabetes Meds

LOS ANGELES—Medicare recipients with diabetes who have a gap in their Part D prescription drug benefits—known as the “doughnut hole”—have higher out-of-pocket drug costs and are less likely to stick to their medications than those who have ...More
January 7, 2010
Posted in News, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation
Nearly Half of Dialysis Clinics Do Not Specify Hemoglobin Range

WASHINGTON—Only 56 percent of Medicare-certified dialysis clinics have anemia drug administration protocols in place that explicitly state a target hemoglobin range for patients, according to a recent government review of dialysis facilities. ...More
November 10, 2009
Posted in News, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
Dialysis Bundle Likely to Reduce Reimbursements in parts of U.S.

SAN DIEGO—The proposed Medicare "bundled" payment system for dialysis is likely to reduce government reimbursements for dialysis units in certain regions of the United States and for some types of facilities, according to research being presented at the American Society of ...More
October 29, 2009
Posted in News, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation
AAAHC Holds Educational Accreditation Seminar

Register now for Achieving Accreditation, an educational seminar presented by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). The seminar will be held December 4-5, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Participants who successfully complete all ...More
October 28, 2009
Posted in News, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
CMS Proposes 21.5 Percent Cut in Medicare Physician Payments

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today proposed changes to policies and payment rates for services to be furnished during calendar year (CY 2010) by over 1 million physicians and non-physician practitioners who are paid under the Medicare ...More
July 1, 2009
Posted in News, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
Drug Makers to Reduce Medicare Drug Costs

Reuters is reporting that drug manufacturers agreed to a 50-percent prescription drug discount for elderly and disabled Americans in the Medicare health insurance program that face a gap in coverage after their drug costs reach a certain level, known as the "doughnut hole.” ...More
June 23, 2009
Posted in News, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
Fla. Governor Signs Kidney Transplant Bill

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist today signed the Alonzo Mourning Access to Care Act that will let patients under age 65 with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) obtain Medigap insurance if they already qualify for Medicare. ...More
June 10, 2009
Posted in News, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation
Obama Wants to Give MedPAC Power Over Payments

In a letter sent Tuesday to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and his counterpart on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), President Barack Obama has thrown his support behind a measure that would give the ...More
June 4, 2009
Posted in News, Business, Government & Regulation
Dialysis Clinics and Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws

Last year, Sutter Health, a family of nonprofit hospitals and physician organizations serving more than 100 communities throughout Northern California, entered into what is being hailed by disability rights advocates as a “landmark settlement” of a class-action lawsuit for ...More
June 2, 2009
Posted in Articles, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation
HHS Forms Medicare Fraud Prevention Team

WASHINGTON—Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the creation of a new interagency effort, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), to combat Medicare fraud. ...More
May 22, 2009
Posted in News, Government & Regulation