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Heated town halls fire up Republicans

Town hall protestors are "part of a phenomenon enabling national conservative groups to galvanize grassroots anger about big government and reshape the debate over President Obama's health care plan. Suddenly, it's the conservatives' turn to be fired up," USA Today reports.

20 Aug 2009

House Democrats ask to examine health insurers' finances

House Democrats examine pay and profit for health insurers as health insurance stocks dip lower than market.

20 Aug 2009

Midcareer professionals find new opportunities in health care

"Health care may be a costly drag on the economy, but it's still a great place to find a job," The New York Times reports. "Midcareer managers and other workers have been migrating to health care jobs for years, of course. Now, with the recession, the lure is even stronger. Hospitals, which employ more than four million people, added 135,000 jobs last year and 19,400 more in the first half of 2009, even as millions of American workers wound up unemployed." For many working in the field, health care is a second career. "Many managers with experience in fields like human resources, finance and marketing find a welcome in health care, with a little studying up."

20 Aug 2009

Enterprise Technology Solutions and Health Net Federal Services to provide recovery audit services to VA HAC

Enterprise Technology Solutions (ETS) LLC, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and Health Net Federal Services LLC, the government operations division of Health Net, Inc., (NYSE:HNT) today announced they have been awarded a contract by the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration Center (VA HAC) to provide recovery audit services of VA payments made for non-VA hospital care to veterans. As the prime contractor for this agreement, ETS will provide program management, and Health Net Federal Services, the prime subcontractor, will provide technical and operational expertise.

20 Aug 2009

Seasonal flu vaccinations to cost less in Safeway's U.S. Stores

Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY) added to its leadership reputation in health care reform and cost control by offering seasonal flu vaccines in its U.S. stores at a substantial savings compared with the cost of doctor-administered vaccines. The lower cost will help consumers and businesses control health care spending in a challenging economy.

20 Aug 2009

Squabbling Democrats prepare to move ahead on health bills without GOP

The New York Times: "Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority's cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks. Top Democrats said Tuesday that their go-it-alone view was being shaped by what they saw as Republicans' purposely strident tone against health care legislation during this month's Congressional recess, as well as remarks by leading Republicans that current proposals were flawed beyond repair."

20 Aug 2009

Some HIV-positive Ugandans' not receiving antiretrovirals

Some HIV-positive people in Uganda "cannot be put on the national antiretroviral [ARV] programme because it is already saturated and funds for new patients are not available," the Independent reports. According to the newspaper, roughly 360,000 HIV-positive Ugandans are eligible for antiretroviral treatment because their CD4 counts are below the WHO's threshold of 350; however, about half of them currently do not have access to ARVs.

20 Aug 2009

State round-up: New Jersey hospitals, Utah's Medicaid troubles, and more

Wednesday's state news includes a hospital demonstration in New Jersey, Medicaid fraud in Utah, an abortion ruling in Oklahoma, and a White House decision to maintain Wisconsin's unique drug program for seniors.

20 Aug 2009

Does fetal fibronectin testing change patient management in women at risk of preterm labour?

Hologic, Inc. has announced the publication of the first of its kind study evaluating the impact of fetal fibronectin (fFN) testing among both symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women at risk for preterm birth. The study, "Does fetal fibronectin testing change patient management in women at risk of preterm labour?" by researchers at King's College, London, England appears in the on-line version of the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.

20 Aug 2009

URAC Health Utilization Management accreditation for Nationwide Better Health

Nationwide Better HealthSM, a leading provider of health and productivity management solutions, announced today that it has been awarded Health Utilization Management Accreditation from URAC, a Washington DC-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry. URAC’s Health Utilization Management Accreditation standards require companies to establish a process to assess, plan and implement case management interventions.

20 Aug 2009

Physician shortage limits even insured patients' access to care

CBS News reports that just having insurance coverage "doesn't guarantee access" to health care, because there is s shortage of primary care doctors to provide treatment. "Baystate Medical Center is the second busiest emergency room in Massachusetts. They treat over 100,000 patients a year, but here's the thing: according to Dr. Niels Rathlev, who runs the ER, a quarter of them don't need his services." Rathlev says it would be "more appropriate" for those people to see a primary care doctor. "'The majority of patients who are frequent utilizers of the emergency department actually have insurance,' Rathlev said. 'They have a primary care physician, but they choose to come to the ER because they don't have access.'"

20 Aug 2009

Managing Myeloma educational website launches forum to encourage oncology nurses to discuss myeloma challenges

Managing Myeloma (www.ManagingMyeloma.com), an accredited educational website for multidisciplinary professionals, has launched a forum designed specifically for oncology nurses. The goal of the nursing forum is to share insight about day-to-day practice challenges in caring for patients with multiple myeloma, provide updates on clinical advances, and connect with peers.

20 Aug 2009

PACE programs focus on health and wellness of senior citizens

In celebration of National Senior Citizens Day, this Friday, August 21(st), the National PACE Association is working with many of the individual Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) around the country to educate their surrounding communities about PACE through health fairs and open houses.

20 Aug 2009

Study reveals that patient care is better in nonprofit nursing homes than in for-profit nursing homes

A major new statistical review of 82 individual research studies has revealed that nonprofit nursing homes deliver, on average, higher quality care than for-profit nursing homes. The findings could have a bearing on the present debate about the role of for-profit firms in U.S. health reform.

20 Aug 2009

Poll reveals that thin majority of Americans continue to support health care reforms

A slim majority of Americans continues to favor moving forward on health care reform now despite an intensifying ad war and a political climate of contentious town hall meetings that coincide with rising concerns about the reform effort, according to the August Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.

20 Aug 2009

Medication safety program on safe prescribing procedures for narcotic drugs launched

Warnings by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and increasing misuse and overdoses are telling reminders of the dangers pain medications can present. A recent study reveals that one in 10 high school students have tried opioid drugs and the prevalence of young adults using narcotics for non-medical use is the highest in 15 years.

20 Aug 2009

HHS issues new regulations to notify individuals on health information

New regulations requiring health care providers, health plans, and other entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to notify individuals when their health information is breached were issued today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

20 Aug 2009

Extend Health announces plans to recruit more employees at its Utah location

Extend Health, a leading provider of defined contribution health care solutions to Fortune 500 corporations, today announced that the company is looking to expand its Utah location workforce by 200+ employees over the next four to eight weeks. As of August 5, two hundred positions have been filled during the third quarter bringing the company’s Utah based employee headcount to over 400.

20 Aug 2009

Co-op proposal continues to draw White House defensiveness, Liberals' ire

The Hill reports on Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' backpedaling on comments she made Sunday that a public option "isn't essential" to a reform package: "'Here's the bottom line. Absolutely nothing has changed. We continue to support the public option that will help lower costs, give American consumers more choice and keep private insurers honest,' Sebelius said. 'The public option is a very good way to do this,' she added" (Youngman, 8/18).

20 Aug 2009

Low income women less likely to be screened for cancer in Ontario

Less than half of Ontario women with abnormal Pap tests receive recommended and potentially life-saving follow-up care, according to a new women's health study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). What's more, low-income women are less likely to be screened for cancer compared to their high-income counterparts.

20 Aug 2009