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Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states.

Astrazeneca settles drug marketing lawsuit, plea deal rejected for possibly defective heart device maker

The New York Times: AstraZeneca has settled a case and agreed to pay $520 million after federal investigations into its marketing practices for a schizophrenia drug, Seroquel. The announcement came Tuesday from Attorney General Eric Holder. Government officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, said the company paid illegal kickbacks to doctors to promote drugs for unapproved uses by children, the elderly, veterans and prisoners, which is illegal under federal law.

29 Apr 2010

Watson Laboratories sued in connection with filing of ANDA for generic version of Rapamune tablets

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc. - Florida, has been sued by Pfizer Inc. and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. in connection with the filing of Watson's Abbreviated New Drug Application for sirolimus tablets in the 1 mg and 2 mg strengths.

29 Apr 2010

Dental clinic reveals need in Los Angeles area while North Carolina County may cut dental care for many Medicaid patients

More than 100 who had waited for care were asked to return next week for services. In all, volunteers saw 1,157 patients, 64 of them minors. Overwhelmed by demand for dental services, organizers of a massive free mobile health clinic asked some patients who had Tuesday appointments to return next week, a hitch in an otherwise smooth first day at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

29 Apr 2010

Talecris Biotherapeutics first-quarter net income increases 35.6% to $45.3 million

Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corp. today announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2010, and filed its first quarter 2010 Form 10-Q with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

29 Apr 2010

Overhaul may cost drugmakers more than expected

Bloomberg BusinessWeek: The health overhaul legislation will likely cost drugmakers $25 billion more than the $80 billion the industry anticipated when it agreed to back the Democratic-led effort, according to Wall Street analysts. "The extra costs will come from expanding drug rebates through Medicaid, the U.S. insurance program for the poor, [Leerink Swann & Co executive] John L. Sullivan said today at a Bloomberg conference in Chicago."

29 Apr 2010

Odyssey HealthCare reports 53.7% increase in first-quarter net income attributable to stockholders

Odyssey HealthCare, Inc., one of the largest providers of hospice care in the United States, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

29 Apr 2010

New research indicates Canadians live longer than Americans

Compared to their neighbours south of the border, Canadians live longer, healthier lives. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Population Health Metrics has found this disparity between the two countries, suggesting that America's lack of universal health care and lower levels of social and economic equality are to blame.

29 Apr 2010

Health Net provides option to keep adult dependents on their parents' policies

Health Net, Inc. is providing the option of continuing coverage for adult dependents up to age 26 who are currently enrolled on their parents' health care policies.

28 Apr 2010

AHF applauds Merck for doubling Isentress discount rebates and freezing price for ADAPs

Following an innovative, years long advocacy campaign spearheaded by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) that targeted Merck and Co. Pharmaceuticals over the pricing of its AIDS drug Isentress—one of the most expensive first line AIDS therapies on the US market today—officials from AHF lauded Merck today for significant concessions that the drug giant is putting in place on its pricing and rebate policies for the nation's AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP), the federally funded, state run programs that supply lifesaving AIDS drugs to low-income Americans in need.

28 Apr 2010

Cancer-related expenditures increase faster than any other area of health care: JAMA

From 1999 through 2006 the use of diagnostic imaging for Medicare patients with cancer increased, with use of positron emission tomography increasing the most significantly, according to a study in the April 28 issue of JAMA. Imaging costs for these patients also increased, outpacing the rate of increase in total costs among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer.

28 Apr 2010

State Round-up: Federal prosecutors investigate bid rigging at New York hospitals; Montana prepares for health reform implementation; and Florida spares Medicaid from budget cuts

The Wall Street Journal: "Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that bid rigging and fraud at Mount Sinai Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital resulted in the hospitals awarding contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to outside contractors. Purchasing officials at the hospitals ... are alleged to have gotten more than a million dollars in payments from companies that were then given lucrative contracts to perform work such as re-insulating pipes and removing asbestos, according to documents filed in the Southern District of New York.

28 Apr 2010

Boston-Power announces lithium-ion battery technology for medical device and equipment market

Boston-Power®, Inc., the rapidly growing provider of next-generation lithium-ion batteries, is responding to strong customer and partner demand by bringing its industry-leading lithium-ion battery technology to the multi-billion dollar global medical device and equipment market. Boston-Power's lithium-ion battery cells deliver unmatched levels of long life, fast charge and safety to a market that demands the most stringent standards of battery reliability to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care.

