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New health reform law to benefit 30 million women: Commonwealth Fund report

Thirty million women will benefit from the new health reform law over the next decade, either through new or strengthened insurance coverage, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund. In the first analysis of its kind, the authors report that the law will stabilize and reverse the growing exposure to health costs that women now experience by subsidizing health insurance for up to 15 million currently uninsured women, and strengthening existing coverage for 14.5 million women who are considered underinsured-those who have health coverage that does not adequately protect them from high medical expenses.

30 Jul 2010

IRIN examines Global Humanitarian Assistance report, maps percentage of African budgets spent on health

"[H]umanitarian watchdog Development Initiatives outlines some of the needs, responses and funding trends" in humanitarian aid over the past decade in its 2010 Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) report, IRIN writes in an article that examines the organization's findings.

30 Jul 2010

Polio cases in India lowest in a decade; Vaccination effort begins in Afghanistan

This year "India has reported the lowest number of polio cases in [the] January-June period ... in a decade," PTI/ZeeTV reports. Twenty-four cases were detected between January and June this year, compared to 151 in the corresponding 2009 period, and 317 in January-June 2008 (7/29).

30 Jul 2010

Funding for electronic medical records expected as early as May, already stimulating business

Modern Healthcare: Funding to help doctors and hospitals buy electronic medical records could begin to flow through the Medicare program as early as May 2011, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services official said Wednesday. But, the final shape of the program remains unclear as CMS works to implement 800 pages of new regulations. "We're now working toward actually making all of this a reality, and we have less than six months to do it," the official said (Conn, 7/28).

30 Jul 2010

U.N. General Assembly declares access to clean water, sanitation a human right

The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday declared access to safe, clean drinking water and sanitation to be a "'human right' in a resolution that more than 40 countries including the United States didn't support," the Associated Press reports (Lederer, 7/28).

30 Jul 2010

Company health plans may increasingly demand proof of family

"Think your whole family is covered by your company health plan? Get ready to prove they're actually your kin." Under the new health overhaul law, starting next year "employers will have to provide coverage for dependents of employees [until] age 26. That will further inflate coverage costs for companies at a time when employers are already bracing for a 9% jump in their health care plan expenditures in 2011."

30 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010 follow-up coverage: Global HIV/AIDS funding; HIV/AIDS studies, releases

Media outlets continued to reflect on news from the International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010, which attracted over 19,000 participants from 197 countries to Vienna last week, according to the conference blog.

30 Jul 2010

Health Care REIT declares second-quarter cash dividend

Health Care REIT, Inc. announced today that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 of $0.69 per share. The dividend will be the company's 157th consecutive quarterly payment, payable August 20, 2010, to stockholders of record on August 9, 2010. The dividend is a one cent increase from the dividend paid for the first quarter of 2010.

30 Jul 2010

Hospitals accomodate obese patients by purchasing new, larger equipment

Hospitals are accommodating the increasing number of obese patients by buying larger medical equipment, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

30 Jul 2010

Support for health law remains steady while opposition drops

"The percentage of people who view the new health bill unfavorably dropped 6 points to 35 percent in the past month, but that has not translated into a significant increase of supporters, according to the July tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Overall support remained stable since the June survey, with about half the public expressing a favorable view of the overhaul, the poll found" (Verdon, 7/29).

30 Jul 2010

Amgen second-quarter total revenue increases 2% to $3,804 million

Amgen reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.38 for the second quarter of 2010, an increase of 7 percent compared to $1.29 for the second quarter of 2009. Adjusted net income increased 1 percent to $1,326 million for the second quarter of 2010 compared to $1,311 million for the second quarter of 2009.

30 Jul 2010

Insured Americans are using fewer medical services while employers consider wellness incentives

Insured Americans are using fewer medical services, raising questions about whether patients are consuming less health care as they pick up a greater share of the costs. The drop in usage is showing up as health-care companies report financial results. Insurers, lab-testing companies, hospitals and doctor-billing concerns say that patient visits, drug prescriptions and procedures were down in the second quarter from year-ago levels. Others say that consumers are beginning to forgo elective procedures like knee replacements.

30 Jul 2010

Republicans take on cost-cutting panel backed by budget chief Orszag

Several Senate Republican leaders are now pushing a new, partial health-overhaul repeal bill that targets a Medicare cost-cutting panel, The Hill reports. The panel, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, would make cost-cutting recommendations whenever spending exceeds set benchmarks. Congress would have to adopt them, or come up with its own plan.

