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FDA grants final approval for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' generic Hyzaar and Cozaar

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted final approval for the Company's generic versions of Merck's antihypertensive agents Hyzaar® (hydrochlorothiazide; losartan potassium) and Cozaar® (losartan potassium).

8 Apr 2010

DealSearchOnline.com announces $72.3B committed to fund 291 managed care mergers and acquisitions

More than $72.3 billion was committed to fund 291 managed care mergers and acquisitions announced during the 10-year period ended December 31, 2009, according to DealSearchOnline.com. UnitedHealth Group was the acquirer in 10 of the top 25 managed care mergers and acquisitions announced during 10-year period ended December 31, 2009.

7 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 7, 2010

Today's headlines highlight developments regarding the implementation of the new health law as well as health developments from the state level.

7 Apr 2010

Health care reform: Clarification for seniors

From the time presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt first discussed health care reform in 1912, the topic has been a precedent-setting issue in the U.S. The 2010 passage of health care legislation is no different, but has many Americans in a quandary about how it will affect them. This is especially true of senior citizens.

7 Apr 2010

Health security will increase with new reform law

This afternoon, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will deliver a speech entitled, "Health Reform and You: How the New Law Will Increase Your Health Security" at the National Press Club. Secretary Sebelius' remarks as prepared for delivery are below.

7 Apr 2010

Future of health care in practice at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

The future of health care is here. And it's in practice at Cincinnati Children's.

7 Apr 2010

Thomson Reuters ranks UC San Diego Health System as one of nation's top 15 major teaching hospitals

UC San Diego Health System was recently listed as one the nation's top 15 major teaching hospitals by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. The award recognizes hospitals that have achieved excellence in clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction, financial performance, and operational efficiency. This is first time UC San Diego Health System has been recognized with this honor.

7 Apr 2010

HOLCOMB C3-R cures bobsledder of impending blindness, helps win gold at 2010 Winter Olympics

It was an amazing triumph of the will, when the U.S. Bobsled Team, led by captain Steve Holcomb, took home the first Gold in 62 years at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. An amazing feat, yet only the tip of the iceberg, for 2 years prior Holcomb underwent a brand new procedure to cure his impending blindness.

7 Apr 2010

Implementation of electronic health record systems may not be enough to improve health quality

The implementation of electronic health record systems may not be enough to significantly improve health quality and reduce costs. In the April 2010 issue of Health Affairs, researchers from the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital report finding that currently implemented systems have little effect on measures such as patient mortality, surgical complications, length of stay and costs.

7 Apr 2010

Study provides benchmark data to evaluate quality of management of sickle cell disease

The largest study to date of the use of acute care medical services by people with sickle cell disease found four of every 10 had to return to the hospital within 30 days of a previous hospitalization or go to the emergency department for treatment of pain, according to a new study funded in part by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

7 Apr 2010

Senator Grassley issues warning about 'phanton pharmacies' while Tampa officials arrest pharmacists on fraud charges

Senator Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius this week saying federal officials have failed to stop the growing trend of "phantom pharmacies" that bill millions to Medicare in prescription drug costs then disappear, ABC News reports.

7 Apr 2010

Infusion and injection therapy Medicare defraud scheme: Detroit-area resident pleads guilty

A Detroit-area resident pleaded guilty today for her role in an infusion and injection therapy scheme to defraud Medicare, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS).

7 Apr 2010

Annual Medicare report delayed to reflect impact of health law, the AP reports

The Associated Press: "The Obama administration is delaying release of the annual report on the financial health of Social Security and Medicare so that the new report can reflect the impact of the recently passed health care overhaul." The AP says that, according to an administration official, the report "will be delayed until June 30, three months later than it usually comes out."

7 Apr 2010

Wisconsin residents may switch health insurance due to reform; Florida lawmakers seek changes to Medicaid

Some 60,000 Wisconsin residents could be shifted in the coming years from the state's BadgerCare Plus health coverage for the poor to commercial plans, under the federal health reform law. That's just one option that Wisconsin officials will have as they work through the effects of the sweeping federal law on the state's own extensive Medicaid health programs.

7 Apr 2010

Medicare advantage insurers won't see increase in 2011

Payments for Medicare Advantage plans, which are operated by private health insurers, will be frozen at this year's rates in 2011, Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports.

7 Apr 2010

Frequency of complex fusion procedures for lower back increased among Medicare recipients

The frequency of complex fusion procedures to treat spinal stenosis of the lower back increased between 2002-2007 among Medicare recipients, while the rates of decompression and simple fusion procedures decreased, according to a study in the April 7 issue of JAMA.

7 Apr 2010

Berwick, Blumenthal may form dream team at CMS

Healthcare IT News: "If Donald Berwick, MD, is confirmed as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, he and David Blumenthal, MD, the national coordinator for health IT, would be a 'dream team' in pursuing a coherent national healthcare and health IT strategy. At least that's the assessment of Kerry Weems, who spent 25 years in senior roles at the Health and Human Services Department and was acting administrator of CMS from Sept. 2007 until the Obama administration took over.

7 Apr 2010

Accumetrics completes enrollment phase of GRAVITAS clinical trial

Accumetrics, Inc., a privately-held developer and marketer of the VerifyNow® System, the first rapid and easy to use point-of-care system for measuring platelet reactivity to multiple antiplatelet agents, announced that it has completed the enrollment phase of its landmark clinical trial, GRAVITAS.

7 Apr 2010

Today's OpEds: Harkin, Coleman, Leavitt and others

Despite all the talk recently about how our nation has become divided and ungovernable, we have proved not only that we are governable, but also that we still have the capacity to act with boldness and vision (Sen. Tom Harkin, 4/6).

7 Apr 2010

At home, congressional Dems face voters on health bill, Rep. Issa investigating 'deals'

Before Congress left town for the spring recess, Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged rank-and-file Democrats to return home and tout the benefits of the landmark health care bill, Politico reports.

7 Apr 2010

Medicare News and Research

FDA grants final approval for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' generic Hyzaar and Cozaar

DealSearchOnline.com announces $72.3B committed to fund 291 managed care mergers and acquisitions

First Edition: April 7, 2010

Health care reform: Clarification for seniors

Health security will increase with new reform law

Future of health care in practice at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Thomson Reuters ranks UC San Diego Health System as one of nation's top 15 major teaching hospitals

HOLCOMB C3-R cures bobsledder of impending blindness, helps win gold at 2010 Winter Olympics

Implementation of electronic health record systems may not be enough to improve health quality

Study provides benchmark data to evaluate quality of management of sickle cell disease

Senator Grassley issues warning about 'phanton pharmacies' while Tampa officials arrest pharmacists on fraud charges

Infusion and injection therapy Medicare defraud scheme: Detroit-area resident pleads guilty

Annual Medicare report delayed to reflect impact of health law, the AP reports

Wisconsin residents may switch health insurance due to reform; Florida lawmakers seek changes to Medicaid

Medicare advantage insurers won't see increase in 2011

Frequency of complex fusion procedures for lower back increased among Medicare recipients

Berwick, Blumenthal may form dream team at CMS

Accumetrics completes enrollment phase of GRAVITAS clinical trial

Today's OpEds: Harkin, Coleman, Leavitt and others

At home, congressional Dems face voters on health bill, Rep. Issa investigating 'deals'

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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