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Overall rise in drug costs is less than in previous years

Even though costs for medications will continue to rise in 2013 by as much as 4 percent, the increase is projected to be less than in previous years, according to a report in the advance online publication of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, the journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

16 Feb 2013

Opinion pieces, editorial address new report on effects of various policies on child, maternal health

The World Policy Analysis Centre recently released a report examining the effects of policies in a number of areas -- including health, education, discrimination, and labor laws -- on maternal and child health.

16 Feb 2013

State highlights: Calif. opens new prison mental health facility; Vt. Senate approves assisted-death bill

California prison officials are opening a $24 million treatment center for mentally ill inmates as they urge a federal judge to end his oversight of the state's correctional system. The 44,000-square-foot building at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville opened Thursday. It includes rooms where inmates will undergo outpatient therapy, as well as offices for therapists.

16 Feb 2013

Government of Québec announces $10M investment in Personalized Medicine Partnership for Cancer

The Government of Québec announced today a $10 million investment in the Personalized Medicine Partnership for Cancer (PMPC).

16 Feb 2013

Medicaid: Audits find overspending in Ga. program, N.C. official sets Medicaid priorities for lawmakers

A recent audit gave the state Department of Community Health a "clean report" but also found that the agency overspent its Medicaid budget by $32 million in fiscal 2012. The audit findings were discussed at an agency board meeting Thursday.

16 Feb 2013

Obama's Medicare drug rebate plan could save the government money, but also hit drug industry's bottom line

During his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama renewed a proposal to use drug rebates to save Medicare money -- a step that would trigger strong opposition from pharmaceutical companies.

16 Feb 2013

Dentists concerned about gaps in health law coverage; Mass. effort for small business insurance hampered by federal law

The federal overhaul requires dental care for children but advocates say the mechanism for that will often be complicated. Meanwhile, in a different article about the complications of implementing the health law, the Boston Globe examines efforts by small businesses to buy insurance.

16 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Bowles and Simpson urge Obama to seek Medicare savings; Health care industry helps stabilize the economy

The president deserves credit for putting forward Medicare savings in his budget and offering further entitlement savings in the negotiations, but he and his fellow Democrats must be willing to do more to reform our entitlement programs.

16 Feb 2013

Hospitals may be unfairly punished for high readmission rates

When hospital patients have to be readmitted soon after discharge, hospitals look bad. A high readmission rate also can result in reduced Medicare reimbursements. But a study of spine surgery patients has found that the standard method used to calculate readmission rates is a misleading indicator of hospital quality.

16 Feb 2013

Research roundup: Conflict of interest in Medicaid drug purchasing; Examining Medigap policies; Electronic medical records and hospital quality

The authors of this study assert that the decisions about which drugs are selected for state Medicaid reimbursement programs "should be based on available evidence and free of conflicts of interests (COIs)."

15 Feb 2013

California unveils standards for health plans

By taking this step, California became the first state to standardize health insurance plans under the federal health law.

15 Feb 2013

First Edition: February 15, 2013

Today's headlines include news about how the health law's insurance exchanges are taking shape.

15 Feb 2013

Opinion pieces address violence against women

Several opinion pieces have been published in recognition of One Billion Rising, a global campaign calling for an end to violence against women and gender equality.

15 Feb 2013

Fighting gender-based violence this Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day, celebrated Thursday, "we will dance in protest of gender-based violence as part of a worldwide movement, One Billion Rising," Kylin Beeson, a member of the Young Global Leaders Program (YGLP) with One By One; Emily Kase, a YGLP intern; and Lindsey Youngquist, a former a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, write in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

15 Feb 2013

Examining electronic medical records and over-billing

The Obama administration is forging ahead with a multi-billion dollar plan to shift from paper to electronic medical records, despite continuing concerns the program may be prompting some doctors and hospitals to improperly bill higher fees to Medicare.

15 Feb 2013

Integrating NCD efforts into larger 'sustainability agenda'

"The time has come for the '[non-communicable disease (NCD)] agenda' to be integrated with the broader 'sustainability agenda,' and this was the focus of a joint meeting this week between the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Lancet," Richard Smith, director of the United Health Group's chronic disease initiative, writes in the BMJ Group Blogs.

15 Feb 2013

Post office seeks to revamp health plan and retiree funding

The postmaster general asks for congressional permission for post office to run its own health plan for employees and retirees and modify the mandate that the agency pay $5.5 billion annually to fund future health benefits.

15 Feb 2013

Public health, social policies can positively affect children's lives

"Specific calls for global action on health and other social issues can have a major effect on children's life chances, concludes a report that compared data on laws and public policies affecting children in 191 countries," BMJ reports.

15 Feb 2013

China's new first lady has ability to influence public health activism

In an opinion piece published on contextChina, Robert O'Brien, a PhD candidate in international relations at the University of Oxford, examines how China's new first lady, acclaimed folk singer Peng Liyuan, might influence public health activism in the country.

15 Feb 2013

Epic Wound Care enters beta test agreement with Ryan Network for UEEC's hemostatic gauze

United Health Products, Inc.'s www.unitedhealthproductsinc.com wholly owned subsidiary, Epic Wound Care, Inc., which develops and markets products and technologies in the healthcare sector, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a beta test agreement with the distinguished Ryan Network for UEEC's hemostatic gauze. The gauze is registered and branded in the USA under the trademark HemoStyp.

15 Feb 2013

Healthcare News

Overall rise in drug costs is less than in previous years

Opinion pieces, editorial address new report on effects of various policies on child, maternal health

State highlights: Calif. opens new prison mental health facility; Vt. Senate approves assisted-death bill

Government of Québec announces $10M investment in Personalized Medicine Partnership for Cancer

Medicaid: Audits find overspending in Ga. program, N.C. official sets Medicaid priorities for lawmakers

Obama's Medicare drug rebate plan could save the government money, but also hit drug industry's bottom line

Dentists concerned about gaps in health law coverage; Mass. effort for small business insurance hampered by federal law

Viewpoints: Bowles and Simpson urge Obama to seek Medicare savings; Health care industry helps stabilize the economy

Hospitals may be unfairly punished for high readmission rates

Research roundup: Conflict of interest in Medicaid drug purchasing; Examining Medigap policies; Electronic medical records and hospital quality

California unveils standards for health plans

First Edition: February 15, 2013

Opinion pieces address violence against women

Fighting gender-based violence this Valentine's Day

Examining electronic medical records and over-billing

Integrating NCD efforts into larger 'sustainability agenda'

Post office seeks to revamp health plan and retiree funding

Public health, social policies can positively affect children's lives

China's new first lady has ability to influence public health activism

Epic Wound Care enters beta test agreement with Ryan Network for UEEC's hemostatic gauze

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

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