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Third summit on health care fraud prevention commences on 5th November

On Friday, November 5, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder will kick-off the third in a series of day-long summits bringing together a wide-array of federal, state, and local partners, beneficiaries, providers, and other interested parties to discuss innovative ways to eliminate fraud within the U.S. health care system.

30 Oct 2010

Effective smoking cessation interventions for Latino smokers needed

Latinos who live the United States are more likely to quit smoking when they take part in an intervention program, finds a systematic review of studies conducted by Monica Webb Hooper, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Miami.

30 Oct 2010

Delaware Physicians Care #21 on NCQA's top 25 Medicaid plan rankings

For the third year in a row, Delaware Physicians Care has been selected as one of the top 25 Medicaid Plans out of hundreds in the nation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The ranking is based on clinical quality, member satisfaction and NCQA accreditation scores.

30 Oct 2010

Anthem reaches long-term agreement with Hartford and Windham hospitals

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Hartford Healthcare Corporation announced today they have reached a long-term agreement on the continuation of their participating contracts for Hartford Hospital and Windham Community Memorial Hospital. As a result, the hospitals will continue as participating hospitals in Anthem's networks without interruption. Covered services provided by the hospitals to Anthem members will continue on an in-network basis.

30 Oct 2010

MGH Institute shatters fundraising records at Annual Scholarship Gala

MGH Institute of Health Professions shattered fundraising records at its 4th Annual Scholarship Gala, raising $425,000 at the October 28, 2010 event.

30 Oct 2010

Women with anorexia nervosa at risk of unplanned pregnancies and induced abortions

A new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Norwegian researchers has found that women with anorexia nervosa are much more likely to have both unplanned pregnancies and induced abortions than women who don't have the serious eating disorder.

30 Oct 2010

Secretary Clinton, USAID Administrator Shah address importance of development assistance partnerships between India, U.S.

In a key note address to the U.S.-India People-to-People Conference, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah spoke of the growing contributions both countries are making toward development assistance around the world, Press Trust of India/Business Standard reports (10/29).

30 Oct 2010

Research Roundup: Primary care doc pay and satisfaction; fixes to Medicare reimbursements; free vaccines?

A critical element of improving population health in underserved areas is the adequacy and distribution of the primary care physician supply, write the authors of this study, who interviewed 42 primary care physicians from both underserved and non-underserved areas in Los Angeles County, California.

30 Oct 2010

Races tighten over health overhaul issues as clock ticks down to midterm elections

Races around the nation are being scrutinized for what the outcomes might mean for the health overhaul after next week's midterm elections.

30 Oct 2010

Lancet series examines malaria eradication goal

Eliminating malaria can be achieved only with repeated investment over the long term and will require a major shift in policy and funding, according to some experts, Reuters reports.

30 Oct 2010

Health reform implementation: Insurance options, states and exchanges, ACOs

Provisions of the health law that have already been implemented will change next year's insurance offerings -- so employees should pay attention to their options during open season, U.S. News & World Report writes. "You may be able to take advantage of some benefits that kicked in over the past few months under the new health reform law.

30 Oct 2010

Providers brace for health overhaul, seek to improve quality

The (Torrance, Calif.) Daily Breeze: "With health care reform on the way -- bringing with it scores of new Medi-Cal patients -- community clinics that treat mostly low-income and uninsured patients are looking at ways to transform into primary care medical hubs. South Bay Family Health Care, based in Redondo Beach, will get help doing that from Los Angeles County's only public health insurance plan, L.A. Care. The nonprofit health plan has hired a consulting firm to help 11 clinics improve their treatment model over the next two years" (Evans, 10/28).

30 Oct 2010

HHS approves hundreds more local Gov'ts, businesses, unions for early retiree health program

The federal Department of Health and Human Services is still accepting applications for the $5 billion program to help cover the cost of retiree health care, the National Journal reports. The agency says 700 more employers have joined the program, raising the total to 3,600.

30 Oct 2010

Inter Press Service reports on counterfeit medicine challenges in central, Eastern Europe

Central and Eastern Europe is facing 'significant challenges' in combating a multi-billion euro, and often lethal, trade in fake medicines, security and pharmaceutical groups have warned, Inter Press Service reports in an article that examines the scope of the problem in a region now identified as a key smuggling route in an illicit trade which is growing every year.

30 Oct 2010

Medicare pilots deliver mixed savings results

The Fiscal Times explores whether the Medicare pilot programs in the new health law will end up saving money.

30 Oct 2010

Enrollees in high-deductible plans may be forgoing care because of high costs

People enrolled in high-deductible plans may forgo care because of excessive out-of-pocket costs, according to a new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

30 Oct 2010

State Watch: R.I. group experiments with payment reform; Ariz. dispute over abortion; Vt. and Feds to end monitoring of caregivers

The Providence (R.I.) Journal: "The Lifespan hospital group and Blue Cross have reached an agreement intended to gradually overturn the way hospital care is financed, with the goal of promoting health, rather than episodes of treatment. The agreement is the first to meet unique-in-the-nation rules from state Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher F. Koller, who has identified hospital costs as the main reason for increases in health-insurance premiums.

30 Oct 2010

Teflaro receives FDA approval for treatment of bacterial infections

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Teflaro (ceftaroline fosamil), an injectable antibiotic to treat adults with community acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

30 Oct 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

Global Fund Will Make 'Every Possible Effort' To Raise Additional Resources: Although pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at its recent replenishment meeting did not meet "the lowest estimate of demand," the Fund "will make every possible effort to raise the additional resources that we expect countries to request in the years ahead" through new donor recruitment and "innovative financing approaches," writes Executive Director Michael Kazatchkine in a Lancet comment

30 Oct 2010

Drug and device makers face new taxes, fees

A Fox Business report shows the health overhaul is cutting deeper into drug and device makers' profits than many expected. Research & development programs are already being drastically scaled back.

30 Oct 2010