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States' retiree benefits underfunded by at least $1 trillion

State governments' retiree pension and health plans are severely underfunded, according to a new report from the Pew Center on States.

18 Feb 2010

'Cadillac' tax would have non-union impact, analysis finds

"A proposed tax on high-cost ['Cadillac'] health insurance plans, an element of Democratic health-care legislation that has been strongly opposed by organized labor, would actually fall equally on nonunion plans, according to a new analysis. ... at least 80 percent of the workers whose plans would be subject to the tax in 2019 would be in nonunion jobs," according to Ken Jacobs of the University of California at Berkeley Labor Center and William H. Dow, professor of health economics at Berkeley and a member of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers.

18 Feb 2010

Centene to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan

Centene Corporation today announced that its South Carolina subsidiary, Absolute Total Care, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan (CCHP), the state's largest non-profit Medicaid managed care organization, from University Health Services, Inc. (UHS). CCHP serves more than 40,000 Medicaid members in 46 counties across the state.

18 Feb 2010

BIOGUARD wound dressings with Quick-Med’s NIMBUS antimicrobial technology to be sold by Medline Industries

Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. announced today that its licensee, Derma Sciences, Inc., has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Medline Industries whereby Medline will market and sell BIOGUARD™ wound dressings with Quick-Med’s proprietary NIMBUS antimicrobial technology. The agreement covers the acute care segment of the health care market, which includes nearly 6,000 hospitals in the United States plus surgery centers, wound care centers, and other associated health care facilities. Sales under this new agreement are expected to start later this month.

18 Feb 2010

Gentiva Health Services announces fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2009 results

Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of home health and hospice services, today reported fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2009 results.

18 Feb 2010

International Merchant Advisors announces development of new line of Wellness Centers and medical marijuana treatment centers

International Merchant Advisors, Inc. announced today that the company intends to develop a new line of Wellness Centers and medical marijuana treatment centers. CEO Mel Roseman stated, "Wellness Centers and medical marijuana are promising new treatment areas, but will require stringent systems and controls to engender the confidence of both patients and the regulatory community.

18 Feb 2010

Dartmouth Atlas hospital ratings could be misleading, says former CMS Senior Policy Advisor

A "Perspective" piece in today's New England Journal of Medicine by Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, points out that policy makers are relying on hospital ratings from the Dartmouth Atlas that could be misleading.

18 Feb 2010

WellCare Health Plans reports net income of $39.9M for 2009

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. today reported results for the year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2009. As determined under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Company reported net income of $39.9 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, for the year 2009, compared with a net loss of $36.8 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, for the year 2008.

18 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 18, 2010

Today's headlines focus on continuing hopes for health reform as well as various health industry developments.

18 Feb 2010

HHS Secretary to address on health disparities at NABJ conference

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will deliver the keynote address at the National Association of Black Journalists annual conference on Health Disparities, March 4-6, 2010 at the Barbara Jordan Conference Center, Kaiser Family Foundation, 1330 G. Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

18 Feb 2010

UCSF receives $1.15M grant to integrate family planning into HIV treatment and care

UCSF has received a $1.15 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to determine if integrating family planning into HIV treatment and care will increase contraceptive use and decrease unintended pregnancy among HIV-positive women. UCSF will partner with the Kenya Medical Research Institute and Ibis Reproductive Health to conduct the research.

18 Feb 2010

URAC to conduct workshop highlighting multiple aspects of medication adherence

URAC, the nation's leading health care accreditation and education organization, will conduct a workshop on "Medication Adherence and Medication Possession Ratio as a Critical Metric" at the 15th Annual Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) Conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

18 Feb 2010

Training birth attendants in essential newborn-care techniques can reduce perinatal deaths

New findings in a study led by the director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Neonatology show that that training birth attendants in essential newborn-care techniques reduced stillbirths by more than 30 percent - and potentially could save as many as 1 million lives worldwide each year.

18 Feb 2010

Detroit home health agency owner pleads guilty over Medicare fraud

Detroit-area resident Muhammad Shahab pleaded guilty today for his role in organizing a Detroit-area home health care fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade; Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena of the FBI's Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General's (HHS-OIG), Chicago Regional Office.

18 Feb 2010

Keystone Health increases access to healthcare with ARRA grants: Secretary of Health commends

Secretary of Health Everette James commended Keystone Health for increasing access to healthcare with grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act during a groundbreaking ceremony today at the facility's main campus in Chambersburg.

18 Feb 2010

New IPI publication outlines effective healthcare reform plan

President Obama's call during the State of the Union address for a better approach to health care reform is answered today with the release of a new publication from the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) entitled, "Health Care Reform: What Now?"

18 Feb 2010

US health plans adopt unified approach to assist consumers in appropriate medication use

Dozens of US health plans nationwide have adopted a unified approach to assist seniors and other consumers to appropriately use medications. The move follows increased emphasis from the federal government for Medicare plans to offer more robust Medication Therapy Management (“MTM”) programs in 2010.

18 Feb 2010

Senior citizens urge Congress to start over on healthcare reform

With President Obama hosting a bipartisan meeting on health care reform next week, the 60 Plus Association announced today a new advertising campaign featuring seniors who urge Congress to "Start over and get health care right."

18 Feb 2010

Results indicate deficiencies in end-of-life care across U.S.

Approximately 66 percent of respondents to a Maryland telephone survey do not have advance medical directives, according to a new report by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Department of Health Policy and Management.

18 Feb 2010

LAAHU announces annual Health Insurance Awareness Week

Los Angeles Association of Health Underwriters announces its annual Health Insurance Awareness Week. This week is set aside to perform outreach to the community in the form of health awareness and to the importance of the role of the health insurance agent.

18 Feb 2010

Health Care News and Research

States' retiree benefits underfunded by at least $1 trillion

'Cadillac' tax would have non-union impact, analysis finds

Centene to acquire Columbia-based Carolina Crescent Health Plan

BIOGUARD wound dressings with Quick-Med’s NIMBUS antimicrobial technology to be sold by Medline Industries

Gentiva Health Services announces fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2009 results

International Merchant Advisors announces development of new line of Wellness Centers and medical marijuana treatment centers

Dartmouth Atlas hospital ratings could be misleading, says former CMS Senior Policy Advisor

WellCare Health Plans reports net income of $39.9M for 2009

First Edition: February 18, 2010

HHS Secretary to address on health disparities at NABJ conference

UCSF receives $1.15M grant to integrate family planning into HIV treatment and care

URAC to conduct workshop highlighting multiple aspects of medication adherence

Training birth attendants in essential newborn-care techniques can reduce perinatal deaths

Detroit home health agency owner pleads guilty over Medicare fraud

Keystone Health increases access to healthcare with ARRA grants: Secretary of Health commends

New IPI publication outlines effective healthcare reform plan

US health plans adopt unified approach to assist consumers in appropriate medication use

Senior citizens urge Congress to start over on healthcare reform

Results indicate deficiencies in end-of-life care across U.S.

LAAHU announces annual Health Insurance Awareness Week

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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