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UnitedHealthcare's care management solution will improve diabetes prescription drug adherence: Study

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that UnitedHealthcare's innovative care management solution in the Phoenix market will improve diabetes prescription drug adherence. According to the recent West Health Plan Analysis, the use of non-physician, credentialed providers is intended to create virtual medical homes that allow non-traditional providers, such as pharmacists, wellness coordinators and lifestyle coaches, to recommend and coordinate necessary prescription adjustments.

14 Dec 2010

Consumers, employers and insurers work to incorporate reform's new rules

Big employers and insurers continue to brace for health reform's changes and new rules. In other news, CalPERS gives the new health law positive early reviews while other reports focus on how reform could impact Medicare coverage.

13 Dec 2010

1099 repeal foiled again, Politico reports

News outlets report on a number of Capitol Hill developments, including the latest failed attempt to repeal the 1099 reporting provision of the health overhaul.

13 Dec 2010

Strategies for securing life insurance policy for pre-existing medical conditions

If you've ever been told that you can't buy life insurance due to a pre-existing medical condition or that your application was rated up due to one or more medical conditions, Life Quotes, Inc. offers these tips for securing a life insurance policy at a rate you can live with.

13 Dec 2010

Contrave, new weight loss pill gets FDA panel nod

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel yesterday recommended the approval of Orexigen Therapeutics’ weight loss drug Contrave. This is the first time a weight loss drug has received the nod. The vote went 13 to 7 for Contrave’s approval and 11 to 8, with an abstention that additional studies be conducted on heart risks. Although experts agree to risks they believe the benefits outweigh the risks. Although the FDA is not compelled to go with the panel’s recommendation, it more often than not does. The FDA will deliver its verdict by Jan. 31 2011.

7 Dec 2010

FDA extends PDUFA review target date for BENLYSTA BLA to treat systemic lupus erythematosus

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date for its priority review of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for BENLYSTA® (belimumab) as a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from December 9, 2010 to March 10, 2011.

4 Dec 2010

Obama praised for enhanced health care reform for Alzheimer's community

According to the Society of Actuaries, the leading cause of U.S. long-term care claims is Alzheimer's, the brain disease that renders over 5 million Americans unable to handle all the acts of daily living unaided. Who cares? Evidently President Obama does, having written a pro-active column in the Fall, 2010, issue of care ADvantage, published by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.

3 Dec 2010

Health costs: Employer-sponsored insurance premiums rise 41%

Premiums for employer-sponsored family health insurance increased an average of 41 percent across states from 2003 to 2009, more than three times faster than median incomes, and Maryland's rise was among the highest, at 50%, according to a report to be released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund.

3 Dec 2010

AstraZeneca announces FDA Advisory Committee meeting outcome for vandetanib NDA

AstraZeneca today announced the outcome of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the New Drug Application (NDA) for AstraZeneca's investigational drug, vandetanib, for the treatment of patients with unresectable (non-operable) locally advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

2 Dec 2010

First Edition: December 2, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include news about how the debt panel's plan would boost costs for seniors on Medicare; how parts of the GOP are making clear their positions regarding health reform "repeal and replace" strategy; and how limited health plans faced critics at a Senate hearing.

2 Dec 2010

Key factors in evaluating Medicare Part D plans

More than 1,100 Medicare prescription drug (Part D) plans are available for 2011. Most consumers have about 33 plans to choose from in their area during annual enrollment, which is Nov. 15 to Dec. 31. However, Part D plans with the lowest premiums may not be the best match for Medicare beneficiaries' individualized needs, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.

1 Dec 2010

The complexity involved in efforts to dismantle the health law

The last time lawmakers repealed a major piece of health care legislation was more than 20 years ago, when vehement opposition to a 1988 measure providing new Medicare prescription drug coverage in exchange for higher income taxes led to repeal 16 months later, CQ HealthBeat reports. Polls are more evenly divided on the newest health care overhaul, and due to the law's unprecedented complexity, "efforts to unwind the measure are as fragmented as the health care system itself."

1 Dec 2010

Medicare advantage enrollees will see more changes to plans

Medicare Advantage enrollees should make a habit of evaluating their options each year. Though experts say that beneficiaries won't be seeing a lot of changes this time and what changes there are will mostly be for the better it is a good idea for people to go through this annual drill before enrollment ends Dec. 31, just to make sure their plan choice remains a good one.

30 Nov 2010

Pfizer, Protalix announce marketing authorization submission in Europe for taliglucerase alfa

Pfizer Inc. and Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. today announced the submission of a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency for taliglucerase alfa, a plant-cell expressed form of glucocerebrosidase (GCD)for the treatment of Gaucher disease. Taliglucerase alfa was granted Orphan Designation by the European Commission for the treatment of Gaucher disease on March 23, 2010.

29 Nov 2010

Pharma enhances its focus on Asia-Pacific partnerships

While the Japanese market still dominates deal activities in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, companies and research institutes in emerging APAC countries have recently been attracting high calibre collaborators, according to the latest analysis by Datamonitor.

28 Nov 2010

Neptune, Acasti completes preclinical program comparing CaPre with Lovaza

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. subsidiary, Acasti Pharma Inc., reports the completion of its preclinical program designed to compare the lipid management effects of Acasti's drug candidate CaPre versus prescription drug Lovaza.

25 Nov 2010

Privacy complaint targets online health sites

The New York Times: Consumer groups have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging popular health websites are collecting too much information from users, saying that "site visitors who provide personal details about themselves might not be aware that QualityHealth [among other websites] collects information about people's medical conditions, preferred medicines and treatment plans and uses it to profile its users for prescription drug marketing" (Singer, 11/23).

25 Nov 2010

Headline-grabbing offers may not best meet needs of Medicare Part D plan enrollees

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Executive Vice President and CEO Kathleen Jaeger issued the following statement today in response to the Avalere Health study analyzing how the formulary and cost-sharing benefits changes made by various Medicare Part D prescription drug plans affect seniors:

24 Nov 2010

Government orders three Medicare advantage plans to stop marketing, enrolling new members

The U.S. government's Medicare program has ordered three health insurers Universal American Corp. (UAM), Health Net Inc. (HNT) and Arcadian Health to stop marketing to and enrolling new members in their Medicare Advantage health and prescription-drug plans, saying the companies violated regulations.

23 Nov 2010

UnitedHealthcare introduces Pharmacy Saver program to provide affordable prescription drugs

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, announced a new program that will enable enrollees in the company's market-leading Medicare plans to save money on hundreds of prescription medications in 2011.

23 Nov 2010