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Independence Blue Cross announces five new Personal Choice PPO plans

Beginning July 1, 2010, Independence Blue Cross (IBC) will offer five new Personal Choice® PPO plan options for individuals – expanding the range of individual plan choices for health care consumers in the region. These medically underwritten plans are available in three popular formats: copay, deductible and health savings account (HSA) plan designs that enable consumers to choose the type of plan and pricing that fits their specific needs.

30 Jun 2010

NORD urges FDA to reduce regulatory uncertainty in developing medicines for rare disorders

Noting that only about 200 of the nearly 7,000 diseases classified as rare currently have treatments, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) today called for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) statement of policy on regulation of therapies for rare disorders.

30 Jun 2010

July 4th is approaching; ER departments are already beginning to treat firework injuries

In 2009, nearly 100 people in Illinois were rushed to hospitals with injuries caused by fireworks, according to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall (OSFM).

30 Jun 2010

Recent, upcoming FDA efforts address rare, 'neglected' diseases

The FDA's new rare disease review group will hold its first public hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss how to expand efforts to develop treatments for rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people, Reuters

30 Jun 2010

News round up: UniCare will drop health coverage for Virginians; Hawaii concerned about lack of physicians

The Washington Post: "About 3,000 Virginians who have health insurance through UniCare, a private insurer, will lose that coverage Jan. 1, a UniCare spokesman said Monday. Most live in Northern Virginia and get their coverage through the individual market, officials said.

30 Jun 2010

GOP objecting to management of health fund for 9/11 workers

As the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee holds a hearing Tuesday on a proposed fund to cover additional health care costs for first responders to the 9/11 attacks, Senate Republicans are planning to take issue with the management of the fund, CongressDaily reports.

30 Jun 2010

New earplug with built-in computer allows speech to pass; shuts out unwanted noise

An earplug with a built-in computer that allows speech to pass but shuts out unwanted and hazardous noise will make life easier in noisy environments.

29 Jun 2010

Fireworks Safety Tips from AMR paramedics

The Independence Day holiday is filled with the bangs, whistles and pops of backyard fireworks. Too often, revelers forget that fireworks are dangerous explosives, not toys. Fireworks send thousands of people to the hospital each year and cause millions of dollars in fire losses. Here's some fireworks safety advice from paramedics at American Medical Response (AMR) to help protect you and your family from injury and property damage.

28 Jun 2010

News roundup: Judge approves $712 million settlement for 9/11 emergency workers' health problems; Missouri ballot measure on health overhaul challenged

A judge approved a $712 million health settlement for thousands of emergency workers who responded after the Sept. 11 attack, in spite of objections from some who complained that the deal was unfair. Some workers who say they got sick working at the Ground Zero site argued Wednesday that the settlement shortchanged those suffering from certain types of diseases. One of the key factors in how much workers get paid under the settlement, approved by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, depends on the type of disease the person contracted.

25 Jun 2010

Researchers say ear tubes are safe for children with cochlear implants

Children who are being treated for hearing loss with cochlear implants can safely have ear tubes installed to help clear up infections, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

25 Jun 2010

Congressional hearing explores Medicare payment issues, including permanent 'doc fix'

A House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday ostensibly about a recent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission report veered to discussion of the so-called "doc fix." The panel's chairman, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., called the ongoing efforts to delay the 21 percent cut in Medicare physician payments "the elephant in the room" and added that the "Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate, as well as the physician community, need to work together to develop a permanent fix to this problem that has vexed all of us for far too long.

25 Jun 2010

U.S. District Court Judge approves amended settlement in WTC litigation

At the conclusion of a hearing today, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York signed an order approving the amended settlement reached among the WTC Captive Insurance Company (the "WTC Captive"), the City of New York, the contractors the City hired, their subcontractors, and attorneys for over 10,000 plaintiffs alleging injuries from the WTC site operations.

24 Jun 2010

ACGME task force presents draft standards that revise requirements for better supervision, duty hours

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education task force charged with reassessing resident training program standards today presented a comprehensive set of draft standards that revise requirements for supervision and duty hours to better match residents' levels of experience and emerging competencies, advancing both graduate medical education and quality patient care in the nation's teaching hospitals.

