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Mass. regulators reach rate hike accord with one more insurer

Massachusetts regulators cut a deal Monday with insurer Health New England to limit premium increases for individual policyholders and small businesses to 8.2 percent, down from the hikes ranging from 11.5 to 21.3 percent the firm requested earlier this year, The Boston Globe reports. "With the Health New England agreement, the Patrick administration has now reached accords with five of the six Massachusetts insurance carriers that were denied double-digit increases on April 1.

19 Aug 2010

Apex EDI introduces Preferred Solutions Partner Program

Apex EDI, one of the nation's leading e-claims reimbursement companies for dental and medical professionals, unveiled a Preferred Solutions Partner Program to offer turn-key EDI support for health care providers through strong relationships with practice management vendors, business partners, payers and more. The Preferred Solutions Partner Program will allow medical and dental resellers to offer an industry-leading clearinghouse claims processing solution to their clients.

19 Aug 2010

Broadband could be boon for rural clinics

A federal broadband initiative may have implications for the health system, too, NPR reports. "Millions of Americans who live in rural areas travel long distances to get health care. Or they may go without it. But high-speed Internet connections now make it possible to bring a doctor's expertise to patients in far-off places, if those places are connected. As part of its National Broadband Plan, the Federal Communications Commission has pledged $400 million a year to connect nearly 12,000 rural health care providers."

19 Aug 2010

Also in Global Health News: Global Fund in El Salvador; World Bank investment in Nepal; Bed nets in Africa; Ukraine caps grain exports

Global Post examines how the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is impacting HIV/AIDS care and human rights in El Salvador. The article profiles Carla, a Salvadorian transvestite who tested positive for HIV in jail and was able to receive anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment through a program supported by the Global Fund, which the article calls a "revolutionary model."

18 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions: Medicare's legacy and future; Missouri vote on health mandate; Overhaul predictions

Universally affordable care, especially for sick people, is the sweet spot of health care reform. But nearly all health policy experts think you have to swallow the bitter pill of mandated insurance purchases to get there. Seven states have tried to ban insurance discrimination based on pre-existing health conditions without requiring participation in insurance plans from healthy consumers. In each instance, the experiment failed miserably (8/17).

18 Aug 2010

NASA to host LAUNCH: Health forum focusing on health issues

NASA will host LAUNCH: Health, a global forum focusing on health issues, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida from Oct. 30-31. NASA, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State, and NIKE are partnering on LAUNCH to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to sustainability challenges through a series of forums.

18 Aug 2010

NASN encourages parents to vaccinate their children against meningococcal disease

More than half of adolescents 13 to 17 years of age have not been vaccinated against meningococcal disease, a rare but serious disease that can cause meningitis and take the life of a child in just a single day. In a recent Ipsos national survey, the majority of mothers with children in this age group had not vaccinated their children because they were not fully aware of the need for vaccination.

18 Aug 2010

PBM Medco invests in comparative-effectiveness, safety research firm

The Wall Street Journal reports that pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions will buy United BioSource, a business that conducts safety and comparative effectiveness research, for $730 million.

18 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 18, 2010

In today's headlines, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners takes action on key recommendations related to health reform implementation.

18 Aug 2010

Medical Mutual of Ohio to receive prestigious C. Everett Koop National Health Award for 2010

In recognition of its health promotion program that has demonstrated effectiveness in improving the health of workers while at the same time promoting efficient use of resources, Medical Mutual of Ohio was selected as one of three U.S. employers to receive the prestigious C. Everett Koop National Health Award for 2010.

18 Aug 2010

Study finds disparities in evaluation, diagnosis of abuse among infants with traumatic brain injury

Black children are more likely to be evaluated for abuse than white children with comparable injuries, according to a new study from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, raising concerns some children are being subjected to unnecessary testing while other cases of abuse go undiagnosed.

