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Hospitals and health system innovations designed to increase efficiency, improve outcomes

News outlets report on how certain health care models are performing in these difficult economic times.

25 Feb 2011

HHS offers new grants to help states with insurance rate reviews

These grants are designed to assist states in creating or enhancing their reviews of the premiums charged by health insurance companies.

25 Feb 2011

Humana CEO hails the importance of the health care consumer

But on Capitol Hill, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., released a fact sheet detailing the profits earned by the nation's five largest insurers — including Humana — and touted health law provisions that would increase transparency from the insurance industry.

25 Feb 2011

New York's Medicaid advisory panel approves plan to cut health spending

The panel's compromise includes an annual spending cap and across-the-board Medicaid provider cuts. Meanwhile, other states also struggle with the rising cost of Medicaid and its impact on the budget.

25 Feb 2011

Poll finds 1 in 5 Americans think health law was repealed

Coverage continues regarding a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Thursday that found a surprising degree of confusion about the status of the federal health overhaul.

25 Feb 2011

Romney responds: He's proud of Mass. health care overhaul

Some suggest the exchange between former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, in which he criticized "RomneyCare," and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is a preview of the 2012 Republican presidential primary.

25 Feb 2011

New policy research brief examines patients at risk of losing care under health center spending cuts

A new policy research brief released today by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services examines the characteristics of patients whose access to health center services is at risk because of a potential $1.3 billion in direct spending cuts for community health centers.

25 Feb 2011

First Edition: February 25, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about developments in New York's Medicaid program and other state-level news.

25 Feb 2011

Dizziness, nausea and achiness are symptoms of heart attack in females

Dizziness, nausea and achiness – no, these are not symptoms of the flu but signs of a heart attack in females. While heart attacks affect both men and women, the symptoms of a heart attack are surprisingly different between the genders. Virginia Health Information (VHI) this week released its Cardiac Care Report which provides consumers information comparing heart healthcare in Virginia. This year's report reveals women undergoing open heart surgery continued a five year trend of higher than expected readmission rates.

25 Feb 2011

Media examine effects, outlook of food price increases worldwide

"A rush by farmers to expand plantings in many parts of the world is raising expectations that food prices may retreat as early as the second half of this year if weather conditions remain favorable," the Wall Street Journal reports in a story examining how recent global developments could affect food price spikes.

25 Feb 2011

Strategies to minimize medical radiation exposure

Representatives from the American College of Radiology outlined strategies for transforming computed tomography technology and its use to minimize medical radiation exposure today at the National Institutes of Health "Summit to Focus on Management of Radiation Dose in Computerized Tomography – Emphasis Toward the Sub-mSv CT Exam."

25 Feb 2011

Most patients 'want to be listened, informed and considered by family doctor'

A study conducted at the University of Granada reveals that patients have greater expectations of their family doctor listening actively to them, keeping them informed and considering their opinions than in getting involved in decision making. For the purpose of this study, researchers took a sample of 360 patients aged 16-47 years, assisted at the Health Center Gran Capitán in Granada

25 Feb 2011

Huckabee takes issue with Massachusetts' health overhaul

While promoting his new book, the former Arkansas governor drew parallels between the Massachusetts' plan and the federal health law, and said Mitt Romney, who was governor when the plan was enacted, should "apologize" for it now.

25 Feb 2011

Lawmakers deadlocked over spending bill

With a government shutdown looming, lawmakers are still at odds regarding a plan to provide current-year funding for the federal government. The House-passed measure includes deep cuts to a multitude of programs and blocks funding for the health law.

25 Feb 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb awards $1 million grant to reduce hepatitis-related health disparities in Asia

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has awarded four new grants to help improve awareness, prevention and care of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in China and India.

25 Feb 2011

Patients presented to ED with adverse drug events are more costly to health care system

Patients who suffer an adverse medical event arising from the use or misuse of medications are more costly to the health care system than other emergency department patients, say physicians and research scientists at Vancouver General Hospital and UBC.

25 Feb 2011

Judge meant to halt health law implementation, states say

Taking a position that the Obama administration's request for "clarification" from U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson regarding his recent ruling on the 26-state challenge to the health law's individual mandate is "wishful thinking," the involved states maintain that the judge's meaning was clear: he meant to stop work on the law's rollout.

25 Feb 2011