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UMMS assistant professor recognized with Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

University of Massachusetts Medical School Assistant Professor Thomas G. Fazzio, PhD, was recognized as a rising scientific star by President Obama with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

9 Jan 2014

State highlights: Blue Shield Of Calif. rate hike called 'excessive'; Fla. Medicaid contract problems

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones criticized Blue Shield of California for an "unreasonable" rate hike affecting about 81,000 individual policyholders. ... But he and other state officials don't have the authority to reject changes in premiums. Jones said the latest rate hike amounted to an average increase of 32 percent over a two-year period (Terhune, 1/7).

9 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Health law debate on contraceptive coverage; Cuccinelli: No investigators for Medicaid fraud; 50 years after the famed report on smoking

The Little Sisters of the Poor, an organization of Roman Catholic nuns that runs nursing homes around the country, is testing the contraceptive coverage mandate of the Affordable Care Act. Last week, we're sorry to say, the nuns won a temporary reprieve from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Under the law, most employers are required to provide their employees with health insurance that covers birth control. But the Obama administration agreed to a compromise for nonprofit religious groups that object to contraception, exempting them from paying for such coverage. Instead, insurers agreed to absorb the cost. All the religious organization has to do is fill out a simple form attesting to its situation. Unfortunately, even that was too much for the Little Sisters of the Poor (1/7).

9 Jan 2014

Researchers investigate how workplace environment in primary care settings affects NPs' ability

More than a dozen states have passed legislation expanding the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) so they can help fill the shortage of primary care providers in the U.S. But a new study from Columbia University School of Nursing, published in the Journal of Professional Nursing, suggests that the organization and culture in health care settings often impedes the full utilization of NPs so that state laws expanding scope of practice may not be sufficient to relieve the nation's primary care crisis.

9 Jan 2014

Bio-inspired adhesive may help surgeons treat congenital heart defects, other heart problems

When a child is born with a heart defect such as a hole in the heart, the highly invasive therapies are challenging due to an inability to quickly and safely secure devices inside the heart.

9 Jan 2014

Cosmetic results after "lumpectomy" differ for African-American versus Caucasian women

As perceived by both patients and doctors, the cosmetic results after "lumpectomy" for breast cancer differ for African-American versus Caucasian women, suggests a pilot study in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-Global Open-, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

9 Jan 2014

Democrats reject GOP offer: Jobless benefits for health law suspension

Republicans are pushing proposals involving suspending parts of the health law in return for extending unemployment aid. Lawmakers also are making progress on a $1 trillion spending bill, again with health law negotiations at the center.

9 Jan 2014

Implantation of sleep apnea device can lead to improvements for patients with OSA

Implantation of a sleep apnea device called Inspire- Upper Airway Stimulation therapy can lead to significant improvements for patients with obstructive sleep apnea, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

9 Jan 2014

Feds develop 'workarounds' to make sure people who are eligible get covered by Medicaid expansion

Medicaid officials have developed methods to get around healthcare.gov's limitations in transmitting applications to state agencies, Modern Healthcare reports. But as election-year politics begin to heat up, some states continue to wrestle with the concept of expanding the low-income health insurance program.

9 Jan 2014

Merck announces FDA approval of ISENTRESS for oral suspension

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved ISENTRESS for oral suspension, a new pediatric formulation of Merck's integrase inhibitor. With this approval, ISENTRESS is now indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in patients four weeks of age and older.

9 Jan 2014

RNC launches 'Obamacare' attack ads

The advertisements, which will run in 12 states this week, target Democratic senators and representatives who supported the health law by attempting to link them to President Barack Obama's failed promise that people who like their coverage could keep it.

9 Jan 2014

Proteon's PRT-201 gets orphan drug designation for prevention of arteriovenous access dysfunction

Proteon Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing novel, first-in-class pharmaceuticals to address the critical medical needs of patients with kidney and vascular diseases, today announced that its lead product, PRT-201, has received orphan drug designation in the European Union for the prevention of arteriovenous access dysfunction in hemodialysis patients.

9 Jan 2014

The challenge of spreading positive Obamacare news

Politico reports on the uphill climb faced by the White House to publicize stories about satisfied customers as one White House official says the health law is making a comeback from a tough start.

9 Jan 2014

MicroRNA biomarker shows promise in predicting treatment response of ovarian cancer

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have identified a microRNA biomarker that shows promise in predicting treatment response in the most common form of ovarian cancer - a breakthrough that has the potential to improve outcomes for patients with the disease.

9 Jan 2014

Health industry insiders analyze, predict and prescribe

Kaiser Health News checks in with former HHS chief Michael Leavitt while CQ HealthBeat details insights from another insider, Robert Laszewski.

9 Jan 2014

A new health insurer raises funds after rapid growth

A new health insurer is betting that it can enter a crowded, but lucrative market. In the meantime, health care stocks helped markets surge Tuesday.

8 Jan 2014

Duke LifePoint Healthcare, Wilson Medical Center sign definitive agreement to form joint venture

The Wilson Medical Center Board of Directors has taken the next step in becoming part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare. The organizations have signed a definitive agreement to form a joint venture. The proposed joint venture, which will provide Wilson Medical Center with resources to enhance its services and invest in its growth, is moving forward following a positive vote by the Wilson County Board of Commissioners. The agreement is under review by the Attorney General of North Carolina.

8 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 8, 2014

Today's headlines include news from Capitol Hill about how current events offer a window into the dynamics of the 2014 campaign season.

8 Jan 2014

No added benefit from aflibercept, shows study

For the third time in one year, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) dealt with the drug aflibercept. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG), the Institute now examined whether aflibercept (trade name: Eylea) offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy in visual impairment due to macular oedema following occlusion of the central retinal vein.

8 Jan 2014

Healthfirst invests in Infogix Cost Sharing Reduction Solution

Infogix, Inc., a developer of software that helps businesses automate the monitoring and analysis of operational data, today announced that Healthfirst, a not-for-profit managed care organization offering health insurance to individuals and families living in the New York metropolitan area, has invested in the Infogix Cost Sharing Reduction Solution to accurately forecast important financial formulas under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act legislation while also ensuring the integrity of all data involved.

8 Jan 2014

Health Care News and Research

UMMS assistant professor recognized with Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

State highlights: Blue Shield Of Calif. rate hike called 'excessive'; Fla. Medicaid contract problems

Viewpoints: Health law debate on contraceptive coverage; Cuccinelli: No investigators for Medicaid fraud; 50 years after the famed report on smoking

Researchers investigate how workplace environment in primary care settings affects NPs' ability

Bio-inspired adhesive may help surgeons treat congenital heart defects, other heart problems

Cosmetic results after "lumpectomy" differ for African-American versus Caucasian women

Democrats reject GOP offer: Jobless benefits for health law suspension

Implantation of sleep apnea device can lead to improvements for patients with OSA

Feds develop 'workarounds' to make sure people who are eligible get covered by Medicaid expansion

Merck announces FDA approval of ISENTRESS for oral suspension

RNC launches 'Obamacare' attack ads

Proteon's PRT-201 gets orphan drug designation for prevention of arteriovenous access dysfunction

The challenge of spreading positive Obamacare news

MicroRNA biomarker shows promise in predicting treatment response of ovarian cancer

Health industry insiders analyze, predict and prescribe

A new health insurer raises funds after rapid growth

Duke LifePoint Healthcare, Wilson Medical Center sign definitive agreement to form joint venture

First Edition: January 8, 2014

No added benefit from aflibercept, shows study

Healthfirst invests in Infogix Cost Sharing Reduction Solution

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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