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MedAptus awarded U.S. patent for "Method and System for Processing Medical Billing Records"

MedAptus®, the market leader in charge capture technologies, announced today that it has been awarded U.S. patent number 7,685,002 entitled "Method and System for Processing Medical Billing Records." The patent pertains to MedAptus' automated process for completely and accurately capturing both professional and facility charges in outpatient settings.

2 Jul 2010

Columbia Laboratories shareholders approve Watson's aquisition terms

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI) today confirmed that shareholders of Columbia Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRX) have approved the terms and conditions of the previously announced acquisition by Watson of the U.S. rights to Columbia's CRINONE® and PROCHIEVE® progesterone gel product line and 11,200,000 shares of Columbia common stock.

2 Jul 2010

Premier Purchasing Partners awards new agreements for waste management products, services

Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, today announced new agreements for waste management products and services have been awarded

2 Jul 2010

Cambridge Heart announces CMS reimbursement modification for MTWA test

Cambridge Heart, Inc., today announced that effective July 1, 2010, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will allow full reimbursement for both a Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (MTWA) test and a stress test when both tests are performed during the same patient visit. The CMS update removes a previous restriction that substantially limited reimbursement when a patient underwent an MTWA test on the same day as the patient underwent a standard cardiac stress test, echocardiography stress test, nuclear cardiac stress test, or pulmonary stress test.

2 Jul 2010

Federal officials ask judge to order upgrade of Georgia's mental health system; VA. officials in court today on suit against health law

Atlanta Journal Constitution: "Talks to settle a federal investigation of Georgia's mental health system came down to a single meeting Wednesday." And, "the talks failed. Federal authorities immediately went to court, asking a judge to force Georgia to make substantial and potentially expensive improvements in its state psychiatric hospitals and in its community-based treatment services — the same measures state officials rejected during the negotiations.

2 Jul 2010

HHS launches website to provide consumers with public, private health coverage options

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today unveiled an innovative new on-line tool that will help consumers take control of their health care by connecting them to new information and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage. Called for by the Affordable Care Act, HealthCare.gov is the first website to provide consumers with both public and private health coverage options tailored specifically for their needs in a single, easy-to-use tool.

2 Jul 2010

Medicare weighs cost, benefit of covering Dendreon's Provenge for prostate cancer

The announcement that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would do this analysis "was the latest hurdle in Dendreon's push to get its Provenge treatment used. If the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services covers Provenge, that would increase the number of patients eligible and likely force private insurers to do the same.

2 Jul 2010

Pay-for-performance program may cause inequalities among healthcare providers

Pay-for-performance is an increasingly popular approach to improving health care quality. But the planned nationwide implementation of institutional bonuses mandated under federal health care reform threatens to act as a "reverse Robin Hood," potentially causing hospitals in less-advantaged regions to lose funds to health care facilities in more affluent areas of the country, according to a study published in the academic journal PLoS Medicine.

2 Jul 2010

Teva launches antidepressant Venlafaxine HCl ER Capsules

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today that it has commenced commercial launch of Venlafaxine HCl ER Capsules, the Company's generic version of Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor XR®. The brand product had annual sales of approximately $2.75 billion in the United States, based on IMS sales data.

2 Jul 2010

Medical groups back medicare nominee Berwick

About 90 groups, including medical societies, patient and employer groups, all backed the nomination of Donald Berwick, a physician and health care quality advocate, to lead the federal Medicare agency.

2 Jul 2010

Almost Family receives civil subpoena for documents and notice of investigation from SEC

Almost Family, Inc., a leading regional provider of home health nursing services, announced today that on June 30, 2010 it received a civil subpoena for documents and notice of investigation from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

1 Jul 2010

Watson commences shipment of generic Exelon

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that, under a settlement with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis AG, Novartis International Pharmaceutical Ltd., and Proterra AG (collectively "Novartis"), Watson has commenced shipment of a generic version of Exelon® (rivastigmine tartrate) 1.5mg, 3mg, 4.5mg and 6mg capsules. Exelon® is used to treat dementia in people with Alzheimer's disease.

