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3.5 million Calif. residents eligible for tax credits in future exchange; N.Y. prescription drug aid for seniors cut back; Idaho trims dental providers in Medicaid

An estimated 3.5 million Californians would be eligible for federal tax credits to slash the cost of their health coverage when they begin buying policies through a new statewide insurance marketplace in 2014, a study released Tuesday found.

7 Oct 2010

Today's Opinions: Concerns about ACOs; Obama challenged on health care claims; Scare tactics

There is a very real danger that by the time policy makers get around to reading and understanding this section of law (on accountable care organizations) that the health care marketplace will have irreversibly changed (Dustin Corcoran, 9/30).

1 Oct 2010

Some insurers to end child-only policies rather than comply with health law

Major insurers plan to discontinue child-only health plans rather than issue coverage under such plans for children with preexisting conditions, something they would have to do beginning Sept. 23 as part of the health law, The Washington Post reports. WellPoint, Cigna and CoventryOne are among the insurers that will end the plans. Those children already covered under the plans would be able to continue, and the companies "will accept children with preexisting conditions in new family policies" (Aizenman, 9/20).

22 Sep 2010

Poorer patients wait months for basic services in Minn.; Calif. unions criticize plan for state workers to pay more for benefits; Neb. Medicaid study questioned

Minnesota Public Radio: "Three months after the state implemented a scaled-back health care coverage program for its poorest residents, many patients are waiting months for basic medical services and hospitals have lost millions of dollars in uncompensated care. … The restructuring of the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program has forced thousands of low-income residents … to leave their medical providers and receive care through one of four Twin Cities-area hospitals.

17 Sep 2010

Montana Gov. seeks cheaper drugs for residents; Legal immigrants may lose health insurace in Mass.

The Associated Press: "Gov. Brian Schweitzer, cooking up a new plan to get cheaper prescription drugs for state residents, said he wants to let every Montanan get discounted medicine through Medicaid." It's his most recent idea about how "to either import cheaper name-brand prescriptions or to otherwise bypass what he sees as exorbitant prices charged by 'drug cartels.'"

27 Aug 2010

States scrambling to ensure they comply with health reform law

The New York Times reports that some states are scrambling to ensure they can comply with the new federal health law. "Insurance commissioners in about half the states say they do not have clear authority to enforce consumer protection standards that take effect next month. Federal and state officials are searching for ways to plug the gap. Otherwise, they say, the ability of consumers to secure the benefits of the new law could vary widely, depending on where they live."

17 Aug 2010

The federal health IT push remains in the spotlight

Doctors across the country including Tahsina Atiquzzaman in Kissimmee, Fla., are "shredding paper charts and ushering in digital records as part of the health care milestones announced last month by the federal government," The Orlando Sentinel/Modesto Bee reports.

13 Aug 2010

An overview of ESA-s Annual Meeting

Whether it is a single rock being overturned or an entire mountaintop being removed, humans play a continuous role in environmental processes, and vice versa. Ecological scientists will discuss findings on human-ecosystem interactions-from the effects of nanomaterials on plant growth to the diversity of insect species on green roofs, and even communities of airborne microbes in hospital buildings-at the Ecological Society of America's 95th Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh from August 1-6, 2010. Here is just some of the research on humans and the environment to be presented:

3 Aug 2010

Toxic protein in bee venom improves liposome encapsulated drug effectiveness

The next time you are stung by a bee, here's some consolation: a toxic protein in bee venom, when altered, significantly improves the effectiveness liposome-encapsulated drugs or dyes, such as those already used to treat or diagnose cancer. This research, described in the August 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal, shows how modified melittin may revolutionize treatments for cancer and perhaps other conditions, such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and serious infections.

3 Aug 2010

Safety-net hospitals fear fiscal effects of health overhaul

"The hard-fought health reforms slowly taking shape across the country are intended to help provide better access to care -- but they could mean financial trouble for so-called 'safety-net' hospitals that take care of the poor," The Fresno Bee reports. "Already, hospital officials say millions in payments have been cut this year for Medicare patients in California, and they expect billions of dollars in cuts over the next 10 years for Medicare and Medi-Cal, as government tightens spending to help cover more people.

27 Jul 2010

Vermillion to complete relocation of corporate offices to Austin, Texas by September 2010

Vermillion, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, today announced that it is relocating its corporate headquarters from Fremont, California to Austin, Texas. Vermillion has executed a two-year lease for a new principal place of business at 12117 Bee Cave Road, Building Two, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78731. Vermillion will continue to operate research and development, regulatory and quality operations in California. All other functions will be conducted at the Austin offices.

