Medicaid program
ALSO NOTED: NJ flunks Medicaid security audit; Study says infants aren't getting vaccines on time; and much more...
> New Jersey's Medicaid program has flunked a state security audit, which found that the program isn't doing enough to monitor who looks at sensitive data. Read more...
Louisiana MDs win legal battle over patient record disclosure
A group of Louisiana physicians have won their battle to keep their patients' records out of the hands of a pharmaceutical company--though they may face future challenges on the issue. The dispute... Read more...
ALSO NOTED: TN Medicaid to test e-prescribing program; NIH alerts patients of stolen personal information; and much more...
> Tennessee's Medicaid program and one of its Medicaid managed care providers have announced that they plan to kick off an e-prescribing pilot program in 13 of the state's rural counties. Read more...
ALSO NOTED: Sutter claims nurse strike won't affect operations; Wash. group pushes for patient care reporting; and much more...
> With thousands of its nurses poised to go on a 10-day strike, Sutter Health is telling the public that business will still go on as usual. Read more...
Hospital coalition sues to block Medicaid limits
A coalition representing most of the hospitals in the U.S. has filed suit to block the enactment of new CMS regulations that would set limits on Medicaid payments. Congress had put a hold on these... Read more...
CMS proposes more flexible Medicaid rules
CMS has proposed new rules that would give states more latitude in designing their Medicaid programs. The rules, which address provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and the Tax Relief and... Read more...
KY hospital hires former gov., gets $3.4M
Controversy has blown up over the $3.4 million in reimbursement for disputed Medicaid claims that an eastern Kentucky hospital received after hiring former Gov. Ernie Fletcher as a consultant. The... Read more...
Merck agrees to pay$650M+ to settle suits
Merck has agreed to pay more than $650 million to settle two whistleblower suits, the U.S. Justice Department has announced. One of the suits claimed that the pharma paid providers to use its... Read more...
TX may use Medicaid funds to subsidize insurance for poor
A new plan under discussion in Texas would redistribute DSH funding to fund a program subsidizing health insurance for the poor. The $246 million fund would subsidize health policies on a sliding... Read more...
CMS claims submissions getting cleaner
Driven by efforts in which it analyzes data and targets areas of potential waste, fraud and abuse, CMS has managed to cut the number of improper Medicare claims on the one billion per year it... Read more...
