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Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome on the rise in U.S.

The number of infants born in the United States with drug withdrawal symptoms, also known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), nearly doubled in a four-year period. By 2012, one infant was born every 25 minutes in the U.S. with the syndrome, accounting for $1.5 billion in annual health care charges, according to a new Vanderbilt study published in the Journal of Perinatology.

30 Apr 2015

Lung volume reduction surgery could improve lung function in emphysema patients

Emphysema is a chronic, progressive, obstructive lung disease in which the small sacs of the lung (alveoli) are destroyed, leading to air pockets and severe breathing difficulties. In 2011, 4.7 million Americans reported being diagnosed with emphysema, and in 2013 more than 8200 patients died from emphysema.

30 Apr 2015

81% of Kaiser Permanente hospitals receive 'A' grade for safety

Surgical errors are a fact of life – and death -- in operating rooms and hospitals around the country. According to a major university study, foreign objects are left inside a patient 39 times a week, and surgeries are performed on the wrong side or site of a patient another 20 times a week. While all U.S. hospitals are working diligently to eliminate these events – called "never events" or "serious reportable adverse events" – some, like Kaiser Permanente, have had much more success than others.

30 Apr 2015

ICD-10 Clinical Modification: an interview with Dr. Jon Elion, Founder, ChartWise Medical Systems

ICD-10 is the tenth revision to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases. ICD-10, like its predecessor, ICD-9, is based on a set of unique alphanumeric codes to identify known diseases and other health problems...

29 Apr 2015

Universal Health Services announces net income of $174.3 million for first quarter 2015

Universal Health Services, Inc. announced today that its reported net income attributable to UHS was $174.3 million, or $1.73 per diluted share, during the first quarter of 2015 as compared to $138.1 million, or $1.38 per diluted share, during the comparable quarter of 2014.

28 Apr 2015

MiMedx Group's revenue increases 108% to $40.8 million in first quarter 2015

MiMedx Group, Inc., the leading regenerative medicine company utilizing human amniotic tissue and patent-protected processes to develop and market advanced products and therapies for the Wound Care, Surgical, Orthopedic, Spine, Sports Medicine, Ophthalmic and Dental sectors of healthcare, announced today its record results for the first quarter of 2015.

28 Apr 2015

Hartford Foundation grant to support evaluation of long-term nursing home resident care model

Approximately 1.4 million older adults in America live in nursing homes. A new grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation will enable clinician-researchers from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute and their partners, to prepare for the expansion of OPTIMISTIC, their long-term nursing home resident care model.

25 Apr 2015

New study shows 'alarming rise' in costs of MS drugs over last 20 years

A new study shows an "alarming rise" over the last 20 years in the costs of drugs used to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis or reduce the frequency of attacks, according to a study led by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and Oregon State University.

25 Apr 2015

UTMB study highlights current use of oxygen therapy in patents with COPD

A new study about the use of oxygen to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found that the majority of patients receiving oxygen therapy were low-income, non-Hispanic white females about 75 years old with two or more other health conditions.

24 Apr 2015

Catasys to offer OnTrak Program to Health Alliance members in Illinois

Catasys, Inc. and Health Alliance Medical Plans today announced a multi-year agreement to offer Catasys' OnTrak Program to Health Alliance members in need in Illinois. OnTrak provides support and guidance to commercial, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage members struggling with both medical and behavioral conditions.

22 Apr 2015

BMC pathologists develop protocols for processing, preserving forensic evidence

Boston Medical Center pathologists have developed a set of protocols for processing and preserving forensic evidence, such as shrapnel, bullets and other projectiles, in surgical specimens (i.e. amputated limbs, injured organs, etc.) after a terrorist attack based on lessons learned from the Boston Marathon bombing.

22 Apr 2015

BCBSIL announces four new ACO agreements to improve patient care

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois announces four new, strategic agreements aimed at improving patient care while slowing health care cost trends. Accountable Care Organizations are a value-based care model that seeks to move the healthcare industry's payment structure from one based on fee-for-service, or volume, to one that reimburses based on the quality of patient outcomes and patient care. In an ACO, both the payer and provider share financial risk, and in return, shared savings, while improving the care that is delivered.

22 Apr 2015

New collaboration brings comprehensive genomic profiling to UC Davis

The UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine have entered into a collaboration with Foundation Medicine, a leading molecular information company. The collaboration brings comprehensive genomic profiling into standard of care at UC Davis, allowing physicians to prescribe the most effective, targeted cancer treatments to patients based on the genomic information specific to each individual's cancer.

21 Apr 2015

ASA QCDR adds new quality reporting measures

Physician anesthesiologists can now choose from 36 reporting measures when participating in the ASA QCDR, the American Society of Anesthesiologists Qualified Clinical Data Registry.

17 Apr 2015

Precision for Medicine announces acquisition of Precision Health Economics

Precision for Medicine, a specialized services company supporting next-generation approaches to drug development and commercialization, today announced the acquisition of Precision Health Economics.

16 Apr 2015

Dependent coverage provision of ACA does not address racial disparities in trauma care

The Affordable Care Act allowed millions of young adults to retain health care coverage through their parents' insurance plans, but new research finds that many young African-American and Hispanic adults who need coverage for trauma care may not get it.

13 Apr 2015

Study explores the impact of costly hepatitis C drugs on Rhode Island's prison system

A new study finds that effective new hepatitis C drugs are so expensive the state of Rhode Island would have to spend almost twice its entire prison health budget to treat all its chronically infected inmates.

10 Apr 2015

Dependent care provision of ACA does not address racial gap in trauma care

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed millions of young adults to retain health care coverage through their parents' insurance plans, but new research finds that many young African-American and Hispanic adults who need coverage for trauma care may not get it.

10 Apr 2015

National study comparing minimally invasive lumbar decompression (mild) with epidural steroid injections (ESIs) reaches full enrollment

Lumbar spinal stenosis is primarily a degenerative, age-related narrowing of the lower spinal canal resulting in compression of the nerve roots. MILD treats this compression by removing small portions of lamina and hypertrophic ligamentum flavum in a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure through an opening about the size of a baby aspirin...

9 Apr 2015

Short-term balance program can reduce risk of falling in older population

Falling is bad news for senior citizens—oftentimes resulting in life-changing injuries, such as hip fractures and head traumas, and an increased risk of early death. New research findings at University of the Sciences into how and why seniors fall may provide healthcare providers with insight on improved balance and strength-training strategies to prevent tumbles by the elderly.

8 Apr 2015