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Researchers find shared genetic link in autoimmune response among PV patients

Autoimmune disease occurs when the body's own natural defense system rebels against itself. One example is pemphigus vulgaris (PV), a blistering skin disease in which autoantibodies attack desmoglein 3 (Dsg3), the protein that binds together skin cells.

19 Jun 2014

State highlights: Illinois Medicaid digital shift delayed; N.C. hospitals fight cuts; heroin in New England

Alexian Brothers Health System is suspending its effort to launch a new Medicaid program, blaming the difficulty of connecting physicians using different electronic records systems. The Arlington Heights, Ill.-based health system was spearheading a so-called accountable care entity (ACE) to coordinate the care of about 46,000 patients on Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled. The ACEs are a form of managed care, one of Gov. Pat Quinn's initiatives to focus on preventative treatment to keep patients healthy and reduce health care costs (Schorsch, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

BIND Therapeutics inks research agreement with Roche to discover novel nanomedicines

BIND Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage nanomedicine platform company developing targeted and programmable therapeutics called Accurins, today announced that it has entered into a research agreement with Roche to discover novel nanomedicines using Accurins for the treatment of diseases in therapeutic areas outside of oncology.

19 Jun 2014

Yoga exercise program developed for patients living with pulmonary hypertension

A first-of-its-kind yoga exercise program has been developed by Henry Ford Hospital for patients living with pulmonary hypertension, a chronic lung disease that afflicts women at least two times more than men.

19 Jun 2014

Expanding coverage to under-26-year-olds made them healthier, saved money

Researchers found that one of the keystone provisions of the health law had a significant impact. Expanding the number of young adults with health insurance appears to have improved their health and saved them money, ...

19 Jun 2014

Fireworks, public transportation, construction sites can induce hearing loss

Summer sounds include much more than crickets chirping. Outdoor concerts, parades, 4th of July fireworks, public transportation and construction sites all have one thing in common.

19 Jun 2014

Medicare faces cost tension with lawmakers, advocates

More than 130 lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to expand coverage for a lung-cancer test under Medicare that could cost the program billons, calling the screening important for vulnerable seniors. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the lawmakers called for a timely decision on coverage for low-dose CT scans for older patients at higher risk of developing lung cancer. ... A CMS spokesman said the agency's decision will be based on whether the test is "reasonable and necessary," without regard to its cost to Medicare (Yen, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

Feds join whistleblower suit against doctors' company

The Justice Department says in a lawsuit that IPC The Hospitalist Co., which assigns doctors to hospitals in 28 states, bilked Medicare and Medicaid by billing for more expensive care than was provided.

19 Jun 2014

Study demonstrates cost-effectiveness of Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation

In a recent study published in Tobacco Control, researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute have demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation (OMSC), an intervention that includes in-hospital counseling, pharmacotherapy and post-hospital follow-up, compared to usual care among smokers hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

19 Jun 2014

NCCN Reimbursement Resource App now available for patients and caregivers

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network announces the availability of the NCCN Reimbursement Resource App, a free resource through which patients with cancer, providers, case managers, and payers can search for available reimbursement resources and patient assistance programs for multiple cancer types and supportive care indications.

19 Jun 2014

Insurers continue to eye state health exchanges

In a pair of stories, the Associated Press reports on how insurers in New Hampshire and Kentucky that did not participate in the health law's online insurance marketplaces during the first enrollment period are now indicating their interest for the next open season. In addition, news outlets in Oregon and Minnesota report on developments related to state exchanges.

19 Jun 2014

UC Irvine Health to use $3.4 million NIH grant to examine "Transition of Care in CKD"

UC Irvine Health will use a $3.4 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health to examine the "Transition of Care in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)."

19 Jun 2014

Parents who have child with ASD are 1/3 third less likely to have more children

Parents who have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are about one third less likely to have more children than families without an affected child, according to a study led by a UC San Francisco researcher.

19 Jun 2014

Depression 5 times common in people with bipolar disorder who have low levels of cortisol

Depression is almost twice as common, and poor quality of life almost five times as common, in people with bipolar disorder who have elevated or low levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood.

19 Jun 2014

Generic drug delays cost U.S. payers millions

Problems surrounding an Indian company's launch of generic versions of three blockbuster drugs have preserved millions in revenue for the brand-name makers, reports The Wall Street Journal.

19 Jun 2014

Study: Women who are overweight have faulty switch

Crucially, the discovery, published today in the journal Nature Communications, shows that women who are overweight have a faulty switch.

19 Jun 2014

Children may benefit from targeted treatments specific to pediatric brain activity

A new study from Bradley Hospital has found that bipolar children have greater activation in the right amygdala - a brain region very important for emotional reaction - than bipolar adults when viewing emotional faces.

19 Jun 2014

Counseling, medication management by pharmacist can lower hospital readmissions

Getting discharged from the hospital and then having to go right back in again can be emotionally draining for a patient and their family. It can also cause financial strain for all involved - the patient, the hospital system and the insurers-including Medicaid and Medicare, which are taxpayer funded.

19 Jun 2014

Bill to give veterans private medical care advances in house

The Rules Committee approved the measure Tuesday. In other news on veterans' care, a Kansas senator pushes the administration to keep a pilot project offering some of that same flexibility in rural areas and the White House is turning to experts for help in picking a new leader for the VA.

19 Jun 2014

Hospitals across the Netherlands use SAS Visual Analytics to improve patient care

Hospitals across the Netherlands are using SAS Visual Analytics and data visualization to optimize business processes and improve patient care. Seven hospitals across the region, including Gelderse Vallei Hospital, the Sint Maartens Clinic, the BovenIJ Hospital, the Scheper Hospital, the Bethesda Hospital, and the Hospital of the Gelre Foundation selected SAS to access and analyze large data sets to better manage business processes.

18 Jun 2014