Website News and Research

RSS

Consumers examine government's new health care website, health insurers critical

News outlets continue to report on the federal government's new health care website, healthcare.gov, launched Thursday.

3 Jul 2010

Medical biller develops special ranking system for insurers

Jonathan Bush recognized that getting paid in health care is a problem, NPR's Planet Money blog reports: "Say the patient is covered by Blue Cross. Which Blue Cross? Did she need a referral? What's the right billing code?" So he left the birthing center business to get "into a different part of the health-care business: He launched athenahealth, a company that handles billing for doctors' offices."

3 Jul 2010

Parkinson's Disease Foundation awards $1.2M for research programs

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) is pleased to announce awards totaling $1.2 million for research projects designed to understand the cause(s) of and find a cure for Parkinson's disease (PD).

2 Jul 2010

Five questions about the government's new health insurance website

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz provides some key details relating to this new way to shop for health insurance coverage (Galewitz, 7/1).

2 Jul 2010

HHS launches website to provide consumers with public, private health coverage options

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today unveiled an innovative new on-line tool that will help consumers take control of their health care by connecting them to new information and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage. Called for by the Affordable Care Act, HealthCare.gov is the first website to provide consumers with both public and private health coverage options tailored specifically for their needs in a single, easy-to-use tool.

2 Jul 2010

Two laboratory methods for Drosophila Neurobiology featured in Cold Spring Harbor Protocols journal

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's Neurobiology of Drosophila course (http://meetings.cshl.edu/courses/c-dros10.shtml) has served as the training ground for a generation of scientists tackling these complex problems. A new laboratory manual based on the protocols and background information taught in the course promises to spread these techniques to a wider audience. Two of the methods from the manual are featured in the July issue of the journal Cold Spring Harbor Protocols.

2 Jul 2010

New Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan from HHS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today the establishment of a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) that will offer coverage to uninsured Americans who have been unable to obtain health coverage because of a pre-existing health condition.

2 Jul 2010

Federal government launches new health insurance website

NPR reports that the website, which was mandated in the new health reform law, is meant to guide consumers through the process of securing health insurance.

2 Jul 2010

High-risk insurance pools open to people 'locked out' of market

People who have been unable to obtain health insurance in the commercial market because of pre-existing conditions can apply for a new, federally funded high-risk insurance pool beginning Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reports. "The program is the first major plank of the health overhaul signed into law in March, and it's designed as a temporary provision to expand coverage until 2014, when a requirement kicks in that insurers accept all applicants."

2 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 1, 2010

Today's health policy headlines highlight news about the launch of a government health insurance web site and the start of the high-risk health insurance pools mandated in the health reform law.

1 Jul 2010

Experts examine corporate websites dedicated to 100 best-selling prescription drugs

Dartmouth Linguistics Professor Lewis Glinert and Jon Schommer, the associate head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems at the University of Minnesota, have examined the corporate websites dedicated to the 100 best-selling prescription drugs. They found a startling lack of consistency in an industry where advertising standards are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

1 Jul 2010

Wellpoint warns 470,000 insurance applicants about website security breach

"WellPoint Inc. has warned some 470,000 people who applied for its health insurance that a website security glitch may have exposed their Social Security numbers and other sensitive data to the public." WellPoint quickly fixed the problem after being notified by a consumer who noticed it. The glitch "was introduced in October by a contractor who upgraded the site," according to a company spokesman. According to WellPoint officials, the "security glitch was exploited to access information on 940 insurance applications" and "unauthorized viewers accessed spreadsheets that 'in rare cases' contained Social Security numbers" (Finkle, 6/29).

1 Jul 2010

Threshold Pharmaceuticals initiates Phase 2 clinical trial of TH-302 in patients with first line pancreatic cancer

Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has initiated a multi-center, randomized, controlled, crossover Phase 2 clinical trial of TH-302 in combination with gemcitabine in patients with first line pancreatic cancer. TH-302 is a proprietary tumor selective Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug that specifically targets tumor hypoxia.

1 Jul 2010

Rexahn closes sale of $10 million of securities in registered direct offering

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced the closing of a previously announced sale of an aggregate of $10 million of securities in a registered direct offering. Rexahn received net proceeds of approximately $9.28 million after deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses.

1 Jul 2010

AdVnt launches 15 Minute Black Mold Detection Test

AdVnt Biotechnologies, the company known for producing BioWarfare Agent Detection Devices for HAZMAT First Response Teams around the globe to help them rapidly detect such biological agents as Anthrax, Ricin and Botulinum, has just released its newest product for In-Home and Professional use. Building on the expertise gained in the international arena of BioWarfare Agent Detection, AdVnt is now applying its R&D expertise to help defend against another type of bio threat that could be growing in the walls and under the floorboards in your own home.

30 Jun 2010

Independence Blue Cross announces five new Personal Choice PPO plans

Beginning July 1, 2010, Independence Blue Cross (IBC) will offer five new Personal Choice® PPO plan options for individuals – expanding the range of individual plan choices for health care consumers in the region. These medically underwritten plans are available in three popular formats: copay, deductible and health savings account (HSA) plan designs that enable consumers to choose the type of plan and pricing that fits their specific needs.

30 Jun 2010

Canadian Cancer Society urges for mining, export permission denial

In a letter sent to Quebec Premier Jean Charest, the Canadian Cancer Society is urging the premier not to approve a $58 million loan guarantee to Jeffrey Asbestos Mines, based in Quebec, for the renewal of asbestos mining and export.

30 Jun 2010

New approach to lung cancer measurement holds promise for smokers

The pilot program for Lung Cancer Alliance's (LCA) website for patient donated scans is helping open the door to a potentially new method for evaluating lung cancer risk in smokers as well as non-smokers.

30 Jun 2010

NORD urges FDA to reduce regulatory uncertainty in developing medicines for rare disorders

Noting that only about 200 of the nearly 7,000 diseases classified as rare currently have treatments, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) today called for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) statement of policy on regulation of therapies for rare disorders.

30 Jun 2010

Humana launches ‘Points of Caregiving’ program

Humana Inc. today introduced Points of Caregiving, a comprehensive resource for the nation's 52 million caregivers. Designed as a complete caregiver's destination, the program includes an easy-to-use interactive website, telephonic support and customized reminders to help caregivers make decisions with confidence and to find support from peers.

30 Jun 2010