Bush Administration
Patterson rebukes Brailer on national health IT strategy
Wall Street has long thought Cerner will benefit from the Bush administration's plan for a national health IT infrastructure. But now some people are wondering if relations have worsened between the well-connected company and the White House. Over the weekend, Cerner CEO Neal Patterson made remarks critical of National Health IT coordinator David Brailer's performance. Speaking at a Cerner event, Patterson expressed doubts about the way in which Brailer has handled government HIT …
... Read more...Debate over Katrina Medicaid relief continues
Concern over rising federal spending has led to a political show down in Washington which may impact healthcare funding in the future. Last night Congress voted for $500 million in aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The development triggered a revolt led by Rep. Jim Nussle (R-Iowa), who said major budget cuts are needed to offset increased spending. Critics say those cuts would probably be aimed at Medicare, Medicaid and other entitlement programs. Meanwhile, the fate of legislation …
... Read more...Controversy over Medicaid HSAs in SC
A good old-fashioned political fight appears to be brewing in South Carolina, where a plan to move more than 80,000 Medicaid recipients to health savings accounts (HSAs) is drawing fire from Democrats and praise from Republicans. The state appears to be the latest flash point in the debate over the use of personal savings accounts by the government. Many conservative healthcare economists argue that the plans are a good way to shift power into the hands of consumers and encourage personal …
... Read more...Medicare Part D premium lower than expected
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) announced this morning that the premium for participants in the new prescription drug benefit for Medicare will be significantly lower than expected. Officials said those signing up for the plan can expect to pay about $32.20 per month, about 15 percent less than earlier estimates. That will "make the benefit more attractive to more people," said CMS administrator Mark McClellan.
The decision is likely to be seen by critics as a …
... Read more...IT: National EHR network could cost $200B
The nationwide electronic medical records system proposed by the Bush administration could end up costing taxpayers as much as $200 billion, according to a new study released Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. A panel of experts who looked at the issue concluded that a national network could cost up to $156 billion to set up and an additional $48 billion to operate annually. The team from the Harvard Interfaculty program for Health Systems Improvement concluded that the …
... Read more...Promotion effort for Medicare part D kicks into high gear
The Massachusetts attorney general warned on Friday that scammers are already targeting seniors confused about the details of Medicare Part D. On Friday, attorney general Tom Reilly warned that senior citizens should not give financial or medical information out over the phone, after reports of scams in his state.
Meanwhile, USA Today examines reactions to the plan around the country as the Bush administration continues its drive to spread awareness of the program. On …
... Read more...IT: Senate committee cuts health IT funding
Despite all of the recent interest in Washington in promoting information technology in healthcare, that enthusiasm is clearly not universal. The Senate Appropriations Committee created waves on Friday when it proposed cutting funding for the Office for the National Coordinator of Information Technology. The Bush administration has asked for $75 million for David Brailer's office. The committee said it is willing to part with $45 million. Dr. Brailer's budget woes are becoming a …
... Read more...Senate votes $1.5B in extra funds for VA
Facing a major budget shortfall, the Senate approved an extra $1.5 billion for the Veteran's Affairs administration yesterday. The added money will largely go to fund medical centers operated by the agency. Over the past two years, the VA has been hard hit by the increased costs of providing healthcare to veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After first suggesting that they didn't need the money, the Bush Administration asked for it in the face of strong pressure from …
... Read more...SPOTLIGHT: Administration to create Medicaid Panel
The Bush administration is creating a panel which will recommend changes to the Medicaid program to achieve the $10 billion in budget cuts authorized last month by Congress. The 18-member panel will include eight members of Congress as well authorities on Medicaid and health care industry representatives. The panel's initial recommendations will be issued September 1.
- see this story from the New York Times
Medicaid plan would create pool for drug purchases
One of the big stories in Washington over the next few days is likely to be the release of the plan drafted by state governors containing their recommendations for turning around the embattled Medicaid program. The New York Times obtained a draft copy of the report, highlights of which appear in today's paper. The governors endorse the idea of tax credits to help individuals and small businesses buy coverage. They are also in favor of requiring drug companies to offer discounts …
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