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WIREC Director testifies on the implementation of HITECH Act

Peggy Evans, PhD, CPHIT, Director of the Washington & Idaho Regional Extension Center testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee of Health, Tuesday, July 27, 2010, in Washington, DC. Dr. Evans joined David Blumenthal, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and several others on two panels of witnesses.

29 Jul 2010

PCMA issues statement on a provision in the U.S. Senate's small business legislation

Pharmaceutical Care Management Association President and CEO Mark Merritt issued the following statement today on a provision in the U.S. Senate's small business legislation that would require the Department of Health and Human Services to work with outside companies to target fraud, waste, and abuse in states across the country.

29 Jul 2010

Senate Subcommittee approves HHS funding bill, other health care bills readied

CongressDaily: The Senate Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee approved a draft funding bill Tuesday for HHS, "moving a bill that would provide $170 billion in discretionary spending to related federal agencies, nearly $1 billion under the president's request." The bill gives $732 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services, $306 million more than the administration requested. "The House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee gave the health agency a similar boost in funding."

29 Jul 2010

Therapists introduce new parenting skills to end child maltreatment

Mothers who live in poverty and who have abused their children can stop if they are taught parenting skills and given emotional support. A new study has found that mothers in families in which there is a history of child abuse and neglect were able to reduce how much they cursed at, yelled at, slapped, spanked, hit or rejected their children after a series of home visits from therapists who taught them parenting skills.

28 Jul 2010

Researchers introduce Web-based program to help women experiencing abuse develop safety plans

Intimate partner violence results in 2 million injuries among women in the U.S. each year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. University of Missouri researchers are reducing these numbers with a new Web-based program that helps women experiencing abuse develop individualized safety plans and better assess the severity of their situations.

28 Jul 2010

Rite Aid agrees to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of HIPAA Privacy Rule

Rite Aid Corporation and its 40 affiliated entities (RAC) have agreed to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today. In a coordinated action, RAC also signed a consent order with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to settle potential violations of the FTC Act.

28 Jul 2010

Abortion, other issues continue to stoke the politics surrounding health reform

Politico reports that "the issues of health care and abortion" are making the campaign tough for some Democrats. Among the vulnerable Democrats are Reps. Kathleen Dahlkemper, D-Pa.; Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio; and Indiana Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth, who is running for Senate. "'We are going to do everything we can to point out that Democrats who said they were pro-life caved on the big one,' said Marilyn Musgrave, a former Colorado congresswoman.

28 Jul 2010

Momenta Pharmaceuticals provides update on generic Lovenox ANDA litigation

Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in the characterization and engineering of complex drugs, today provided an update regarding a lawsuit that Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Margaret A. Hamburg, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services.

27 Jul 2010

Report finds geographic variation in the use of carotid endarterectomy, carotid stenting

Medicare beneficiaries in some parts of the United States appear more likely to receive carotid endarterectomy, a surgical procedure to clear blockages in the artery supplying blood to the head, whereas those in other regions more often receive stents for the same condition, according to a report in the July 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Jul 2010

Some insurers will stop offering individual coverage for children after implementation of health law provision

"Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said that in his state UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield have stopped issuing new policies that cover children individually. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland said a couple of local insurers in her state have done likewise." The law requires insurers to accept children regardless of medical problems, worrying insurers that parents won't seek coverage for their kids until the kids get sick.

27 Jul 2010

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, Marianjoy announce partnership

Patients with acute physical rehabilitation needs now can undergo inpatient treatment close to home thanks to a new partnership between Adventist Hinsdale Hospital and Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. Announced today, the cooperative effort unites two organizations with similar holistic approaches to rehabilitative patient care for a variety of conditions in multiple settings.

26 Jul 2010

Today's OpEds: Health reform and long-term care; Health care incentives; Reasons for optimism or repeal and replace?

Our system of long-term care does not provide adequate or coordinated human services and medical treatment for our growing aging population. … Thanks to a provision of the new health care law known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program, tomorrow's continuum of care does not have to be so unforgiving. For the first time, a voluntary public insurance program will be available to help adults and families pay for long-term care services (Bruce Chernof, 7/23).

