Medicare

Rural Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia had worse outcomes than their urban counterparts, according to results of a retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.

Physicians living in regions with a high incidence of medical malpractice claims may be more susceptible to ordering advanced Medicare imaging as a defensive medicine strategy, according to published results.

The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons issued two formal letters to CMS regarding the proposed Medicare outpatient prospective payment system, ASC payment system and physician fee schedule for 2021, according to a press release.

Medicare spending on DMARDs frequently used for rheumatoid arthritis increased from $4.4 billion to more than $10 billion between 2012 and 2017, with biologic DMARDs accounting for 95% of total expenditures each year, according data.

The average Medicare reimbursement for orthopedic trauma procedures has decreased by 30% since 2000, according to recently published results.

Women who sustain any type of osteoporotic fracture have higher adjusted all-cause health care costs and indirect costs in the 5 years after fracture compared with matched nonfracture controls, according to a speaker.

Patients with Medicaid are younger, have more debilitating disease, and lower preoperative and postoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores after shoulder arthroplasty compared with those with private insurance and Medicare.

On July 24, President Donald Trump signed four executive orders intended to curb skyrocketing drug prices in the United States — notable among them was the plan to match prices for certain Medicare drugs to those offered in other countries.

A next-generation integrated continuous glucose monitoring system is now available for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, according to an industry press release.

A data-driven approach could improve the way future costs are predicted for people with type 2 diabetes and Medicare, according to a study published in BMC Endocrine Disorders.