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Sun Knowledge to attend Annual Drug Benefit Conference in Phoenix

Sun Knowledge, Ltd., a leading Healthcare Insurance provider of Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) services, will attend the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute’s Annual Drug Benefit Conference in Phoenix, Az., from February 17-19.

12 Feb 2010

Study analyzes physicians and Medicare insurance claims to investigate volume-offset behavior

Do physicians provide more services to Medicare patients to make up for lower Medicare fees? With almost 42 million people enrolled in Medicare in the United States in 2008, it's a question that could have a very costly answer.

12 Feb 2010

Proving value a challenge for comparative effectiveness and pharmaceutical technologies

The Wall Street Journal reports that "an examination of one of the best-known examples of a comparative-effectiveness analysis shows how complicated such a seemingly straightforward idea can get" as officials look for savings in the health care system." One study, called Courage, "found that the most common heart surgery -- a $15,000 procedure that unclogs arteries using a small scaffold or stent -- usually yields no additional benefit when used with a cocktail of generic drugs in patients suffering from chronic chest pain."

12 Feb 2010

States push for insurers to increase coverage

States tackle several health care policy issues focused on health insurance coverage mandates and requirements.

12 Feb 2010

HealthSpring enters into $350M senior secured credit facility

HealthSpring, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a new $350 million senior secured credit facility. The new agreement consists of $175 million in five-year term loans and a four-year, $175 million revolving credit facility, $25 million of which was drawn at closing. Outstanding loans under the new credit facility bear interest at a spread over a base rate or LIBOR (initially 325 basis points), depending on the Company’s total leverage ratio.

12 Feb 2010

Medicaid and other state programs face questions about fraud, other difficulties

The state's Medicaid Fraud Division said two state agencies, the Health Department and Human Services Department that administer the Medicaid program, "'filtered' and 'sanitized' information and documents requested by investigators, hindering numerous investigations." The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wil investigate the allegations (Furlow, 2/10).

12 Feb 2010

COBRA extension included in newly unveiled Senate jobs bill

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D- Mont., and ranking Republican Charles Grassley, R- Iowa, this morning jointly unveiled a draft of the chamber's jobs bill, "vowing to maintain the 'bipartisan character' of their negotiations going forward," The Washington Post 44 reports. "The $85 billion package ... is the first in what Democratic leaders say will be a series of job-creation measures the Senate will address in 2010."

11 Feb 2010

IASIS Healthcare reports solid revenue and EBITDA growth for fiscal first-quarter

IASIS Healthcare® LLC today announced financial and operating results for the fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2009.

11 Feb 2010

AMA unhappy with Senate plan for Medicare 'doc fix'

The American Medical Association is criticizing "a Senate plan for avoiding a proposed 21 percent cut in government payments to physicians who treat the elderly, calling the proposal a 'Band-Aid' measure," Bloomberg/BusinessWeek reports.

11 Feb 2010

Cambridge Heart submits 510(k) application for Microvolt T-wave Alternans OEM Module

Cambridge Heart, Inc., today announced that the Company has completed the development phase of its Microvolt T-wave Alternans (MTWA) OEM Module, and has submitted a 510(k) application for regulatory approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The module is the centerpiece of the Company’s new business model that involves partnering with leading stress test equipment manufacturers to broaden the distribution and use of MTWA technology.

11 Feb 2010

Theragenics announces record $18.7M consolidated revenue for fourth-quarter 2009

Theragenics Corporation, a medical device company serving the surgical products and prostate cancer treatment markets, today announced consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009. Consolidated results include the results of NeedleTech Products, Inc. (“NeedleTech”) subsequent to its acquisition by Theragenics on July 28, 2008.

11 Feb 2010

LabCorp reports financial results for quarter and year ended December 31, 2009

Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) today announced results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

11 Feb 2010

Sermo physician community discusses refusal to accept Medicare pricing

Sermo, the world's largest online community for physicians, today announced its weekly hot topic. More than 500 physicians participated in a Sermo post "FTC - Refusal to accept Medicare pricing = Price Fixing." The discussion focuses on a complaint from the FTC that the Roaring Fork Valley Physicians IPA, by refusing to accept Medicare price controls, violated anti-trust laws. The announcement prompted strong reaction among many physicians who argue they should be able to accept or decline payment terms, like any other profession.

