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Health care reform in Massachusetts improves minority access for inpatient procedures: Researchers

Researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University School of Medicine have found that health care reform in Massachusetts has improved minority access for some inpatient procedures. These findings are being presented today at the annual Society of General Internal Medicine annual meetings in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

30 Apr 2010

U.S. lawmakers reach trade deal to help Haiti; News outlets examine health care, housing

"Top U.S. lawmakers said on Wednesday they have reached a bipartisan deal to help Haiti rebuild its earthquake-shattered economy by opening the U.S. market to more Haitian clothing and textiles," Reuters reports. The deal would almost triple "the amount of certain Haitian knit and woven clothing products that qualify for U.S. duty-free treatment."

30 Apr 2010

Anesthetist may have infected patients during procedure

There has been a breach in the strict infection prevention protocols followed by health care staff including doctors presumably by an Anesthetist. Nearly 250 patients in Western Australia might have been already infected with HIV, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis.

30 Apr 2010

States move to require ultrasounds before abortions

Various states have passed or are considering bills to tighten abortion regulations.

30 Apr 2010

Race and age play a major role in use of alternative therapies for chronic pain

In a University of Michigan Health System study, 1 out of 3 patients with chronic pain reported using complementary and alternative medicine therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic visits for pain relief.

30 Apr 2010

FDA critics say controversy about diabetes drug points to need for agency changes

Reuters: "The controversy surrounding a GlaxoSmithKline Plc diabetes drug points to a need for changes in the way the U.S. Food and Drug Administration handles safety issues, agency critics told lawmakers on Wednesday.

30 Apr 2010

DOJ investigating Partners HealthCare for alleged anticompetitive practices

Partners HealthCare, the largest hospital and physician network in the Northeast, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged anticompetitive behavior after some have questioned how the firm negotiates contracts with health insurers, The Boston Globe reports.

30 Apr 2010

Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries agree to pay over $81M to resolve Topamax illegal promotion allegations

American pharmaceutical manufacturers Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., both subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson, have agreed to pay more than $81 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from the illegal promotion of the epilepsy drug Topamax, the Justice Department announced today.

30 Apr 2010

NovaMed reports net loss of 4% in first quarter 2010

NovaMed, Inc., a leading operator of ambulatory surgery centers in partnership with physicians, today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010. Total net revenue was $37,055,000, down 3% from $38,294,000 in the prior year first quarter.

30 Apr 2010

Health reform politics still swirling; SEIU close to choosing new leader

CongressDaily: "When House Minority Leader Boehner ranks wholesale repeal of healthcare reform as Republicans' No. 1 priority, that thinking might be more wishful than pragmatic." If the GOP scores significant gains in the upcoming midterm and 2012 elections, they could draw Democrats back to the table to renegotiate certain parts of the law.

30 Apr 2010

Health law keeps 200,000 in state insurance plans instead of new high-risk pools

USA Today: About 200,000 people already enrolled in 35 state high-risk insurance pools "will not be allowed to enroll this summer in a new lower cost federal program for people like them because they already buy pricey state-run plans." In order to be eligible, "a person can't have had health coverage for six months.

30 Apr 2010

Call for an independent inquiry into Queensland Health payroll debacle

There has been a major payroll error leaving tens of thousands of healthcare staff short of cash or without pay in the past few weeks in Queensland after the introduction of a new computerized payroll system last month.

30 Apr 2010

Financial Times reports on challenges NGOs, development agencies face when partnering with businesses

The Financial Times reports on some of the challenges non-governmental organizations and development agencies face as they grow more accustomed to partnerships with businesses.

30 Apr 2010

FDA approves new treatment option for prostate cancer

Today is an exciting day for men with advanced prostate cancer and the millions of families and loved ones who are profoundly affected. Today a new prostate cancer treatment option, Provenge, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

30 Apr 2010

IPS examines how Uganda's anti-counterfeit bill could impact access to generic drugs

Inter Press Service examines Uganda's "controversial Counterfeit Goods Bill," which some say will limit the public's access to "life-saving generic medicines."

30 Apr 2010

Seniors often don't choose best quality Medicare Advantage plans, study finds

The Associated Press: "Millions of seniors signed up for popular Medicare Advantage insurance plans don't get the best quality, an independent study found. How the private plans score on a quality rating system set up by the government is about to have a direct impact on insurers' finances — not to mention seniors' benefits and premiums.

30 Apr 2010

Health insurers adopt reform changes early; WellPoint reports rising profits

Following announcements by leading health insurers that their firms would end the practice of rescission, or stripping the sick from their roles, the broader insurance industry followed suit, according to a letter from America's Health Insurance Plans to congressional Democrats, Politico reports. "The decision to end rescission … was made during a Tuesday afternoon conference call of chief executives organized by their trade group, America's Health Insurance Plans, and represents the industry's latest attempt to build political good will after the bruising health care fight."

30 Apr 2010

States crack down on discount health plans

Kaiser Health News: "State regulators are cracking down on a health care product that targets the growing group of uninsured and underinsured Americans: the discount health plan.

30 Apr 2010

Consumer confusion triggers crackdown by states on discount health plans

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Maggie Mertens writes: "State regulators are cracking down on a health care product that targets the growing group of uninsured and underinsured Americans: the discount health plan" (Mertens, 4/29).

30 Apr 2010

The closing of St. Vincent's Hospital creates many uncertainties in N.Y.

The Wall Street Journal reports on the closing of St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan. One story details how the staff of St. Vincent's has not yet received details about the hospital's closing on Friday. The hospital has been slowly winding down services since it announced its closure. "The emergency room stopped admitting patients and ambulances started going elsewhere, leaving the emergency room focused on walk-ins. Their needs have run the gamut. Tuesday night, for example, brought a patient with a possible ruptured aorta...

30 Apr 2010