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As new threat of Govt. shutdown looms, parties still at odds on spending cuts

Although some reports of progress have emerged from closed-door negotiations, Democrats and Republicans appear to still be at odds regarding whether the current year funding bill should move beyond a "narrow slice of discretionary programs" to include some health programs — including Medicare.

28 Mar 2011

Rising Medicare premiums threaten to wipe out Social Security COLA

Millions of retired and disabled people in the United States had better brace for another year with no increase in Social Security payments.

28 Mar 2011

Poll finds proposal to cut Planned Parenthood funding deepens gender gap

Meanwhile, in a second story, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski says the funding fight is far from over.

28 Mar 2011

Nurse staffing levels, safety net status both factors in patient outcomes

A new study finds that higher nurse staffing levels can lead to better patient outcomes. However, the study also found this to not always be the case at safety net hospitals. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Mirror reports on hospitals' efforts to reduce readmissions. And, in other news, new research has found that patients are less likely to fill prescriptions when doctors specify brand names instead of allowing generic substitutions.

28 Mar 2011

House Subcommittee to investigate AARP 'financial conflicts'

House GOP lawmakers are scrutinizing how the AARP's interests may have played into the positions the organization took during the health debate.

28 Mar 2011

Differing reports on how businesses, health law are interacting

Reuters reports that Health and Human Services data show the business community is a big winner as a result of the measure's early retiree program. But The Fiscal Times notes that some "corporate giants" are at odds with the overhaul.

28 Mar 2011

How is the health care safety net faring?

News outlets examine the safety net from varying vantage points to see how it is holding up in advance of the health law's coverage expansions and during difficult economic times.

28 Mar 2011

New pill may protect DNA from radiation damage

The Japanese nuclear crisis has caused a surge in the demand of potassium iodide, causing shortages not only in Japan, but as far away as California, western Canada, and even southeastern Russia. Although potassium iodide does not provide generalized radiation protection because it only shields the thyroid, manufacturers and pharmacies are being bombarded with orders as the radiation hysteria mounts.

28 Mar 2011

Hospital pricing, mergers grab headlines

In Texas, reports indicate that costs vary widely by hospital. Meanwhile, merger talks begin in Connecticut.

28 Mar 2011

Exploring the donor kidney market

Should you be paid to part with a kidney?

28 Mar 2011

First Edition: March 25, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about mini-med plans and accountable care organizations as well as the ongoing impasse in Congress regarding current year spending.

28 Mar 2011

Metagenics announces 2011 schedule for educational programs in lifestyle medicine

Metagenics Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company dedicated to reducing chronic illness and improving health, announced today the 2011 schedule for educational programs in lifestyle medicine as well as for certification programs for its FirstLine Therapy, a turnkey, lifestyle medicine program.

28 Mar 2011

Asbury Communities offers management and support services for older adults

In 2010, more than 4 million baby boomers turned 50, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Boomers today represent 28 percent of the U.S. population, or 76.1 million people. With so many people aging, how is the senior living industry going to provide services to this group of older Americans?

28 Mar 2011

MediConnect CEO to discuss on risk adjustment health services at HCC conference

MediConnect Global today announced that Amy Rees Anderson, the company's CEO, is among a renowned group of healthcare professionals speaking at the 5th annual HCC Management Summit in Nashville, Tennessee.

28 Mar 2011

Cleveland Clinic, Elsevier to offer physicians with evidence-based clinical content

Elsevier, a world leader in health care and medical publishing and online solutions, today announced a strategic relationship between First Consult and Cleveland Clinic to provide physician-author support of content for First Consult, an evidence-based resource integrated into the clinical workflow to deliver trusted medical information at the point-of-care.

28 Mar 2011

DAW prescriptions can increase annual health system costs to $7.7 billion

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

28 Mar 2011

Research: Written action plan with prescriptions can improve asthma control in children

It sounds unbelievably simple but it's true - a written action plan for asthma treatment, attached to the drug prescription, improves asthma control in children. "Acute care visits for asthma often signal a management failure," said Dr. Francine Ducharme, of the University of Montreal's Department of Pediatrics and the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre.

28 Mar 2011

Science Magazine reports on recent push to make preventing, treating cancer a global priority

Science Magazine reports on the recent push to make preventing and treating cancer a global priority, particularly in developing countries, where it's estimated "less than 5% of the world's cancer resources are spent."

28 Mar 2011

IFC, Gates Foundation work with India’s Bihar State to improve health payments system

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are working with the government of Bihar state to find ways to make government payments to health workers and health beneficiaries more efficient, transparent, and timely.

28 Mar 2011

Study finds surgeon availability linked to fewer MVC-related deaths

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine claim that the availability of surgeons is a critical factor in public health and suggest that surgery should become an important part of the primary health care system.

28 Mar 2011