Is case-mix adjustment necessary for an expanded dialysis bundle?

Congress has required CMS to expand the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system (PPS) for dialysis services to include as many drugs and diagnostic procedures provided to end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients as possible. One important implementation question is whether dialysis facility case mix should be reflected in payment. We use fiscal year (FY) 2000 cost report and patient billing and clinical data to determine the relationship between costs and case mix, as represented by several patient demographic, diagnostic, and clinical characteristics.

Characteristics of primary care physicians and their practices associated with mammography rates for older women.

Background: Mammography screening rates are below national recommendations for older women. Understanding the relation between the characteristics of primary care physicians (PCPs) and mammography rates for older women can help to target screening improvement efforts.

Methods: Subjects were 2527 PCPs practicing in Michigan between 1997 and 1998.

Personalized targeted mailing increases mammography among long-term noncompliant medicare beneficiaries: a randomized trial.

Objectives: The study purpose was to increase mammography screening among older women by identifying female Medicare beneficiaries without a recent mammogram and assesses the cost-effectiveness of a personalized targeted mailing encouraging them to have a mammogram.

Methods: A randomized paired controlled trial included 1229 pairs of women matched on zip code, race, and urban or rural county. Postintervention mammography claims were measured from November 1997 through December 1998.

5-Year mammography rates and associated factors for older women.

Background: Major national interventions occurred in the early and mid-1990s to increase mammography screening rates among older women. The current study examined mammography utilization by older women during this period. Relation between mammography utilization and demographic measures and health care-related factors also were examined.