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Healthcare information technology to enable clinicians spend more time on patient care

Healthcare reform, a current hot button headline, is not a new issue. In fact, the concept has been kicking around the Hill since Teddy Roosevelt, who started the discussion of a national health insurance program in the early 1900s.

25 Aug 2009

Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy and Ohio Caresource collaborate to develop Chronic Kidney Disease treatment

Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy announced today that its Diplomat Health Services Division is partnering with CareSource in Ohio to slow the progression of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), improve clinical outcomes and reduce healthcare costs associated with the disease. As the number of Americans with CKD continues to rise, CareSource is focused on the early identification and treatment of their patients with the illness.

25 Aug 2009

New RAND study finds that Prescription Benefit Program for Medicare recipients surpasses expectations

The program created to provide Medicare recipients with prescription drug benefits exceeded expectations during its first two years, extending pharmacy coverage to most seniors while reducing their overall spending on drugs, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

25 Aug 2009

Rising costs and patient loads push some primary care MDs to concierge practices

Some primary care doctors are changing their practices, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports: "Faced with rising costs and patient loads, a small but growing number of primary-care doctors are sharply reducing their practice sizes and charging each patient annual fees of about $2,000 in exchange for personalized care.

25 Aug 2009

Survey reveals that many Americans believe controversial statements about health care reform

Findings from a national survey of Americans by researchers from Indiana University Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research (CHPPR) and the Indiana University Center for Bioethics says that Americans do believe the "myths" about health care reform, confirming that the White House may indeed be losing this battle.

25 Aug 2009

GOP plan centers on seniors' bill of rights

"In their latest assault on President Obama's health care plans, Republicans are aiming for a vulnerable spot -- the fears of seniors that their care will get worse or more costly," the Boston Globe reports on its Political Intelligence blog.

25 Aug 2009

National dialysis treatment program under fire; criticized as too costly, risky

Kidney dialysis treatment in the U.S. is costly and has high death rates, but it doesn't have to be that way, USA Today reports: "The vast majority of the more than 350,000 Americans on dialysis are treated in centers, where three treatments a week, three or four hours each, is the norm — not because it's optimal but because that's the way it has been done for nearly four decades.

25 Aug 2009

Health Fair 11 to offer free or low-cost health screenings

Visitors attending the Minnesota State Fair will find some great health deals when they stop by Health Fair 11 at the Fair. More than a dozen organizations will offer free or low-cost health screenings. Among the screenings are: cholesterol testing (non-fasting), diabetes screening (glucose -- non-fasting), blood pressure checks, blood typing, hearing and vision assessments, bone density and body fat measurements, and weight readings.

24 Aug 2009

University of Southern California's gerontology students participate in an interactive senior sensitivity training program

Gerontology students at University of Southern California had an opportunity to "become senior citizens" on Friday thanks to Trading Ages(TM), an interactive senior sensitivity training program sponsored by SCAN Health Plan.

24 Aug 2009

Claims Auditor Solution from Compliance 360 provides total control of medical claims audits and appeals

Compliance 360, a leading provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions for enterprise governance, risk management and compliance (eGRC) announced today that the Compliance 360 Claims Auditor has been licensed for use in over 200 hospitals since it was launched just 8 months ago.

24 Aug 2009

Public plan and Co-ops battle for public hearts, political minds

What started with a "couple of liberal policy wonks" is now in the center of the debate over government's role in the health care system and has placed President Obama "uncomfortably in the middle," The Associated Press reports.

24 Aug 2009

Congressman discusses federal government's importance in providing healthcare insurance

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) issues the fourth in a series of statements discussing "the public option" throughout American life and why it must be part of health care reform.

24 Aug 2009

Illinois senate candidate stresses the signifance of public insurance in health care reform

Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Cheryle Jackson today said that a public insurance option is absolutely critical to achieve the dual goals of containing costs and expanding access to quality care in health care reform for all Americans.

24 Aug 2009

Obama on the radio: faults GOP stalling, guarantees reform passage

"On the Michael Smerconish radio show Thursday, the president said: 'Early on a decision was made by the Republican leadership that said, "Look, let's not give them a victory and maybe we can have a replay of 1993-94 when Clinton came in. He failed on health care, and then we won in the midterm elections, and we got the majority.'

24 Aug 2009

Dominique Wilkins urges seniors to undergo diabetes screening test

Dominique Wilkins, NBA Hall-of-Famer and advocate for healthier living, visited Towne Club today to create awareness of the fact that seniors at risk for diabetes can get a free diabetes screening test in their health care provider's office.

24 Aug 2009

The Health care reform bill and Medicare regulation cut Medicare-funded nursing home care in Texas by $2.7 billion

A new American Health Care Association (AHCA) analysis of the pending U.S. House health care reform bill, combined with the impact of a recently-enacted Medicare regulation cutting Medicare-funded nursing home care by $12 billion over ten years, finds seniors in Texas requiring nursing and rehabilitative care will face total funding cuts of more than $2.7 billion over that same time period, which equals the 4th-highest state cut across the 50 states.

24 Aug 2009

Some basis seen for senior citizens' anxieties

Some seniors, including some who voted for President Barack Obama, are concerned that health care reform could cut some of their Medicare benefits.

24 Aug 2009

Estimating the number of uninsured

NPR reports that 46 million represents "roughly 15 percent of the U.S. population," and the number comes from 2007 Census Bureau estimates. "Although the number of uninsured has grown slowly in the past several years, it's speeding up, mainly because employment has declined drastically since the Census report. And most of us get our insurance through our jobs."

23 Aug 2009

Dems in conflict on health reform options, Mccain defends GOP 'end of life' claims

The Associated Press: "Some lawmakers have suggested that a separate bill with changes that are supported by Republicans and Democrats would be one route toward progress on the health care overhaul. But a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, says he doesn't see how lawmakers could get two health care bills through Congress and coordinate them well." Conrad spoke on CBS' "Face The Nation" (8/23).

23 Aug 2009

MedAssurant announces certification of event rate outcomes for HIP Medicare Advantage patients

MedAssurant, Inc., a leading provider of data-driven healthcare solutions, announced today that the Disease Management Purchasing Consortium (DMPC) has certified the event rate outcomes for HIP Health Plan of New York (HIP) Medicare Advantage patients.

21 Aug 2009

Medicare News and Research

Healthcare information technology to enable clinicians spend more time on patient care

Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy and Ohio Caresource collaborate to develop Chronic Kidney Disease treatment

New RAND study finds that Prescription Benefit Program for Medicare recipients surpasses expectations

Rising costs and patient loads push some primary care MDs to concierge practices

Survey reveals that many Americans believe controversial statements about health care reform

GOP plan centers on seniors' bill of rights

National dialysis treatment program under fire; criticized as too costly, risky

Health Fair 11 to offer free or low-cost health screenings

University of Southern California's gerontology students participate in an interactive senior sensitivity training program

Claims Auditor Solution from Compliance 360 provides total control of medical claims audits and appeals

Public plan and Co-ops battle for public hearts, political minds

Congressman discusses federal government's importance in providing healthcare insurance

Illinois senate candidate stresses the signifance of public insurance in health care reform

Obama on the radio: faults GOP stalling, guarantees reform passage

Dominique Wilkins urges seniors to undergo diabetes screening test

The Health care reform bill and Medicare regulation cut Medicare-funded nursing home care in Texas by $2.7 billion

Some basis seen for senior citizens' anxieties

Estimating the number of uninsured

Dems in conflict on health reform options, Mccain defends GOP 'end of life' claims

MedAssurant announces certification of event rate outcomes for HIP Medicare Advantage patients

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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