Managed Care Calendar
- ACC 59th Annual Scientific Session
- AMCP's 22nd Annual Meeting & Showcase
Poll
Feature
Healthcare Spending Hit by Slow Economy
CMS Report Depicts Government’s Increasing Role
Spending on healthcare in the United States totaled $2.5 trillion in 2009, a 5.7% increase, and accounted for 17.3% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). Although job losses contributed to a reduction in private insurance enrollment, insurers saw better growth in private health insurance premiums than during 2008. Growth in public-sector healthcare spending outpaced increases in private outlays, and the government’s share of the national healthcare bill is projected to exceed 50% by 2012, according to projections rele
Health Bills Curbed after Senate Shift
With Legislation Stalled, Reformers Regroup
Confronted with public opposition, a unified minority party, and an election loss that changed the balance of power in the US Senate, healthcare reform efforts have entered a new phase featuring talk of bipartisan cooperation and a healthcare summit at the White House. Democrats continue to hold majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, but after months of debate and several narrowly won votes, their voluminous healthcare bills may no longer be viable. The opposition is calling for reformers to toss out the current Hous
Flat Growth in Healthcare Spending, Drug Approvals
Increases in total national healthcare costs have slowed
along with the rest of the economy, but health spending continues to grow
faster than gross domestic product (GDP). New National Health Expenditure
Accounts (NHEA) data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) show that health spending in the United States grew by 4.4% in 2008, and
the portion of GDP devoted to healthcare continues to increase. Meanwhile, the
number of new pharmaceuticals approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) remained stable in 2009, and spending on pr
Mayo: Hold the Medicare
Pilot Project Excludes Medicare Payments for Primary Care
Capping off a year of hard-fought debate over reforming healthcare, and specifically health insurance, the Mayo Clinic made holiday-season headlines with the initiation of a 2-year pilot project involving a 5-physician family practice clinic in Glendale, Arizona, that has opted out of accepting Medicare payments for primary care starting January 1. Initially announced in October, the decision to temporarily stop accepting Medicare reimbursement for primary car
Retail Clinics Provide Equivalent Care for Less
Studies Confirm Availability and Quality
Explosive growth in the number of retail-based health clinics operating in the United States during the past decade has been accompanied by concerns over care quality and continuity. By providing preventive medicine such as vaccines as well as acute care for minor ailments and injuries, retail clinics are providing a more affordable alternative to the emergency department for those who are uninsured, cannot get to their doctor’s office, or who simply want the convenience of basic medical care without the need fo
Public Option Trigger Touted as Compromise
Legislators Try to Hammer out Details of Reform Plan
After receiving an earful from constituents on both sides of the healthcare debate during their summer break, legislators returned to Washington eager to hammer out the details of a reform bill before the end of the year. With public opinion turning against the reformers, President Barack Obama capped off the next stage of the process with a congressional address aimed at defining his goals and reversing the downward trajectory of views on his handling of the issue. Meanwhile, in an attempt to disarm
New Vaccine Shows Promise for Preventing HIV
First to Demonstrate Some Effectiveness in Humans
Since the emergence of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) >25 years ago, there have been significant advances in testing for and treating the disease, as well as massive educational campaigns to encourage prevention. Despite these efforts, along with improved treatment with combination antiretroviral drug regimens, the number of cases continues to grow. Researchers have been mostly unsuccessful in developing a vaccine to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, but t
Massive Healthcare Bill Passes House Hurdle
Insurers
Prepare for Major Market Reforms
After last-minute negotiations lasting until late on a
Saturday night, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed HR 3962, the
Affordable Health Care for America Act, by a vote of 220 to 215 on November 8.
Industry groups that have consistently supported the concept of healthcare reform
as well as their specific policy preferences responded with mi