26 Jul 2010

St. John Providence Health System to migrate to eClinicalWorks comprehensive EHR solution

eClinicalWorks®, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced that St. John Providence Health System, the largest provider of inpatient care in southeast Michigan, will be offering eClinicalWorks comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) solution for its approximately 3,000 employed and affiliated physicians.

26 Jul 2010

Vical's prophylactic Vaxfectin-formulated pDNA vaccine effective against HSV-2 in animal model

Vical Incorporated today announced that its prophylactic Vaxfectin®-formulated plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccine against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) protected mice against lethal challenge, provided sterilizing immunity and inhibited viral counts at both the primary and latent infection sites. The Vaxfectin® adjuvant substantially improved vaccine effectiveness. A related vaccine significantly reduced the recurrence of HSV-2 lesions in a therapeutic model using guinea pigs with latent infection.

26 Jul 2010

HHS Secretary announces 15 awards to support Preventive Medicine Residency Programs

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced 15 awards totaling $9 million to support Preventive Medicine Residency Programs at accredited schools of public health, schools of medicine, and hospitals. Of these funds, nearly $6.7 million is part of the $200 million appropriated to HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to address the nation's health care workforce shortages.

26 Jul 2010

Insurers scrambling to get expenses defined as patient care

The New York Times looks at current efforts by state insurance officials to set regulations requried under the new health overhaul about insurance company spending. "The legislative battle over the health care overhaul ended months ago, but it is hard to tell from the intense effort now under way by insurance companies to retool a critical provision.

26 Jul 2010

GOP questions math of HHS' premium hike estimates; Abortion issue defining implementation

Senate Republican leaders are questioning an estimate by the Department of Health and Human Services that the effect of the new health law on insurance premiums will likely be less than 1 percent, The Hill reports.

23 Jul 2010

MAXIMUS operates health care appeal programs for state regulatory agencies

The United States Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury announced yesterday a new internal claims and appeals and external review process for group health plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

23 Jul 2010

Achieving meaningful use of inpatient EHR is top priority of hospital executives: Survey

According to a survey of U.S. hospital executives released today by CSC, steps to meet meaningful use requirements were already a priority for hospitals before the final rules to establish an incentive program for electronic health records were announced by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 12.

23 Jul 2010

New appeal regulations empower consumers to better control their health care decisions

Today, the Obama Administration is announcing both new regulations to empower consumers to appeal decisions made by their health plans or insurance companies and the availability of resources that will be used to help give consumers more control of their health care decisions. These provisions of the Affordable Care Act will help support and protect consumers and help end some of the worst insurance company abuses.

23 Jul 2010

Health and Human Services News and Research

WIREC Director testifies on the implementation of HITECH Act

PCMA issues statement on a provision in the U.S. Senate's small business legislation

Senate Subcommittee approves HHS funding bill, other health care bills readied

Therapists introduce new parenting skills to end child maltreatment

Researchers introduce Web-based program to help women experiencing abuse develop safety plans

Rite Aid agrees to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of HIPAA Privacy Rule

Abortion, other issues continue to stoke the politics surrounding health reform

Momenta Pharmaceuticals provides update on generic Lovenox ANDA litigation

Report finds geographic variation in the use of carotid endarterectomy, carotid stenting

Some insurers will stop offering individual coverage for children after implementation of health law provision

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, Marianjoy announce partnership

Today's OpEds: Health reform and long-term care; Health care incentives; Reasons for optimism or repeal and replace?

St. John Providence Health System to migrate to eClinicalWorks comprehensive EHR solution

Vical's prophylactic Vaxfectin-formulated pDNA vaccine effective against HSV-2 in animal model

HHS Secretary announces 15 awards to support Preventive Medicine Residency Programs

Insurers scrambling to get expenses defined as patient care

GOP questions math of HHS' premium hike estimates; Abortion issue defining implementation

MAXIMUS operates health care appeal programs for state regulatory agencies

Achieving meaningful use of inpatient EHR is top priority of hospital executives: Survey

New appeal regulations empower consumers to better control their health care decisions

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