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Research Roundup: Parents' knowledge of kids' coverage

Based on analyses of the Food Stamp Program and Oregon Health Plan (the state's combined Medicaid-CHIP program) databases and a statewide survey of families, the authors report that more than 20 percent of parents whose children were not enrolled reported that they were, while more than 11 percent who had children in the OHP program reported their kids were not covered:

25 Mar 2011

OPM to insurers: Provide wellness program incentives

Speaking at a meeting of the America's Health Insurance Plans association on Thursday, Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management, told representatives of companies providing coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program that they should encourage healthy lifestyles by offering "concrete incentives to participate in wellness and prevention activities".

25 Mar 2011

Longer Looks: Behind the hospital money curtain; Medical data breaches

Think you would stick to a diet if someone paid you for it? Would you be more likely to exercise if you were fined each time you bailed on your scheduled workout? Research in recent years suggests—and a handful of new businesses are betting—that you might.

25 Mar 2011

'Dispense as written' prescriptions cost the health care system $7.7 billion annually

Approximately five percent of prescriptions submitted by CVS Caremark Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) members in a 30-day period during 2009 included a "dispense as written" (DAW) designation.

25 Mar 2011

Lawmakers continue to tussle over short- and long-term budget issues

Momentum appears to building for efforts to address record budget deficits by reining in spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, as both parties agree they need to reach a deal to provide funding to keep the government functioning in the the current year, legislative riders that would impose restrictions on federal agencies and cut off funding for Planned Parenthood continue to trip up their progress.

25 Mar 2011

MedCAREERS GROUP announces Nurses Lounge professional network

MedCAREERS Group, Inc. today provided an overview of Nurses Lounge, which was acquired by the Company on November 19, 2010.

25 Mar 2011

Health law's retiree health plans, exchanges, waivers draw scrutiny

A congressional report found that the retiree health plan could run out of money as soon as this year, Bloomberg reports. Meanwhile, the health overhaul's insurance exchanges create a challenge for GOP governors just as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners will examine exchange issues among other topics at their Austin meeting.

25 Mar 2011

Health law continues to create state-level 'partisan strife'

Discussions and debate in Louisiana, Kansas and Colorado included buzz words such as "government takeover" and "stalemate," as well as the concept of opting out.

25 Mar 2011

Viewpoints: Deconstructing a $65,515 bill; 'Puzzling' health reform; Good news on America's health

Susan Kovinsky underwent outpatient surgery recently at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The procedure, a hysterectomy, began at 10:40 a.m. By 3 p.m., she was on her way home.

25 Mar 2011

State News: Study highlights problems in Mass. Connector

Los Angeles officials Thursday unveiled what Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa termed a landmark tentative labor agreement that would greatly increase healthcare and pension contributions for thousands of municipal workers and put an end to some furloughs caused by the city's budget crisis.

25 Mar 2011

N.Y., Fla. lawmakers consider Med-Mal damage caps

In New York, the issue is among the most contentious and is tied to the state's budget, which must be completed by April 1. In Florida, the measure approved by the state's appropriation's panel is matched by a similar version moving in the Senate. Both are part of an effort to overhaul Florida's Medicaid program.

25 Mar 2011

Aetna sues N.J. doctors, pricing central issue

Aetna Inc. (AET) is suing six New Jersey doctors over medical bills it calls "unconscionable," including $56,980 for a bedside consultation and $59,490 for an ultrasound that typically costs $74. The

25 Mar 2011

Fraud updates sought by top Senate Finance members

Top members of the Senate Finance Committee have asked the Obama administration for frequent progress reports on its work to cut down on fraud and abuse in health programs.

25 Mar 2011

New studies demonstrate advantages of Masimo noninvasive and continuous measurements in ICUs

Masimo announced today that three new studies presented at the International Symposium of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (ISICEM) Annual Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, demonstrate the accuracy, reliability, and clinical impact of Masimo noninvasive and continuous measurements—noninvasive hemoglobin (SpHb®), Pleth Variability Index (PVI®), and Perfusion Index (PI)—in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients.

25 Mar 2011

Kenya requests emergency order of 45M condoms from PEPFAR

A condom shortage in Kenya caused by high demand and procurement bottlenecks has forced the country to request an emergency order of 45 million condoms from PEPFAR, Kenyan health officials said Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports. According to the news service, a January order of 19 million condoms was exhausted in about six weeks (3/23).

25 Mar 2011

Swallowed button battery can generate electrical current and cause serious tissue damage

To mark National Poison Prevention week, Trauma specialists at The Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH) of the McGill University Health Centre are urging parents to seek immediate medical attention if their child has swallowed a button battery. Parents should not assume the tiny battery will harmlessly pass through their child's system.

25 Mar 2011

Countries ban imports of Japanese food as radiation leak continues

Countries worldwide on Thursday banned or limited food imports from Japan, as radioactive steam continued to leak from the Fukushima nuclear plant damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Agence France-Presse reports.

25 Mar 2011

New Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has established a Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, led by Dr. Heakyung Kim. In this role, Dr. Kim will provide specialized care for children with neuromuscular disorders and other special needs at the Hospital's two major centers for pediatric care: Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and the Komansky Center for Children's Health at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

25 Mar 2011

Polls showcase national divisions, opinions about health law

A year has passed and polls still highlight the steadiness in the public rift on the health law.

25 Mar 2011

IOM offers standards to develop clinical practice guidelines

Modern Healthcare reports that the Institute of Medicine has issued eight recommended standards to develop clinical practice guidelines. Meanwhile, it also reports on the findings of a national survey regarding medical mistakes.

25 Mar 2011