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UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center expands to eliminate health disparities

The UCLA School of Public Health has received a $5.2 million gift from Kaiser Permanente to endow the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity. The center, formerly known as the Center to Eliminate Health Disparities, is dedicated to improving the health of underserved populations through research, community collaboration and leadership development.

30 Oct 2009

Study shows how differing Asian cultures and attitudes impact cancer screening rates

The Asian continent has nearly four billion people living in 47 different countries, and each of these groups has their own unique set of health issues. But when they come to the United States, they're often lumped into one large demographic: "Asian/Pacific Islander."

30 Oct 2009

Medical device manufacturers launch ad to head off $40B tax on their products

The Medical Device Manufacturers Association is starting a $200,000 radio and print ad campaign aimed at stopping Congress from imposing more than $40 billion in taxes on their goods, Roll Call reports.

30 Oct 2009

Universal Health Services announces third quarter 2009 financial results; reports increased net revenues

Universal Health Services, Inc. announced today that its reported net income attributable to UHS was $51.1 million, or an increase of 41% to $1.03 per diluted share, during the third quarter of 2009 as compared to $37.0 million, or $.73 per diluted share, during the comparable quarter of the prior year.

30 Oct 2009

Republicans assail 'freight train of more mandates' in House health bill

ABC News reports: "Republicans, as expected, assailed the Pelosi bill, saying its 1,990 pages don't reflect any change. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, billed it as a 'government takeover of the health care system.'

30 Oct 2009

Pharmaceutical companies accept Ecuador's decision to break drug patents

Foreign pharmaceutical companies on Wednesday accepted the decision of Ecuador's President Rafael Correa to enable the country "to bypass patents on 2,000 drugs in order to produce them locally or buy cheaper versions elsewhere," Agence France-Presse reports.

30 Oct 2009

Celera to use Medical Therapies' midkine patent portfolio for development of novel lung cancer diagnostics

Celera Corporation, a health care company focused on genetics, and Medical Therapies Limited (ASX:MTY), a biotechnology company developing midkine-related diagnostic and therapeutic products, have entered into an exclusive license agreement for the use of MTY’s midkine patent portfolio for the development of novel lung cancer diagnostics.

30 Oct 2009

Pelosi unveils $894 billion House health overhaul bill; expands coverage to 36 million Americans

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday morning unveiled a House health care reform plan that is expected to cost about $894 billion and "provide insurance to up to 36 million people by broadly expanding Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program for the poor, and by offering subsidies to moderate-income Americans to buy insurance either from private carriers or a new government-run plan," the The New York Times reports.

29 Oct 2009

New reports detail hits taken by Medicaid programs in state budget cuts

State Medicaid and other health programs have fallen under the axe or been moved onto the chopping block this week.

29 Oct 2009

Iowa medical home provides lessons for health care reform

The Associated Press looks at what benefits medical homes may bring to health care by looking at one in Iowa: "A thousand miles from the health care debate in Washington, Dr. Don Klitgaard and his colleagues are carrying out their own reform in a small Iowa community."

29 Oct 2009

Senators who support the public option hope resistant moderates will 'come around'

"Democratic Senators in favor of including a public insurance option in health care reform expect resistant moderates … to come around once they see the details of the final legislation," Roll Call reports. Centrists such as Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., have suggested that they may not support reform with a public option. "Senate Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.) said Wednesday that moderates are likely to climb on board once they read the final bill" (Drucker, 10/28).

29 Oct 2009

Insurers brace for increase in COBRA claims

The nation's ailing economy continues to affect insurance companies, which could also face a wave of costly COBRA claims as policyholders rush to get treatment before government subsidies expire.

29 Oct 2009

Pragmedic Solutions completes implementation of Healthcare Information System for Emaar Healthcare

In record time of two months, Pragmedic Solutions - a Dubai and US-based healthcare software solutions provider has successfully implemented the Healthcare Information System (HIS) for Emaar Healthcare Group, the healthcare subsidiary of Emaar Properties, it was announced today.

29 Oct 2009

Current, former Mass. Governors agree: Feds should do more than their states' model to address costs

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, and former Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, both say that federal health reform plans should do more to address rising costs than their state's initiative.

29 Oct 2009

Centrist-Liberal Senate rift broader than just public option

Though the question of whether Democratic leaders would include a public option in the Senate's health reform bill has held the spotlight, a variety of other big issues also remain unresolved, The Hill reports.

29 Oct 2009

A look at the public insurance options -- What exists and who would have access under proposed reforms

One news outlet studies the practical meaning of public insurance option by examining some of the approaches that are already in existence. Meanwhile, another examines the number of people who would have access to the public plan. And a former insurance executive takes issue with the industry's current stance.

29 Oct 2009

Lawmakers try to weed out fraud and waste

Lawmakers target Medicare and Medicaid fraud to generate greater savings in health care reform while doctors worry about efforts to cut waste.

29 Oct 2009

China's health care system is also in disarray

The Washington Post reports: "China's health-care system is in disarray, a side effect of the market reforms that have spurred private enterprise and rapid growth since 1980. Before then, state-owned companies offered cradle-to-grave care, part of a system based on danwei, or work units, that provided health, education, pensions and other benefits. But as the economy has grown more diverse, an increasing number of Chinese have had to fend for themselves, with only a porous government insurance program to help."

29 Oct 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

The federal government could treat Indian Country, at least for health programs, as the 51st state. This seems to me a practical application of the nation-to-nation relationship (Mark Trahant, 10/29).

29 Oct 2009

Health bills present formidable challenges to numbers crunchers

The House Democratic leadership is expected to unveil its health-overhaul legislation Thursday, the Associated Press reports. The next step will be for the merged bill - consolidated from three separate committee reports - to go to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate, before lawmakers vote. In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid is awaiting the CBO's analysis of his bill, before taking it to the floor (10/29).

29 Oct 2009

Health Care News and Research

UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center expands to eliminate health disparities

Study shows how differing Asian cultures and attitudes impact cancer screening rates

Medical device manufacturers launch ad to head off $40B tax on their products

Universal Health Services announces third quarter 2009 financial results; reports increased net revenues

Republicans assail 'freight train of more mandates' in House health bill

Pharmaceutical companies accept Ecuador's decision to break drug patents

Celera to use Medical Therapies' midkine patent portfolio for development of novel lung cancer diagnostics

Pelosi unveils $894 billion House health overhaul bill; expands coverage to 36 million Americans

New reports detail hits taken by Medicaid programs in state budget cuts

Iowa medical home provides lessons for health care reform

Senators who support the public option hope resistant moderates will 'come around'

Insurers brace for increase in COBRA claims

Pragmedic Solutions completes implementation of Healthcare Information System for Emaar Healthcare

Current, former Mass. Governors agree: Feds should do more than their states' model to address costs

Centrist-Liberal Senate rift broader than just public option

A look at the public insurance options -- What exists and who would have access under proposed reforms

Lawmakers try to weed out fraud and waste

China's health care system is also in disarray

Today's opinions and editorials

Health bills present formidable challenges to numbers crunchers

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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