12-07-2012 12:31 NewsX@9 is a NewsX special show which debates the main news event of the day. Here we raise the issue of sorry state of healthcare services in India. Ward boys and sweepers acting as doctors are not restricted to Uttar Pradesh alone. In Bihar's Saharsa district, a generator operator has been treating patients at the District hospital. But that's not all. In Meerut, doctors are throwing all concerns of hygiene and public decency to the winds to conduct post-mortems in full public view. Raising questions as to whether it is our health care that is in the ICU. So we ask today-Who will rein in India's Truant doctors? We debate the question on the show and try to evolve consensus among our panelists over the issue. Watch this NewsX's debate special show NewsX@9. For more log onto -

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NewsX@9: Indian healthcare in shambles -- NewsX - Video

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - Earlier this month the Supreme Court voted to uphold the President's Health Care Law. Last week on 22News inFocus, we discussed what the federal law would mean for people living here in Massachusetts.

This week, we're digging deeper into the issue, and we'll have two state leaders here to discuss the law's long term impact on your health care.

You'll hear from both the Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services, and the Chief of Staff of the State Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

We'll also talk to a local doctor about how you can cut the cost and increase the quality of your health care. Don't miss 22News inFocus this Sunday at noon.

Guests:

Dr. Judyann Bigby, Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services Attorney Diane Lawton: State Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Doctor Philip Gaziano: CEO of Accountable Care Associates

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inFocus: The Health Care law part #2

Readmore: Local, News, Health Care, Health Care Fraud, Health Care Fraud Claims Settled in Court, Primary Medical in Surfside Beach, Carolina Forest Family Medicine, And Rivertown Primary Medical, Dr. James Vest

United States Attorney Bill Nettles announced Friday that the United States Attorney's Office settled claims of health care fraud with Dr. James Vest and his clinics.

Those clinics are Primary Medical in Surfside Beach, Carolina Forest Family Medicine, and Rivertown Primary Medical in Conway.

Prosecutors contended that Dr. Vest's practices submitted claims to Medicare and TRICARE for services that were provided by mid-level providers, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, as though the services were provided by Dr. Vest himself.

Both Medicare and TRICARE pay 85% of the physician fee schedules for services provided by mid-level providers.

The investigation began with the filing of a whistleblower lawsuit called a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act.

The suit was filed by one of the nurse practitioners who worked in Dr. Vest's practices.

The False Claims Act allows individuals to file lawsuits with allegations that fraud has been committed against the federal government on behalf of the government.

Whistleblowers, referred to as Relators under the False Claims Act, are entitled to share in any recovery received by the government. In this case, Ms. Carey will receive 20% of the funds of the settlement or $65,000 plus her attorney fees.

"Health care fraud remains a high priority in this office. When a claim is submitted that misrepresents the service provided or who provides the services, it is false and we will make the case a priority," Judge Nettles said.

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Health Care fraud claims settled in court

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Fully implementing the federal health care law and adding 2 million people to Medicaid would cost Texas $11 billion less than previously estimated, the state's health and human services commissioner said Thursday.

Tom Suehs said it would cost $15 billion to $16 billion over 10 years if Texas fully implemented the law. That's 42 percent less than his initial estimate of $26 billion to $27 billion to expand Medicaid to include poor single adults and more children.

A study by the federal, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the additional cost for Medicaid expansion is 2.8 percent more than what an individual state would normally spend on the program.

Suehs provided the updated estimate to the state Legislature after Republican Gov. Rick Perry on Monday told federal officials he will reject any attempt to expand Medicaid in Texas. The governor has the power to veto bills and the GOP-controlled Legislature is unlikely to challenge his decision.

"Medicaid spending already consumes more than 20 percent of our budget. It is an unsustainable, budget-busting program," Perry spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said Thursday.

Suehs cautioned that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act is complex with differing interpretations that could lead to more cost-estimate revisions.

"This will get refined as we see the complexities of what we need to do," the soon-to-retire health commissioner told legislators.

The Supreme Court upheld most of the federal health care law, but ruled that the federal government cannot coerce states into expanding Medicaid, which is a joint federal-state health insurance program for the poor and disabled. Under the new law, the federal government would pay for most of the additional costs of expanding the number of people with health insurance, with the state share capped at 10 percent.

