Health Care News and Research

RSS

GOP Reps. grill CMS Chief Berwick about health reform law, earlier remarks on British system

Republicans on the US House Committee on Ways and Means this morning pounded Donald Berwick, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, on the effects of the new health care law on seniors, and Berwick's past statements in praise of the publicly-funded British health care system.

11 Feb 2011

Athersys' MultiStem cell therapy provides multiple benefits in preclinical models of ischemic stroke

Medical researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) presented new research results at the American Heart Association International Stroke Conference that demonstrated how MultiStem-, a novel stem cell therapy being developed by Athersys, Inc. provided multiple benefits when administered in preclinical models of ischemic stroke.

11 Feb 2011

African leaders meet in Rwanda to discuss capacity building

A two-day summit of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, concluded on Wednesday with African leaders calling for stronger "efforts in building capacity that goes beyond achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of 2015," the New Times reports.

11 Feb 2011

Family planning funds targeted by GOP

The new Congress also continues to be embroiled in battles surrounding the issue of abortion restrictions, which GOP house lawmakers have made a priority.

11 Feb 2011

Withings WiFi Body Scale that imports body weight data directly into Gazelle now available

Quest Diagnostics and Withings announced that the Withings WiFi Body Scale, the world's first WiFi connected personal weight scale, can now automatically import body weight data directly into Gazelle, the secure mobile health platform from Quest Diagnostics.

From Quest Diagnostics 11 Feb 2011

New resources made available to increase awareness of PCIP

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today made new resources available to the media, consumer groups, states, health care providers, and others to increase awareness of the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan, a health plan for uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions created by the Affordable Care Act.

11 Feb 2011

Times of India examines dengue vaccine trials

India could soon become a site for clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of a dengue vaccine, the Times of India reports. According to the drug controller general of India, vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur recently submitted a proposal to test the vaccine to the country.

11 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on empowering states; NY Times on insurance mandate; WSJ on 'next repeal target'

As governor of Kansas, I saw up close the urgent need for health-care reform. I heard it when factory owners told me their biggest concern was not manufacturing costs but rising insurance premiums, and when families said they felt like hostages to insurance companies that could deny or cancel coverage with little accountability.

11 Feb 2011

HHS lists GE PSO as part of AHRQ Patient Safety Organization program

The Secretary of Health and Human Services has listed the GE-MERS National Patient Safety Organization as part of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Patient Safety Organization program. With this federal certification, GE Healthcare Performance Solutions joins leading healthcare organizations across the U.S. working to minimize risks in patient care.

11 Feb 2011

Food prices increased significantly in 2010, WFP data shows

Data from the World Food Program - available ahead of the release of its annual report - shows the cost of feeding people around the world "increased markedly in 2010 as rising grain prices pushed up the cost of staple foods," the Wall Street Journal reports.

11 Feb 2011

State roundup: Arizona Medicaid waiver; Mass. BCBS plans charge more for high-cost hospitals; Texas Dems' abortion fight

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's proposal to cut 280,000 people from the state's Medicaid rolls is being reviewed by U.S. officials who don't know whether they have the power to approve the action, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said.

10 Feb 2011

House Republicans unveil partial list of budget cuts, advance plan to offer amendments to 'defund' health law

The National Journal reports on speculation that the GOP decision to advance a "clean" continuing resolution may signal that the Republican leadership is trying to move away from the partisan fight surrounding efforts to repeal the health law.

10 Feb 2011

New model of dementia care reduces emergency department visits, hospitalizations

An innovative model of dementia care developed by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute significantly reduces emergency department visits and hospitalizations, and encourages use of medications that are not harmful to older brains. The result is improved health for older adults and their family caregivers and lower healthcare costs, according to a paper evaluating the model in real world use.

10 Feb 2011

College health plans must comply with health law's 'central provisions'

The Department of Health and Human Services made clear Wednesday that the nation's colleges and universities would not be exempt from the requirements of the health overhaul.

10 Feb 2011

Guide designed to help hospitals reduce variation in care

The American Hospital Association has released a guide to help hospitals and health care systems reduce inappropriate variation in areas such as end-of-life care, imaging, emergency services and obstetrics.

10 Feb 2011

Analyst offers prediction about Medicare advantage plans

Initial 2012 reimbursement rates for Medicare Advantage plans should be roughly flat, which tops the consensus expectation of a 2 percent drop, according to Citi analyst Carl McDonald. McDonald said Tuesday in a research note the rates will be hurt by cuts from the health care overhaul, but he also thinks they will benefit from an adjustment to prior estimates.

10 Feb 2011

HERAE signs agreement with Aetna to offer electronic solutions

HERAE, one of the nation's largest healthcare electronic payment service providers, has signed an agreement with Aetna to offer electronic solutions that will make claim reconciliation, payments processing and deposits faster and more cost effective for doctors and hospitals that care for Aetna's members nationwide.

10 Feb 2011

Health Care News and Research

GOP Reps. grill CMS Chief Berwick about health reform law, earlier remarks on British system

Athersys' MultiStem cell therapy provides multiple benefits in preclinical models of ischemic stroke

African leaders meet in Rwanda to discuss capacity building

Family planning funds targeted by GOP

Withings WiFi Body Scale that imports body weight data directly into Gazelle now available

New resources made available to increase awareness of PCIP

Times of India examines dengue vaccine trials

Viewpoints: Sebelius on empowering states; NY Times on insurance mandate; WSJ on 'next repeal target'

HHS lists GE PSO as part of AHRQ Patient Safety Organization program

Food prices increased significantly in 2010, WFP data shows

State roundup: Arizona Medicaid waiver; Mass. BCBS plans charge more for high-cost hospitals; Texas Dems' abortion fight

House Republicans unveil partial list of budget cuts, advance plan to offer amendments to 'defund' health law

New model of dementia care reduces emergency department visits, hospitalizations

College health plans must comply with health law's 'central provisions'

Guide designed to help hospitals reduce variation in care

Analyst offers prediction about Medicare advantage plans

HERAE signs agreement with Aetna to offer electronic solutions

NeoGenomics fourth quarter revenue increases 12% to $8.8 million

First Edition: February 10, 2011

House Appropriations Committee approves $32B budget cut, reducing foreign aid, domestic spending for FY11

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

Latest News