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Cost saving benefit faces eventual elimination without relief

Despite Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) support of President Obama's pledge not to raise taxes on the middle class, the House of Representatives is now considering -- outside of the normal legislative process -- adopting provisions approved yesterday by the Senate Finance Committee that would drastically restrict the use of flexible spending accounts (FSAs) in order to help pay for health care reform.

15 Oct 2009

Patients on statin drugs may have lower AAA surgery costs

Patients taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may have better results and lower procedure costs when having a common operation for repairing a bulging aorta, according to a new study presented at the 95th annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

15 Oct 2009

Boehringer Ingelheim implements the iStudyReporter Bioanalytics reporting solution

Boehringer Ingelheim is a group of companies dedicated to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine. It is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Boehringer Ingelheim’s business areas include Prescription Medicines, Consumer Health Care and Biopharmaceuticals, as well as Pharma Chemicals and Animal Health.

15 Oct 2009

NAHC completes BlackBerry Report

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) today announced the completion of The BlackBerry® Report: The National State of the Home Care Industry Study.

15 Oct 2009

Research to investigate and improve patient adherence to prescription drug therapies

CVS Caremark is sponsoring research to investigate patient adherence to prescription drug therapies and identify ways to increase adherence. Working with researchers from Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital, the company expects knowledge gained from the research will help health professionals better understand patient behavior and lead to developing programs that health care providers and pharmacies can use to improve medication adherence and ultimately help improve patient care and medical outcomes by avoiding costly hospital treatment.

15 Oct 2009

Health reform bill approved by finance panel, Snowe sides with Democrats

Kaiser Health News staff writers Eric Pianin and Mary Agnes Carey report on yesterday's Senate Finance Committee action.

15 Oct 2009

Innovative technologies and devices feature at AdvaMed 2009

The exhibit hall at AdvaMed 2009 on the third floor of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is brimming with displays of cutting edge medical technology, organizations committed to the advancement of research and development in the MedTech industry, and innovative devices designed to improve the health and health care of people all over the world.

15 Oct 2009

Snowe's vote prompts speculation about broader bipartisan support

Democrats earned a single, coveted Republican vote for health reform legislation - from Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, - in the Senate Finance Committee, bringing them closer to the goal of bipartisan support, the Boston Globe reports

15 Oct 2009

Televised show to educate people on health care resources

Continuing its efforts to educate, inform, and empower the people of Chicago, SAVE THE PATIENT, a not-for-profit patient-focused organization, is hosting its 25-minute live call-in show, "Community Health," on Chicago Access Network (CAN-TV) on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 6:00 PM on Channel 21.

15 Oct 2009

Policymakers urged to preserve access to advanced imaging in final health care reform legislation

Survivors and patients with cancers and heart disease, along with patient advocate organizations and physicians, today urged policymakers to enhance early diagnosis of deadly diseases by preserving access to advanced imaging, such as MRI and CT scans, in final health care reform legislation.

15 Oct 2009

Depression becomes more difficult to treat the longer it goes undiagnosed or undertreated

A new survey of 2,001 adults living with depression revealed that despite being diagnosed for an average of 12 years, many unknowingly took actions that could have sabotaged their chances of getting well. Furthermore, on average, it took about six years for respondents to seek diagnosis from a health care professional, suggesting these adults may have been coping with depression for as long as 18 years.

15 Oct 2009

NHC Geriatric Clinical Residency Program receives accreditation

National HealthCare Corporation, one of the nation’s leading operators of long-term health care and assisted living facilities, announced today that the NHC Geriatric Clinical Residency Program (GCRP) for Physical Therapists has successfully received accreditation through the American Physical Therapy Association.

15 Oct 2009

Windsor Place of Wilmington opens to welcome new residents

Windsor Place of Wilmington, a premier assisted living residence for seniors, announced today that it will welcome residents this month. Windsor Place has 87 distinctive luxury suites. A portion are designated for individuals with memory impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

15 Oct 2009

Senate Finance Committee passes health bill, but with plenty of grumbling

The Senate Finance Committee yesterday became the fifth and final committee in Congress to pass a health care overhaul bill. The committee voted 14-9 in favor of the bill with Sen. Olympia Snowe, of Maine, joining all of the panel's Democrats to cast the sole Republican "yea" vote.

15 Oct 2009

Snowe's vote paves way for other centrists to support Baucus health bill

Before voting with the Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, had been involved in negotiations for months that led to the shape of the measure's key elements, USA Today reports.

15 Oct 2009

Wellness programs may face regulations to protect genetic information

Some employers using wellness and disease management programs to lower costs may soon face a new regulatory obstacle, the Wall Street Journal reports.

15 Oct 2009

MSU receives $6.2 million Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's disease grant

A team of researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Cincinnati have been awarded a $6.2 million Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's disease grant.

15 Oct 2009

Regional health care experts weigh in on health reform efforts

Health experts and officials from around America are weighing in on the health care reform efforts in Congress.

15 Oct 2009

Senator Snowe's continued fight to ensure stable Medicare funding for seniors praised

The long term care sector's ongoing concern with deep Medicare cuts, in conjunction with the state Medicaid funding crisis fueled by the recession, was reflected in Senator Snowe's comments on the Senate Finance Committee health care reform package. We thank her for focusing much-needed attention on the unique challenges our sector faces in the continued provision of quality care to the vulnerable patients we serve in Maine and across the nation.

15 Oct 2009

MDI Healthcare Solutions partners with Wolfram|Alpha to reduce employers' healthcare costs

The ability to predict future costs for member care and disease management is a top concern for most self-insured employers. A collaboration between MDI Healthcare Solutions and Wolfram|Alpha , LLC will deliver a Predictive Index (PI) and ultimately reduce companies’ annual healthcare costs significantly.

15 Oct 2009