About 24 percent of Texans lack health insurance, Suehs said, the largest percentage of any state. A recent Gallup poll placed the number at 27 percent.

Suehs said expanding Medicaid would reduce the number of uninsured from nearly 5.9 million to 2.9 million. "Without Medicaid expansion, the uninsured would be back to 3.9 (million)," he said.

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Health law would cost Texas less than forecast

HARTFORD Kevin Counihan, an architect of the online insurance exchange that was key to expanding health care coverage in Massachusetts, found himself playing a familiar role this week briefing state officials on how to create a new health insurance marketplace.

Were going to get it done, Counihan promised the nodding bureaucrats. He ticked off plans to tap federal grants, hire administrators, and make people aware of coverage choices.

But he wasnt outlining his strategy on Beacon Hill. Counihan was addressing the Governors Health Care Cabinet in Connecticut, which like many states is scrambling to build from scratch the insurance apparatus called for in President Obamas new health care law.

Nowhere is there more experienced talent for the job than in Massachusetts, which developed the nations first and only universal health coverage system six years ago. That means there is a gold rush on to hire people who helped implement the Massachusetts plan.

Counihan, who consulted on insurance exchanges for 40 states before accepting a post as chief executive of Connecticuts Health Insurance Exchange, is among more than a dozen former Massachusetts health officials cashing in on the need for their expertise. In one way or another, all were pioneers of the expanded coverage at the heart of the health care overhaul championed by former governor Mitt Romney.

Under the US health care law upheld by the Supreme Court, states are required to establish insurance exchanges places where people, especially those now without health insurance, can shop for and buy coverage. In Massachusetts, its called the Health Connector.

The fingerprints of the Massachusetts Connector are clearly visible in the work going on everywhere, said Jon Kingsdale, former executive director of the Connector Authority. Kingsdale has worked with 15 states in the past two years as managing partner in the Boston office of Florida-based Wakely Consulting Group. This week, he flew to Oregon to talk with representatives of 10 states about their exchanges.

The Connector, established under Massachusetts landmark 2006 law to develop a one-stop shopping website for subsidized and unsubsidized health insurance, has become a seedbed for similar efforts now taking shape across the nation, Kingsdale said. The program has helped reduce the ranks of the uninsured to about 2 percent in Massachusetts.

Other former Massachusetts health officials also find themselves in demand. Some were employed under Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee who opposes the federal law. Others worked for his Democratic successor, Deval Patrick. A few straddled both administrations.

While they are keenly aware of the tensions surrounding health exchanges in some states, the former Bay State officials take pains to avoid identifying themselves by political party. They say their primary role is to help get national health care up and running.

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Mass. health architects in demand

Splitting up a company to avoid health care reform's employer penalties won't work. Instead, to avoid bankruptcy, business owners like David Barr say they'll fire workers and cut hours.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- In the wake of the Supreme Court's health care decision, several companies with 50 or more full-time workers have embarked on a quest.

Their aim: Get below 50 and dodge the employer mandate.

The health reform law forces them to start providing insurance by 2014 or pay stiff penalties.

Kari DePhillips, who co-owns the Content Factory, a public relations firm in Pittsburgh, was hoping she could just break up the company to sidestep the rule. Maybe one firm would do marketing while the other builds websites.

The small company is on pace to exceed the 50-worker threshold in the next few years. DePhillips doesn't want to provide health care, and she definitely doesn't want to pay the penalty, which would be $2,000 per full-time worker minus the first 30.

"A $40,000 fine to my company would be catastrophic," she said.

The only problem with her break-up plan is that it won't work. The government would still consider both of her companies as one. That's because the employer mandate penalty relies on "controlled group" provisions, focusing on who controls the company -- not necessarily what they do.

It's meant to prevent skirting around the law, said Christopher Condeluci, a Washington D.C. attorney at the law firm Venable who helped draft the rule for the Senate Finance Committee.

"These rules are intended to snuff out this type of abuse," Condeluci said. "You cannot get around the employer mandate."

Originally posted here:

Inside health care's employer rules

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Health care responses paint clear picture for voters

In the wake of the Supreme Court's health care decision, several companies with 50 or more full-time workers have embarked on a quest.

