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Telemedicine plays important role in providing access to care for Medi-Cal members

According to US Department of Health and Human Services, compared with urban Americans, rural residents have higher poverty rates, have fewer doctors, hospitals, and other health resources, and face more difficulty getting to health services. Beginning 2014, when health care reform becomes effective, an estimated 2.4 million Californians will be newly-eligible for Medi-Cal.

13 Jul 2010

Texas doctors bristle at Medicaid cuts as Congress to consider extending funds; State pinpoints high prescribing docs

Despite states' warnings that they will face massive budget cuts without help from Washington, Congress has not yet moved to provide $24.2 billion in additional Medicaid funding that many statehouses had anticipated would be included in a failed June bill, American Medical News reports. "Lawmakers return to Washington from their Independence Day break on July 12, but Democratic leaders have not offered a clear path forward on the issue" (Trapp, 7/12).

13 Jul 2010

Obama administration prepares to announce first national HIV strategy

Kaiser Health News: "Federal officials plan to announce Tuesday a national strategy designed to ramp up and better coordinate the government's attack on the country's HIV/AIDS epidemic." Many HIV/AIDS advocates "say many more resources need to be committed to fight the disease, especially considering it doesn't get the attention it once did.

12 Jul 2010

Brand-Nu Laboratories adds Chlophedianol Hydrochloride to API line

Brand-Nu Laboratories, a leading US-based high purity chemical manufacturer and distributor, has introduced Chlophedianol Hydrochloride, also known as Clofedanol Hydrochloride JP, to its product portfolio of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

12 Jul 2010

Iowa HITREC selects Greenway's PrimeSuite EHR solution for statewide deployment

The Iowa Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (HITREC) has selected Greenway Medical Technologies, Inc., provider of the single-database, integrated electronic health record (EHR), practice management and interoperability solution PrimeSuite®, as a preferred EHR solution for its statewide deployment program within the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) REC healthcare grant program.

12 Jul 2010

athenaClinicals Version 10.6 receives CCHIT's EHR technology, preliminary IFR Stage 1 certification

athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of web-based practice management, electronic health record, and patient communication services to medical groups, today announced that the latest version of its web-based EHR service, athenaClinicalsSM Version 10.6, has been inspected by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®) and is certified EHR technology, IFR Stage 1, preliminarily meeting 24 of 24 requirements for Eligible Providers published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Interim Final Rule.

12 Jul 2010

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today commended federal food safety agencies for their accomplishments supporting the charge of President Obama's Food Safety Working Group, which advises the President on how to upgrade the U.S. food safety system for the 21st century.

12 Jul 2010

GOP questions Berwick's ties to industry

The Hill reports that Republicans are charging the Obama administration with evading questions on Dr. Donald Berwick's ties to the health care industry. President Barack Obama used a recess appointment this week to install Berwick as head of the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid after key Republicans had raised concerns about Berwick's views.

12 Jul 2010

Sebelius pushing insurance companies to help get more Americans covered

In an interview with Reuters, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "said she is pushing [insurance] companies to help people gain insurance in the gap between now and 2014. That is when the healthcare law President Barack Obama signed in March mandates extensive changes. Sebelius struck a cooperative tone after publicly chastising insurers for high rate hikes ... and after repeatedly calling them to the White House for highly publicized talks. A more congenial relationship with insurers could help keep the major overhaul of the healthcare system on track and loosen strained relations between Democrats and big business ahead of the November midterm elections" (Richwine, 7/8).

9 Jul 2010

News roundup: NYC program to help poor, elderly with insurance gets cut; Colo. promotes wellness programs for small businesses

A program that for a decade helped New York City's poor and elderly navigate their way through insurance problems — and that became a model for a similar federal program — has become a casualty of city budget cuts, an administrator of the program said on Thursday. The $4 million program sent ombudsmen to 25 social service agencies across the city.

9 Jul 2010

HHS proposes stricter patient privacy rules

New rules have been proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services to stregthen patient privacy protections.

