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Fla., CMS discuss Medicaid managed care options; Calif. may shrink healthy families enrollment

A Florida proposal to shift nearly all of its 3 million Medicaid patients into managed care is emerging as a national test case for how lenient CMS will be as cash-strapped states look for savings in their most expensive health program. CMS and Florida officials met this week to address concerns about a five-county managed care pilot program that Florida is seeking to expand statewide.

23 Aug 2011

Viewpoints: NY Times deconstructs health rulings; Issa on law & deficit; veterans' care needs boost

At a time when the nation's credit has been downgraded for the first time and our country is struggling to finance and reform existing entitlement programs, Obamacare's creation of new entitlements increases dependency on government and pushes our country deeper into a fiscal crisis of Greek proportion. As Congress and the president seek bipartisan ground to address the national debt, we must remember that the first step out of a hole is to stop digging.

23 Aug 2011

Advocates worry over 'super committee's' consideration of Medicaid

Meanwhile, the health law's individual mandate could fall prey to deficit reduction efforts. And, in the background, congressional appropriators face especially unique challenges this year in trying to get their work done.

22 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 22, 2011

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Harris Meyer writes: "In the fourth year of a depressed real estate market, experts say thousands of seniors remain unable to move into senior housing because they can't sell their homes quickly enough or for the price they need. The upshot: Greater pressure on families to pay for parents' and grandparents' placements, or to care for them themselves"

22 Aug 2011

Hospital roundup: Catholic facilities losing nuns' leadership; Georgia infection rates; new VA system for Louisiana

In 1968, nuns or priests served as chief executives of 770 of the country's 796 Catholic hospitals, according to the Catholic Health Association. Today, they preside over 8 of 636 hospitals. ... The leadership shift has stirred angst in many Catholic hospitals about whether the values imparted by the nuns, concerning the treatment of both patients and employees, can withstand bottom-line forces without their day-to-day vigilance.

22 Aug 2011

VA launches Paralympic Program website to support recovery of disabled Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched its Paralympic Program website as part of VA's ongoing commitment to support the rehabilitation and recovery of disabled Veterans through participation in adaptive sports.

19 Aug 2011

NCRM at Case Western Reserve to host stem cell conference in Cleveland

The National Center for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM) at Case Western Reserve University is proud to present "MSC 2011: Innovations in Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies," a three-day forum to highlight transformative breakthroughs in the area of adult stem cell medicine with a focus on how this research is being applied in patient care settings through innovative clinical trials.

18 Aug 2011

Alcohol and impulsivity are a dangerous mix

Alcohol and impulsivity are a dangerous mix: People with current drinking problems and poor impulse control are more likely to die in the next 15 years, a new study suggests. However, they could get by with a little help from their friends: The study also found that a strong social support network buffers the toxic effects of impulsivity.

17 Aug 2011

Patient information-sharing network under development by VA, Defense

The Washington Post reports on how this emerging electronic health record system is impacting the marketplace. In other Health IT news, the Twin Cities' market appears to be full of "early adopters" of online care services, according to the Pioneer Press.

16 Aug 2011

Tanning beds may spur addictive neurological reward and reinforcement trigger

People who frequently use tanning beds may be spurred by an addictive neurological reward-and-reinforcement trigger, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a pilot study.

12 Aug 2011

Study: Expanded insurance coverage alone may not mean better access to care

A shortage in the number and availability of primary care physicians may continue to mean rising numbers of emergency department visits, despite the expanded health insurance coverage required by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

10 Aug 2011

Group Health study finds higher dementia risk with atrial fibrillation

The most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, is associated with a greater risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. This discovery by scientists at Group Health Research Institute and their collaborators was published online in advance of print on August 1 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

8 Aug 2011

Health Net second quarter total revenues decrease 19.2% to $2.8 billion

Health Net, Inc. today announced 2011 second quarter GAAP net income of $58.3 million, or $0.63 per diluted share, compared with $45.1 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2010.

4 Aug 2011

Special supplement features growth and diversity of VA women's health research

A new Supplement of the peer-reviewed journal, Women's Health Issues, a publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health at the GW School of Public Health and Health Services, shows the tremendous growth and diversity of VA women's health research in recent years.

4 Aug 2011

SWHR congressional briefing highlights health issues facing women veterans today

The physical and mental health problems affecting women veterans are a major issue within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense, and the catalyst for the Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) congressional briefing, Women Veteran's Health: Sexx Matters held on Tuesday, August 2.

4 Aug 2011

Risperidone does not appear to reduce military-related PTSD symptoms

Patients with military-related, chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and symptoms that were not improved with use of an antidepressant medication did not experience a reduction in PTSD symptoms with use of the antipsychotic medication risperidone, according to a study in the August 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights.

3 Aug 2011

Memantine drug could boost cognitive function in people with Down syndrome

A University of Colorado School of Medicine scientist is completing a major clinical trial on a drug that could boost cognitive function in those with Down syndrome, significantly improving their quality of life and representing a potential milestone in research on this genetic condition.

3 Aug 2011