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Today's Opinions and Editorials: Bringing down health care costs; More on the Medicare trustees report

Short of transforming the medical payment system, can we bring down health care costs by feasible fixes? Yes, by reducing the number of services that must be covered by every insurance policy and requiring higher copayments for patients using the highest cost providers (Robert Pozen, 8/10).

11 Aug 2010

Atrium awarded 3-year national contract from Premier for surgical mesh products

Atrium Medical Corporation, pioneering advancements in biological, mechanical and therapeutic solutions for soft tissue reinforcement, is proud to announce that the company was awarded a three-year national contract from Premier Purchasing Partners L.P., the group purchasing organization of Premier, Inc. (Charlotte, NC).

10 Aug 2010

Theragenics reports consolidated revenue of $20.8M for second-quarter 2010

Theragenics Corporation, a medical device company serving the surgical products and prostate cancer treatment markets, today announced consolidated financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

10 Aug 2010

NeuroMetrix second-quarter total revenues decrease to $3.9 million

NeuroMetrix, Inc., a health care company transforming patient care through neurotechnology, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

10 Aug 2010

DynaVox releases software Version 2.0 for Xpress communication device

DynaVox, the leading provider of speech generating devices and symbol-adapted special education software used to assist individuals in overcoming speech, language and learning challenges, announces the release of software Version 2.0 for the DynaVox Xpress device. A compact, stylish handheld communication device with a new more intuitive user interface combines powerful InterAACt™ communication tools and resources with popular control and navigation features generally found only on mainstream technologies

10 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 10, 2010

In today's news, the House is back in town... though just for a day. Lawmakers will consider a state aid package that includes $16 billion in federal Medicaid assistance.

10 Aug 2010

Teva completes ratiopharm acquisition

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today that it has completed the acquisition of ratiopharm, Germany's second largest generics producer. Following the acquisition, Teva will be the number one generic company in Europe, holding the leading market position in ten countries, as well as ranking in the top three in seven additional countries. In addition, the transaction will significantly increase Teva's sales in Canada.

10 Aug 2010

Beryl Institute publishes White paper on patient experience from different healthcare organizations

The Beryl Institute has published a new White Paper, Zeroing in on the Patient Experience: Views and Voices from the Frontlines, which takes a close look into the efforts of three patient experience leaders from different healthcare organizations. The White Paper covers what it takes to launch and sustain patient experience efforts and includes practical advice and tips for hospitals that want to begin to focus on improving the patient experience.

10 Aug 2010

DSS research survey reveals relationship between engagements, health literacy

DSS Research, the leader in market research for the health insurance industry, developed a proprietary set of metrics that gauge the level of engagement in health care on the part of the consumer. This quarter we added extra questions to further test the relationship between different literacy measures and the level of engagement amongst commercial and Medicare populations and the uninsured.

10 Aug 2010

CareView files patent for innovative technology to prevent decubitus ulcers

CareView Communications, Inc. ("CareView" or the "Company"), an information technology provider to the healthcare industry, announced that it has filed a new patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to cover an innovative technology that will assist hospitals and other medical facilities in their efforts to prevent decubitus ulcers or "bed sores" experienced by patients. CareView's new product covered by the pending patent uses the CareView System monitoring system to ensure timely patient movement which assists caregivers in the prevention and treatment of bed sores.

10 Aug 2010

Ratios between males and females affect human longevity: Study

"Love stinks!" the J. Geils band told the world in 1980, and while you can certainly argue whether or not this tender and ineffable spirit of affection has a downside, working hard to find it does. It may even shorten your life.

10 Aug 2010

Hemodialysis with AVF depends on patient’s health insurance: Study

Kidney disease patients insured by some federally sponsored national health care organizations are more likely to undergo an important predialysis procedure than patients with other types of insurance, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results may provide insights into ways to improve kidney-related care for patients before they go on dialysis.

10 Aug 2010

Advocat second-quarter revenues increase 3.4% to $141.6 million

Advocat Inc. today announced its results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010. On August 5, 2010 the Company declared a third quarter dividend of 5.5 cents per common share. The dividend will be paid October 14, 2010 to shareholders of record on September 30, 2010.

10 Aug 2010

Pay-for-performance makes its way into dialysis clinics

Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press: A new Medicare rule may ding dialysis centers by up to two percent of their reimbursement in 2012 if they don't meet quality standards the agency sets. The program "is the agency's first pay-per-performance system, and it won't be the last." The agency has, however, run various experiments that pay providers for better performance.

10 Aug 2010

Study suggests reimbursements can address inappropriate antibiotic usage

Antibiotic use appears to have increased among older adults whose prescription drug coverage improved as a result of enrolling in Medicare Part D, with the largest increases for broad-spectrum, newer and more expensive drugs, according to a report in the August 9/23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Aug 2010

Reports warn of new costs, gaps unfilled in health overhaul

Insurance rates may rise next year even more than anticipated because of the health overhaul for mid-sized companies. "While most major pieces of the new health law don't go into effect until 2014, some reforms affecting health insurance carriers take effect this year. These include provisions that require health plans to cover adult children until age 26, extend coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, end maximum lifetime spending limits and end the practice of retroactively canceling a member's coverage for any reason other than fraud."

10 Aug 2010

House members returning for vote on extra Medicaid help

House members are returning to Washington for a Tuesday vote on $16 billion in extra Medicaid funds for cash-strapped states, The Associated Press reports. "The unusual in-and-out session was called because the Senate waited until last Thursday, after the House had already recessed for its summer break" to pass the bill, which includes $10 billion in state aid for teachers' jobs, too. "Republicans forced back to the Capitol to vote against a bill see it differently.

10 Aug 2010

Private sleuths take time referring fraud cases to Medicare

The Associated Press: While President Barack Obama "has set a high priority on battling health care fraud and waste" in Medicare, private contractors are slow in referring cases to law enforcement. "According to congressional investigators, the exact average was 178 days [to refer the case for prosecution].

10 Aug 2010

Insurers to help doctors, hospitals buy health IT

The Wall Street Journal: Health insurance companies are moving to help doctors and hospitals adopt electronic medical records with subsidies, bonuses for adoption and, in some cases, digital products to improve quality and disease management. "The lure: the estimated 80% of U.S. physicians and 90% of hospitals whose records are still on paper, and the $27 billion in federal stimulus money available to help these holdouts switch.

9 Aug 2010

Measurable medical errors cost U.S. economy $19.5 billion in 2008: Report

Findings from a new study released today estimate that measurable medical errors cost the U.S. economy $19.5 billion in 2008. Commissioned by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and completed by consultants with Milliman, Inc., the report used claims data to provide an actuarially sound measurement of costs for avoidable medical injuries. Of the approximately $80 billion in costs associated with medical injuries, around 25 percent were the result of avoidable medical errors.

9 Aug 2010