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CED report warns that health care reform will not succeed without cost reforms

The health-care delivery system and payment structure need significant reforms, or the health care reform law passed by Congress will prove to be an "empty promise." That is the conclusion of a new report, Health Care in California and National Health Reform, from the business-led Committee for Economic Development.

1 Jul 2010

CBO Director: Potential health law savings not enough to reduce long-term deficits

Congressional Budget Office findings that for the first time take into consideration "the new health care law, heralded by President Obama and Democrats for reducing deficits in the long run" were presented today before the president's bipartisan fiscal commission. Among the CBO conclusions is that savings that result from the overhaul "aren't enough to turn deficits around."

1 Jul 2010

Lawmakers urge swifter launch of home health care demo

"The so-called Independence at Home (IAH) program, included as part of the Democrats' new health reform law, is scheduled to take effect no later than Jan. 1, 2012, but Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) warn that waiting that long would threaten the health of one of the country's most vulnerable populations," The Hill reports.

1 Jul 2010

AAMC report urges U.S. teaching hospitals to deal with conflicts of interest in clinical care

A new report by the AAMC urges U.S. teaching hospitals to establish policies that manage financial relationships between physicians and industry so that they do not influence patient care. "In the Interest of Patients: Recommendations for Physician Financial Relationships and Clinical Decision Making" provides guidance on how academic medical centers can identify, evaluate, and disclose conflicts of interest in clinical care.

1 Jul 2010

Wellpoint warns 470,000 insurance applicants about website security breach

"WellPoint Inc. has warned some 470,000 people who applied for its health insurance that a website security glitch may have exposed their Social Security numbers and other sensitive data to the public." WellPoint quickly fixed the problem after being notified by a consumer who noticed it. The glitch "was introduced in October by a contractor who upgraded the site," according to a company spokesman. According to WellPoint officials, the "security glitch was exploited to access information on 940 insurance applications" and "unauthorized viewers accessed spreadsheets that 'in rare cases' contained Social Security numbers" (Finkle, 6/29).

1 Jul 2010

Hospitals struggling to prove 'meaningful use' of electronic health records

"Eight out of 10 hospital CIOs recently surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) LLP said they're concerned they ... won't qualify for federal reimbursements for rolling out" electronic medical records, Computerworld reports. Last year, the federal government set aside $36 billion in stimulus funds "to help hospitals and doctors purchase equipment to computerize patient medical records, but even the most sophisticated hospitals in the country are struggling to qualify for the payments, PwC's study indicated.

1 Jul 2010

Tracking poll finds health reform law gaining in popularity

"The health-care overhaul gained popularity from May to June, according to a new tracking poll." The poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation "found that 48 percent of the public had a favorable view of the law in June while 41 percent had an unfavorable opinion." (Kaiser Health News is a program of the foundation.) In May, the tracking poll had found "41 percent favorable to 44 percent unfavorable."

1 Jul 2010

Kagan signals legal support for health law

The Washington Post: Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan suggested at her confirmation hearing Tuesday "that a controversial requirement in the new federal health-care law that most Americans obtain insurance has a legal basis -- a question that is likely to come before the courts." In answering Republican senators, Kagan "signaled" that she supported "enacting a health-care law that for the first time will require most legal residents of the United States to obtain insurance.

1 Jul 2010

Study: Medicare 'pay-for-performance' could increase care inequality

"The U.S. government's plan to base Medicare payments to hospitals on certain quality-of-care measures could end up transferring funds away from hospitals in the nation's poorest, underserved areas," according to a study published Tuesday in the journal PLoS Medicine.

1 Jul 2010

Ambitious high-risk health insurance pools supposed to launch this week

The Associated Press: "The Obama administration is launching a special coverage program for uninsured Americans with medical problems this week, the most ambitious early investment of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. But here's the catch: Premiums will be a stretch for many, even after government subsidies to bring rates close to what healthier groups of people are charged."

