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Health care legislation not fair to Hispanic small businesses and families

A number of Hispanic organizations have united to address major problems with the health care legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and urge the Senate to come up with a bipartisan solution for real healthcare reform. They are especially concerned the health care legislation will create a greater tax burden and unfair government mandates on Hispanic small businesses and families. During this critical health care debate, these organizations want their voices to be heard and believe that the current approach will lead to loss of jobs and reduced wages for Hispanic workers.

12 Nov 2009

AARP urges U.S. Senate to pass H.R. 3962 and H.R. 3961

The U.S. House of Representatives' historic vote on health care reform was a decisive step to fix our broken health care system - but for millions of Americans struggling with soaring health care costs the Senate must take the next step, and pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961). Over 3 million Illinoisans stand to particularly benefit from key provisions in the bill.

12 Nov 2009

CHF commends the passage of health reform bill; disapproves move to eliminate CHIP

Children's Health Fund (CHF), a national organization that advocates for and provides clinical care to disadvantaged and medically underserved children, today issued a Report Card that graded the child health provisions in the Congressional Health Reform bill that was passed in the House of Representatives on November 7.

11 Nov 2009

Cost control issues take center stage in health care reform

Cost issues continue to receive attention as bipartisan support emerges on the Hill for a commission to control health care costs. Kaiser Health News reports:

11 Nov 2009

Premier healthcare alliance expert's efforts to enhance patient safety receives recognition from DoD

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) has recognized a Premier healthcare alliance expert for his efforts to enhance patient safety while reducing healthcare costs.

11 Nov 2009

$9M ARRA funds to reduce healthcare-associated infections in ambulatory surgical centers

To reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in stand-alone or same-day surgical centers, the HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $9 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to state survey agencies in 43 states. HAIs are infections some patients acquire when they are in a health care setting such as a hospital or outpatient clinic.

11 Nov 2009

Lack of health insurance leads to death of 2,266 U.S. military veterans in 2008

A research team at Harvard Medical School estimates 2,266 U.S. military veterans under the age of 65 died last year because they lacked health insurance and thus had reduced access to care. That figure is more than 14 times the number of deaths (155) suffered by U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than twice as many as have died (911 as of Oct. 31) since the war began in 2001.

11 Nov 2009

Poor access to interpreters can compromise doctor-patient communication in cancer care

In a new survey of physicians who treat breast cancer patients, only one-third said they had good access to trained medical interpreters or telephone language-interpretation systems when they needed it. Poor access to interpreters can compromise physician-patient communication that is critically important in cancer care.

11 Nov 2009

Researchers discuss imaging techniques for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

With about 35 million people around the world suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) by the year 2010 and an expectation that these numbers will double every twenty years with approximately 115 million cases by 2050, pressure on healthcare systems worldwide will be intense. In a special issue of the journal Behavioural Neurology, twelve contributions from an international group of researchers discuss imaging techniques that may contribute to early diagnosis and advancements in treatment for this devastating disease.

11 Nov 2009

Chronic kidney disease on the rise; preventive testing is critical for diabetic patients

New data confirms the rate of chronic kidney disease is inching upward, keeping pace with the rising rates of diabetes. In late September, the U.S. Renal Data System published its 2009 Annual Data report, which shows the incidence of chronic kidney disease in the U.S. Medicare population is now 9.8%, up from 8.7% reported in last year’s data analysis.

11 Nov 2009

Palin resurrects 'death panel' claims, controversy is decades-old

Sarah Palin has returned to the battle over health care reform with a familiar refrain, slamming what she and others dubbed 'death panels' over the summer. Following passage of the health care overhaul in the House on Saturday night, Palin took to her Facebook page to register her well-known opposition to the Democratic plan.

11 Nov 2009

Anemia-reducing medications linked to deep vein thrombosis in cancer patients

Medications frequently given to cancer patients to reduce their risk of anemia are associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to new research led by Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., co-director of the breast cancer program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The findings will be published online on Nov. 10, 2009 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (ahead of the Dec. 2, 2009 print edition).

