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Texas CHIP program faces budget uncertainties while Arizona Governor restores funds for health care programs for the poor

Seven years ago, state leaders working to close a $9.9 billion budget gap took a hatchet to government health insurance for children of the working poor. Thousands of children paid the price when officials tightened eligibility rules and whacked dental, vision and mental health benefits. Gradually, benefits were restored to the Children's Health Insurance Program and, this month, enrollment reached roughly the same level as in 2003.

7 May 2010

PCMA releases statement on PBM Audit Reform and Transparency Act of 2010

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have pioneered tools - including incentivizing the use of generic medications, e-prescribing, and mail-service pharmacies - that improve savings, access, and safety for consumers and payers. Since the key to access is affordability, payers and policymakers alike should explore broader use of PBMs' cost-savings tools and reject approaches that make prescription drugs more expensive.

7 May 2010

States consider action on health care reform

State leaders around America are considering their options in complying with or challenging the new health law.

7 May 2010

IBM to analyze best way to cut childhood obesity

IBM "will put computer models to work analyzing the reams of available data on the different factors that might affect obesity - things such as consumer behavior, the location of grocery stores, the availability of physical activity facilities and even community transportation options - and see how those factors interact.

7 May 2010

Hospitals' financial woes cause shake-ups in three cities

"Some doctors from St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan fear they won't be covered for malpractice insurance for care they provided while on staff before the hospital's demise. They believe the failed institution has a legal obligation to continue to provide the coverage. The doctors fear they may have to buy their own medical malpractice coverage for the next several years, policies they say can cost $40,000 a year when purchased individually" (Sataline, 5/7).

7 May 2010

Physicians saying no more often to drug reps

A report out Thursday on the accessibility of doctors to pharmaceutical reps showed that fewer physicians are letting reps visit them. "The number of physicians who were 'rep-accessible,' defined as meeting with at least 70% of salespeople who come calling, dropped by 18% from last year, according to sales and marketing consultants ZS Associates."

7 May 2010

Today's opinions and editorials: Health reform's paperwork and accountability in Medicare

Without the support of the AMA it is quite possible that the health-care reform initiative would have failed. So why the effort to silence other doctors? (Hal Scherz, 5/7).

7 May 2010

ONA's registered nurses, allied health professionals to celebrate Nursing Week 2010

The Ontario Nurses' Association's 55,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals will be celebrating Nursing Week 2010 with a range of events and activities to recognize their special contributions to health care.

7 May 2010

SAMHSA highlights importance of promoting children's mental health from birth

To highlight the importance of promoting children's mental health from birth, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and more than 80 public and private collaborating organizations and federal programs and agencies - including new supporters, such as the Office of Head Start at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Endowment for the Arts, and the American Legion Auxiliary - today joined in a nationwide celebration of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (May 6).

7 May 2010

House panel may stall action on health pricing disclosure bills

Proposals to make the price of health care services and products more transparent to consumers has attracted bipartisan support on a House panel, but the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., would not say whether he would allow such legislation to move forward. Having just passed the health overhaul legislation, Pallone said he thought Congress should devote energy to initiatives "outside of health care" (McCarthy, 5/7).

7 May 2010

Creator of California Tay-Sachs Disease Prevention Program among the honorees

A mere 40 years ago, parents didn't know they were carriers of the Tay-Sachs disease until after they'd given birth to a child with this fatal genetic disorder.

7 May 2010

Health overhaul proving to be difficult issue for Democrats and Republicans

Regardless of a candidate's party, "health care reform is treacherous campaign territory." Voter opinion, in a series of polls from Quinnipiac University Polling Center, shows the difficulties for both Democrats and Republicans.

7 May 2010

Kent State University receives four-year, $2.7M grant to study cognitive status of heart failure patients

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $2.7-million grant to Kent State University for a collaborative research project with Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing, Summa Health System in Akron and University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland to study cognitive impairment in heart failure patients.

7 May 2010

NewCardio to unveil patented CardioBip technology at HRS Annual Scientific Sessions

NewCardio, Inc., a cardiac diagnostic technology provider, will unveil its patented CardioBip technology for remote wireless 12-lead detection and monitoring of atrial fibrillation, ischemia and other cardiovascular events at the Heart Rhythm Society 31st Annual Scientific Sessions, May 12-15, 2010, in Denver, Colorado.

7 May 2010

HCA proposes initial public offering of common stock

HCA Inc. announced today that it has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering of approximately $4 billion of shares of its common stock to be sold by HCA and certain existing shareholders. It is anticipated that approximately $2.5 billion of the offering will consist of newly issued shares sold by HCA. Such amounts do not give effect to the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares to cover overallotments.

7 May 2010

Gift of hearing to be delivered to more than 70 underserved children, adults throughout Carolinas

Speedway Children's Charities and the National Rifle Association are partnering with the Starkey Hearing Foundation to deliver the gift of hearing to more than 70 underserved children and adults throughout the Carolinas on May 10, noon to 4pm, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

7 May 2010

First Edition: May 7, 2010

Today's health policy headlines explore a range of issues -- from how health reform politics are playing in midterm election campaigns to hospital action in the marketplace.

7 May 2010

Over 22% of non-elderly Americans may be denied coverage due to pre-existing health conditions

Approximately 57.2 million people under the age of 65—more than one in five (22.4 percent) of America's non-elderly population—have a diagnosed pre-existing condition that could lead to a denial of coverage in the individual health insurance market, according to a report released today by the consumer health organization Families USA.

7 May 2010

Study examines social pressures, attitudes on pregnancy

For years, a widely held assumption was that women of childbearing age fell neatly into two camps: those trying to have children, and those not trying to have children.

7 May 2010

KHN column: The Independent Payment Advisory Board and health care price controls

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, James Capretta writes: "White House Budget Director Peter Orszag has speculated that creation of the new Independent Payment Advisory Board just might be viewed decades from now as the most important and far-reaching change enacted in the entire health reform legislation--despite the lack of significant public attention to it before passage.

7 May 2010

Health Care News and Research

Texas CHIP program faces budget uncertainties while Arizona Governor restores funds for health care programs for the poor

PCMA releases statement on PBM Audit Reform and Transparency Act of 2010

States consider action on health care reform

IBM to analyze best way to cut childhood obesity

Hospitals' financial woes cause shake-ups in three cities

Physicians saying no more often to drug reps

Today's opinions and editorials: Health reform's paperwork and accountability in Medicare

ONA's registered nurses, allied health professionals to celebrate Nursing Week 2010

SAMHSA highlights importance of promoting children's mental health from birth

House panel may stall action on health pricing disclosure bills

Creator of California Tay-Sachs Disease Prevention Program among the honorees

Health overhaul proving to be difficult issue for Democrats and Republicans

Kent State University receives four-year, $2.7M grant to study cognitive status of heart failure patients

NewCardio to unveil patented CardioBip technology at HRS Annual Scientific Sessions

HCA proposes initial public offering of common stock

Gift of hearing to be delivered to more than 70 underserved children, adults throughout Carolinas

First Edition: May 7, 2010

Over 22% of non-elderly Americans may be denied coverage due to pre-existing health conditions

Study examines social pressures, attitudes on pregnancy

KHN column: The Independent Payment Advisory Board and health care price controls

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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