24 Jun 2010

PBMs: Post Office plan to end Saturday shipments could boost drug prices

Pharmacy-benefits management companies, including CVS Caremark and Medco, are worried that a U.S. Postal Service plan to end Saturday delivery could raise mail-order drug prices, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. "The pharmacy-benefits management companies, which shipped more than 150 million drug orders last year, joined retailer Crate and Barrel and publishers of small newspapers to challenge the Postal Service and its plan to cut service to save about $3 billion a year." The Post Office is trying to combat a projected $7 billion deficit this year (Keane, 6/21).

23 Jun 2010

Politics surround Berwick, no hearings scheduled for CMS nominee

"Hospital executives who have worked with Dr. Berwick describe him as a visionary, inspiring leader. But a battle has erupted over his nomination, suggesting that Dr. Berwick faces a long uphill struggle to win Senate confirmation. Republicans are using the nomination to revive their arguments against the new health care law, which they see as a potent issue in this fall's elections, and Dr. Berwick has given them plenty of ammunition. In two decades as a professor of health policy and as a prolific writer, he has spoken of the need to ration health care and cap spending and has confessed to a love affair with the British health care system."

23 Jun 2010

World's first invisible-in-the-canal hearing aid launched

Starkey Laboratories, Inc., one of the world's leading hearing technology companies, is excited to introduce the S Series™ iQ OtoLens™, the world's first invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) hearing aid. OtoLens, a custom-molded hearing aid built using Starkey's Comfort Fit process, lives in the second bend of the ear, meaning that it is truly 100 percent invisible.

22 Jun 2010

Congressional hearing examines administration's crack down on health care fraud

The feds have promised to turn up the heat on providers, real and phony, who steal from and game the system. ... Lawmakers and President Barack Obama are demanding that the CMS and their partners in law enforcement do more to stem the wasted healthcare dollars gushing out of the Treasury like oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

22 Jun 2010

CNA blasts PERB for colluding with UC in suppression of RNs democratic rights

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United today blasted the state agency that oversees public employee relations for its active collusion with University of California hospital officials in seeking to suppress the democratic rights of registered nurses, and charged the UC hospital system with employing unfair market competition with other corporate hospital chains in its attacks on UC RNs.

19 Jun 2010

Health settlement for ground zero workers faces new hurdles

The Wall Street Journal: "After years of frustration, workers sickened in the recovery and cleanup efforts after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are on the verge of getting paid for their illnesses. Yet the proposed legal settlement of up to $712 million also would pay money to thousands of people who aren't sick at all. That's just one of the concerns that could scuttle the proposed deal, which requires approval of 95% of those suing for compensation."

19 Jun 2010

Nationwide campaign encourages teens to resist drug use, stay above negative influences

Milwaukee teens are part of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's new, nationwide campaign encouraging teens to engage in a conversation about the positive and negative pressures that influence their decisions. The Influence Project is part of a new initiative of the anti-drug teen brand, Above the Influence, which emphasizes what teens do to resist drug use and stay "above" negative influences.

18 Jun 2010

Hearing News and Research

Independence Blue Cross announces five new Personal Choice PPO plans

NORD urges FDA to reduce regulatory uncertainty in developing medicines for rare disorders

July 4th is approaching; ER departments are already beginning to treat firework injuries

Recent, upcoming FDA efforts address rare, 'neglected' diseases

News round up: UniCare will drop health coverage for Virginians; Hawaii concerned about lack of physicians

GOP objecting to management of health fund for 9/11 workers

New earplug with built-in computer allows speech to pass; shuts out unwanted noise

Fireworks Safety Tips from AMR paramedics

News roundup: Judge approves $712 million settlement for 9/11 emergency workers' health problems; Missouri ballot measure on health overhaul challenged

Researchers say ear tubes are safe for children with cochlear implants

Congressional hearing explores Medicare payment issues, including permanent 'doc fix'

U.S. District Court Judge approves amended settlement in WTC litigation

ACGME task force presents draft standards that revise requirements for better supervision, duty hours

PBMs: Post Office plan to end Saturday shipments could boost drug prices

Politics surround Berwick, no hearings scheduled for CMS nominee

World's first invisible-in-the-canal hearing aid launched

Congressional hearing examines administration's crack down on health care fraud

CNA blasts PERB for colluding with UC in suppression of RNs democratic rights

Health settlement for ground zero workers faces new hurdles

Nationwide campaign encourages teens to resist drug use, stay above negative influences

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

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