Their aim: Get below 50 and dodge the employer mandate.

The health reform law forces them to start providing insurance by 2014 or pay stiff penalties.

Kari DePhillips, who co-owns the Content Factory, a public relations firm in Pittsburgh, was hoping she could just break up the company to sidestep the rule. Maybe one firm would do marketing while the other builds websites.

The small company is on pace to exceed the 50-worker threshold in the next few years. DePhillips doesn't want to provide health care, and she definitely doesn't want to pay the penalty, which would be $2,000 per full-time worker minus the first 30.

"A $40,000 fine to my company would be catastrophic," she said.

The only problem with her break-up plan is that it won't work. The government would still consider both of her companies as one. That's because the employer mandate penalty relies on "controlled group" provisions, focusing on who controls the company -- not necessarily what they do.

Related: What companies need to know about health reform

It's meant to prevent skirting around the law, said Christopher Condeluci, a Washington D.C. attorney at the law firm Venable who helped draft the rule for the Senate Finance Committee.

"These rules are intended to snuff out this type of abuse," Condeluci said. "You cannot get around the employer mandate."

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Trying to duck health care's employer rules? Don't bother.

11-07-2012 20:28 Republicans in the House on Wednesday voted to overturn the health care reform law recently upheld by the Supreme Court. For an overview of where the controversy stands in the states -- where governors have ramped up support and opposition to the law -- Gwen Ifill speaks with reporters from Nevada, Texas and Washington, DC

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In Symbolic Vote, House GOP Moves to Repeal Health Care Law - Video

There may be no other industry that is regulated as much as health care. According to Adrian Velasquez, president of Wauwatosa-based Fi-Med Management Inc., declining reimbursement rates and a tough economy have increased audits and investigations of hospital systems across the country.

"Compliance officers need help," Velasquez said. "Hospitals are under-resourced in time, money and personnel, and compliance in today's health care environment is an almost impossible task."

Reveal/md allows compliance officers to discover which physicians are at risk, what they are at risk for and how they can improve the process, said Jared Krawczyk, chief product architect and the person responsible for the development of Reveal/md.

Historically, health care facilities would randomly select 10 to 20 charts per position, per year to analyze, Krawczyk said.

"They would select charts at random and search for anomalies in coding and loss of revenue," he said. "It would take them about six months to do and they may or may not find the risks and they probably won't know exactly what to do to mitigate the risk even if they do."

Reveal/md can analyze every physician within a facility and discover who is at risk, based on 45 different indicators, Krawczyk said.

"And because Reveal/md can process the information so quickly, it allows for the use of other tools to track trends and improvements among physicians, and procedures on a month-to-month basis," he said.

In a health care facility, physicians are required to fill out paperwork based on the procedures and tests they run on each patient. Procedures are labeled using codes.

Whether intentionally, to account for loss of reimbursement, or unintentionally, due to a lack of education, incorrect or under-coding accounts for a large portion of audit risks.

According to Krawczyk, user experience was important to him in developing Reveal/md. Not only can Reveal/md indicate which doctors are at risk for audit, what they are at risk for and how to fix it, it can also identify physicians who might be under-coding, which could mean additional revenue, all without a medical or mathematical background.

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Web tool provides health care analytics

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/07/military-veterans-affairs-expand-rural-health-program-071212w/

By Ali Durkin - Medill News Service Posted : Thursday Jul 12, 2012 12:14:59 EDT

Veterans in rural communities may have more access to specialized health care under an expansion of a physician education program announced Wednesday by the Veterans Affairs Department.

The program aims to improve veterans care in four areas: hepatitis C, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and chronic pain management.

It is difficult to bring specialty care, and best practices in specialty care, into these rural areas, said Robert Petzel, VAs undersecretary for health. Studies show that compared to urban veterans, rural and highly rural veterans have lower health-related quality of life scores and a higher prevalence of physical illness.

VA hopes to change that with a systemwide adoption of a program called Specialty Care Access Network-Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes or SCAN-ECHO through which specialty health care providers educate primary care doctors and nurses so they can deliver the same level of care in their communities. The training will be delivered remotely, through weekly video teleconferencing clinics.