1 Jul 2010

AstraZeneca announces new support program for patients on ARIMIDEX

AstraZeneca today announced a new patient support program for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer who are prescribed ARIMIDEX. The program is designed to provide eligible patients with instant discounts, potentially saving the patient up to $300.

1 Jul 2010

First analyses on impact of Medicare Part D presented at UMB's 2010 Academy/Health Annual Meeting

Some of the first analyses on the impact of Medicare Part D, as well as new insights on drug adherence patterns by chronic disease patients, will be presented today and tomorrow at the 2010 Academy/Health Annual Meeting by several University of Maryland, Baltimore teams of pharmaceutical health services researchers.

1 Jul 2010

Best practices issued to help hospitals manage challenging repercussions of healthcare reform legislation

API Healthcare, the leader in healthcare-specific workforce management solutions, today issued a set of best practices to help hospitals of all sizes effectively prepare for and manage the challenging repercussions of healthcare reform legislation. Industry experts expect this legislation to generate millions of new patients, create a severe nursing shortage and have a significant financial impact on hospitals and other healthcare providers.

1 Jul 2010

CBO Director: Potential health law savings not enough to reduce long-term deficits

Congressional Budget Office findings that for the first time take into consideration "the new health care law, heralded by President Obama and Democrats for reducing deficits in the long run" were presented today before the president's bipartisan fiscal commission. Among the CBO conclusions is that savings that result from the overhaul "aren't enough to turn deficits around."

1 Jul 2010

Lawmakers urge swifter launch of home health care demo

"The so-called Independence at Home (IAH) program, included as part of the Democrats' new health reform law, is scheduled to take effect no later than Jan. 1, 2012, but Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) warn that waiting that long would threaten the health of one of the country's most vulnerable populations," The Hill reports.

1 Jul 2010

Tracking poll finds health reform law gaining in popularity

"The health-care overhaul gained popularity from May to June, according to a new tracking poll." The poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation "found that 48 percent of the public had a favorable view of the law in June while 41 percent had an unfavorable opinion." (Kaiser Health News is a program of the foundation.) In May, the tracking poll had found "41 percent favorable to 44 percent unfavorable."

1 Jul 2010

Study: Medicare 'pay-for-performance' could increase care inequality

"The U.S. government's plan to base Medicare payments to hospitals on certain quality-of-care measures could end up transferring funds away from hospitals in the nation's poorest, underserved areas," according to a study published Tuesday in the journal PLoS Medicine.

1 Jul 2010

Focus shifts to mental health policies

According to Health Minister Nicola Roxon, the Coalition has gone “crazy” for providing funds to promote its mental health policy by closing down the Labour health reforms in general practice and record keeping.

1 Jul 2010

Medicare News and Research

MedAptus awarded U.S. patent for "Method and System for Processing Medical Billing Records"

Columbia Laboratories shareholders approve Watson's aquisition terms

Premier Purchasing Partners awards new agreements for waste management products, services

Cambridge Heart announces CMS reimbursement modification for MTWA test

Federal officials ask judge to order upgrade of Georgia's mental health system; VA. officials in court today on suit against health law

HHS launches website to provide consumers with public, private health coverage options

Medicare weighs cost, benefit of covering Dendreon's Provenge for prostate cancer

Pay-for-performance program may cause inequalities among healthcare providers

Teva launches antidepressant Venlafaxine HCl ER Capsules

Medical groups back medicare nominee Berwick

Almost Family receives civil subpoena for documents and notice of investigation from SEC

Watson commences shipment of generic Exelon

AstraZeneca announces new support program for patients on ARIMIDEX

First analyses on impact of Medicare Part D presented at UMB's 2010 Academy/Health Annual Meeting

Best practices issued to help hospitals manage challenging repercussions of healthcare reform legislation

CBO Director: Potential health law savings not enough to reduce long-term deficits

Lawmakers urge swifter launch of home health care demo

Tracking poll finds health reform law gaining in popularity

Study: Medicare 'pay-for-performance' could increase care inequality

Focus shifts to mental health policies

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