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Viewpoints: Medicare mudslinging, 'pound-foolish' doc fix and unrealistic death attitudes

For all its technological sophistication and hefty price tag, modern medicine may be doing more to complicate the end of life than to prolong or improve it. ... When families talk about letting their loved ones die "naturally," they often mean "in their sleep" - not from a treatable illness such as a stroke, cancer or an infection. ... While it's easy to empathize with these family members' wishes, what they don't appreciate is that very few elderly patients are lucky enough to die in their sleep.

22 Feb 2012

Contraception opinions: We're all Catholics now, a sex tax? And the 'safe, legal, rare' illusion

Because when the state comes against the Catholics, or the Jews, or the Muslims, or the Pentecostals, or the Mormons or those of any other faith – exotic or familiar – we must all stand up as one: We are all Catholics now. ... Perhaps this is a hard line. But when it comes to the separation of church and state, we need absolutes.

22 Feb 2012

VTT participates in two new EU projects that focus on type 2 diabetes

VTT is participating in two new European projects focusing on type 2 diabetes. The projects aim at identifying new therapeutic choices and strategies for preventing the disease. Focus is on obtaining information on cellular dysfunction in diabetes and the effects of changes in lifestyle. The goal includes planning individual lifestyle instructions for people at high risk of diabetes and exploiting the results in a major European health insurance system.

22 Feb 2012

First Edition: February 21, 2012

Today's health policy headlines include reports about how the Supreme Court's consideration of the health law could prolong the fight over the sweeping measure.

21 Feb 2012

Healthcare organizations using data recovery providers may be vulnerable to data breaches

DriveSavers Data Recovery, the worldwide leader in data recovery services, announced today the risks that healthcare organizations should be aware of with using third party data recovery service providers that are not compliant with HIPAA Data Security Guidelines or properly vetted for security protocols.

20 Feb 2012

USHCC, Aetna patner to offer affordable health coverage

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), the nation's premier voice for Hispanic business in America, has teamed up with Aetna to provide affordable, high quality health coverage to its members.

20 Feb 2012

With contraception issue, Santorum highlights conservative credentials

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), argued this morning on NBC's Meet the Press program that Obama's desire to have most religious hospitals provide birth control coverage to employees is "not an issue about contraception." ... But Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) sharply disagreed, accusing Republicans of harping on "red-meat social issues that rile up their base."

20 Feb 2012

Health law implementation: State insurance exchange bills; HHS rules on MLR Waiver requests

States are grappling to implement aspects of the Affordable Care Act.

18 Feb 2012

NPAF commends passage of bill for parity in insurance coverage for orally administered chemotherapy

Representatives of Virginia's patient advocacy community praised the State House of Representatives and State Senate today for voting strongly in support of legislation that, if enacted, will help thousands of Virginia's insured cancer patients who are currently unable to access their physician-prescribed chemotherapy treatment regimens of choice.

18 Feb 2012

Not-for-profit company leads push for automation of Medicaid enrollment process

Venture capitalists and Wall Street have invested millions of dollars to capitalize on the health care industry's burgeoning demand for information technology. But in New York State, the push to automate the Medicaid enrollment process is being led not by a behemoth IT corporation, but by a tiny not-for-profit: the Hudson Center for Health Equity & Quality (Hudson Center). And 2012 is shaping up to be its breakout year.

18 Feb 2012

PCMA launches That's What PBMs Do campaign in Maryland

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) has launched a new ad campaign in Maryland that highlights the core value proposition of pharmacy benefit managers.

18 Feb 2012

Catholic bishops call birth control compromise 'simply unworkable'

A wealthy backer of GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum apologizes for aspirin-as-birth control "joke," a day after female lawmakers stage walkout from a GOP-led committee hearing after no women were allowed to testify for the contraception mandate.

18 Feb 2012

State roundup: U.S. Senators demand more medical board oversight; Californians losing coverage; Arizona's prison 'quandary'

"The administration never consulted us," said Susan Millerick, spokeswoman for the Hartford-based Aetna. Other Connecticut health insurers are letting the American Health Insurance Plans, a Washington-based trade association, voice their concerns. ... "We are concerned about the precedent this proposed rule would set," AHIP spokesman Robert Zirkelbach said.

17 Feb 2012

First Edition: February 17, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include reports about the latest debate on the Obama administration's regulation to mandate free birth control for women.

17 Feb 2012

Two GOP Senators propose Medicare overhaul plan

Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Richard Burr of North Carolina call for a "grown-up" conversation about the changes needed to preserve Medicare for future generations.

17 Feb 2012

Iowa, Ga. legislatures consider anti-abortion bills

Iowa lawmakers consider banning all abortions while Georgia is weighing banning health insurers from covering the procedure.

17 Feb 2012

Sebelius: Exchanges will strengthen employer health coverage

The health and human services secretary told Senate Finance Committee members she expects health insurance exchanges to give employers another option to provide coverage to workers. In the meantime, HHS is touting newly covered preventive services it says 86 million Americans have used.

17 Feb 2012

Longer looks: GOP contraceptive amendment could have wider effect; The love of caregiving

In their latest move in the battle over contraception coverage, top Republicans in Congress are going for broke: They're now pushing a bill that would allow employers and insurance companies to pick and choose which health benefits to provide based simply on executives' personal moral beliefs. ... Last week, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) offered a "conscience amendment," to the law, pitching it as a way to allay religious employers' qualms about providing birth control to their employees.

17 Feb 2012

Viewpoints: Contraception conscience vs. political objections; Is the mandate the 'non-tax' tax?

The president's new birth control plan would insure coverage of women's birth control without copayments or deductibles. Sounds fair, especially given that men's anti-impotence Viagra treatments have been covered by insurance plans for years.

17 Feb 2012

State roundup: Settlements for mental health facilities lawsuits; Minn., Oregon insurers face scrutiny

But the survey underway in Prince George's County is intended to address a complex problem. Officials expect the data to give them a detailed look at the state of health and health care in the county, where conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are much more common than in the rest of the region and most of the state.

17 Feb 2012

Health Insurance News and Research

Viewpoints: Medicare mudslinging, 'pound-foolish' doc fix and unrealistic death attitudes

Contraception opinions: We're all Catholics now, a sex tax? And the 'safe, legal, rare' illusion

VTT participates in two new EU projects that focus on type 2 diabetes

First Edition: February 21, 2012

Healthcare organizations using data recovery providers may be vulnerable to data breaches

USHCC, Aetna patner to offer affordable health coverage

With contraception issue, Santorum highlights conservative credentials

Health law implementation: State insurance exchange bills; HHS rules on MLR Waiver requests

NPAF commends passage of bill for parity in insurance coverage for orally administered chemotherapy

Not-for-profit company leads push for automation of Medicaid enrollment process

PCMA launches That's What PBMs Do campaign in Maryland

Catholic bishops call birth control compromise 'simply unworkable'

State roundup: U.S. Senators demand more medical board oversight; Californians losing coverage; Arizona's prison 'quandary'

First Edition: February 17, 2012

Two GOP Senators propose Medicare overhaul plan

Iowa, Ga. legislatures consider anti-abortion bills

Sebelius: Exchanges will strengthen employer health coverage

Longer looks: GOP contraceptive amendment could have wider effect; The love of caregiving

Viewpoints: Contraception conscience vs. political objections; Is the mandate the 'non-tax' tax?

State roundup: Settlements for mental health facilities lawsuits; Minn., Oregon insurers face scrutiny

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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