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California requires insurers to provide abortion coverage

Spurred by faculty and staff outrage over the refusal by two Catholic universities to pay for elective abortions, Gov. Jerry Brown's administration on Friday announced that health insurance companies in the state can no longer deny coverage for these procedures. California's Department of Managed Health Care, which oversees HMOs, issued letters to seven insurance companies saying refusing to pay for any abortion, whether medically necessary or not, violates the state constitution and a 1975 state law (Seipel, 8/22).

26 Aug 2014

At home or in facilities, care for elderly changing rapidly

News outlets cover the reliability of nursing home ratings, the growth of home health care aides and the return of the house call.

26 Aug 2014

BD announces winners of 2014 "Innovations in Care" awards

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company – together with Direct Relief and the National Association of Community Health Centers – has announced the winners of the 2014 "Innovations in Care" awards to seven community health centers as part of the BD Helping Build Healthy CommunitiesSM initiative.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 26 Aug 2014

Obamacare plays supporting role in campaigns

While the Affordable Care Act is still 'red meat' for conservative voters, Republicans are trying to be more nuanced in how they talk about the issue this campaign season.

25 Aug 2014

Researchers develop new integrated approach to pinpoint genetic "drivers" of cancer

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have developed a new integrated approach to pinpoint the genetic "drivers" of cancer, uncovering eight genes that could be viable for targeted breast cancer therapy.

25 Aug 2014

Oregon sues Oracle over failed website

Oregon filed its long-anticipated lawsuit against Oracle America and the company's top executives, blaming them for the state's non-functioning health insurance exchange and saying they lied, breached contracts and engaged in "a pattern of racketeering activity."

25 Aug 2014

Cilag GmbH International acquires biopharmaceutical company, Covagen AG

Cilag GmbH International, an affiliate of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, announced today that it has acquired Covagen AG, a privately-held, biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of multispecific protein therapeutics through the FynomAb® technology platform.

25 Aug 2014

First Edition: August 25, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include reports on Medicare ratings of nursing homes, the growing demand for home-health aides and accounts of the Obama administration's new contraception coverage rules.

25 Aug 2014

LSU Health receives $700,000 grant to increase access to advanced nursing education

The LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing was awarded a $700,000 Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship grant to increase access to advanced nursing education and patient care for disadvantaged, underserved and under-represented groups, as well as veterans.

25 Aug 2014

Findings may help policy makers address barriers to access to care

A recent study has found that in states with higher Medicaid payments for office visits, Medicaid beneficiaries were more likely to be screened for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer.

25 Aug 2014

American Heart Association issues new policy recommendations on use of e-cigarettes

The American Heart Association issued new policy recommendations today on the use of e-cigarettes and their impact on tobacco-control efforts. The guidance was published in the association's journal, Circulation.

25 Aug 2014

Viewpoints: Employers and health benefits; Sen. Pryor's ACA endorsement; waging war on hep C

Most of the political class seems to have decided that ObamaCare is working well enough, the opposition is fading, and the subsidies and regulation are settling in as the latest wing of the entitlement state.

25 Aug 2014

State highlights: Only 1/3 chose Medicaid plan in Fla.; Calif. Prop 46 money

A selection of health policy stories from Florida, Oregon, California, New York, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey.

25 Aug 2014

Religious employers are offered fix on birth control coverage

News outlets report that the regulations, expected to be published later today, will allow religious nonprofits -- and perhaps later religious business owners -- to notify the government that they object to providing contraception coverage. Federal officials would then arrange for the workers' insurance.

25 Aug 2014

Health insurance reimbursement may determine cancer screening rates

A study published today indicates that people living in American states that offer higher Medicaid payments for office visits are more likely to have been screened for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers than those in states giving lower levels of Medicaid support.

25 Aug 2014

Patient deaths raise questions about lethal doses in hospice

The Washington Post examines the deaths of some hospice patients who were not close to death but who received large doses of powerful pain-killers.

23 Aug 2014

Parsing the mixed messages regarding health plan costs

The Huffington Post breaks down the good and bad news surrounding what people may pay next year for coverage in the wake of the health law. Meanwhile, Modern Healthcare takes a look at how the Obama administration decision to let people keep health coverage that didn't comply with the overhaul's standards is impacting premium rates.

23 Aug 2014

Seniors are less able to afford prescriptions, study finds

In its first few years, Medicare's Part D prescription drug program helped seniors pay for their medications, but that trend appears to be reversing, researchers found. Meanwhile, drugmakers fight over the rules for naming cheaper versions of biologic drugs.

23 Aug 2014

Group Health chooses Swedish as Seattle-based hospital provider

Group Health announced today that it has signed a Letter of Intent for Swedish Health Services to provide its Seattle-based hospital services starting in February 2016.

23 Aug 2014

Mylan launches Potassium Chloride Extended-release Tablets

Mylan Inc. today announced that it has launched Potassium Chloride Extended-release Tablets USP, 8 mEq (600 mg) and 10 mEq (750 mg), which is the generic version of Upsher-Smith's Klor-Con.

22 Aug 2014