SCAN-ECHO is currently available at only 11 VA centers, some in urban areas, each of which was provided with $1.2 million per year to fund the initiative, said Dr. Rajiv Jain, chief of VAs patient care services office.

Jacqueline Suppan, a clinical nurse specialist in Canton, Ohio, who has participated in the SCAN-ECHO program, said the program taught her a great deal about chronic pain and has allowed her to better understand the needs of her patients.

The VA program is based on Project ECHO, a video teleconferencing training program for health care providers started in 2003 by Dr. Sanjeev Arora, a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital.

With millions of veterans living in rural communities, there is a strong need for this program in the VA health care system, Petzel said. As more active-duty service members return from Afghanistan, the number of veterans in need will continue to grow, he added.

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VA to expand health program for rural veterans

The House voted Wednesday to repeal President Barack Obama's signature health care law, but don't cancel your medical appointments just yet.

Republicans have tried some 30 times to repeal all or part of the law since it passed in 2010, providing sweeping changes to the American health care system.

Wednesday's attempt is as doomed in the Democrat-controlled Senate as its predecessors.

The 244-185 vote was widely considered an exercise in election year politics that allowed the GOP to force Democrats to choose between supporting the president's top domestic policy or siding with voters who, according to polls, dislike it.

"This is a law the American people did not want when it was passed, and it remains a law that the American people do not want now," said Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., in a floor speech Wednesday. He said the vote was a chance to "tell the American people, 'We are on your side. We care about your health care. We want quality care and affordable costs. We listened and we've acted.' "

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, called the repeal effort "blatantly political" and said the maneuver, if successful, would have allowed insurance companies to restore caps on lifetime benefits and would have kept health insurance out of reach for tens of millions of Americans.

"I hope that now, after 31 votes, House Republicans have gotten this out of their system and we can finally put it behind us, give the new law a chance to work and move on to the challenge of creating more jobs," he said.

The repeal vote came two weeks after the controversial law survived a constitutional challenge. The Supreme Court upheld it, energizing Republicans who pledged to fight for repeal and to work to oust the law's supporters from Congress.

"House Republicans are continuing their politically motivated attempts to repeal health care reform instead of responding to the priorities of the American public," said Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Philadelphia. "The Republicans are, again, asking Congress to strip Americans of the economic security that comes with access to continuous, affordable, meaningful health coverage."

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, said repeal would harm children with pre-existing medical conditions, young adults who are able to stay on the parents' insurance policies until age 26 and senior citizens for whom the law increases coverage for prescription drugs.

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House Votes to Repeal Health Law

11-07-2012 13:10 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steney Hoyer said Wednesday that a planned vote by congressional republicans to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law has "no chance of going anywhere." (July 11) Subscribe to the Associated Press: Download AP Mobile: Associated Press on Facebook: Associated Press on Twitter: Associated Press on Google+:

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Democrats: GOP Health Care Vote Will Go Nowhere - Video

11-07-2012 15:41 The Republican-led US House votes to repeal President Obama's health care law, but the effort is doomed to fail in the Democratic-controlled Senate. (July 11) Subscribe to the Associated Press: Download AP Mobile: Associated Press on Facebook: Associated Press on Twitter: Associated Press on Google+:

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House Votes to Repeal Obama's Health Care Law - Video

11-07-2012 19:38 House Republicans have voted for the 33rd time to repeal President Obama's health care law. A CBS News tally found the repeal effort has taken up at least 80 hours on the House floor. Nancy Cordes explains what they're after, and what's going unaddressed as a result.

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House GOP wasting Congress' time with health care vote - Video

Nancy Pelosi Speaker John Boehner Jerrold Nadler

"Today, in upholding the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court has shown that, even at a time when Washington seems to have reached a new level of dysfunction, there remains a respect for the rule of law, for precedent, and for the ability of Congress to legislate on matters that affect the American people," Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "By not caving in to the most craven political calls, it appears the Court has stood by more than 70 years of legal precedent to ensure that: some 32 million Americans will have access to health insurance; we stop the unnecessary deaths of 42,000 Americans annually who die simply because they lack health insurance; insurers can no longer deny a child health care because of pre-existing conditions; millions of young adults receive coverage on their parents' plans until age 26; insurers can no longer impose lifetime limits on coverage; millions of Americans receive free preventive care; and, seniors save billions of dollars on prescription drugs. "The Affordable Care Act will now assume its rightful place, along with Social Security and Medicare, as powerful testimony to what our nation can achieve to benefit the lives of all Americans. Today's decision will, I truly hope, put to rest the partisan attacks from the Right against the law and many of its provisions. Republicans have threatened to continue their attempts to repeal these provisions, but let us all hope that they will respect the Court's ruling and put the health and wellbeing of the American people ahead of insurance companies."

