A prospective, population-based study found a person’s high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol function had a statistically significant association with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events.

A cardiology group in New Jersey has agreed to pay $3.6 million to settle charges that it billed Medicare for tests and procedures that federal authorities considered to be unnecessary medically.

For African-American adults, socioeconomic status plays a major role in predicting cardiovascular risk, according to a population-based study. Women in the lowest socioeconomic group were twice as likely as those in the highest group to have a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke.

The uninsured rate among adults 55 to 64 years old decreased from 12 percent to 8 percent last year, according to an AARP analysis. The reduction coincides with the expansion of Medicaid in 27 states to include adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

Clinical decision support (CDS) tools can reduce hospitals’ exposure to malpractice suits, but few hospitals seem to use the functions that would prevent the steepest losses, according to researchers who developed and tested a risk assessment system.

An analysis of two randomized, double-blind studies found that fasting triglyceride levels predicted outcomes and cardiovascular risk in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who were successfully treated with statins.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a nearly 700-page report on May 26 detailing proposed changes and national standards for Medicaid managed care.

Since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services decreased payments for some cardiology services in 2010, there has been a significant increase in the number of myocardial perfusion imaging, echocardiograms and electrocardiograms performed at hospitals, according to an analysis of medical claims.