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healthychat.com addresses myriad consumer health care questions

Health care reform will impact every American in some way. The question is how and when? The healthychat.com website was created to address the many questions consumers have about health insurance. Since its launch on May 1, thousands have viewed healthychat.com, creating a community forum addressing myriad health care questions.

12 Jul 2010

Natrol offers two new beauty nutraceuticals that provide anti-aging skin and hair support for women

Most dermatologists would agree that premature skin aging can result from sun over-exposure, poor antioxidant intake, and excess free-radical production. Additionally, regarding hair health, about 20 million U.S. women experience premature hair-loss and hair-thinning. Natrol, Inc., a premier marketer, manufacturer, and distributor of nationally branded nutritional products, now offers two new beauty nutraceuticals that help provide anti-aging skin and hair support for women -- one dietary supplement helps optimize skin radiance via antioxidant protection for the skin, and another helps maximize follicular growth for hair.

9 Jul 2010

Infoway adds diagnostic imaging, drug information systems to Certification Services

Canada Health Infoway has added diagnostic imaging and drug information systems to its pre-implementation Certification Services. Health information technology vendors can now receive certification for seven classes of technology.

6 Jul 2010

FDA's consumer health information on bottled water

Consumers have a big thirst for bottled water. The International Bottled Water Association says that more than 8 billion gallons of it were consumed worldwide in 2009 alone.

29 Jun 2010

Instant processing of insurance claims possible during doctor visit

The New York Times has a consumer health column on programs that would process a patient's insurance claim: "Here's how it could work: A claim is generated and submitted electronically before you finish tying your shoes. By the time you reach the checkout desk, your doctor has received a payment commitment from your insurance company, just as Visa and MasterCard provide to a merchant after a customer swipes a card. It's not fantasy.

28 Jun 2010

New public service advertisements to spread preventive medical testing awareness

Men are 24 percent less likely than women to have visited the doctor within the past year, according to new data released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In addition, men are about 30 percent more likely than women to be hospitalized for preventable conditions such as congestive heart failure and complications from diabetes, according to new AHRQ data.

16 Jun 2010

Sanofi-aventis signs definitive agreement to acquire assets of Canderm

Sanofi-aventis announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which an affiliate of sanofi-aventis Canada Inc. is to acquire the assets of Canderm Pharma Inc., a privately-held leading Canadian skin care company. This agreement is consistent with the sanofi-aventis Group's global strategy to expand its consumer health care growth platform and follows on the heels of the Group's acquisition of the North American CHC company Chattem Inc. in March 2010.

16 Jun 2010

Arcadia fourth-quarter net loss decreases to $19.4 million

Arcadia Resources, Inc., a leading provider of innovative consumer health care services under the Arcadia HealthCare brand, today announced fourth quarter revenues of $25.5 million and a net loss of $19.2 million, or $0.11 per share, which compares to revenue of $25.9 million and a net loss of $36.7 million, or $0.27 per share for the same period in the fiscal 2009.

11 Jun 2010

University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina licensed A.D.A.M. health tools for their hospital websites

A.D.A.M., Inc., a leading provider of health information and benefits technology solutions announced today that University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina has licensed the A.D.A.M. Multimedia Encyclopedia, Heart Center, and other A.D.A.M. health tools for eight of their hospital websites. The A.D.A.M. health information allows the system to provide more robust online health and wellness information to the counties served by the hospital system, and empowers people within those communities to lead healthier lives.

9 Jun 2010

New walk-in medical center opened in Duane Reade Pharmacy

If you have never been to a walk-in medical center at the local drugstore, you just might soon. Walk-in medical centers are already located in about 1,000 retail locations across the country, and experts say that number could easily double or more within five years.

1 Jun 2010

Canadian Diabetes Association supports TELUS Health Solutions' new online consumer ehealth service

Access to relevant health information is crucial when it comes to successful diabetes management. The Canadian Diabetes Association is pleased to support TELUS Health Solutions' launch of TELUS health space - an innovative new online consumer health service for Canadians and their healthcare providers

1 Jun 2010

FDA, Drugs.com collaborate to expand online distribution of Agency's consumer health information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it will collaborate with the Web site Drugs.com to expand access to the FDA's consumer health information.

27 May 2010

MediConnect Global renames PassportMD online portal to myMediConnect

MediConnect Global today announced that it has changed the name of its personal health record and consumer health portal, PassportMD, to myMediConnect.

24 May 2010

Consumers roundup: More patients choose high-deductible plans; Many neglect doctors medication directions

"The number of Americans enrolled in high-deductible health plans has risen to more than 10 million but still represents a small portion of the insurance market, according to a report from insurance group America's Health Insurance Plans. Enrollments in these high-deductible health plans, which typically are paired with tax-free health savings accounts or health-reimbursement arrangements, are up about 25 percent from last year, the report said" (5/20).

21 May 2010

Online health and wellness resource for libraries, educational institutions

A.D.A.M., Inc., a leading provider of consumer health information, benefits technology solutions and online education resources, today announced the availability of Well-Connected, its online health and wellness subscription-based product for the public library and information dissemination markets, featuring enhanced functionalities and user-friendly interfaces for library patrons.

21 May 2010

Invida Group completes joint venture agreement with MUGI

Invida Group, the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization of healthcare products throughout Asia Pacific, today announced that it has completed a joint venture agreement with the Indonesian pharmaceutical manufacturer MUGI.

20 May 2010

i3 completes acquisition of ChinaGate

i3, a global life sciences services company and subsidiary of Ingenix, has acquired ChinaGate, a contract research organization that provides product-development regulatory services for pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies looking to enter and access the Chinese market.

19 May 2010

Nominations open for 2010 Health Care Stars! Awards

The second annual Health Care Stars! Awards will recognize significant contributions in positively impacting consumers and health care quality. URAC, the nation's leading health care accreditation organization, today announced that nominations are open for the awards which will be presented at the 11th Annual Quality Summit being held October 5-7, 2010 in Chicago, IL.

15 May 2010

Over 22% of non-elderly Americans may be denied coverage due to pre-existing health conditions

Approximately 57.2 million people under the age of 65—more than one in five (22.4 percent) of America's non-elderly population—have a diagnosed pre-existing condition that could lead to a denial of coverage in the individual health insurance market, according to a report released today by the consumer health organization Families USA.

7 May 2010

IFT supports FDA's salt reduction initiative

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) today offered its support to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meet the challenges of reducing the amount of sodium in foods.

4 May 2010