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CPhA supports Medi-Cal lawsuit against the California Department of Health Care Services

The California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) today announced its support for a lawsuit filed December 3, 2013 in San Francisco Superior Court against the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) over the Medi-Cal provider reimbursement cuts.

11 Dec 2013

HealthCare.gov 'vastly improved,' but back-end problems persist

A little over a week after the deadline that President Barack Obama gave for fixing the federal health care exchange, the system serving 36 states is far more user friendly, according to consumers and navigators.

11 Dec 2013

Simplicity, testing, keys to why some state-run exchanges work

Stateline explores why some insurance exchanges function well and others -- including the one operated by the federal government -- are struggling. Meanwhile, California Democrats say a lookalike GOP health insurance website is confusing consumers and Maryland faces a self-imposed mid-December deadline to repair its site.

11 Dec 2013

Democrats press N.C. to expand Medicaid; Ohio launches Medicaid signup site

The White House asks two top North Carolina Democrats to urge Gov. Pat McCrory and state lawmakers to reconsider a health law provision to cover more low income people. Meanwhile, Ohio reports that more than 1,100 residents signed up for Medicaid on the first day a signup site went live.

10 Dec 2013

AANMA partners with AAE and AAPA-AAI to build network focusing on allergy, asthma care

Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, a leading patient education organization, is partnering with the Association of Asthma Educators and the American Academy of Physician Assistants in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology as part of its endeavor to build the only multidisciplinary, patient-centered network of healthcare professionals focused on allergy and asthma care.

10 Dec 2013

Cenpatico, UAHN partner to deliver whole health integrated care model in Arizona

The State of Arizona has made a critical change to how it provides services to its most vulnerable populations. This approach favors a whole health integrated care model where one organization is responsible for providing both physical and behavioral health care services. To meet this best practice model, Cenpatico of Arizona and The University of Arizona Health Network have partnered to bring the behavioral and physical health systems together.

10 Dec 2013

Study links vitamin B12 deficiency to acid-suppressing medications

Long-term use of commonly prescribed heartburn and ulcer medications is linked to a higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, according to a new study published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

10 Dec 2013

Cost and quality: Consumers continue to face obstacles

A new report finds that states generally do a poor job in communicating physician quality ratings to consumers while a Gallup poll finds that cost issues continue to be a reason some people delay care.

10 Dec 2013

CUSP project aims to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in hospitals

UHC announced its selection as a coordinating entity for a 3-year, $7.3 million contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that has been awarded to the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in hospitals.

10 Dec 2013

First Edition: December 10, 2103

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how health law advocates are developing new messaging strategies.

10 Dec 2013

Virginia Health Information publishes 2013 Health Care Pricing Report

As the price of health care increases, employers struggle to control costs and maintain employee health care benefits. One strategy increases the amount employees pay in deductibles or co-pays. With more money coming out of their pockets, information on the costs of care can help consumers make more informed health care purchasing decisions.

10 Dec 2013

Sanofi US launches second PiPH innovation challenge to improve drug development process

Today, Sanofi US launched its second Partners in Patient Health Innovation Challenge: Collaborate | Innovate, which will award $100,000 to the winning team. This year's theme is "Co-Creating for Breakthroughs: Moving toward a collaborative research and development ecosystem."

10 Dec 2013

ACoS Commission on Cancer, PHCQA partner to make PA cancer quality data available to public

The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has joined with the Pennsylvania Health Care Quality Alliance to make cancer quality data from participating Pennsylvania hospitals available to the public. The initiative, which is the first of its kind in the U.S., will include data from 72 percent (52 programs) of all CoC-accredited cancer programs in Pennsylvania.

10 Dec 2013

Many Americans still tend to avoid addressing own end-of-life issues

During the past two decades, high-profile legal cases surrounding end-of-life decisions have received widespread attention in the United States, prompting increased media focus and numerous debates on the subject.

10 Dec 2013

State highlights: Union, Calif. Hospital Assn. at odds over organization, ballot issues; Ind. hospital cuts worry nurses; N.C. Medicaid overhaul changes

Duane Dauner, president of the California Hospital Assn., emailed the group's board in September with a warning: The leader of the state's largest health care workers' union had told him that if hospitals did not pave the way for the organizing of 20,000 workers, the union would launch ballot measures taking aim at hospital pricing and executive pay. But negotiations on organizing agreements between the two sides stalled. In November, the union, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, filed two initiatives for the 2014 ballot that would limit hospital prices and cap executive compensation at nonprofit hospitals (Mason, 12/6).

10 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: Optimism about Obamacare; 834 errors; can-you-keep-your-doctor debate

This was the week when liberals decided that it was safe to feel optimistic about Obamacare again. ... A worst-case scenario, in which the website remained unusable well into the new year, seems to have been averted, and with it the danger that insurers or Congressional Democrats would begin to bail on Obamacare entirely.

10 Dec 2013

Researchers develop new drug-eluting contact lens for prolonged delivery of glaucoma medication

For nearly half a century, contact lenses have been proposed as a means of ocular drug delivery that may someday replace eye drops, but achieving controlled drug release has been a significant challenge.

10 Dec 2013

New federal exchange glitch: Sending unqualified people to Medicaid; meanwhile, Penn. plans Medicaid expansion

USA Today reports that the National Association of State Medicaid Directors may release more information this week about how the federal exchange may be mislabelling people as Medicaid-qualified.

10 Dec 2013

Implementation issues: Optimism, winners, losers and what about those paper applications?

News outlets examine a range of health law issues, including a look at some of the consumers who approach the overhaul with a sense of relief and optimism. Meanwhile, while insurance agents are feeling left out, public relations firms see the law as a boon.

10 Dec 2013

State insurance exchanges wrestle with rollout issues

In Iowa, an insurer uses sarcasm to woo consumers to buy policies away from the federal website. In Minnesota, insurers list problems which may keep consumers who think they've enrolled in a plan from being covered on Jan.1. Developments in Oregon and Colorado are also scrutinized.

10 Dec 2013

Health Care News and Research

CPhA supports Medi-Cal lawsuit against the California Department of Health Care Services

HealthCare.gov 'vastly improved,' but back-end problems persist

Simplicity, testing, keys to why some state-run exchanges work

Democrats press N.C. to expand Medicaid; Ohio launches Medicaid signup site

AANMA partners with AAE and AAPA-AAI to build network focusing on allergy, asthma care

Cenpatico, UAHN partner to deliver whole health integrated care model in Arizona

Study links vitamin B12 deficiency to acid-suppressing medications

Cost and quality: Consumers continue to face obstacles

CUSP project aims to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in hospitals

First Edition: December 10, 2103

Virginia Health Information publishes 2013 Health Care Pricing Report

Sanofi US launches second PiPH innovation challenge to improve drug development process

ACoS Commission on Cancer, PHCQA partner to make PA cancer quality data available to public

Many Americans still tend to avoid addressing own end-of-life issues

State highlights: Union, Calif. Hospital Assn. at odds over organization, ballot issues; Ind. hospital cuts worry nurses; N.C. Medicaid overhaul changes

Viewpoints: Optimism about Obamacare; 834 errors; can-you-keep-your-doctor debate

Researchers develop new drug-eluting contact lens for prolonged delivery of glaucoma medication

New federal exchange glitch: Sending unqualified people to Medicaid; meanwhile, Penn. plans Medicaid expansion

Implementation issues: Optimism, winners, losers and what about those paper applications?

State insurance exchanges wrestle with rollout issues

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