"Today's decision makes one thing clear: Congress must act to repeal this misguided law," said Sen. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. "Obamacare has not only limited choices and increased health care costs for American families, it has made it harder for American businesses to hire. Today's decision does nothing to diminish the fact that Obamacare's mandates, tax hikes, and Medicare cuts should be repealed and replaced with common sense reforms that lower costs and that the American people actually want. It is my hope that with new leadership in the White House and Senate, we can enact these step-by-step solutions and prevent further damage from this terrible law."

Republican Governors Association Chairman Bob McDonnell issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: "Today's ruling crystallizes all that's at stake in November's election. The only way to stop Barack Obama's budget-busting health care takeover is by electing a new president. Barack Obama's health care takeover encapsulates his Presidency: Obamacare increases taxes, grows the size of government and puts bureaucrats over patients while doing nothing to improve the economy. It's never been more important that we elect a President who understands the marketplace and will make job creation his top priority. By replacing Barack Obama with Mitt Romney, we will not only stop the federal government's healthcare takeover, but will also take a giant step towards a full economic recovery."

"Dr. Coburn will be reviewing the ruling and will respond with an updated plan to repeal and replace this unworkable law. The Court affirmed Congress' power to tax people if they don't eat their broccoli. Now it's up to the American people to decide whether they will tolerate this obscene abuse of individual liberty," said John Hart, a spokesman for Sen. Coburn.

"Today's Supreme Court decision sets the stakes for the November election. Now, the only way to save the country from ObamaCare's budget-busting government takeover of health care is to elect a new president," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Under President Obama's signature legislation, health care costs continue to skyrocket, and up to 20 million Americans could lose their employer-based coverage. A panel of unelected bureaucrats now has the unprecedented authority to come between elderly patients and their doctors. Meanwhile, the rules and regulations placed on job creators and small businesses make it nearly impossible to hire new workers at a time when Americans desperately need jobs. "We need market-based solutions that give patients more choice, not less. The answer to rising health care costs is not, and will never be, Big Government. "We must elect a president who understands the economy, respects free enterprise, and can provide the leadership we now so desperately need. On Election Day, we must elect Mitt Romney and put America on the path toward a brighter economic future and successful health care reform."

Today, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) released the following statement on the Supreme Court ruling on the President's health care law: "The Supreme Court's decision to uphold ObamaCare is a crushing blow to patients throughout the country. ObamaCare has failed to keep the President's basic promise of allowing those who like their health care to keep it, while increasing costs and reducing access to quality care for patients. In this tough economy, jobs and economic growth are on the minds of most Americans, but ObamaCare has increased uncertainty for small businessmen and women and forced them to put their hiring decisions on hold. "During the week of July 9th, the House will once again repeal ObamaCare, clearing the way for patient-centered reforms that lower costs and increase choice. We support an approach that offers simpler, more affordable and more accessible health care that allows people to keep the health care that they like. "The Court's decision brings into focus the choice the American people have about the direction of our country. The President and his party believe in massive government intrusions that increase costs and take decisions away from patients. In contrast, Republicans believe in patient-centered, affordable care where health care decisions are made by patients, their families and their doctors, not by the federal government."