1 Jul 2010

Focus shifts to mental health policies

According to Health Minister Nicola Roxon, the Coalition has gone “crazy” for providing funds to promote its mental health policy by closing down the Labour health reforms in general practice and record keeping.

1 Jul 2010

Report: Health spending outpaces economic growth in wealthy countries

Reuters on a report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development: The increase in health spending is "piling pressure budgets already hit" by the recession and is "likely to continue rising as populations age, technology improves and public expectations grow. ... Given the urgent need to reduce their budget deficits, many OECD governments will have to make difficult choices to sustain their healthcare systems: curb the growth of public spending on health, cut spending in other areas, or raise taxes," according to the report.

1 Jul 2010

Whistleblower complaints about WellCare operations unsealed in Florida

The St. Petersburg-Times: Three complaints by whistleblowers suing WellCare Health Plans Inc. have been unsealed in recent days as part of a federal probe into the company's operations. Federal officials raided the company offices in 2007. In the most recent complaints, "Clark J. Bolton, a former supervisor of special investigations at WellCare, said the insurer encouraged overbilling and refused to audit claims for fraud in order to curry favor with doctors and hospitals and build market share.

1 Jul 2010

EIN News introduces new way for medical professionals, researchers to keep up with latest autism news

EIN News, one of the Internet's most popular online news-monitoring services, introduces a new way for medical professionals and researchers to keep up with the latest autism news.

1 Jul 2010

Poll shows growing popularity for health reform law, politicians sound off

1 Jul 2010

Lawmakers, others worry about stimulus funds, Medicaid money

As federal stimulus funds begin to run out, including enhanced federal support for swelling Medicaid rolls, lawmakers and others are worried that the U.S. economy could again stall. "[M]any important programs are losing funding. Among the most crucial is unemployment insurance. … Stimulus funds have also helped subsidize health benefits through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, which gives jobless workers an opportunity to continue their coverage at group rates for a limited time. Efforts to extend those provisions are stalled in Congress. The National Employment Law Project estimates that 1.63 million workers will exhaust their benefits by the end of this week, and at least 140,000 workers will lose COBRA coverage."

1 Jul 2010

Health reform's early retiree reinsurance program accepting applications; Other overhaul initiatives get attention

HHS announced Tuesday that it "has begun accepting applications for the early retiree reinsurance program created by the new health law. The law sets aside $5 billion that businesses, unions and state and local governments can use to cover the healthcare costs of their retirees — and their spouses and dependents — who are older than 55 but don't yet qualify for Medicare." Some are worried that money for that program won't last through 2014, when other parts of the law take effect.

30 Jun 2010

DataCare completes Type II SAS 70 audit of Ahshay electronic workplace application

DataCare Corporation, the leader in web-based workers' compensation software, today announced it has successfully completed a Type II SAS 70 audit of Ahshay -- the company's electronic workplace application. The resulting Independent Service Auditor's Report certified that DataCare follows required procedures, has solid security controls, and protects clients' data in accordance with best practices.

30 Jun 2010

GE Capital supports Guardian Healthcare with $90 million in senior secured credit facilities

GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services provided and serves as administrative agent for $90 million in senior secured credit facilities to Guardian Healthcare, a leading Medicare-certified provider of professional home healthcare services. The credit facilities will be used for a significant acquisition and to refinance existing indebtedness. The remaining funds will be used for additional growth capital and general corporate purposes. GE Capital Markets served as the lead arranger for the credit facilities.

30 Jun 2010

Proton Therapy USA, CareCapital form Proton Therapy Global Management

Proton Therapy USA and CareCapital plc announced today the formation of Proton Therapy Global Management (PTGM). The Company will design, develop and manage a global network of proton therapy centers, providing access to this specialized and highly effective treatment to the world's growing population of cancer patients. Proton therapy is a precise form of radiation treatment that has been very successful in treating a wide range of localized tumors, while leaving healthy tissue mostly intact.

30 Jun 2010