Health

2012 primary care incentive payments top 664 million

(HealthDay)—Payments from the Medicare Primary Care Incentive Payment Program (PCIP) were more than $664 million for calendar year 2012, according to a report published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Health

New rule for home health prospective payment system

(HealthDay)—A new rule proposing changes to the Medicare home health prospective payment system (HH PPS) is set to reduce costs for calendar year 2014, according to a report issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Germ-zapping 'robots': Hospitals combat superbugs (Update)

They sweep. They swab. They sterilize. And still the germs persist. In U.S. hospitals, an estimated 1 in 20 patients pick up infections they didn't have when they arrived, some caused by dangerous 'superbugs' that are hard ...

Neuroscience

Study finds US facing neurologist shortage

Americans with brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis (MS) who need to see a neurologist may face longer wait times or have more difficulty finding a neurologist, according to ...

Oncology & Cancer

Are pricey computer-aided mammograms worth it?

(HealthDay)—Adding computer-aided detection to mammograms finds more early, noninvasive cancers and helps detect invasive cancers at earlier stages, according to a large new study. But the jury's still out as to how worthwhile ...

Health

Multiple procedure payment reduction policy needs work

(HealthDay)—Current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) policy overestimated the work efficiencies in physician services when same-session, multiple imaging services ...

Health

Geographic value index may not produce efficient care

(HealthDay)—A geographically based value index to set Medicare reimbursements may not take into account differences in health care decision-making by individual practitioners or organizations, according to an interim report ...

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