11 Feb 2010

MEDNET to display NHIN and health care information technologies at HIMSS annual conference

MEDNETWorld.com (MEDNET) will be featured at the March 1-4, 2010 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference in Atlanta, Ga. with a special demonstration at the “Interoperability Booth” by MEDNET Chief Architect Seonho Kim and a special presentation on March 4 in Session 246 by MEDNET CEO John Fraser on Identity Management in a Federated Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).

11 Feb 2010

UCLA and Health Net to develop health literacy training intervention for adolescents

With the average teen spending approximately nine hours a week on social networking sites, the UCLA School of Public Health has partnered with Health Net of California to develop a health literacy training intervention using social media to encourage adolescents ages 13 to 17 to utilize their health care more effectively.

11 Feb 2010

'CARES by GSK' introduces oncology co-pay assistance program

GlaxoSmithKline today announced the launch of CARES by GSK, a comprehensive program that provides a single point of contact to GSK services and programs designed to improve access to GSK oncology and specialty medications. In addition to the comprehensive offerings that include specialty reimbursement services and free medicine, CARES by GSK now offers its first oncology co-pay assistance program to further help eligible patients with limited insurance coverage to have better access to GSK oral oncology and specialty medicines.

11 Feb 2010

Medica Foundation awards grants totaling $604,940 in second cycle of funding

The Medica Foundation wrapped up its 2009 giving with 17 program grants totaling $473,690 in its second cycle of funding in 2009. The Medica Foundation also awarded 19 General Health Improvement Grants totaling $131,250. Funding by the Medica Foundation totaled $604,940 in its second cycle; for all of 2009, its total funding was $1,353,000.

11 Feb 2010

DPC lauds passage of S.B. 316 dialysis care legislation

Dialysis Patient Citizens today praised the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee for unanimously passing legislation – S.B. 316 – which will increase patient access to life-saving dialysis care or transplant medications. Dialysis patients attending yesterday’s hearing encouraged lawmakers to support the bill which, if enacted, would greatly help approximately 2,000 Georgians suffering from kidney failure who are having difficulty accessing health insurance. Twenty-nine states across the country have enacted this popular legislation that is widely embraced by patients, family members and taxpayers.

11 Feb 2010

Medicare payment cuts may impact patients’ access to quality neurosurgical care

As lawmakers continue to wrestle with how best to reform the Medicare physician payment system, the results of a new survey by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), and the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies (CSNS) paint a troubling picture for patients if drastic Medicare physician payment cuts continue.

11 Feb 2010

Centene to host seminar on medical management system for institutional investors and sell-side analysts

Centene Corporation today announced it will host a two-hour seminar on its medical management system capability for institutional investors and sell-side analysts on Monday, February 22, 2010, at the New York Helmsley Hotel in New York City.

11 Feb 2010

Medicare News and Research

Sun Knowledge to attend Annual Drug Benefit Conference in Phoenix

Study analyzes physicians and Medicare insurance claims to investigate volume-offset behavior

Proving value a challenge for comparative effectiveness and pharmaceutical technologies

States push for insurers to increase coverage

HealthSpring enters into $350M senior secured credit facility

Medicaid and other state programs face questions about fraud, other difficulties

COBRA extension included in newly unveiled Senate jobs bill

IASIS Healthcare reports solid revenue and EBITDA growth for fiscal first-quarter

AMA unhappy with Senate plan for Medicare 'doc fix'

Cambridge Heart submits 510(k) application for Microvolt T-wave Alternans OEM Module

Theragenics announces record $18.7M consolidated revenue for fourth-quarter 2009

LabCorp reports financial results for quarter and year ended December 31, 2009

Sermo physician community discusses refusal to accept Medicare pricing

MEDNET to display NHIN and health care information technologies at HIMSS annual conference

UCLA and Health Net to develop health literacy training intervention for adolescents

'CARES by GSK' introduces oncology co-pay assistance program

Medica Foundation awards grants totaling $604,940 in second cycle of funding

DPC lauds passage of S.B. 316 dialysis care legislation

Medicare payment cuts may impact patients’ access to quality neurosurgical care

Centene to host seminar on medical management system for institutional investors and sell-side analysts

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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