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Insurers will receive Presidential warning while administration to release regulations to protect consumers

President Obama will warn health insurance executives at a White House meeting Tuesday against trying to increase premium rates before the new law takes effect, The New York Times reports. "The White House is concerned that health insurers will blame the new law for increases in premiums that are intended to maximize profits rather than covering claims."

23 Jun 2010

PBMs: Post Office plan to end Saturday shipments could boost drug prices

Pharmacy-benefits management companies, including CVS Caremark and Medco, are worried that a U.S. Postal Service plan to end Saturday delivery could raise mail-order drug prices, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. "The pharmacy-benefits management companies, which shipped more than 150 million drug orders last year, joined retailer Crate and Barrel and publishers of small newspapers to challenge the Postal Service and its plan to cut service to save about $3 billion a year." The Post Office is trying to combat a projected $7 billion deficit this year (Keane, 6/21).

23 Jun 2010

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine develops RAALI for healthcare providers

The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the nation's leading medical school recipient of research funds from the National Institutes of Health and a recognized center for "Best Practices" by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, discussed the development of a unique medical education initiative - the Rheumatoid Arthritis Action Lab Initiative - to give healthcare providers connectivity to much-needed information on rheumatoid arthritis.

23 Jun 2010

Going barefoot in home may contribute to falls among elderly: Study

As summer rolls around, elderly people may want to think twice about taking their shoes off when they get home. Going barefoot in the home, or wearing slippers or socks with no shoes, may contribute to falls among the elderly, according to a new study from the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife.

23 Jun 2010

Obama to grant federal workers time off to care for same-sex partner's kids

"President Obama will soon expand the rights of gay workers by allowing them to take family and medical leave to care for sick or newborn children of same-sex partners, administration officials said Monday," according to The New York Times. "The policy will be set forth in a ruling to be issued Wednesday by the Labor Department's wage and hour division, the officials said.

23 Jun 2010

Canada and New Zealand charities join international alliance in global fight against bowel cancer

UK charity Beating Bowel Cancer and Bowel Cancer Australia today welcomed the addition of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada and Beat Bowel Cancer New Zealand to the bowel cancer international alliance, Bowel Cancer International.

23 Jun 2010

Mass. weighs overhaul's effects; Conn. first state to add adults to Medicaid under new health law

"In most states, the passage of the sprawling federal health care overhaul legislation means the poorest will have a better shot at affording health insurance. But in Massachusetts, the law might have the opposite effect. Senator John. F. Kerry, state leaders, and health care advocates met yesterday to discuss a new report that highlights the major differences between the federal and state health care models. The focus of the event quickly turned to the hurdles of implementation and the need to protect the gains Massachusetts has made since 2006. ... The report reveals that ... some Massachusetts residents might end up facing higher premiums" (Lee, 6/22).

23 Jun 2010

Opinions: Canada's role in global health; Drug licensing agreements promote drug access; Funding for USAID, state; Haiti

After outlining the work of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Michel Kazatchkine, the organization's executive director, highlights the role Canada can play in determining "whether the world can overcome AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria" in a Toronto Star opinion piece, noting the upcoming G8 and G20 summits, as well as the Millennium Development Goal meeting later this year.

23 Jun 2010

Proven Diagnostics signs contract to provide comprehensive laboratory services to Highmark members

Proven Diagnostics, a clinical diagnostic laboratory located in Bethlehem, Pa., announced today that it has signed a contract with Highmark, the largest health insurer in Pennsylvania.

23 Jun 2010

Media examine GHI, U.S. HIV/AIDS funding

PBS' NewsHour's "The Rundown" blog examines the recent naming of eight countries to receive additional technical and management resources under President Barack Obama's Global Health Initiative (GHI).

23 Jun 2010

Politics surround Berwick, no hearings scheduled for CMS nominee

"Hospital executives who have worked with Dr. Berwick describe him as a visionary, inspiring leader. But a battle has erupted over his nomination, suggesting that Dr. Berwick faces a long uphill struggle to win Senate confirmation. Republicans are using the nomination to revive their arguments against the new health care law, which they see as a potent issue in this fall's elections, and Dr. Berwick has given them plenty of ammunition. In two decades as a professor of health policy and as a prolific writer, he has spoken of the need to ration health care and cap spending and has confessed to a love affair with the British health care system."