9 Jul 2010

HHS to give states $25 million for HIV drugs; Researchers identify antibodies that may help in AIDS vaccine research

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday "that she would provide $25 million more to help states buy life-saving medications for people with H.I.V. or AIDS. Advocates for patients said the money was not nearly enough to eliminate waiting lists, which have surged to record levels as people have lost health insurance, along with their jobs, and states have cut their budgets. Ms. Sebelius said she was 'reallocating and transferring $25 million in existing resources' to provide medicines for people on waiting lists.

9 Jul 2010

Merck to lay off 15 percent of workers, close plants, research facilities

Drugmaker Merck announced it is closing eight research centers and eight manufacturing plants and laying off 15,000 people from its worldwide operations during the next two years because of its merger with Schering-Plough. "The restructuring is expected to save $2.7 billion to $3.1 billion in 2012, the company said. Meanwhile, the pretax cost of the initial phase of the cost-cutting program is expected to range from $3.5 billion to $4.3 billion, much of it in severance packages for employees."

9 Jul 2010

Second round of checks to close Medicare doughnut hole sent out

"The Obama administration is sending $250 checks to more than 300,000 older Americans who paid higher drug costs in the Medicare coverage gap known as the 'doughnut hole,' officials announced Thursday. The one-time, tax-free checks are the first tangible benefit of the health care package that became law this year."

9 Jul 2010

Study: Small fragment of RNA appears to protect rats against cocaine addiction

A specific and remarkably small fragment of RNA appears to protect rats against cocaine addiction-and may also protect humans, according to a recent study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health. The study was published today in the journal Nature.

9 Jul 2010

FASEB urges LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee to increase NIH budget to $37 billion

FASEB President William T. Talman, M.D. today sent a letter to the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee urging that the budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) be $37 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2011. "The opportunities for continued progress have never been greater, but we need adequate resources to ensure that progress is not curtailed," Talman stated.

9 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 9, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include news about some little-known health reform provisions and how the Obama administration is using technology to help consumers navigate changes resulting from the health overhaul.

9 Jul 2010

NIAID announces $14M in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers

In an effort to accelerate the control of malaria and help eliminate it worldwide, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced approximately $14 million in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers around the world.

9 Jul 2010

Calif., R.I., move to strengthen review of health insurance rates; Ind. weighs changes in state employee health plans

The Los Angeles Times' Blog: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger moved Wednesday to implement a major element of the new national healthcare overhaul, seeking a $1-million federal grant to strengthen the state's review of health insurance rates. Much of the money would pay for actuaries to evaluate premium hikes sought by insurers.

9 Jul 2010

AHF denounces Obama administration plan to address AIDS drug crisis with $25M

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, will host a press teleconference tomorrow, Thursday, July 8th at 10:00 AM Pacific/1:00 PM Eastern, to denounce an Obama administration plan to address AIDS drug crisis with an insufficient $25 million as "too little, too late."

8 Jul 2010

Health and Human Services News and Research

Telemedicine plays important role in providing access to care for Medi-Cal members

Texas doctors bristle at Medicaid cuts as Congress to consider extending funds; State pinpoints high prescribing docs

Obama administration prepares to announce first national HIV strategy

Brand-Nu Laboratories adds Chlophedianol Hydrochloride to API line

Iowa HITREC selects Greenway's PrimeSuite EHR solution for statewide deployment

athenaClinicals Version 10.6 receives CCHIT's EHR technology, preliminary IFR Stage 1 certification

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

GOP questions Berwick's ties to industry

Sebelius pushing insurance companies to help get more Americans covered

News roundup: NYC program to help poor, elderly with insurance gets cut; Colo. promotes wellness programs for small businesses

HHS proposes stricter patient privacy rules

HHS to give states $25 million for HIV drugs; Researchers identify antibodies that may help in AIDS vaccine research

Merck to lay off 15 percent of workers, close plants, research facilities

Second round of checks to close Medicare doughnut hole sent out

Study: Small fragment of RNA appears to protect rats against cocaine addiction

FASEB urges LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee to increase NIH budget to $37 billion

First Edition: July 9, 2010

NIAID announces $14M in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers

Calif., R.I., move to strengthen review of health insurance rates; Ind. weighs changes in state employee health plans

AHF denounces Obama administration plan to address AIDS drug crisis with $25M

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