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act: "Our highest court has weighed in, and its decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a victory for all Americans who have ever worried about being able to access or afford the care they need. Democrats are proud to have worked hard to pass this landmark legislation in 2010 and of our efforts to make sure it is implemented in a way that continues to yield new benefits for patients, employers, and care providers. "The Affordable Care Act made it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against patients on the basis of pre-existing conditions, allowed young people to remain on their parents' plans until age 26, and prohibited insurance companies from charging women higher premiums than men. The Medicare Part D 'donut hole' is closing, and seniors on Medicare now have access to free preventive services like mammograms and colonoscopies. Moreover, the Affordable Care Act provides deficit savings of more than $1 trillion over the next two decades. The Affordable Care Act further brought peace of mind to the 30 million uninsured Americans who will finally be able to access affordable coverage once the law is fully implemented. "Republicans have been trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act since the day it was enacted, and they have been eagerly awaiting today's ruling. But they must now accept that the Affordable Care Act will remain in place and that the time for litigation and partisan posturing on this issue ought to come to an end. Republicans now have a responsibility to work with Democrats to implement the Affordable Care Act, and I call on them to do so in order to make care affordable and accessible to Americans."

Following the Supreme Court's decision affirming the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, former Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine today released the following statement: "The Affordable Care Act is an important first step in curbing discriminatory insurance company practices and increasing access to health care, but more needs to be done to bring down costs. Our government, businesses, and citizens cannot continue to spend more than any other nation on health care while getting second-rate results. As Senator, I am committed to working with all stakeholders to find additional improvements to the Affordable Care Act that give all Americans affordable access to high quality services. "While there is more work to do, it is worth noting what has already been accomplished under the Affordable Care Act. Nearly 63,000 more young people in Virginia have health coverage, more than 800,000 Virginia seniors have received free preventive care, millions of small businesses are now eligible for tax credits, and twenty million American women have access to cancer screenings and contraception without co-pays. And we've put an end to the egregious abuses by insurance companies that denied coverage to children with preexisting conditions, charged women higher premiums for the same coverage, and dropped folks when they got sick. "My opponent regularly calls for a full repeal of this law, despite the positive results it's already delivering for Virginia. In the decade encompassing George Allen's six years as a U.S. Senator, the average insurance premium for families more than doubled and over 12 million more Americans were uninsured. Clearly, inaction was not a solution, and neither are continued calls for repeal. Instead we must work together to strengthen this existing program and improve cost controls."

"In passing health reform, we made history for our nation and progress for the American people. We completed the unfinished business of our society and strengthened the character of our country. We ensured health care would be a right for all, not a privilege for the few. Today, the Supreme Court affirmed our progress and protected that right, securing a future of health and economic security for the middle class and for every American."

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Jimmy Kimmel Mocks CNN Over Gallup Poll, Health Care Ruling Mistake (VIDEO)

There are many reasons health costs keep going up. Bigger ticket items in hospital care and doctor visits are among the reasons why.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Health care reform will help millions more Americans get insurance.

But experts say the Affordable Care Act itself won't stop the cost of health care from continuing to rise and consumers from paying bigger bills.

Insurance premiums -- the monthly fees consumers pay to get coverage -- continue to rise much faster than the 2% rate of overall inflation. In 2011, average premiums rose 8% for individual coverage and 9% for family coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

There are many reasons costs are going up; some apply to all patients, and others only to patients who get insurance through big insurance plans. But experts identify six main drivers.

Hospital care: Hospital care accounts for nearly one-third of the nation's annual health care expenditures.

According to the American Hospital Association, factors driving up hospital costs include the rising cost of goods and services used for patient care -- such as workers, equipment and information systems. Other factors are rising demand for care and compliance with regulatory requirements.

An increasingly significant issue for hospitals is the increase in patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid -- 60% of all admissions. Neither program fully reimburses the cost of hospital care, the hospital association said.

Hospitals are also seeing a jump in the cost of care for patients who can't pay, which averages about 6% of hospital expenses. Hospitals assume those costs as part of their legal duties to provide "charity care."

Doctor visits: According to the American Medical Association, the cost of physician care, both to insurance and patients, has risen 1.3% during the past year.

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6 reasons health care costs keep going up

Gov. Dave Heineman told Nebraska lawmakers Wednesday that he will not allow the state's Medicaid director to attend a health care planning session, calling it an "organizational meeting" with advocates who want to expand the program.

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Neb. Medicaid head pulled from health care meeting

ROSWELL, Ga., July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Kimberly-Clark Health Care announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the KIMGUARD ONE-STEP portfolio with one-year maintenance of package integrity (MPI) for KC300 to KC600 for Pre-vacuum Steam and Ethylene Oxide (EO). Users can now have confidence that their instruments wrapped with KIMGUARD ONE-STEP Sterilization Wrap will maintain sterility on the shelf for at least 365 days.

