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Military leaders look for way to cut health care costs

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is looking for ways to cut health care costs in the nation's military care, "an area that members of Congress have so far been reluctant to tackle," Politico reports. "Gates's drive for efficiency has run the gamut — from overhauling acquisitions to better tailoring military spending for current worldwide missions, including the war in Afghanistan and the one winding down in Iraq."

8 Nov 2010

Sandata announces patent for new caregiver location monitoring solution

Sandata Technologies, LLC, a leading national provider of information technology solutions to the home healthcare industry, today announced that on November 16, 2010, the US Patent and Trademark Office will issue US Patent Number 7835955, "Time and/or Attendance System Using Synchronized Code," an innovative new caregiver location monitoring solution aimed at reducing home healthcare fraud and abuse.

8 Nov 2010

Medicaid pooled trusts keep seniors out of nursing homes

The New York Times reports on Medicaid pooled trusts: "[T]here is a little-known way for some people in certain states to receive home care through Medicaid, without requiring them to impoverish themselves first. Here's how it works: a federal law established in 1993 allows disabled people to put their monthly income or assets — above the amounts Medicaid allows them to keep — into a special type of pooled trust.

8 Nov 2010

Home health, other Medicare providers face pay cuts

Home health providers face Medicare payment cuts next year. Gentiva Health Services and Amedisys are among the providers of at-home health care to receive lower Medicare payments next year under U.S. government changes to the program.

8 Nov 2010

Health care industries have mixed reaction to health reform

The Wall Street Journal: While many Republican campaigns this season focused on repeal of the federal health care overhaul, "even with the House changing hands, health insurers, drug companies and hospitals said they were planning as if the law will stick." However, health-care companies "say that the election results offer new opportunities to influence the way the law is implemented.

8 Nov 2010

AHRQ grants $34 million to prevent healthcare-associated infections

HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality today announced the award of $34 million for projects focused on preventing one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States - healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). This new funding will help improve the quality of care delivered to patients and expand the fight against HAIs in hospitals, ambulatory care settings, end-stage renal disease facilities and long-term care facilities.

8 Nov 2010

AccuVein receives QTDP grant for AV300 vein illumination system

AccuVein LLC, the developer of the first non-contact, handheld vein illumination system, announced today that it had been awarded the maximum grant amount from the Qualifying Therapeutic Discover Project (QTDP) program. This Federal grant program supports projects that show significant potential to produce new therapies, address unmet medical needs, and reduce the long-term growth of health care costs.

8 Nov 2010

How much did health care votes cause democratic defeats?

In the end, it may have mattered less whether vulnerable Democratic incumbents voted for or against the health care law than that they simply had a D by their names, The New York Times reports.

8 Nov 2010

Telegraph examines upcoming African mobile health summit

The Telegraph looks at the upcoming Mobile Health Africa Summit, the first event of its kind where stakeholders across Africa and the world will come together to debate the implementation of m-health across the continent.

8 Nov 2010

What's next for health law? Repeal efforts, 'compromise,' congressional conflict

Health on the Hill features Mary Agnes Carey and Marilyn Werber Serafini talking about the GOP gains, what they mean for state implementation to health reform and what possibilities there are for major changes being made to the health law.

8 Nov 2010

Transcript: Boehner and Obama on election results and health law

In the wake of the GOP victories on election night, incoming House Speaker Boehner and President Obama responded to questions about the impact of health reform on the vote.

8 Nov 2010

GOP prepares to challenge health law on federal, state levels

Congressional Republicans said on Sunday they plan a full-scale assault against President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul next year but acknowledged it could take until after the 2012 presidential election to repeal it. Representative Paul Ryan, expected to become chairman of the House Budget Committee chairman, said his fellow Republicans will try to deny funding for implementation of the healthcare legislation and hold hearings to point out its shortcomings when the new Congress convenes in January.

8 Nov 2010

Hospitals in Florida, New York try new ways to boost finances

Jackson Health System in Florida is trying to boost profitable services but faces one overwhelming challenge, They don't know which procedures make money, The Miami Herald reports.

8 Nov 2010

Research Roundup: Basing insurance on results, not cost; Americans skeptical of public health efforts; seniors' comprehensive care

Copayment Reductions Generate Greater Medication Adherence In Targeted Patients. As health care costs have increased, some patients have sought to save money by cutting down on their medications.

8 Nov 2010

Walgreens pushes stronger primary care role for pharmacists

Walgreens will step up investments in services to help Americans manage chronic diseases, the drugstore chain's CEO announced, because the company wants to capitalize on what he called the 'retailization' of the nation's health care system.

8 Nov 2010

GOP focusing in on health law fight as part of the effort shifts to new Republican governors

The Washington Post finds that since the changes of repeal are "slim to nil, at least through 2012," Republicans may turn to getting rid of parts of the law, including "unpopular aspects that are less central to the law," including a provision that requires businesses to expand their reporting to the IRS of what goods and services they buy.

7 Nov 2010

APP Drug Hotline to assist healthcare professionals with shortage issues

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., announced today that it will launch the APP Drug Hotline on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. The APP Drug Hotline has been established to assist healthcare professionals with critical drug shortage issues.

7 Nov 2010

Mass. focuses on containing health care costs, Gov. Schwarzenegger seeks to expand coverage of uninsured in Calif.

While the White House seems destined to spend the next two years fending off attacks on President Obama's health care law, the administration of Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will push forward with the next stage of health care overhaul: trying to contain the escalating costs of medical care.

7 Nov 2010

Al Jazeera examines international trade agreement negotiations, access to generic medicines in low-income countries

Al Jazeera examines what the outcomes of two international trade agreement negotiations - one regarding free trade between the EU and India and the other over anti-counterfeiting measures - could mean for patients living with HIV/AIDS in low-income countries.

7 Nov 2010