Medicaid

The net favorable impact of certain prior period Medicare related adjustments, which increased net revenue by $11.1 million and adjusted EBITDA by $7.0 million in the prior year quarter; Continued reimbursement pressures in Texas resulted in Medicaid rate reductions and an additional $6.1 million of changes in other related reimbursement estimates associated with the Company’ s Houston market in the second quarter that are not expected to recur; Costs and start-up related losses associated with certain long-term strategic investments in the Company’ s Houston market totaled $2.9 million; and Consistent with previous quarters, Arizona’ s budget control efforts throughout fiscal 2012 to restrict the eligibility of certain Medicaid enrollees contributed to a $3.1 million decline in adjusted EBITDA at Health Choice..

"Our clients depend on our data solutions for a variety of business objectives and challenges," commented Matt Reichert, CEO, Health Market Science, "these include near real-time decisions on whether to process a Medicare Part D claim or to enroll a physician to Medicaid based on his or her credentials.

AUSTIN, Texas, May 7, 2013/ PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- Noting the Chair of the Texas Health Care Association's Nurse Council recently warned the ongoing provision of quality nursing home care to Texas seniors could be compromised by the continuation of unacceptably low state Medicaid reimbursements, THCA President Tim Graves said the continued well-being of 60,000 frail, Medicaid dependent seniors is unquestionably at stake in the state budget end-game now underway.

DEERFIELD, Ill.---- More than one-third of Medicare Part D beneficiaries surveyed have daily concerns about their prescription drug costs and 1 in 5 say they’ ve had to make sacrifices, such as delaying filling a prescription or skipping doses, to help manage medication costs, according to a new Walgreens survey.

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013/ PRNewswire/-- A new wide-ranging report detailing long-term, post-acute and rehabilitative care quality trends in U.S. skilled nursing facilities shows continued improvement in key long and short stay quality indicators.

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 2, 2013/ PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- A new analysis from HealthPocket, Inc., shows that while states are under increasing pressure to expand their Medicaid rolls under the Affordable Care Act, only 43 percent of doctors report that they currently accept Medicaid patients.

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2013/ PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- As policymakers seek new ways to reduce costs in the expanding Medicaid program– which is jointly financed by state and federal taxpayers– a new report estimates that upgrading management of drug benefits in the program could save $74.4 billion without cutting either benefits or enrollees.

William Alexander will participate in a panel discussion May 8 at the Austin Convention Center in Texas. Next Generation Healthcare Payers Summit: Amerigroup Florida Chief Medical Officer Eina Fishman will participate in a keynote panel discussion May 8 at the Barton Creek Resort& Spa in Austin, Texas.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 2, 2013/ PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- On Monday, April 29, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a proposed rule which would update the fiscal year 2014 hospice reimbursement rates. J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offers the following comments on the proposed rule.

AUSTIN, Texas, May 1, 2013/ PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- With budget conferees locked in key negotiations over the final parameters and details of the state budget, the Texas Health Care Association encouraged lawmakers to ensure Texas nursing homes and the vulnerable patients under their care receive the priority required to help cope with local facilities' operational instability in the wake of 2011' s $58 million state Medicaid cut and last month's new $51 million federal Medicare cut.

Seven years after CDC guidelines called for routine HIV testing of everyone ages 13-64, the new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent group that operates under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services, paves the way for Medicare and other health plans to pay for such testing.

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2013/ PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare– a coalition of home health providers dedicated to developing innovative reforms to improve the program integrity, quality, and efficiency of home healthcare for our nation's seniors– today commended Senate Finance Committee leaders for supporting a collaborative effort with the nation's healthcare community to strengthen the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.