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Administration offers new guidance to make the small business tax credit more user-friendly

The administration released guidance for the small business tax credit provision of the health law while the AMA asked for specific anti-trust treatment regarding accountable care organizations.

4 Dec 2010

Obama faces tough talk about the health law from GOP governors, lawmakers

On Thursday, President Obama met with a newly elected governors -- many from the GOP -- to defend his health overhaul plan. It wasn't a completely friendly meeting. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a Republican lawmaker stated his intent to work tirelessly for repeal.

4 Dec 2010

Study: Some states fall short in insurance rate reviews

A new study finds that states don't always flex their muscle when it comes to regulating insurance rates. Meanwhile, there is movement at the top for WellPoint.

4 Dec 2010

BRI enters 3-year partnership with Roche to develop human immunology programs

Baylor Research Institute (BRI), the research arm of Baylor Health Care System, announced that it has formed a three-year partnership with Roche to jointly develop programs emerging from the human immunology platforms developed at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIIR), a component of BRI.

4 Dec 2010

HIV/AIDS opinions

"Promising scientific developments to prevent AIDS, not just treat its victims, have sparked hope among health officials, researchers and advocacy groups struggling to control the epidemic. Unfortunately, the global recession and soaring deficits in advanced nations have made it unlikely that sufficient money will be available to fully seize the new opportunities," according to a New York Times editorial, which postures, "[s]ome agonizing choices will have to be made."

4 Dec 2010

News outlets explore approaches for caring for aging patients

Caring for aging patients -- whether at home or in nursing facilities -- poses unique challenges.

4 Dec 2010

In New York, quiet Medicaid spending talks proceed while a Michigan insurer adds a range of new insurance products

Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo and the state's health-care union are in quiet talks over Medicaid spending in an effort to avoid a bitter showdown next year over the state budget (Gershman, 12/3).

4 Dec 2010

ProPublica: Drug Co. used ghostwriters to pen work bylined by academics

An investigative news piece finds that ghostwriters write medical studies, editorials and other works for a major drug company.

4 Dec 2010

OpEds: Positions on Fiscal Commission; Reinhardt on Medicare; Defeating diabetes

As a member of this bipartisan commission and co-author of the Conrad-Gregg Bipartisan Fiscal Task Force legislation the panel is based on, I hope this plan will be supported. ... Unfortunately, significant health-care savings are missing from the plan; this is an issue that will have to be addressed soon.

4 Dec 2010

Dispute between hospital, insurer highlight health reform challenge

In Texas, the region's largest insurer and one of the state's largest hospitals are at odds over patient costs while Wisconsin's hospitals give a boost to economy by adding jobs.

4 Dec 2010

Ontario coalition encourages drivers to take precautions to reduce preventable crashes

National Safe Driving Week in Canada is upon us (December 1 - 7, 2010) and during this time, health care and safety advocates are encouraging Ontario drivers to properly and diligently prepare for winter driving to reduce the risk of motor vehicle crashes.

3 Dec 2010

International project on equitable distribution of health resources and priorities within global health

Researchers in Bergen and Seattle will join forces in a project on the equitable distribution of health resources and priorities within global health. The agreement was signed during this year's Transatlantic Science Week held in Washington, D.C. in October.

3 Dec 2010

Loyola nurses honored

Loyola University Health System revenue specialist Judy Williams, RN, CEN, TNS, recently took on a nontraditional nursing role, which resulted in a significant cost savings for the organization. Williams oversees fiscal responsibility for the Emergency Department. In this position, she has identified opportunities to overcome billing obstacles through intradepartmental collaboration and nurse education on proper documentation for reimbursement.

3 Dec 2010

Children with developmental disabilities face obstacles in intervention services

A new community-based study by UC Davis researchers has found that children with developmental disabilities in Southeast-Asian-American families face significant obstacles to receiving intervention services. Barriers include lack of accurate information, language difficulties, lack of trust and limited outreach.

3 Dec 2010

Johns Hopkins patient-safety tools help reduce lethal bloodstream infections

Using a widely heralded Johns Hopkins checklist and other patient-safety tools, intensive care units across the state of Michigan reduced the rate of potentially lethal bloodstream infections to near zero.

3 Dec 2010

NSU receives $1.6 million federal grant to provide better care for homeless

Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine recently received a $1.6 million federal grant to develop an academic program for medical students to provide better care for the homeless by understanding their needs.

3 Dec 2010

New article questions role of amenities in hospital care

From hotel-style room service to massage therapy to magnificent views, hospitals are increasingly touting their luxury services in a bid to gain market share, especially those in competitive urban markets. An important new article, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, raises crucial questions about the role of amenities in hospital care, explaining that how we decide to value the patient experience can have a significant effect on health care costs.

3 Dec 2010

New pilot program to connect rural health care providers with VA

The Utah Health Information Network (UHIN) today announced a new pilot program to connect rural health care providers in the Moab, Utah region with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to improve access and coordination of patient care for veterans and service members living in rural areas.

3 Dec 2010

Hospital-wide patient-safety programs can improve 'culture of safety'

A prescribed set of hospital-wide patient-safety programs can lead to rapid improvements in the "culture of safety" even in a large, complex, academic medical center, according to a new study by safety experts at Johns Hopkins.

3 Dec 2010

People enrolled in CDHP plan reaches 22 million in 2010: EBRI report

The ranks of people enrolled in either a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) or a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) reached 22 million in 2010, according to a report released today by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). Participation in these account-based health care plans is low, but continues to grow, EBRI finds in its sixth annual Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey.

3 Dec 2010