23 Jun 2010

Certification rule opens door for health IT vendors, but other regs lag

A final regulation for a temporary program to certify organizations to sell health IT systems will be published Thursday in the Federal Register, NextGov reports. "Certification is important because it gives health care providers the confidence that products will function properly, meet meaningful use criteria and improve quality of care, the article states.

23 Jun 2010

Survey: MegaRed Omega-3 Krill Oil recommended for overall cardiovascular health

With America focused on the future of healthcare, a recent survey provides Americans added confidence in the ability of supplements like MegaRed Omega-3 Krill Oil to support their overall cardiovascular health.

23 Jun 2010

Obama warns health insurers against using reform to boost premium rates, unveils new patient bill of rights

Today, during an address in the East Room of the White House following a meeting with executives of leading health insurance companies and state insurance commissioners, "President Barack Obama warned insurance firms … not to use his healthcare overhaul as an opportunity to enact big rate increases and said the federal government would work with states to monitor them."

23 Jun 2010

Mayo Clinic, University of Illinois announce strategic alliance for technology-based health care

Mayo Clinic and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are announcing a strategic alliance designed to promote a broad spectrum of collaborative research, development of new technologies and clinical tools, and design and implementation of novel education programs. Both parties recently signed an agreement establishing the formal relationship.

23 Jun 2010

Budget chief Orszag reportedly set to resign

Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget, will step down from his post in July, "according to two knowledgeable administration officials," The Wall Street Journal reports.

23 Jun 2010

GHX cuts over $155.6M in healthcare costs during first-quarter

GHX and its participating suppliers and providers are on target to cut a total of $5 billion in healthcare costs in the next 5 years by improving supply chain efficiencies, visibility and trading partner collaboration. GHX provides technology and services to automate and optimize business processes throughout the healthcare supply chain, and has achieved its first-quarter goal of cutting more than $155.6 million in healthcare costs.

23 Jun 2010

New survey: Consumers who buy their own health insurance report big rate increase requests

"Wellpoint - a big health insurer sharply criticized by the Obama Administration for seeking to raise rates up to 39 percent for some California policyholders earlier this year - was not unusual in seeking double-digit increases, a new survey finds" (Appleby and Schiff, 6/21).

23 Jun 2010

Exercise alone without creatine supplements helps in cardiac rehabilitation

Athletes have been enjoying the benefits of creatine supplements to gain stronger muscles since the 1990s, and the supplement has also proven beneficial among other groups. Could it help cardiac patients regain strength to help with their heart-training workouts as part of rehabilitation? The evidence at this stage suggests not - exercise alone proved a far more powerful tonic for patients in a study out today. The results appear in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation, published by SAGE.

23 Jun 2010

Insuring your health: Rising costs spur increase in health savings accounts

In this Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "High-deductible health plans and the health savings accounts (HSAs) that link to them are becoming a familiar fixture on the insurance landscape, even though they get mixed reviews from many consumers and health-policy experts" (Andrews, 6/22).

23 Jun 2010

Healthcare News

Insurers will receive Presidential warning while administration to release regulations to protect consumers

PBMs: Post Office plan to end Saturday shipments could boost drug prices

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine develops RAALI for healthcare providers

Going barefoot in home may contribute to falls among elderly: Study

Obama to grant federal workers time off to care for same-sex partner's kids

Canada and New Zealand charities join international alliance in global fight against bowel cancer

Mass. weighs overhaul's effects; Conn. first state to add adults to Medicaid under new health law

Opinions: Canada's role in global health; Drug licensing agreements promote drug access; Funding for USAID, state; Haiti

Proven Diagnostics signs contract to provide comprehensive laboratory services to Highmark members

Media examine GHI, U.S. HIV/AIDS funding

Politics surround Berwick, no hearings scheduled for CMS nominee

Certification rule opens door for health IT vendors, but other regs lag

Survey: MegaRed Omega-3 Krill Oil recommended for overall cardiovascular health

Obama warns health insurers against using reform to boost premium rates, unveils new patient bill of rights

Mayo Clinic, University of Illinois announce strategic alliance for technology-based health care

Budget chief Orszag reportedly set to resign

GHX cuts over $155.6M in healthcare costs during first-quarter

New survey: Consumers who buy their own health insurance report big rate increase requests

Exercise alone without creatine supplements helps in cardiac rehabilitation

Insuring your health: Rising costs spur increase in health savings accounts

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich

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