Health and Human Services News and Research

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Idaho Technology signs licensing agreement with E. I. du Pont de Nemours

Idaho Technology, Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company acting through its DuPont Qualicon Business covering reagents or methods using SYBR® Green I technology and post-PCR melting curve analysis.

31 Jul 2010

Blumenthal defends hew health IT rules to Utah leaders

David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health information technology for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "defended the administration's new plans against critics who say the watered-down rules miss an opportunity to lower costs and improve patient care," The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

31 Jul 2010

Abortion rights supporters, children's groups, GOP pushing back on various health law provisions

"Elective abortions will be prohibited and people with pre-existing conditions will be able to get comprehensive benefits without paying any more than healthy people, under new federal regulations for high-risk health insurance pools released ... by the Obama administration," according to Kaiser Health News.

31 Jul 2010

McKesson first-quarter revenues increase to $27.5 billion

McKesson Corporation today reported that revenues for the first quarter ended June 30, 2010 were $27.5 billion compared to $26.7 billion a year ago. First-quarter earnings per diluted share was $1.10 compared to $1.06 per diluted share a year ago.

30 Jul 2010

Amerigroup second-quarter total revenues increase 11.3% to $1.4 billion

Amerigroup Corporation today announced that net income for the second quarter of 2010 was $67.2 million, or $1.31 per diluted share, versus net income of $49.6 million, or $0.94 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2009. Second quarter of 2009 results were positively impacted by a tax adjustment of $0.43 per diluted share related to litigation settled in 2008. Excluding the tax adjustment, second quarter of 2009 net income would have been $27.2 million, or $0.51 per diluted share.

30 Jul 2010

Treating back problems cost Americans more than $30 billion in 2007: AHRQ

Treating back problems, one of the most bothersome medical problems, cost Americans more than $30 billion in 2007- up from $16 billion in 1997 (in 2007 dollars), according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

30 Jul 2010

Securian Foundation awards 60 grants to civic, healthcare, education and arts organizations

The Securian Foundation awarded 60 grants during the first half of 2010 worth a total of $428,555 to Twin Cities civic, healthcare, education and arts organizations.

30 Jul 2010

Insurers Aetna, WellPoint look for their place in health reform; WellPoint profit up

Aetna President Mark Bertolini said Wednesday that his company has seen much slower sales of national insurance accounts where large employers pay Aetna to administer plans for employees, The Associated Press reports. Under the new health overhaul, Bertolini said he expected less movement in that market because of the uncertainty in the law.

30 Jul 2010

Insurers change kids coverage stance after HHS clarifies new rules

Health insurers have started to back down "on their decision to pull out of the child-only coverage market after the Obama administration addressed their concerns about the potential damage to their bottom lines," The Hill reports. "The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday clarified regulations mandating that insurance plans agree to cover sick children.

30 Jul 2010

WIREC Director testifies on the implementation of HITECH Act

Peggy Evans, PhD, CPHIT, Director of the Washington & Idaho Regional Extension Center testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee of Health, Tuesday, July 27, 2010, in Washington, DC. Dr. Evans joined David Blumenthal, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and several others on two panels of witnesses.

29 Jul 2010

PCMA issues statement on a provision in the U.S. Senate's small business legislation

Pharmaceutical Care Management Association President and CEO Mark Merritt issued the following statement today on a provision in the U.S. Senate's small business legislation that would require the Department of Health and Human Services to work with outside companies to target fraud, waste, and abuse in states across the country.

29 Jul 2010

Senate Subcommittee approves HHS funding bill, other health care bills readied

CongressDaily: The Senate Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee approved a draft funding bill Tuesday for HHS, "moving a bill that would provide $170 billion in discretionary spending to related federal agencies, nearly $1 billion under the president's request." The bill gives $732 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services, $306 million more than the administration requested. "The House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee gave the health agency a similar boost in funding."