11 Nov 2009

Ingenix to acquire CareMedic Services, a revenue cycle management company

Ingenix, a leading health information, technology and consulting company, today announced it will acquire CareMedic Services Inc., an industry leader in revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions for hospitals and health systems, in a cash transaction.

11 Nov 2009

Medicare Advantage plans are largely unpopular in rural states

Kansas Health Institute examines Medicare Advantage plans, which are less popular in rural areas, in a series of reports.

11 Nov 2009

Abortion restrictions in House health reform bill triggering outrage from the Left

ABC News reports that the abortion amendment to the House health reform bill has reignited a fiery debate on one of the most controversial issues in the country." Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, "said in a statement that the restrictions the amendment would place on a woman's right to choose 'sets a terrible precedent and marks a significant step backwards.'

10 Nov 2009

Recent 'death panel' uproar echoes age-old controversy

Kaiser Health News staff writer Christopher Weaver details events similar to this summer's "death panel" controversy, but that happened decades ago. "It was early summer. A senior federal health official wrote a memo suggesting that living wills -- documents that can convey patients' wishes about when to end life support -- could help curb health-care costs.

10 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 10, 2009

As the focus of health overhaul efforts move to the Senate, abortion issues have become hot topics.

10 Nov 2009

Non-invasive test to determine risk of sudden cardiac arrest in heart bypass surgery patients

Years after heart bypass surgery, Jim Miller was symptom free. Several measures of his heart’s functioning did not show that he was in danger of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). But Miller’s doctor decided to make sure and the quick, non-invasive test he performed may have saved Miller’s life.

10 Nov 2009

1,000 GeckoSystems' CareBots can be produced per month, says a first tier manufacturer

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. announced today that during their first annual "Mobile Robots in Motion" conference last week, a first tier contract manufacturer after viewing numerous demonstrations, examining and discussing GeckoSystems' first product, the CareBot™ is confident that within six months they could produce GeckoSystems' CareBot at the rate of one thousand (1,000) per month.

10 Nov 2009

Baxter International lauds new Medicare education benefit for chronic kidney disease patients

Baxter International Inc. commends the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on announcing implementation plans for a new Medicare benefit that will provide Stage 4 chronic kidney disease patients with coverage for up to six sessions explaining their treatment options, such as transplantation, home peritoneal dialysis (PD), home hemodialysis (HHD) or clinic-based hemodialysis (HD).

From Baxter International Inc. 10 Nov 2009

Medicare News and Research

Health care legislation not fair to Hispanic small businesses and families

AARP urges U.S. Senate to pass H.R. 3962 and H.R. 3961

CHF commends the passage of health reform bill; disapproves move to eliminate CHIP

Cost control issues take center stage in health care reform

Premier healthcare alliance expert's efforts to enhance patient safety receives recognition from DoD

$9M ARRA funds to reduce healthcare-associated infections in ambulatory surgical centers

Lack of health insurance leads to death of 2,266 U.S. military veterans in 2008

Poor access to interpreters can compromise doctor-patient communication in cancer care

Researchers discuss imaging techniques for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Chronic kidney disease on the rise; preventive testing is critical for diabetic patients

Palin resurrects 'death panel' claims, controversy is decades-old

Anemia-reducing medications linked to deep vein thrombosis in cancer patients

Ingenix to acquire CareMedic Services, a revenue cycle management company

Medicare Advantage plans are largely unpopular in rural states

Abortion restrictions in House health reform bill triggering outrage from the Left

Recent 'death panel' uproar echoes age-old controversy

First Edition: November 10, 2009

Non-invasive test to determine risk of sudden cardiac arrest in heart bypass surgery patients

1,000 GeckoSystems' CareBots can be produced per month, says a first tier manufacturer

Baxter International lauds new Medicare education benefit for chronic kidney disease patients

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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