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Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states.

Systemic underfunding of CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis puts millions of Americans' health at risk

Warning that "systemic underfunding of the Centers for Disease Control's Division of Viral Hepatitis puts millions of Americans' health and well-being at risk," the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable today called on the Administration to work with Congress to take decisive action this year to fix the funding failure for viral hepatitis screening, surveillance, and early intervention programs.

17 Mar 2010

Pimple Clinic program donates acne products to low-income families

The Pimple Clinic, a safe, effective non-prescription line of acne products developed by the dermatologist who founded Skinstore.com, is being provided to low-income teens that otherwise cannot afford acne treatments.

17 Mar 2010

HCRS selected to provide IT support services for three states

HealthCare Resolution Services, Inc. (HCRS), a leading provider of program integrity support, health information technology (IT) services and professional medical and technical staffing, announced today that it has been accepted as a subcontractor for three contract vehicles serving the states of Maryland, Texas, and Florida.

17 Mar 2010

MedSolutions launches oncology management program for cancer patients

MedSolutions (www.medsolutions.com), a leading provider of medical cost management services, today announced the launch of its oncology management program, which uses evidence-based guidelines to ensure appropriate use of diagnostic imaging, radiation therapy and drugs for cancer patients.

17 Mar 2010

Governors riled by lack of input in health bill; States request more federal funding for budget, Medicaid shortfalls

"Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas kicked off a National Governors Association summit on health care Monday with an ominous word about the date" and the need to beware the ides of March. "The governors feel like they've gotten the Brutus treatment, too."

17 Mar 2010

False Claims Act allegations over marketing of morphine-based drug Kadian: Alpharma to pay $42.5M

American pharmaceutical manufacturer Alpharma Inc. has agreed to pay $42.5 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations in connection with the marketing of the morphine-based drug, Kadian, the Justice Department announced today. The settlement resolves allegations that, between January 1, 2000 and December 29, 2008, Alpharma paid health care providers to induce them to promote or prescribe Kadian, and made misrepresentations about the safety and efficacy of the drug, which is used to treat chronic moderate to severe pain.

17 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 16, 2010

In today's headlines, ongoing efforts by President Obama and Democratic leaders to press and persuade wavering votes in support of health reform take center stage.

16 Mar 2010

EHR Association submits responses on two regulations that implement healthcare IT incentive provisions of ARRA

The HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association has submitted its detailed responses on two major regulations that implement healthcare IT incentive provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

16 Mar 2010

Concurrent use of proton-pump inhibitor and clopidogrel does not elevate cardiovascular risk

Heart patients who took a stomach acid-suppressing proton-pump inhibitor along with clopidogrel - a drug that prevents blood clots - were only half as likely to be hospitalized for upper digestive tract bleeding than those who used clopidogrel alone, according to a new study supported by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

16 Mar 2010

HHS announces awards to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health IT

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced awards to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health information technology (health IT). Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, today’s awards are part of the $2 billion effort to achieve widespread meaningful use of health IT and provide use of an electronic health record by every citizen by the year 2014.

16 Mar 2010

Roche Diagnostics named sole source supplier for Premier's blood glucose monitoring devices

Roche Diagnostics announced today that it has been awarded contracts for blood glucose monitoring and clinical chemistry/immunoassay lab analyzers from Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P., Inc., the group purchasing unit of Premier, Inc. Roche was also named the sole source supplier for blood glucose in Premier's exclusive ASCEND supply chain performance program.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 16 Mar 2010

Indiana receives $10.3M federal grant to enhance quality and reach of existing health information technology

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program announced the award today of a four-year, $10.3 million grant to the State of Indiana to further enhance the quality and reach of the state's existing health information technology delivery system to improve health outcomes for Hoosiers and reduce costs across the continuum of health care.

16 Mar 2010

FDA approves Watson Pharmaceuticals' ANDA for generic Cardizem LA

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc. – Florida, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Diltiazem Hydrochloride Extended-Release tablets, the generic equivalent to Biovail Laboratories International SRL's Cardizem® LA product. Watson intends to launch its generic version of Cardizem® LA immediately.

16 Mar 2010

Issues over abortion, reconciliation rules remain in the path of health reform vote

A host of political challenges and possible pitfalls awaits lawmakers as they push toward a final vote on health reform -- among them, abortion, reconciliation rules and immigration.

15 Mar 2010

States struggle to balance budgets, health programs face cuts

National Journal: States are aware of the "lingering effects of recessions" on the enrollment in their Medicaid programs. "Because it takes time for people to re-enter the workforce and get insurance, it can take years for Medicaid rolls to shrink to prerecession levels and for states to restore program and funding cuts." According to a February report by the National Governors Association, states are "facing budget gaps totaling $136 billion for fiscal 2010 through 2012 and that Medicaid enrollment would grow 6.6 percent in fiscal 2010" (Werber Serafini, 3/13).

15 Mar 2010

Montana Gov. seeks to buy state's prescription drugs from Canada; Settlement reached for ground zero workers

"Gov. Brian Schweitzer [D-Mont.] said Thursday that he is seeking federal permission to import cheaper drugs from Canada for use in state insurance programs," The Associated Press/The New York Times reports

15 Mar 2010

Research roundup: Evaluating health bills, attitudes about uninsured, improving emergency rooms

The Cost Of Uncompensated Care With And Without Health Reform - This report analyzes various health bills. "The cost of uncompensated care will fall from $62.1 billion in 2009 to $46.6 billion in 2019 under the Senate bill, and to $36.5 billion in 2019 with the House bill. Without reform, the cost of uncompensated care will increase to between $107 and $141 billion in 2019, depending on growth in the economy and health care costs.

15 Mar 2010

Health bill update: Pelosi counting votes, Scott Brown lambastes Dems

News outlets reported that Democrats seeking to pass a health bill next week got a boost from a Cabinet official, a key senator and the Catholic Health Association, while newly-elected Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., attacked the Democrats' plans.

15 Mar 2010

States face health spending cuts

President Obama's demand to delete 'special deals' in the health care package would eliminate $500 million in extra Medicaid cash for Massachusetts, but Bay State lawmakers say they are confident the state would recoup that and probably more once negotiations are complete.

12 Mar 2010

Louisiana ranks 46th on maternal mortality, records 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Louisiana is 46th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Medicaid News and Research

Systemic underfunding of CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis puts millions of Americans' health at risk

Pimple Clinic program donates acne products to low-income families

HCRS selected to provide IT support services for three states

MedSolutions launches oncology management program for cancer patients

Governors riled by lack of input in health bill; States request more federal funding for budget, Medicaid shortfalls

False Claims Act allegations over marketing of morphine-based drug Kadian: Alpharma to pay $42.5M

First Edition: March 16, 2010

EHR Association submits responses on two regulations that implement healthcare IT incentive provisions of ARRA

Concurrent use of proton-pump inhibitor and clopidogrel does not elevate cardiovascular risk

HHS announces awards to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health IT

Roche Diagnostics named sole source supplier for Premier's blood glucose monitoring devices

Indiana receives $10.3M federal grant to enhance quality and reach of existing health information technology

FDA approves Watson Pharmaceuticals' ANDA for generic Cardizem LA

Issues over abortion, reconciliation rules remain in the path of health reform vote

States struggle to balance budgets, health programs face cuts

Montana Gov. seeks to buy state's prescription drugs from Canada; Settlement reached for ground zero workers

Research roundup: Evaluating health bills, attitudes about uninsured, improving emergency rooms

Health bill update: Pelosi counting votes, Scott Brown lambastes Dems

States face health spending cuts

Louisiana ranks 46th on maternal mortality, records 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 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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