28 Apr 2010

Commission on debt will focus on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security

Lawmakers are prepping for a battle over the role of government in entitlements such as Medicare and Medicaid as a the Commission on Fiscal Responsbility and Reform prepares to begin work Tuesday, The Washington Post reports.

28 Apr 2010

Moody's report: States will feel pinch of reform's Medicaid, health care expansions

"The Medicaid expansion under health reform is expected to strain state budgets already distressed by the recession, despite delays for new eligibility rules and federal aid, Moody's Investors Service said in a newly released report. States that see the largest gains in Medicaid enrollment under health reform will likely see the greatest financial burden, Moody's said."

28 Apr 2010

House lawmaker discusses possible five-year Medicare physician payment fix

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said the House might introduce legislation that would end the need for a constant Medicare payment fix, at least for five years. "Industry sources said that a five-year extension would not require offsets under recent pay-as-you-go rules. However, they said they were not aware of any legislative proposals.

28 Apr 2010

States uneasy about impact of Medicaid expansion

The expansion of insurance coverage under the health reform law is due largely to an expansion of the government-funded Medicaid program, which is causing some doctors to worry about the specifics of implementation, according to the New York Times. "Absorbing that many people into the system will not be easy. The program is administered and partly financed by the states, which are now racing to figure out how to carry out the necessary changes and simplify enrollment even as they struggle to cope with severe budget cuts and staff shortages."

28 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 27, 2010

Today's headlines focus on the details of health reform that continue to emerge -- including states' reactions to high risk pools and questions about the sweeping expansion of Medicaid.

27 Apr 2010

Centene's first-quarter Premium and Service Revenues up 12.5% to $1.022 billion

Centene Corporation today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. The results of operations for our New Jersey health plan, University Health Plans, are classified as discontinued operations. The discussions below, with the exception of cash flow information, are in the context of continuing operations and all financial ratios exclude premium taxes.

27 Apr 2010

Watson Laboratories sued by Teva Women's Health over generic Cenestin ANDA

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., a Nevada Corporation, has been sued by Teva Women's Health, Inc., in connection with the filing of Watson's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for synthetic conjugated estrogens, A, in the 0.3 mg, 0.45 mg, 0.625 mg, 0.9 mg and 1.25 mg tablet strengths. Watson's ANDA is for the generic equivalent of Teva's Cenestin®. The suit was filed on April 23, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

27 Apr 2010

Aetna Better Health, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia reach agreement for Medicaid program

Aetna Better Health in Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia announced today that they have reached agreement on a new contract that adds the hospital to the Medicaid provider's network in Pennsylvania. The new contract is effective immediately.

27 Apr 2010

Medicaid News and Research

Astrazeneca settles drug marketing lawsuit, plea deal rejected for possibly defective heart device maker

Watson Laboratories sued in connection with filing of ANDA for generic version of Rapamune tablets

Dental clinic reveals need in Los Angeles area while North Carolina County may cut dental care for many Medicaid patients

Talecris Biotherapeutics first-quarter net income increases 35.6% to $45.3 million

Overhaul may cost drugmakers more than expected

Odyssey HealthCare reports 53.7% increase in first-quarter net income attributable to stockholders

New research indicates Canadians live longer than Americans

Health Net provides option to keep adult dependents on their parents' policies

AHF applauds Merck for doubling Isentress discount rebates and freezing price for ADAPs

Cancer-related expenditures increase faster than any other area of health care: JAMA

State Round-up: Federal prosecutors investigate bid rigging at New York hospitals; Montana prepares for health reform implementation; and Florida spares Medicaid from budget cuts

Boston-Power announces lithium-ion battery technology for medical device and equipment market

Commission on debt will focus on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security

Moody's report: States will feel pinch of reform's Medicaid, health care expansions

House lawmaker discusses possible five-year Medicare physician payment fix

States uneasy about impact of Medicaid expansion

First Edition: April 27, 2010

Centene's first-quarter Premium and Service Revenues up 12.5% to $1.022 billion

Watson Laboratories sued by Teva Women's Health over generic Cenestin ANDA

Aetna Better Health, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia reach agreement for Medicaid program

Revolutionizing Life Science: An Interview with SCIEX on ASMS, the SCIEX 7500+ System, and AI-Driven Quantitation

From Discovery Biology to ELRIG Chair

Breathing New Life into Diagnostics: Plasmion's SICRIT Technology

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