News release: “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) has proposed revisions to the Medicare Advantage program and prescription drug benefit program (Part D) that would implement new benefits under the Affordable Care Act and increase patient protections. The proposals would codify provisions providing important new benefits including the 50% discount on covered brand name drugs in the Part D coverage gap known as the donut hole as well as new tools to fight fraud and abuse in Medicare and improve patient protections.”
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Daily Archives: October 3, 2011
SIGTARP Audit – Exiting TARP: Repayments by the Largest Financial Institutions
Exiting TARP: Repayments by the Largest Financial Institutions, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, SIGTARP 11-005 September 29, 2011 “The lessons of the financial crisis and the events surrounding TARP repayments and exit demonstrate the importance of implementing strong capital requirements and holding institutions strictly accountable to those requirements. Some of the… Continue Reading
Interior Report Assesses Scientific Water-Monitoring and Modeling Systems and Calls for Modernization to Help Sustain Water Supplies
News release: “The Department of the Interior today released a report that assesses the status of scientific information available to help understand the impacts of climate change and other stressors on U.S. freshwater resources and calls for modernization of systems to help monitor and sustain water supplies. The report to Congress reviews the state of… Continue Reading
New Report: "Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums, Part 1: Site Reviews"
Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives and Museums Part 1: Site Reviews – Karen Smith-Yoshimura, Program Officer OCLC Research; Cyndi Shein, Assistant Archivist Getty Research Institute “This report provides an overview of social metadata to enable cultural heritage institutions to better utilize their users’ expertise and enrich their descriptive metadata to improve their users’ experiences. Metadata… Continue Reading
FTC publication, A Business Guide to the FTC's Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
News release: “As part of the Federal Trade Commissions systematic review of all of the agencys rules and guides, the FTC is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to the Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule. The Rule, issued in 1975, requires that marketers who solicit buyers to order merchandise through mail or telephone must… Continue Reading
A Revolutionary Technology is Unlocking Secrets of the Forest
Rhett Butler, A Revolutionary Technology is Unlocking Secrets of the Forest Conceived by Greg Asner, a scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science, the new system known as AToMS, or the Airborne Taxonomic Mapping System has the potential to transform how tropical forest research is conducted. By combining several breakthrough technologies, Asner and… Continue Reading
New GAO Report: Info Security Weaknesses Continue Amid New Federal Efforts to Implement Requirements
Information Security – Weaknesses Continue Amid New Federal Efforts to Implement Requirements, GAO-12-137, October 3, 2011 “Weaknesses in information security policies and practices at 24 major federal agencies continue to place the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information and information systems at risk. Consistent with this risk, reports of security incidents from federal agencies… Continue Reading
Interior Department Completes Reorganization of the Former MMS
News release: “On Oct. 1, 2011, the Department of the Interior (DOI) will formally establish two new, independent bureaus the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to carry out the offshore energy management and safety and environmental oversight missions currently under the jurisdiction of… Continue Reading
Average Annual Premiums for Family Health Benefits Top $15,000 in 2011, Up 9 Percent
News release: “After several years of relatively modest premium increases, annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage increased to $15,073 this year, up 9 percent from last year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust 2011 Employer Health Benefits Survey released [September 27, 2011]. On average, workers pay $4,129 and employers pay… Continue Reading
Audit Report – FHFA's Oversight of Fannie Mae's Default-Related Legal Services
FHFAs Oversight of Fannie Maes Default-Related Legal Services. Audit Report AUD-2011-004, Dated: September 30, 2011 “FHFA recognized the importance of its oversight of the Enterprises’ default-related legal services and gradually accumulated information on the attorney network programs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. However, FHFA did not schedule comprehensive examination coverage of foreclosure issues, including… Continue Reading
USPS IG – Retail and Delivery: Decoupling Could Improve Service and Lower Costs
Retail and Delivery: Decoupling Could Improve Service and Lower Costs September 22, 2011 “In this study, we draw upon the experiences and insights of key stakeholders in the postal community, private sector delivery companies in the United States, and foreign postal operators to gauge potential consequences and outcomes. In short, we found that while the… Continue Reading
