Advice Columns from Dr. Carolyn Clancy

December 14 2012 20121214

Resources to Help You Stay Healthy in the New Year

Clinicians & Providers

• Cost-effectiveness of Medicare Drug Plans in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
• Medicare Expenditures, Physicians' Services
• Telemedicine, Update

Policymaker Resources

• Creation of New Race-Ethnicity Codes and Socioeconomic Status (SES) Indicators for Medicare Beneficiaries
• Section 1013: Priority Topics for Research

Fact Sheets

March 1 2002 20020301

Medicare Uses of AHRQ Research

Full Research Reports

September 1 2012 20120901

Creation of New Race-Ethnicity Codes and Socioeconomic Status (SES) Indicators for Medicare Beneficiaries

Other Research & Data

• Black Medicare patients less likely than whites to follow their doctor's instructions on taking medicines
• Cost-effectiveness of Medicare Drug Plans in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Press Releases

January 31 2011 20110131

Landmark Initiative to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections Cuts Deaths Among Medicare Patients in Michigan Intensive Care Units

News & Numbers

September 23 2010 20100923

Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations High Among Patients Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid

January 28 2010 20100128

Medicare Pays Almost Half of Rural Hospital Stays

Advice Columns from Dr. Carolyn Clancy

December 14 2012 20121214

Resources to Help You Stay Healthy in the New Year

Other News & Events

• AHRQ awards grants for the science of public reporting
• Admission rates from emergency departments vary widely
• Black Medicare patients less likely than whites to follow their doctor's instructions on taking medicines
• Cost-effectiveness of Medicare Drug Plans in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
• Data Points report on disease prevalence and Medicare reimbursement is available
• Differences in the costs of drugs prescribed lead to regional variation in Medicare Part D drug spending
• Early followup with a physician reduces readmissions for Medicare patients hospitalized for heart failure
• Enrollment in Medicare Advantage managed care plans reduces racial/ethnic disparities in primary care quality in some States
• Inhaler costs contribute to medication nonadherence for Medicare patients with chronic pulmonary disease
• Landmark Initiative to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections Cuts Deaths Among Medicare Patients in Michigan Intensive Care Units
• Landmark initiative to reduce healthcare-associated infections cuts deaths among Medicare patients in Michigan ICUs
• Many patients with diabetes who reach the Medicare Part D drug coverage gap don't talk about drug costs with their doctors
• Medicare Advantage enrollees are admitted to hospitals with higher mortality rates than Medicare fee-for-service enrollees
• Medicare Part D coverage gap reduces antidepressant use in the elderly
• Medicare Part D enrollees have higher cost-sharing amounts for brand name prescription drugs than those in employer plans
• Medicare Part D reduces out-of-pocket costs and modestly boosts prescription volume
• Medicare payment caps on home care add to the family caregiving burden, especially among lower-income families
• Medicare pays for nearly half of rural hospital stays
• Medicare reimbursement changes lessen regional disparities for home health services
• Medicare, Medicaid, and uninsured patients less likely to receive drug-eluting stents than the privately insured
• Medicare-insured patients with head or neck cancer differ little in mortality risk because of race or ethnicity
• Nursing homes more often voluntarily terminate from Medicare and Medicaid programs in States with strong quality regulations
• One-third of patients with hospital-acquired infections are readmitted
• Partial kidney removal offers survival advantage for elderly patients with small tumors
• Pay-for-performance did not spur more rapid quality improvement among low-performing hospitals
• Persons with mental disorders switching from Medicaid to Medicare drug coverage may have drug access problems
• Preventive dental care saves money on total dental care for Medicare beneficiaries
• Section 1013: Priority Topics for Research
• Type of insurance affects use and intensity of postacute care for stroke survivors
• When cancer drug went generic, its use declined
• Women on Medicare with poor chances of living 4 more years often forego screening mammograms