30 Jul 2010

Insurers Aetna, WellPoint look for their place in health reform; WellPoint profit up

Aetna President Mark Bertolini said Wednesday that his company has seen much slower sales of national insurance accounts where large employers pay Aetna to administer plans for employees, The Associated Press reports. Under the new health overhaul, Bertolini said he expected less movement in that market because of the uncertainty in the law.

30 Jul 2010

Business groups, GOP prepare anti-health law campaigns for midterm elections

Politico reports that business groups are preparing ads for the November elections and some are targeting health reform. "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has already vowed to invest $75 million in the mid-term elections. And health insurers are also planning to play big in November, although the specifics remain in flux. … Both America's Health Insurance Plans and its Coalition for Medicare Choices are expected to play a major role in the messaging, along with individual companies. But neither group, according to sources, plans to directly attack Democrats, which would risk infuriating the White House as it writes reform regulations as well as the Blue Dog Democrats who opposed the legislation."

30 Jul 2010

GOP advising Republicans to vote against 9/11 medical coverage bill

Politico's On Congress Blog: House Republicans are advising other Republicans to vote against a bill that would "bolster medical support to Sept. 11 victims. … The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009, sponsored by New York City Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D), provides medical monitoring to those exposed to toxins at Ground Zero, bolsters treatment at specialized centers for those afflicted by toxins on 9/11 and reopens a compensation fund to provide economic loss to New Yorkers."

30 Jul 2010

Insurers change kids coverage stance after HHS clarifies new rules

Health insurers have started to back down "on their decision to pull out of the child-only coverage market after the Obama administration addressed their concerns about the potential damage to their bottom lines," The Hill reports. "The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday clarified regulations mandating that insurance plans agree to cover sick children.

30 Jul 2010

Economy continues to impact finances of health companies

Despite a sluggish year, health care investors can look forward to growing emerging markets and a possible change in the U.S. political climate, Forbes reports. "Health care has not had a banner year in 2010 as the sector's stocks have underperformed the market on account of reform in the United States and financial problems in Europe. But there's hope for investors in shares of companies that stand on their own fundamentals, particularly those that have been successful in growing sales to emerging markets.

30 Jul 2010

Transforaminal injection of steroids is a viable alternative for lumbar radicular pain surgery

A recent study from Australian researchers determined that transforaminal injection of steroids was a viable alternative to surgery for lumbar radicular pain due to disc herniation. Full details of the study appear in the August issue of Pain Medicine, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, and the International Spine Intervention Society.

30 Jul 2010

CVS-Aetna deal boosts the drug store chain

Forbes: CVS Caremark, the drug retailer and pharmacy benefit management firm, announced a new agreement with Aetna to help constrain drug costs. "The deal encompasses approximately $9.5 billion in annual drug spending relating to approximately 9.7 million lives. CVS expects significant long-term financial benefits from this strategic relationship" (7/28).

30 Jul 2010

Health Care News and Research

New health reform law to benefit 30 million women: Commonwealth Fund report

IRIN examines Global Humanitarian Assistance report, maps percentage of African budgets spent on health

Polio cases in India lowest in a decade; Vaccination effort begins in Afghanistan

Funding for electronic medical records expected as early as May, already stimulating business

U.N. General Assembly declares access to clean water, sanitation a human right

Company health plans may increasingly demand proof of family

AIDS 2010 follow-up coverage: Global HIV/AIDS funding; HIV/AIDS studies, releases

Health Care REIT declares second-quarter cash dividend

Hospitals accomodate obese patients by purchasing new, larger equipment

Support for health law remains steady while opposition drops

Amgen second-quarter total revenue increases 2% to $3,804 million

Insured Americans are using fewer medical services while employers consider wellness incentives

Republicans take on cost-cutting panel backed by budget chief Orszag

Insurers Aetna, WellPoint look for their place in health reform; WellPoint profit up

Business groups, GOP prepare anti-health law campaigns for midterm elections

GOP advising Republicans to vote against 9/11 medical coverage bill

Insurers change kids coverage stance after HHS clarifies new rules

Economy continues to impact finances of health companies

Transforaminal injection of steroids is a viable alternative for lumbar radicular pain surgery

CVS-Aetna deal boosts the drug store chain

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