29 Jul 2010

Therapists introduce new parenting skills to end child maltreatment

Mothers who live in poverty and who have abused their children can stop if they are taught parenting skills and given emotional support. A new study has found that mothers in families in which there is a history of child abuse and neglect were able to reduce how much they cursed at, yelled at, slapped, spanked, hit or rejected their children after a series of home visits from therapists who taught them parenting skills.

28 Jul 2010

Researchers introduce Web-based program to help women experiencing abuse develop safety plans

Intimate partner violence results in 2 million injuries among women in the U.S. each year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. University of Missouri researchers are reducing these numbers with a new Web-based program that helps women experiencing abuse develop individualized safety plans and better assess the severity of their situations.

28 Jul 2010

Rite Aid agrees to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of HIPAA Privacy Rule

Rite Aid Corporation and its 40 affiliated entities (RAC) have agreed to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today. In a coordinated action, RAC also signed a consent order with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to settle potential violations of the FTC Act.

28 Jul 2010

Abortion, other issues continue to stoke the politics surrounding health reform

Politico reports that "the issues of health care and abortion" are making the campaign tough for some Democrats. Among the vulnerable Democrats are Reps. Kathleen Dahlkemper, D-Pa.; Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio; and Indiana Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth, who is running for Senate. "'We are going to do everything we can to point out that Democrats who said they were pro-life caved on the big one,' said Marilyn Musgrave, a former Colorado congresswoman.

28 Jul 2010

Momenta Pharmaceuticals provides update on generic Lovenox ANDA litigation

Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in the characterization and engineering of complex drugs, today provided an update regarding a lawsuit that Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Margaret A. Hamburg, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services.

27 Jul 2010

Report finds geographic variation in the use of carotid endarterectomy, carotid stenting

Medicare beneficiaries in some parts of the United States appear more likely to receive carotid endarterectomy, a surgical procedure to clear blockages in the artery supplying blood to the head, whereas those in other regions more often receive stents for the same condition, according to a report in the July 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Jul 2010

Some insurers will stop offering individual coverage for children after implementation of health law provision

"Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said that in his state UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield have stopped issuing new policies that cover children individually. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland said a couple of local insurers in her state have done likewise." The law requires insurers to accept children regardless of medical problems, worrying insurers that parents won't seek coverage for their kids until the kids get sick.

27 Jul 2010

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, Marianjoy announce partnership

Patients with acute physical rehabilitation needs now can undergo inpatient treatment close to home thanks to a new partnership between Adventist Hinsdale Hospital and Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. Announced today, the cooperative effort unites two organizations with similar holistic approaches to rehabilitative patient care for a variety of conditions in multiple settings.

26 Jul 2010

Health and Human Services News and Research

Idaho Technology signs licensing agreement with E. I. du Pont de Nemours

Blumenthal defends hew health IT rules to Utah leaders

Abortion rights supporters, children's groups, GOP pushing back on various health law provisions

McKesson first-quarter revenues increase to $27.5 billion

Amerigroup second-quarter total revenues increase 11.3% to $1.4 billion

Treating back problems cost Americans more than $30 billion in 2007: AHRQ

Securian Foundation awards 60 grants to civic, healthcare, education and arts organizations

Insurers Aetna, WellPoint look for their place in health reform; WellPoint profit up

Insurers change kids coverage stance after HHS clarifies new rules

WIREC Director testifies on the implementation of HITECH Act

PCMA issues statement on a provision in the U.S. Senate's small business legislation

Senate Subcommittee approves HHS funding bill, other health care bills readied

Therapists introduce new parenting skills to end child maltreatment

Researchers introduce Web-based program to help women experiencing abuse develop safety plans

Rite Aid agrees to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of HIPAA Privacy Rule

Abortion, other issues continue to stoke the politics surrounding health reform

Momenta Pharmaceuticals provides update on generic Lovenox ANDA litigation

Report finds geographic variation in the use of carotid endarterectomy, carotid stenting

Some insurers will stop offering individual coverage for children after implementation of health law provision

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, Marianjoy announce partnership

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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