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New tool could help predict patient's risk for financial toxicity

Cancer care has a new side effect. Along with the distress that comes with a cancer diagnosis and the discomforts of treatment, more patients now have to deal with "financial toxicity," the expense, anxiety and loss of confidence confronting those who face large, unpredictable costs, often compounded by decreased ability to work.

20 Jun 2014

New mobile app can measure respiratory rate in children 6 times faster than manual method

A new mobile app developed by researchers at the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children's Hospital and the University of British Columbia can measure respiratory rate in children roughly six times faster than the standard manual method.

20 Jun 2014

High Court decision imminent on health law's birth control mandate

Also pending is a decision regarding free speech arguments against a Massachusetts law that creates a buffer zone around abortion clinics to keep protesters from patients.

20 Jun 2014

Health law causing confusion for consumers, health professionals

News outlets take a look at health law implementation challenges, including the difficulties that consumers are having in getting their coverage after enrolling and that the doctors' offices face when they attempt to confirm patients' new health plans.

20 Jun 2014

Experts urge business to track worker health

A new group is urging businesses to improve the health of employees -- and says the move could save up to $30 billion a year in health care costs.

20 Jun 2014

Citizens urged to sign online petition for improved mental health services in Africa

This week Global Health Action has published "A Declaration on Mental Health in Africa: moving to implementation". The 25 original signatories, all leaders within global and mental health from Africa and other nations, call upon citizens and the mental health care community to add their names to an online petition to show support for the actions outlined.

19 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 19, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about how the 2015 insurance premium rates are shaping up across the country and details of consumers' experiences in trying to get their new coverage.

19 Jun 2014

Special issue discusses the value of academic technology transfer beyond money

The current special issue of Technology and Innovation is devoted to articles on both innovations in rural regions and general articles on technology and innovation, including an article from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) by McDevitt et al.

19 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Working for benefits; fears for a pill to prevent HIV; possible Medicaid strategy for Virginia

[Economist Robert] Moffitt noted in an email that "the work incentives in the government safety net have greatly increased over the last 20 years: less welfare payments if you don't work, and much greater government payments if you do."

19 Jun 2014

New article explores ethical issues and global health impact of counterterrorism

The surge in murders of polio vaccination workers in Pakistan has made headlines this year, but little attention has been devoted to the ethical issues surrounding the global health impact of current counterterrorism policy and practice. An essay in the Hastings Center Report reviews the range of harms to population health traceable to counterterrorism operations.

19 Jun 2014

State highlights: Illinois Medicaid digital shift delayed; N.C. hospitals fight cuts; heroin in New England

Alexian Brothers Health System is suspending its effort to launch a new Medicaid program, blaming the difficulty of connecting physicians using different electronic records systems. The Arlington Heights, Ill.-based health system was spearheading a so-called accountable care entity (ACE) to coordinate the care of about 46,000 patients on Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled. The ACEs are a form of managed care, one of Gov. Pat Quinn's initiatives to focus on preventative treatment to keep patients healthy and reduce health care costs (Schorsch, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

UT Arlington researchers use portable device to map brain activity responses during cognitive activities

UT Arlington researchers have successfully used a portable brain-mapping device to show limited prefrontal cortex activity among student veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when they were asked to recall information from simple memorization tasks.

19 Jun 2014

Expanding coverage to under-26-year-olds made them healthier, saved money

Researchers found that one of the keystone provisions of the health law had a significant impact. Expanding the number of young adults with health insurance appears to have improved their health and saved them money, ...

19 Jun 2014

Medicare faces cost tension with lawmakers, advocates

More than 130 lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to expand coverage for a lung-cancer test under Medicare that could cost the program billons, calling the screening important for vulnerable seniors. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the lawmakers called for a timely decision on coverage for low-dose CT scans for older patients at higher risk of developing lung cancer. ... A CMS spokesman said the agency's decision will be based on whether the test is "reasonable and necessary," without regard to its cost to Medicare (Yen, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

Feds join whistleblower suit against doctors' company

The Justice Department says in a lawsuit that IPC The Hospitalist Co., which assigns doctors to hospitals in 28 states, bilked Medicare and Medicaid by billing for more expensive care than was provided.

19 Jun 2014

NCCN Reimbursement Resource App now available for patients and caregivers

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network announces the availability of the NCCN Reimbursement Resource App, a free resource through which patients with cancer, providers, case managers, and payers can search for available reimbursement resources and patient assistance programs for multiple cancer types and supportive care indications.

19 Jun 2014

Insurers continue to eye state health exchanges

In a pair of stories, the Associated Press reports on how insurers in New Hampshire and Kentucky that did not participate in the health law's online insurance marketplaces during the first enrollment period are now indicating their interest for the next open season. In addition, news outlets in Oregon and Minnesota report on developments related to state exchanges.

19 Jun 2014

HHS report details premium subsidy use and cost

Nearly 9 of 10 people who bought coverage on the health law marketplaces got government assistance to pay for the premium, and the average out-of-pocket premium cost was $69.

19 Jun 2014

People with muscle diseases may benefit more from group doctor visits

A new study suggests that people with muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophies may benefit more from group doctor visits than individual appointments. The study is published in the June 18, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Jun 2014

Generic drug delays cost U.S. payers millions

Problems surrounding an Indian company's launch of generic versions of three blockbuster drugs have preserved millions in revenue for the brand-name makers, reports The Wall Street Journal.

19 Jun 2014