18 Aug 2010

Policies, practices concerning MRSA differ among acute-care hospitals in the U.S.: Researchers

Hospitals vary in how they detect and treat drug-resistant staph infections, but most follow national guideline recommendations, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

18 Aug 2010

Live call-in program to focus on how state budget cuts affect health care services

Across the country, weak economic conditions are forcing budget cuts to state-assisted mental and physical health care facilities and services. Grants have all but dried up for local mental health centers, necessitating service cuts for the patients who need them the most.

18 Aug 2010

Equatorial Guinea launches cholera, measles vaccination campaign to improve health services

Equatorial Guinea's (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial) Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Sanitary Prevention Department launched a cholera and measles vaccination campaign in an effort to further improve health services for the nation's citizens.

18 Aug 2010

Polls: Health care 'very important' in midterms; Voters look at Medicare cuts to reduce deficit

A new CNN poll found that health care remains a big issue for voters ahead of November's midterm elections with more than 80 percent of respondents saying it was very or extremely important to them, The Hill reports.

18 Aug 2010

Health care system delay increases death risk in heart attack patients

For patients with a certain type of heart attack, delay in the time between first contact with emergency medical service to initiation of therapy such as balloon angioplasty is associated with an increased risk of death, according to a study in the August 18 issue of JAMA.

18 Aug 2010

USAID, NASA, NIKE and State Department partner to address humanity's sustainability challenges

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), NASA, the U.S. Department of State, and NIKE, Inc. have partnered on a unique initiative called LAUNCH. The idea behind LAUNCH is to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to humanity's sustainability challenges through a series of forums, each focused on a specific sustainability challenge. The second event in the LAUNCH series, LAUNCH: Health, will focus specifically on health issues related to the first 20 years of life.

18 Aug 2010

ASEAN representatives participate in week-long exercise aimed at improving region's pandemic response

A group of experts from Southeast Asia gathered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Monday for the start of a four-day exercise to help bolster "the capabilities of [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] ASEAN member states, both individually and collectively, to prepare for and respond to a severe pandemic with potentially devastating effects on the region," Agence France-Presse/The Independent reports (8/17).

18 Aug 2010

California Telehealth Network launched

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra joined a diverse group of statewide healthcare and technology agencies today at the UC Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento to launch the California Telehealth Network (CTN).

18 Aug 2010

HDVI's Medical Records Collection and Analysis system integrated with DST Health Solutions' CareAnalyzer

DST Health Solutions, LLC, today announced a business alliance with Health Data Vision, Inc. to integrate HDVI's Medical Records Collection and Analysis (MRCS) system with DST Health Solutions' CareAnalyzer® solution. CareAnalyzer is a comprehensive analytics software suite that combines elements of patient risk, care opportunities and provider performance. The solution is designed to help health plans improve care management and meet reporting requirements for the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®).

18 Aug 2010

Health Care News and Research

Mass. regulators reach rate hike accord with one more insurer

Apex EDI introduces Preferred Solutions Partner Program

Broadband could be boon for rural clinics

Also in Global Health News: Global Fund in El Salvador; World Bank investment in Nepal; Bed nets in Africa; Ukraine caps grain exports

Today's Opinions: Medicare's legacy and future; Missouri vote on health mandate; Overhaul predictions

NASA to host LAUNCH: Health forum focusing on health issues

NASN encourages parents to vaccinate their children against meningococcal disease

PBM Medco invests in comparative-effectiveness, safety research firm

First Edition: August 18, 2010

Medical Mutual of Ohio to receive prestigious C. Everett Koop National Health Award for 2010

Study finds disparities in evaluation, diagnosis of abuse among infants with traumatic brain injury

Policies, practices concerning MRSA differ among acute-care hospitals in the U.S.: Researchers

Live call-in program to focus on how state budget cuts affect health care services

Equatorial Guinea launches cholera, measles vaccination campaign to improve health services

Polls: Health care 'very important' in midterms; Voters look at Medicare cuts to reduce deficit

Health care system delay increases death risk in heart attack patients

USAID, NASA, NIKE and State Department partner to address humanity's sustainability challenges

ASEAN representatives participate in week-long exercise aimed at improving region's pandemic response

California Telehealth Network launched

HDVI's Medical Records Collection and Analysis system integrated with DST Health Solutions' CareAnalyzer

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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