CMS Adjusting 2009 LTAC Reimbursement
from ModernHealthcare.com
The CMS said it has proposed payment revisions that will affect long-term acute-care hospitals during this fiscal year, and it has also proposed reimbursement changes for fiscal 2010 because of what the agency called a “misapplication” in its methodology of the budget neutrality factor for fiscal 2009. More

Will Health Care be Cheaper Without the Hospital Tax?
from The Clarion-Ledger
Few public policy initiatives in Mississippi have generated more heated arguments than the so-called "hospital tax" or provider assessment as a means to fund Medicaid - the federal-state program that provides health care for the poor, the blind, the disabled and children. More

Disruption of Congress or Corruption of Congress?
from CommonDreams.org
Seven of the Baucus 13 were arraigned in Washington, D.C., Superior Court this morning. The Baucus 13 are doctors, nurses, lawyers and other single payer advocates who stood up before Senator Max Baucus and the Senate Finance Committee during hearings on May 5 and May 12 and demanded that a single payer advocate be allowed to testify. More

Health Care Pool Established in Western Wisconsin
from The Chicago Tribune
There's a new option for health care in western Wisconsin for those who work at small businesses that don't provide it. The Cooperative Health Choices of Western Wisconsin is the second health care pool in the state for small businesses, the self-employed and other organizations. The pool allows participants to purchase health insurance at competitive group rates. More

The Circle of Life Award: Call for Nominations Celebrating Innovation in Palliative and End-of-Life Care is presented annually to honor organizations striving to improve the care provided to patients with life-threatening conditions or near the end of life. In 2010, up to three organizations will win Circle of Life Awards
from The New York Times
Hospitals plan to begin a lobbying campaign this week to prevent Congress from including charity care requirements in legislation to overhaul the health care system. More

Pharmacists Can be Center of Medical Home
from Modern Medicine
Community pharmacists can and should be the core of disease management programs, according to a recent report by Deloitte Consulting. The study found that using pharmacists’ databases to improve compliance, diagnostic accuracy, and prescription appropriateness can save money for health plans. This concept enhances of the professional role of the pharmacist, placing him or her squarely within an integrated system of care. More