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Businesses prepare for health IT push; AMA worries small practices might struggle

In expectation of expansive new federal spending on electronic medical records, technology firms are expanding their health care businesses, Politico reports. "Now that the Obama administration has finalized the rules by which health care providers can be reimbursed for the systems with billions in stimulus dollars, they're making serious plans to transition from paper to digital records — an expensive process that information technology and telecom companies are eager to help with."

23 Jul 2010

BCBSGA offers key tips for caregivers for better health care management

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 65 million people in the United States serve as informal caregivers, typically for family members, which equates to more than one out of every four people serving as unpaid caregivers.

23 Jul 2010

Many House Democrats trying to revive 'public option' with new bill

More than 120 Democrats in the House are pushing a new bill to reintroduce a discarded idea from the health overhaul debate last year: the "public option," Los Angeles Times/Tribune reports. "The idea of creating a major government health insurance program was roundly rejected last year, but the 128 House Democrats pushing to reconsider the idea are now advancing the argument that it would help hold down federal spending.

23 Jul 2010

No COBRA subsidy in Senate-passed unemployment benefits bill

"U.S. workers who lost their jobs as of June 1 won't be eligible for a 65 percent federal subsidy to help pay for health insurance under an unemployment bill the Senate approved yesterday," Bloomberg reports. That provision and other assistance programs were stripped from the jobless bill because of concerns about how to pay for them.

23 Jul 2010

athenahealth second-quarter total revenue increases 28% to $58.6M

athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of web-based practice management, electronic health record (EHR), and patient communication services to medical groups, today announced financial and operational results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2010. The Company will conduct a conference call on Friday, July 23, 2010, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss these results and management's outlook for future financial and operational performance.

23 Jul 2010

Today's OpEds: The challenge of medicare spending; Two views of Massachussets; Regulating premiums

Health reform can be assessed from the perspective of four groups that collectively include most Americans. For those who are now in Medicaid or who are uninsured, reform will be a major gain. For those who obtain health insurance in the individual and small-group markets, reform should bring improvements. For those who have health insurance from midsize- and large-group insurers, reform will bring little change. Finally, for Medicare beneficiaries, reform promises to bring positive change.

23 Jul 2010

Bristol-Myers Squibb second-quarter net sales increase 2% to $4.8 billion

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today reported results for the second quarter of 2010 which featured data on key marketed and investigational compounds in its oncology, diabetes and cardiovascular franchises, and growth in sales and EPS. The company also confirmed guidance for 2010 and minimum guidance for non-GAAP EPS in 2013.

22 Jul 2010

MedeAnalytics, Health Net enter agreement to provide healthcare performance management solutions

MedeAnalytics, a leading provider of healthcare performance management solutions, announced that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Health Net, Inc. to provide performance management solutions for Health Net's health plan operations and Medicare products. The solutions will enhance Health Net's current data analytics capabilities and include Medical Management Analytics, Provider Network Management Analytics and Operations Performance Management.

22 Jul 2010

3M second-quarter global sales increase 17.7% to $6.7 billion

3M today reported record second-quarter earnings of $1.54 per share on sales of $6.7 billion. Sales and per-share earnings increased 17.7 percent and 37.5 percent, respectively, versus the second quarter of 2009. Excluding special items recorded in the second quarter of 2009, earnings per share rose 28.3 percent.

22 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 22, 2010

Today's headlines reflect news about health reform implementation activities, health information technology and sparring opinions about the Massachusetts experience.

22 Jul 2010

Medco second-quarter GAAP diluted EPS increases 20.3% to $0.77

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today reported second-quarter 2010 GAAP diluted EPS of $0.77, up 20.3 percent compared to $0.64 for the second quarter of 2009. Adjusting for the amortization of intangible assets that existed when Medco became a publicly traded company in 2003, second-quarter 2010 diluted earnings per share increased 20.3 percent to $0.83, from $0.69 in the second quarter of 2009.

22 Jul 2010

Elan total revenue increases 10% to $579.4 million for first half of 2010

Elan Corporation, plc today reported its second quarter and first half 2010 financial results.

22 Jul 2010

Enrollment jump helps UnitedHealth Group profits soar 31 percent

Health insurer UnitedHealth Group reported a second quarter profit jump of 31 percent as enrollment in the insurer's plans went up, The Associated Press/The New York Times reports. "The company's total enrollment grew about 1 percent, to 32.5 million compared with last year, with gains in Medicare and Medicaid businesses offsetting commercial health insurance losses." The company's commercial enrollment fell 440,000 as the sector deals with job cuts and the recession (7/20).

22 Jul 2010

'Meaningful use' guidelines under fire from Republicans

NextGov: Recently released requirements for physicians and hospitals to earn cash rewards for the "meaningful use" of electronic medical records are not tough enough to justify an investment of billions of dollars, House Republicans said Tuesday. "In a hearing of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, officials from the Health and Human Services Department defended the recently released standards.

22 Jul 2010

Medicare drug benefit appears to help more seniors with heart failure

The Medicare drug benefit may be helping more older Americans with heart failure get the medications recommended for controlling the disease, a new study finds. The study, of nearly 7,000 older heart failure patients in one large insurance plan, found that the number of filled prescriptions for standard heart failure medications increased after the Medicare drug benefit kicked in in 2006. The biggest increase was seen among seniors who had previously lacked any form of drug coverage.

22 Jul 2010

DenteMax offers largest network approved for Medicare dental benefits

DenteMax, the nation's largest seamless dental PPO network, now also offers the largest seamless network approved for Medicare dental benefits. The new network provides access to more than 65,000 approved dentist access points and is built on the strong foundation of the commercial DenteMax network.

22 Jul 2010

Medicare Star Support Program launched to help Medicare Advantage plans boost star ratings

Health Dialog today announced that it has launched its Medicare Star Support Program to help Medicare Advantage plans boost their Health Plan Quality and Performance ("Star") Ratings and ensure that seniors are getting the best care possible. Star ratings are calculated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and can range from 1 to 5, with 5 representing the highest quality.

21 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 21, 2010

Today's headlines include news regarding specific examples of what could happen at the state level if Congress doesn't extend enhanced federal Medicaid funding.

21 Jul 2010

CAP calls for increased FDA oversight of laboratory developed and 'direct-to-consumer' tests

With the increasing importance of laboratory tests in diagnosing and treating disease, representatives of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) today presented recommendations to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging increased oversight of laboratory developed tests (LDTs) and "direct-to-consumer" tests. Most genetic tests fall into one or both of these testing categories.

21 Jul 2010

Rate of women getting mammography screenings stalls; colorectal cancer screenings remain underused by medicare patients

One-fifth of American women ages 50 to 74 have fallen behind on mammography screenings for breast cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting. Although the percentage of women in this age group who get a regular breast cancer screening every two years increased steadily during the 1990s, the rate has remained just over 80 percent since 2000, according to the centers' Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

21 Jul 2010