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DOJ targets Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in anti-trust violation

The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires: "The U.S. Justice Department on Monday filed an antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, alleging that provisions of its agreements with hospitals are anticompetitive." The action, filed in a Michigan federal court, challenges the "insurer's use of provisions known as 'most favored nation clauses'" (Kendall, 10/18).

19 Oct 2010

Health on The Hill - October 18, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey talks with NPR's Julie Rovner and KFF's Jackie Judd about the latest health policy developments, including action on the campaign trail and in the courts.

19 Oct 2010

CMS could save billions by changing payment, delivery methods

Experts examine ways to change care delivery and payment at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services while seniors prepare for the Medicare open enrollment period.

18 Oct 2010

As health law kicks in, so do grants, subsidies and worries for insurance brokers

Federal spending on health care is proof that the industry can look forward to continuing growth, according to the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. "Along with the $2.7 billion increase that the state received to pay for Medicaid, at least $655 million in grants from stimulus funds and the health-reform law recently has been awarded.

18 Oct 2010

Higher Medicaid reimbursement rates could increase childhood vaccinations

Reuters: A new study in the journal Pediatrics suggests that raising Medicaid reimbursement rates could help more children from low-income families receive flu vaccinations. "Although the vaccine itself is provided free of charge to children covered by Medicaid, doctors are only reimbursed for about half the cost of administering it," and are losing money in the process, say researchers.

18 Oct 2010

Support for health law dips, GOP aims to seize opportunity

Politico reports that support among the public for the health overhaul dipped during the last month, even as the "percentage of Democrats who say they'll go to the polls to defend the law rose. … According to the Kaiser Family Foundation October Tracking Poll out Monday morning, overall support for the law has dropped to 42 percent — down seven points in a month (Kaiser Health News is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation).

18 Oct 2010

Legal challenge to 'individual mandate' sees day in court

The Washington Post:The legal challenges to the health law continue. "A federal judge in Virginia will hear arguments Monday on whether the new federal health care law is unconstitutional. Virginia Attorney Gen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R) will argue that Congress overstepped its constitutional authority by enacting a provision that requires individuals to purchase health insurance by 2014 or pay a fine.

18 Oct 2010

Ricoh awarded document management contract by Premier

Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment and advanced document management solutions and services, today announced a contract win with one of the nation's top healthcare purchasing networks, Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P. of the Premier healthcare alliance. The document management contract covers a vast range of management needs including document creation, storage and distribution among the healthcare industry nationwide.

18 Oct 2010

Candidates turn health reform volume up as midterms near

A number of candidates for federal and state office are sounding off on how they view health reform.

18 Oct 2010

California hospitals: Prices rising rapidly, but quality varies

Kaiser Health News writer Jordan Rau, in collaboration with the Bay Area News Group, examines the cost and quality of hospitals in the Bay Area of California.

18 Oct 2010

KHN column: What's the worst that could happen with the new health law?

In this Kaiser Health News column, Rea Hederman and Paul Winfree, both of the Hertiage Foundation, write "the health overhaul could end up costing American taxpayers millions of dollars in higher health insurance premiums or put a tremendous amount of pressure on an already soaring national debt.

18 Oct 2010

Today's Opinions: Health law's effects on the economy and Medicare; 10th Amendment questions

The health care reform legislation also will have a devastating impact on the spending power of working Americans and our economy as the higher premiums kick in (Armstrong Williams, 10/17).

18 Oct 2010

Cmed debuts Timaeus 5 unified eClinical platform and Timaeus HotSpot regulatory-compliant eClinical suite

Cmed Technology, an eClinical technology provider, today unveiled two product previews at two major pharmaceutical conferences. It debuted Timaeus 5, Cmed's newest version of its unified eClinical platform to manage data from Study Design through Reporting. Timaeus 5 adds enhanced usability, extended operational capabilities, streamlined investigator and monitor interaction, and expanded reporting capabilities.

18 Oct 2010

2010 Lilly Reintegration Award honorees announced

For the 14th straight year, Eli Lilly and Company honors mental health professionals and individuals for their exceptional contributions and achievements in helping those battling serious mental illness.

18 Oct 2010

Hospital costs rise in California, but quality doesn't follow

News outlets report on rising hospital prices in California and the difficult financial situation of hospitals in New York and Massachusetts.

18 Oct 2010

Long-term care news: Insurance costs jump; nurses' training pays off

The Wall Street Journal: "People with long-term care insurance policies are getting hit with a new round of steep premium increases," which insurers attribute to "policyholders living longer, generating higher claims and canceling fewer policies than they had projected."

18 Oct 2010

Lake Health opens Northeast Ohio's first digital hospital

Lake Health made history last October when it opened TriPoint Medical Center, Northeast Ohio's first digital hospital. Now the health system is the first in the United States to deploy the latest generation of a digital wayfinding system featuring a virtual guide -- or avatar -- that helps patients and visitors navigate to their destinations quickly and easily.

18 Oct 2010

58% of scientists believe in surge of bedbug infestations: Survey

58% of scientists responding to a survey by Principal Investigators Association believe in a surge of bedbug infestations.

18 Oct 2010

79% of uninsured and unemployed unaware of free medicine programs

With nearly 15 million people still without jobs, programs that help patients receive their medicines either for free or at reduced cost are a godsend for many. Yet few take advantage of them.

18 Oct 2010

AACR's magazine gives details about immense challenges faced by homeless cancer patients

An article published in the fall 2010 issue of CR, the AACR's magazine for cancer survivors and their families and caregivers, details the immense challenges faced by those who suffer with cancer and lack the necessary resources for proper treatment and care the homeless.

18 Oct 2010