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Premier ranks 72 on 2010 InformationWeek 500 list

The Premier healthcare alliance and 26 of its more than 2,400 member hospitals have been named to the 2010 InformationWeek 500, a list of the top technology innovators in the nation. Premier was ranked 72 on the 2010 list, which was revealed last night at the InformationWeek 500 Conference in Dana Point, Calif.

16 Sep 2010

Endoscopic laser spine procedures replace traditional open back surgery

The Bonati Spine Institute, the leading center for the patented Bonati Spine Procedures for minimally invasive laser spine surgery, supports recent studies by highly respected organizations such as the Journal of the America Board of Family Medicine and Consumer Reports reporting an unnecessary growth in tests and treatments targeting back pain.

16 Sep 2010

Generics drugs in Medicare program saved $33 billion in 2007: CBO

New research released today by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the use of generic medications rather than brand-name medications in Medicare Part D saved beneficiaries and the program about $33 billion in 2007, while an additional $14 billion in savings is expected as first-time generics enter the market through 2012.

16 Sep 2010

DestinationRx analysis shows increase in consumers choosing to enroll in health plans online

DestinationRx, a leading provider of Medicare plan and drug comparison tools, today announced the results of a DestinationRx analysis showing a significant increase in consumers choosing to enroll in health plans online, coupled with a parallel decrease in call center enrollments. An analysis of DestinationRx commercial enrollments shows a 12 percent shift from call center to online enrollment for 2008 to 2009 and an 11 percent shift from 2009 to 2010, for a 23 percent total increase in online enrollments over just two years.

16 Sep 2010

Medicare confronts issues with prescription drug program and medical equipment purchases

Carper wrote to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on July 29 and requested the agency establish a process to ensure valid identification numbers on reimbursed prescriptions under the Part D program.

16 Sep 2010

Today's Opinions: Health law repeal and Insurance Hikes on minds of Americans

Until Congress or the courts discard ObamaCare's mandates, price controls, and new entitlement spending, there is literally nothing that can arrest this downward spiral of rising costs and deteriorating quality (Michael Cannon, 9/14).

16 Sep 2010

FDA-cleared LaserTouchOne device for chronic and acute pain treatment available without prescription

The American Pain Foundation reports that despite the fact that the majority of the U.S. population looks healthy, statistics tell a different story: Approximately 1 in 3 Americans suffer from chronic pain. This chronic pain could be related to an illness like cancer or rheumatoid arthritis, or a condition such as arthritis, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia or back pain from a car accident.

15 Sep 2010

K-V secures $20 million loan from U.S. Healthcare

K-V Pharmaceutical Company announced today that it has entered into an agreement with U.S. Healthcare I, L.L.C. and U.S. Healthcare II, L.L.C. for a $20 million loan secured by assets of the Company. K-V will utilize the proceeds of the loan for working capital and general operating purposes.

15 Sep 2010

Berwick breaks silence, calling on insurers to join pursuit of 'shared goals'

In his first big speech as President Barack Obama's top Medicare official Donald Berwick Monday called on insurers to join in a "full partnership" with his agency to achieve a health system with lower costs that doesn't withhold care from anyone or risk harming patients, The Associated Press/Washington Post report. The remarks were delivered to a conference hosted by America's Health Insurance Plans. "The choice of the insurance lobby for his speech was unusual since the administration continues to trade verbal potshots with the industry" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 9/13).

15 Sep 2010

Medicare, Social Security grow with baby boomer retirement, joblessness

The Washington Post: Rapid growth in the number of applicants for Social Security disability benefits has soared between 2008 and 2009, threatening the solvency of the program. With an increase of 21 percent in that timeframe, "growth is the sharpest in the 54-year history of the program. It threatens the program's fiscal stability and adds to an administrative backlog that is slowing the flow of benefits to those who need them most." Broad economic problems and a flood of jobless applicants have caused the spike (Fletcher, 9/14).

15 Sep 2010

Today's Opinions: Medicare fixes, health care lawsuits, reporting repeals

And in this political climate, the $210 billion price tag [to fix the physician payment system] will probably prevent a permanent solution this year. However, a longer term, interim fix and a primary care payment differential would be steps in the right direction (Dennis Mayeaux and Lori Parham, 9/13).

15 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 14, 2010

Among today's headlines, Berwick talks, health reform politics continue and coverage of the run up to Sept. 23 - the day several health overhaul provisions take effect - is in full swing.

14 Sep 2010

RNAO endorses 'The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare'

Registered nurses from across Ontario are throwing their support behind detailed economic analysis in a report that concludes a national pharmacare program would improve equitable access to essential medicines, improve health outcomes and save Canadians up to $10.7 billion.

14 Sep 2010

Guidance allowing children with life-limiting illness to receive both hospice care and curative treatments praised

The families of dying children who are covered under Medicaid or the Medicaid expansion Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will no longer face the choice of stopping curative treatments in order for their terminally ill child to receive quality end-of-life care from hospice.

14 Sep 2010

Physicians Against ObamaCare challenges AMA

As Americans learn what ObamaCare will mean for quality and access to medical services, "we are witnessing an ever-increasing chorus of Americans -- from think tanks to tea partiers to accountants -- who are decrying the underhanded tactics" used to get the legislation passed, including the exploitation of the AMA's claim to speak for doctors.

14 Sep 2010

As overhaul unfolds, interest in at least one change spreads across aisle

At least one aspect of the GOP's health overhaul repeal push has become bipartisan: Objections to a provision requiring businesses that file 1099 tax forms to provide line-item detail of any purchases of $600 or more in a given year, The New York Times reports. Democrats, including Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, are saying they, too, would like to change the provision.

13 Sep 2010

HealthPlus of Michigan partners with Edifecs to achieve HIPAA 5010 compliance

Edifecs, Inc., a leading provider of healthcare software solutions specializing in Healthcare Channel Modernization for HIPAA 5010 and ICD-10, announced today that HealthPlus of Michigan has selected Edifecs solutions to accelerate their efforts to meet the upcoming HIPAA 5010 compliance mandate. HealthPlus, a nonprofit health benefits company serving more than 200,000 people throughout the state of Michigan, will use Edifecs SpecBuilder and XEngine products for mapping and translation of inbound and outbound HIPAA 5010 transactions.

13 Sep 2010

3M Health Information Systems releases ICD-10 Code Translation Tool

3M Health Information Systems, an international leader in ICD-9 and ICD-10 coding and clinical terminology management, has released the 3M ICD-10 Code Translation Tool, now fully integrated with 3M's medical vocabulary server, the 3M Healthcare Data Dictionary, to provide a single source solution for translating and converting ICD-9 based applications to ICD-10.

13 Sep 2010

Obama says increased health costs are factor of expanded coverage

President Obama on Friday defended the Democrats' healthcare law, saying the enormous expansion of insurance coverage made an increase in healthcare spending inevitable, The Hill reports.

13 Sep 2010

Lawmakers plot health overhaul tax provision change, other provisions under fire

Senate aides expect Republicans and Democrats to offer competing amendments to change a tax-reporting provision in the health law. "The provision requires businesses to report to the Internal Revenue Service purchases over the course of the year that exceed $600.

13 Sep 2010