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States examine role in health reform implementation, worry over scams

The federal government is turning to states to "to institute key components" of the health overhaul law, "some of which have never existed before."

15 Apr 2010

Better safety performance in health care settings associated with reduced malpractice claims

Reducing the number of preventable patient injuries in California hospitals from 2001 to 2005 was associated with a corresponding drop in malpractice claims against physicians, according to a study issued today by the RAND Corporation.

15 Apr 2010

After close call, actor Dennis Quaid takes on medical mistakes

USA Today: After nearly losing twin newborns to a medical mistake - adult doses of blood thinners were given to the infants - actor Dennis Quaid has taken up the cause of shedding light on the often invisible issues surrounding patient safety.

15 Apr 2010

Study: Lawsuit fears, peer pressure drives higher costs, more tests

The Associated Press: A quarter of heart doctors order more tests than were necessary, driving up costs, according to a new study. "Most said they weren't swayed by such things as financial gain or a patient's expectations.

15 Apr 2010

OHSU awarded $5.8M in ARRA funds to educate health IT professional work force

Oregon Health & Science University has been awarded $5.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to advance the widespread adoption and meaningful use of health information technology by educating professionals to work in this rapidly growing field.

15 Apr 2010

Investigators tout fraud convictions in California, Florida and New York

Authorities are crediting their Medicare and Medicaid fraud initiatives for convictions and guilty pleas in California, Florida and New York.

15 Apr 2010

Experts, public consider health reform merits, hardships and unintended consequences

Confusion persists about health reform and insurance for members of Congress. "The law stipulates that lawmakers and some members of their staffs enroll in new health insurance exchanges. But an apparent drafting error in the law makes it unclear when that transition is supposed to occur."

15 Apr 2010

New research indicates exercise-based rehabilitation can benefit heart failure patients

Your heart is an incredible muscle, pumping an estimated 2,000 gallons of blood through about 60,000 million miles of blood vessels — and beating maybe 100,000 times a day, year after year after year.

15 Apr 2010

UnitedHealth partners with Walgreens and YMCA to control diabetes

The New York Times: "The UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest health insurers, is teaming up with the Y.M.C.A. and retail pharmacies to try a new approach to one of the nation's most serious and expensive medical problems: Type 2 Diabetes. Rather than simply continuing to pay ever-higher medical claims to care for its diabetic customers, UnitedHealth is paying the Y.M.C.A. and pharmacists to keep people healthier."

15 Apr 2010

Guardian examines Africa's health worker shortage

The Guardian's "Katine Chronicles" blog examines the global shortage of health workers. According to the U.K.'s Department for International Development (DfID), more than 50 countries have a "critical shortage" of health workers and Africa needs an additional 800,000 health workers by 2015.

15 Apr 2010

Epilepsy patients who take Ginkgo products face increased risk of seizures: Report

Restrictions should be placed on the use of Ginkgo biloba - a top-selling herbal remedy - because of growing scientific evidence that Ginkgo may increase the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy and could reduce the effectiveness of anti-seizure drugs, a new report concludes. The article appears in ACS' monthly Journal of Natural Products.

15 Apr 2010

Family support critical for managing patients with chronic health problems

Almost 40 percent of chronically ill older adults in the U.S. live alone, and a majority of those who are married have spouses with at least one chronic illness that can affect their ability to provide support, according to a U-M study published in the journal Chronic Illness.

15 Apr 2010

Physician shortage expected to deepen with health overhaul

There is only one primary care doctor per 2,000 patients in certain parts of the country, which the government calls "health professional shortage areas," according to Medill Reports. "Health professionals worry there will be an even greater shortage after 2014 when about 32 million more people are insured, as mandated by the health care reform law and as the baby boomer generation becomes Medicare-aged" (Adorka, 4/13).

15 Apr 2010

G8 focus on maternal, child health should include efforts to improve sanitation, report author says

Part of Canada's push to make maternal and child health a focal point of the upcoming G8 summit in June should include an emphasis on efforts to improve sanitation in the world's poorest countries, according to an author of a report released Wednesday, Canwest News Service/Vancouver Sun reports.

15 Apr 2010

Patients focus on high cost of ER care

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the high cost of emergency room visits and "a changing health-care world, in which patients must think more like accountants and also like doctors. Make the right decision, and you could save thousands of dollars. Choose wrong, particularly about the ER, and you could lose your life. 'It is a dilemma for an average person: What is a real emergency?' said Martin Rosen, executive vice president of Health Advocate Inc. in Plymouth Meeting, which helps patients with medical or billing issues.

15 Apr 2010

Majority of U.S. employers unlikely to cease offering health care benefits to workers

A nationwide survey of business executives by Crain Communications Inc about the recent federal health care reform law has found that a majority of U.S. employers are unlikely to cease offering health care benefits to their workers.

15 Apr 2010

Florida lawmakers weigh Medicaid overhaul

Health News Florida: "In a surprising turnaround from last week, a top Senate health chairman Monday called off two meetings that had been scheduled to scrutinize a House proposal for overhauling the Medicaid system. The Senate Health Regulation Committee planned to hold more than nine hours of meetings Wednesday and Thursday to study House bills that would require almost all Medicaid recipients to move into managed-care plans.

15 Apr 2010

HHS 2009 quality report shows increase in hospital-acquired infections

The Associated Press: "The Health and Human Services department's 2009 quality report to Congress found 'very little progress' on eliminating hospital-acquired infections and called for 'urgent attention' to address the shortcomings — first brought to light a decade ago."

15 Apr 2010

Florida to enact health care legislation to improve access to ARV therapy

Florida is poised to enact health care legislation that would add clarity to existing state statutes by requiring that all state-regulated health plans include lifesaving antiretroviral (ARV) HIV/AIDS drugs on their drug formularies or preferred drug lists.

15 Apr 2010

COBRA health insurance subsidies waiting for Senate action

Kaiser Health News staff writer Andrew Villegas writes: "People recently laid off are waiting -- once again -- to hear if they will be eligible to get subsidies to stay on their employer's health insurance.

15 Apr 2010