The KIMGUARD family of sterilization wrap is now the most validated sterilization wrap with the longest shelf-life on the U.S. market.These additional clearances will assist facilities in complying with TheJoint Commission's sterilization processing guidelines.

"We are the only manufacturer with sterilization wraps that has been validated and FDA cleared for at least 365 days post-sterilization processing shelf-life. In fact, KIMGUARD ONE-STEP shelf-life is currently 12 times longer than any other sterilization wrap's shelf-life that has been previously cleared and marketed.This is especially significant for surgical trays that aren't used on a regular basis," said Tom Gonzalez, VP Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs, Kimberly-Clark Health Care.

"The extensive testing conducted to obtain MPI one-year 510(k) clearance illustrates Kimberly-Clark's commitment to providing our customers with sterilization solutions that meet their needs while offeringthe optimum balance of properties including lint and flame resistance, and high bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE), to provide our customers with confidence in sterility," added Mr. Gonzalez.

With the most recent FDA clearance for Amsco V-PRO maX Low Temperature Sterilization System (Flexible Cycle), the KIMGUARD ONE-STEP Sterilization Wrap is now FDA cleared for use with all cycles in the three Amsco V-PRO Sterilization Systems.With this announcement, KIMGUARD Sterilization Wrap has the most 510(k) clearances than any other sterilization wrap including use with:

These are some of the commonly used sterilization modalities, making One-Step the most widely compatible sterilization wrap on the market.

Kimberly-Clark has also completed testing that supports use of KIMGUARD ONE-STEP Sterilization Wrap with additional low temperature sterilization systems. This data has been submitted to theFDA for acceptance.

Confidence with KIMGUARD ONE-STEPKIMGUARD ONE-STEP Sterilization Wrap consists of two layers of wrap thermally sealed along the sides to provide protection of double-wrapping in one step. This feature cuts the wrapping and unwrapping time in half compared to sequential wrapping, saving valuable time in Sterile Processing, as well as sterility assurance in the operating room (OR).The most recent addition to the KIMGUARD ONE-STEP Wrap portfolio,QUICK CHECK Sterilization Wrap, securely joins a blue wrap layer with a white layer so users can quickly and easily identify if sterility has been breached - ensuring patient safety.In addition, KIMGUARD Sterilization Wrap, manufactured in the US, features PowerGuard Technology to provide superior protection against contamination, making it one of the best microbial barriers available.

Commitment to Managing Wrap WasteLaunched earlier this year, Kimberly-Clark Health Care offers a wrap recycling program called Blue ReNew to bring interested hospitals a systematized approach to wrap recycling. The program is designed to help hospitals organize the process of recycling their wrap into five achievable stages and can be customized to meet the specific needs of each facility.The Kimberly-Clark Blue ReNew Team works with hospitals to identify key recycling partners, train OR teams and measure results to achieve a sustainable wrap recycling program.

Kimberly-Clark in the Healthcare EnvironmentAround the world, medical professionals turn to Kimberly-Clark Health Care for a wide portfolio of solutions that improve the health, hygiene and well -being of patients and hospital staff. As part of their healing mission, caregivers rely on Kimberly-Clark Health Care to deliver clinical solutions and educational resources that they can depend on to prevent, diagnose and manage a wide variety of healthcare-associated infections. As a global enterprise with more than $1 billion in annual sales, Kimberly-Clark Health care holds the No. 1 and No. 2 market share positions in several categories including; infection control solutions, surgical solutions, pain management and digestive health. Throughout the care continuum, patients and staff alike trust Kimberly-Clark medical supplies and devices, KLEENEX tissues, Kimberly-Clark Professional skin care products and SCOTT towels for day-to-day needs. For more information, please visit http://www.kchealthcare.com.

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Kimberly-Clark Health Care Receives FDA Clearance For KIMGUARD ONE-STEP Sterilization Wrap Portfolio With One-Year ...

10-07-2012 15:56 In an interview with CBS News Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor explains why he's called for another vote to repeal President Obama's health care law after over thirty previous attempts.

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Cantor explains next attempt to repeal health care - Video