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Illinois AARP members support health care reform plan

A new poll of Illinois AARP members released today finds strong support across party and ideological lines for elements of health care reform included in the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which recently passed the House of Representatives.

17 Nov 2009

Meaningful legislation required to control biotech medicine cost, says PCMA

“Today’s New York Times’ article exposes the short-comings of the ‘pharma deal’ and how it gives with one hand while taking with the other. Rather than relying on ‘shell games’ to lower prescription drug costs, policymakers should return this debate to the need for more competition in the form of real biogenerics reform.

17 Nov 2009

Strong support from AARP members for Affordable Health Care for America Act

A new poll of AARP members released today finds strong support across party and ideological lines for elements of health care reform included in the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which recently passed the House of Representatives. The AARP-backed bill limits how much more insurance companies can charge based on age and will close the Medicare prescription drug doughnut hole.

16 Nov 2009

Bravo Health to open its first Advanced Care Center in Philadelphia

Bravo Health today announced that the first Bravo Health Advanced Care Center (the Center) will open in Philadelphia in January 2010. The Center, an innovative, state-of-the-art outpatient physician practice designed to meet the health care needs of Bravo Health members, will be located in a new building being constructed at 1010 W. Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia.

16 Nov 2009

Both sides puzzle over abortion amendment in House health bill

Newspapers continue to report on the Stupak amendment to the House health bill and how it will affect access to abortion.

16 Nov 2009

A.P. Pharma announces financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2009

A.P. Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, today reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

16 Nov 2009

Medicare open enrollment starts Sunday, premiums will rise 11 percent on average

U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News reports that seniors who participate in Medicare Part D's will likely notice significant changes during this year's open enrollment period, which begins Nov. 15. "Monthly premiums will rise 11 percent to $38.94, on average, according to an analysis published by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. That's up 50 percent from 2006, the first year that Medicare Part D drug benefits were offered."

16 Nov 2009

Priority Review of the NDA for intravenous acetaminophen extended by three months

Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for its Priority Review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for intravenous (IV) acetaminophen by three months.

15 Nov 2009

Easy and affordable genetic test from Pathway Genomics

Pathway Genomics™ (www.PATHWAY.com), a privately held, venture-backed company, today announced an exclusive agreement to partner with OptumHealthSM Allies and offer the organization’s 15 million members a 20% discount on Pathway’s Health and Ancestry genetic test.

13 Nov 2009

Medicare Part D program exceeds expectations, majority of seniors approve their plan and coverage

Almost four years after the Medicare Part D prescription drug program went into effect, an overwhelming majority (88 percent) of America's seniors approve of their individual plan and coverage. In a national survey released this morning by the nonpartisan Medicare Today Coalition, 95 percent of seniors who used their plan and received prescriptions over the past year also reported that their plan has worked well, while 85 percent continue to find their monthly premium to be affordable.

13 Nov 2009

IBC and WebMD launch new, enhanced website to address health care needs

Imagine having your health care information at your fingertips, in one convenient place. No more surfing the Internet to find reliable, personalized, information. Independence Blue Cross (IBC) announces the launch of an enhanced member website at www.ibxpress.com, which offers one convenient source for members' health care needs.

13 Nov 2009

Healthcare providers plan to make better use of healthcare information technology

A recent poll of healthcare providers indicates that as the country moves through healthcare reform and defining "meaningful use," providers plan to make better use of healthcare information technology when it comes to their everyday practices.

13 Nov 2009

54% of Americans are inconsistent in taking prescriptions, reveals survey

A new survey finds that 54 percent of Americans say they do not consistently take prescriptions as instructed even though 87 percent believe prescription medicines are important to their health – pointing to a growing public health problem.

12 Nov 2009

Some benefits from prescription drug DTCA, but significant risks remain

While the debate over prescription drug advertising persists, a new study released online in the American Journal of Public Health offers guidelines for improving drug ads in order to minimize potential harm and maximize benefits. The study reveals that while there are some benefits from prescription drug direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA), there are significant risks that are magnified by the prominence of DTCA.

12 Nov 2009

AARP urges U.S. Senate to pass H.R. 3962 and H.R. 3961

The U.S. House of Representatives' historic vote on health care reform was a decisive step to fix our broken health care system - but for millions of Americans struggling with soaring health care costs the Senate must take the next step, and pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961). Over 3 million Illinoisans stand to particularly benefit from key provisions in the bill.

12 Nov 2009

Athletes on performance-enhancing substances face increase risk of alcohol and drug related problems

College athletes who use performance-enhancing substances may be at heightened risk of misusing alcohol and using recreational drugs as well, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

11 Nov 2009

Lawsuit against California Department of Health Care Services

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has filed a federal lawsuit against David Maxwell-Jolly, Director of the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) seeking an injunction to prevent implementation of a new state law singling out nonprofit safety net providers—including AHF—forcing drastic Medi-Cal (Medicaid) reimbursements cuts for drugs purchased by AHF clinics and other safety net providers while favoring giant national for-profit pharmacy chains including Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens and others.

10 Nov 2009

Evaluation of DX-88 to resolve symptoms of acute HAE attacks to be presented

An analysis demonstrating the ability of DX-88 (ecallantide) to resolve symptoms of acute hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks in all anatomic locations and to sustain effect will be presented in an oral presentation this week at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 2009 Annual Meeting in Miami Beach.

9 Nov 2009

Betterthanmedicare.com helps plug the "donut hole", offers discounts on drugs

With his proposed health care reform plan, President Barack Obama has set his sights on cutting name-brand prescription drug costs by 50 percent for Medicare patients who fall into the "Part D" coverage gap, universally known as the "donut hole." Plan advocates rave about the potential cost-cutting and feel it's a promising start to health care reform.

7 Nov 2009

FDA extends review date of New Drug Application for GSK1838262/XP13512

GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort, Inc. (Nasdaq: XNPT) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the original Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for its review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for GSK1838262/XP13512 (gabapentin enacarbil) to February 9, 2010. The original PDUFA date for this NDA review was November 9, 2009.

7 Nov 2009