Health Care News and Research

RSS

Reform issues in play: Selling insurance across state lines, Medicare’s doughnut hole

News outlets report on some of the major health policy issues being considered by the Senate, including a proposal to let insurers sell plans across state lines and an effort to close the Medicare "doughnut hole."

17 Dec 2009

Federal tech panel still defining electronic health records terminology

The mid-December "milestone" for a federal advisory panel to come up with a definition of "meaningful use" of electronic medical records has come and gone, Modern Healthcare reports. That definition is to be used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to determine who is eligible for a share of $34 billion in subsidies provided as part of the February stimulus bill. The members of the federal panel began shaping their definition in May.

17 Dec 2009

Lieberman's health care move still reverberating

Politico: "Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is taking a thrashing from his former Democratic colleagues and liberal activists for forcing a Medicare expansion out of the health bill. But in the end, Lieberman may have done President Barack Obama one of the biggest favors in the health care debate. That's because any bill with the Medicare buy-in would have drawn fierce opposition from doctors and hospitals, two groups Obama has worked hard to keep on board.

17 Dec 2009

House votes to extend COBRA benefits, delay Medicare physician pay cuts

The House of Representatives voted yesterday to delay Medicare doctor payment cuts and extend COBRA benefits.

17 Dec 2009

Pelosi signals openness to bill without public option, others also eye possibilities

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled Wednesday that she is open to health care reform that doesn't include a public option, "a strong signal that Congress could agree on a plan early next year," McClatchy reports.

17 Dec 2009

Pelosi signals openness to bill without public option but progressives chafe

17 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 17, 2009

Today's big story, according to the headlines, are the delays in the Senate debate.

17 Dec 2009

Obama meeting designed to boost Reid's effort to pass health bill

The New York Times Prescriptions blog: "With the health care overhaul on shaky ground, President Obama planned to meet with Senate Democrats on Tuesday afternoon ... to exhort them to make history by approving the contentious measure."

17 Dec 2009

FRC Action hosts corporate prayer on health care overhaul bill

Tonight, Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. ET, Family Research Council Action, The Call to Conscience and Focus on the Family Action will host a special one hour webcast that will mobilize thousands of Christians and churches to join in corporate prayer over the health care overhaul bill.

17 Dec 2009

Tips for healthy living for the year ahead

Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, carnivore or pescetarian, vegetables should be a central part of your diet. Often referred to as a "protective food," dark green foods provide essential vitamins and nutrients to your body that protect you from many of life's worst diseases.

17 Dec 2009

Medifacts International announces new innovations in the use of telemedicine in clinical trials

MEDIFACTS INTERNATIONAL, INC., one of the largest global providers of noninvasive cardiovascular diagnostic services, today announced that they are once again leading the Cardiovascular Safety Services marketplace in innovation, expertise, and execution - this time with new innovations in the use of telemedicine, T-SMBP (Telemonitoring Self Measured Blood Pressure), in clinical trials.

17 Dec 2009

ASA offers practical ways for sufferers to take active role in treatment of pain

Whether the result of injury, illness or a chronic condition, 70 million Americans experience pain annually. The individual pain sufferer may experience a diminished quality of life, lack of mobility and added stress.

17 Dec 2009

Quantros launches new healthcare IT consulting division

Quantros, Inc., a leading provider of safety and quality software and professional services solutions for the healthcare industry, announces the creation of a new healthcare IT consulting division.

17 Dec 2009

Healthcare sector achieves modest revenue growth in 2008

Health care sector revenue increased by 5.7 percent in 2008 to $1.75 trillion, up from $1.66 trillion in 2007, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This sector is classified under the North American Industry Classification System as NAICS 62.

17 Dec 2009

Meijer wins awards for employee health and wellness programs

As it nears the end of its 75th anniversary year, supercenter chain Meijer is celebrating once again after winning three awards this year for its emphasis on employee wellness.

17 Dec 2009

Interactive conference session focuses on strengths and weaknesses of new trends in drug benefit plan design

Benefits executives from Caterpillar, Inc., Procter & Gamble, and Delta Air Lines are among the employers who will share innovative approaches to plan design at the 2010 Drug Benefit Conference sponsored by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI).

17 Dec 2009

Portable bladder volume ultrasound now included in 2009 CDC guidelines for the prevention CA-UTIs

Verathon®, maker of BladderScan® bladder volume instruments is pleased to announce that portable bladder volume ultrasound is now included in the new 2009 CDC guidelines for the Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CA-UTIs).

17 Dec 2009

Communication strategies can benefit dementia patients and caregivers

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia represent an exponentially growing social and health care challenge for American families - not only family members who face the progressive brain disease, but also those who love them.

17 Dec 2009

MRG: Chinese drug-eluting stent market to reach more than $900 million by 2014

According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, health care reforms in China supported rapid expansion of the Chinese drug-eluting stent market in 2009, and will continue to fuel growth in the coming years.

17 Dec 2009

Proposed health care legislation to set new standards in employer-based insurance system

If proposed health care legislation is enacted, it would set new standards in the employer-based insurance system. Approximately 18.4 million Californians and 161 million Americans under the age of 65 rely upon employer-based insurance for their health care coverage.

17 Dec 2009