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U.N. says nearly 14M Pakistanis affected by floods

On Monday the U.N. said that 13.8 million people have been affected by the floods in Pakistan as the death toll has now reached 1,600, Agence France-Presse reports.

9 Aug 2010

KHN column -- Senate dysfunction and health care cost control: In private sector we trust?

In his latest Kaiser Health New column, Austin Frakt writes: "There's good news and bad news. The good news is that if cost-saving provisions of the new health reform law work, Medicare solvency will be extended by 12 years, according to the program's trustees.

9 Aug 2010

Today's OpEds: U.S. vs. Nordic health care; Medicare solvency; Patients and health costs; Mystery of ACOs

Beginning, like the United States, with excellent intentions, [each of the Nordic countries'] health care system evolved similarly. Initially, all care was covered. But costs rose. The government covered fewer illnesses. Expensive treatments increased government spending. ... This is not an evolution that the U.S. can avoid (Mark B. Constantian, 8/8).

9 Aug 2010

Arcadia Resources first-quarter net revenues decrease to $25.8 million

Arcadia Resources, Inc., a leading provider of innovative consumer health care services under the Arcadia HealthCare(SM) brand, today announced fiscal 2011 first quarter net revenues of $25.8 million and a net loss of $4.0 million, or $0.02 per share, which compares to net revenue of $26.4 million and a net loss of $4.6 million, or $0.03 per share for the same period in the fiscal 2010.

9 Aug 2010

Vanguard to acquire assets of Arizona Heart Hospital

MedCath Corporation, and its physician partners jointly announced today they have entered into a definitive agreement for Vanguard Health Systems to acquire substantially all the assets of Arizona Heart Hospital. The transaction is expected to close during MedCath's first quarter of fiscal 2011, which ends on December 31, 2010, subject to certain closing conditions.

9 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 9, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include dispatches from the campaign trail, news of the President's weekly address and developments from the health care marketplace.

9 Aug 2010

WellCare Health Plans reaches agreement on material terms of settlement

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. announced today that it has reached an agreement on the material terms of a settlement which will resolve the claims asserted against the Company in the previously disclosed putative securities class action consolidated complaint filed against the Company.

9 Aug 2010

WellCare reports $128.9 million net loss for second-quarter 2010

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. today reported results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010. As determined under generally accepted accounting principles, the Company reported a second quarter 2010 net loss of $128.9 million, or $3.05 per diluted share, compared with net income of $37.0 million, or $0.88 per diluted share, for the prior year period.

9 Aug 2010

Obama: Health reform law boosts future of Medicare

The Washington Post: "President Obama on Saturday took credit for placing Medicare on a more certain fiscal path and pledged to American seniors that they would see more help soon paying for drug costs in a direct appeal to an important segment of the midterm electorate. Citing a report issued this week by the Medicare trustees, Obama said the health-care overhaul he pushed through Congress this year has added at least a dozen years to Medicare's solvency".

9 Aug 2010

Remote monitoring of chronic heart failure patients can reduce pressure on resources

Providing patients with chronic heart failure access to remote monitoring, for example by telephone or telemonitoring using wireless technology, reduces deaths and hospitalisations and may provide benefits on health care costs and quality of life. These are the conclusions of a new Cochrane Systematic Review by an international team of researchers.

9 Aug 2010

Allergy shots can cause systemic side effects: Study

Allergy shots can reduce symptoms of asthma, use of inhaled medications and allergy-related asthma attacks, confirms an updated review of studies. Yet, the treatment can also cause systemic side effects that range from a stuffy nose to fatal anaphylactic shock.About 30 percent of asthma patients experience improved breathing after receiving a series of injections that desensitize their immune systems to specific irritants, according to the review. The medical term for this treatment protocol is allergen immunotherapy.

9 Aug 2010

Mental health debate continues

According to Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry the federal government’s failure to aid mental health resources is a “national obscenity.” He said in an interview, “It's a national obscenity that we're neglecting this issue. We have the solutions in our hands, and we need to put them on deck tomorrow.”

8 Aug 2010

Health Net Federal Services to sponsor AMVETS Symposium

Health Net Federal Services, LLC, part of the Government Contracts segment of Health Net, Inc., is honored to sponsor the American Veterans 2010 Symposium for 21st Century Veterans in Louisville, Ky., August 9-11, 2010. The 2010 AMVETS Symposium will bring together more than 100 young Veterans to help develop a new comprehensive report on important issues such as reintegration, health care and benefits.

7 Aug 2010

Researchers examine differences in eating habits of African Americans

Researchers looking for differences in eating habits of African Americans based on whether or not they had Type 2 diabetes uncovered an unexpected result: No matter what the blood sugar level was, the dietary intakes were pretty much the same.

7 Aug 2010

Patient navigator program to educate Hmong women on cervical cancer

The Asian-American community of Hmong women in California carries a stunning burden of cervical cancer and resulting mortality four times as high as non-Hispanic white women in California do.

7 Aug 2010

Halozyme second-quarter revenue increases to $3.2 million

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix for the endocrinology, oncology, dermatology and drug delivery markets, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

7 Aug 2010

MDinsight clinical quality system to help hospitals, physicians achieve meaningful use requirements

MDdatacor, Inc., a leader in health care quality management solutions for insurers and health care providers, today announced that its MDinsight clinical quality system will help hospitals and physicians achieve many of the meaningful use requirements as outlined in the recently announced final rules of the HITECH Act.

7 Aug 2010

President Obama issues Proclamation recognizing National Health Center Week

President Barack Obama today issued a Presidential Proclamation recognizing August 8 - 14, 2010 as National Health Center Week. "During National Health Center Week, we recognize the important work of Community Health Centers for their role in providing quality, accessible, and affordable patient care as we strive to build a health care system equipped for the 21st century," said the President.

7 Aug 2010

Elekta receives Surescripts certification for MOSAIQ oncology information system

With health care providers' desire to increase accuracy, lower costs and increase efficiency, e-prescription use in the United States is exploding. Surescripts reports that by the end of 2009, approximately 18 percent of eligible prescriptions were prescribed electronically compared with just 6.6 percent at the end of 2008. And, the number of prescriptions routed electronically jumped from 68 million in 2008 to 191 million in 2009.

From Elekta 7 Aug 2010

KFH/HP report combined total operating revenue of $11.0 billion for second-quarter 2010

Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and their respective subsidiaries reported today a combined total operating revenue of $11.0 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, compared to $10.5 billion in the same period in 2009. Operating income was $313 million in the second quarter of 2010, compared to $411 million in the same quarter last year.

7 Aug 2010