23 Jul 2010

Anesthesiologists use different chemicals to lessen their carbon footprint

The Sacramento Bee/The Seattle Times: The "choices that anesthesiologists make at a midsize hospital can have the carbon footprint of a small fleet of automobiles, according to a physician who calculated the effects of different options." Anesthesiologists as a result are trying to lessen the environmental impact of the tools of their trade.

16 Jul 2010

Key protein in insulin signaling pathway adds insights into development, aging

What makes a bee grow up to be a queen? Scientists have long pondered this mystery. Now, researchers in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University have fit a new piece into the puzzle of bee development. Their work not only adds to understanding about bees, but also adds insights into our own development and aging.

15 Jul 2010

Florida Medicaid recipients make fewer trips to doctors; Calif. payments to health clinics in jeopardy; Texas addresses nursing shortage

Northeast Florida's Medicaid recipients are making fewer trips to the doctor for chronic illnesses since state officials outsourced the government-subsidized health insurance program to private managed care companies. But it remains unclear from the analysis performed by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which oversees the state's Medicaid program, whether they're healthier for it. Medicaid reform was launched in 2006 in Duval and Broward counties to test whether HMOs could rein in the state's Medicaid spending.

15 Jul 2010

Stimulation of single whisker prevents stroke in rats

Talk about surviving by a whisker. The most common type of stroke can be completely prevented in rats by stimulating a single whisker, according to a new study by UC Irvine researchers.

14 Jul 2010

New treatments to alleviate symptoms of muscular dystrophy, depression and dementia

Scientists researching a toxin extracted from the venom of the honey bee have used this to inform the design of new treatments to alleviate the symptoms of conditions such as muscular dystrophy, depression and dementia.

12 Jul 2010

State Roundup: Florida to investigate WellCare; Calif. budget cuts; Computer system helps states find Medicaid savings

Nextgov: "A 17-year-old computer data matching system designed to prevent welfare recipients from drawing benefits in more than one state at a time is now helping cash-strapped states save millions of dollars -- but not as originally intended.

3 Jul 2010

High-risk pools begin taking applications in some states

The Dallas Morning News: The federal government began accepting applications Thursday for coverage through high-risk insurance pools from people who have been unable to obtain insurance on the commercial market due to pre-existing conditions. "To be eligible, people must be uninsured for at least six months and have been turned down for coverage by a private insurer because of a medical problem. Applications for the insurance are available online at www.HealthCare.gov. Coverage starts Aug. 1" (Boderson, 7/2).

3 Jul 2010

Antibacterial ingredient in honey identified

Sweet news for those looking for new antibiotics: A new research published in the July 2010 print edition of the FASEB Journal explains for the first time how honey kills bacteria. Specifically, the research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

30 Jun 2010

Health law provisions kicking in; States prepare for high-risk insurance pool implementation

Three months after health reform was enacted, state leaders are beginning to make decisions about implementing the new law, Politico reports: "With the messy politics of health reform, the burden of balancing state budgets and the goal of expanding health coverage, lawmakers at the state level have had mixed reactions."

30 Jun 2010

Bee News and Research

3.5 million Calif. residents eligible for tax credits in future exchange; N.Y. prescription drug aid for seniors cut back; Idaho trims dental providers in Medicaid

Today's Opinions: Concerns about ACOs; Obama challenged on health care claims; Scare tactics

Some insurers to end child-only policies rather than comply with health law

Poorer patients wait months for basic services in Minn.; Calif. unions criticize plan for state workers to pay more for benefits; Neb. Medicaid study questioned

Montana Gov. seeks cheaper drugs for residents; Legal immigrants may lose health insurace in Mass.

States scrambling to ensure they comply with health reform law

The federal health IT push remains in the spotlight

An overview of ESA-s Annual Meeting

Toxic protein in bee venom improves liposome encapsulated drug effectiveness

Safety-net hospitals fear fiscal effects of health overhaul

Vermillion to complete relocation of corporate offices to Austin, Texas by September 2010

Anesthesiologists use different chemicals to lessen their carbon footprint

Key protein in insulin signaling pathway adds insights into development, aging

Florida Medicaid recipients make fewer trips to doctors; Calif. payments to health clinics in jeopardy; Texas addresses nursing shortage

Stimulation of single whisker prevents stroke in rats

New treatments to alleviate symptoms of muscular dystrophy, depression and dementia

State Roundup: Florida to investigate WellCare; Calif. budget cuts; Computer system helps states find Medicaid savings

High-risk pools begin taking applications in some states

Antibacterial ingredient in honey identified

Health law provisions kicking in; States prepare for high-risk insurance pool implementation

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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