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More Medicare Part D checks in the mail

The Department of Health and Human Services has mailed out a third round of $250 checks to help seniors who enter the Medicare Part D coverage pay gap for prescription drugs, WCAX [in Vermont] reports. "The one-time payment aims to close a gap in coverage for prescription medication. The rebates will go to about 9,000 Vermonters whose out-of-pocket expenses already total more than $940 for the year" (8/11).

12 Aug 2010

AHF led sustained advocacy campaign leads to BMS's offer of discounts in AIDS drug pricing

Following ongoing advocacy campaigns spearheaded by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) that targeted several of the largest AIDS drug companies over their pricing and rebate policies for the nation's AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), the federally funded, state run programs that supply lifesaving AIDS drugs to low-income Americans in need, that the last remaining major AIDS drug company, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) today announced an agreement that will provide additional cost savings to cash-strapped ADAPs nationwide.

12 Aug 2010

A day in the life of a 'mega' free clinic

This Kaiser Health News slideshow details a one-day free clinic held in Washington, D.C., at the city's convention center. "Mega clinics are a last-resort safety net and seek to connect patients with local community resources including other free clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers and safety-net hospitals" (Marcy, 8/11).

12 Aug 2010

Critics question Berwick's ties to think-tank donors

Donald Berwick, who was recently appointed as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services without a Senate hearing, did not list donors who contributed up to $5 million to the think tank he ran before his appointment on ethics disclosure forms, the Washington Times reports.

12 Aug 2010

Health on the Hill - August 11, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey talks with KFF's Jackie Judd about the latest health-related news, including the congressional approval of a state aid package that includes $16 billion in federal Medicaid assistance (8/11).

12 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials: The importance of following health reform's plan and more about 'death panels'

Within a few years, 6 million uninsured California residents will finally get medical coverage as part of the newly passed federal health care reforms. But what will they pay? And who will regulate premiums as insurers angle for customers? (8/11).

12 Aug 2010

Rural health suffering in Australia

A report looking into the state of Australia's rural health system has found severe disparities in rural health care. The report shows that more than 52 percent of rural Australians are waiting one or more weeks for a routine appointment with their GP and some are forced to wait up to six months to see specialists.

11 Aug 2010

Mental health bill for 2008 was $5.3 billion: Report

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), the country is spending more and more to deal with its mental ailment burden. This emerged from a report from the AIHW saying that finances spent on mental health services between 2007 to 2008 were $5.3 billion. Of this around 60 per cent came from state and territory governments, 36 per cent from the Commonwealth, and the rest from private health funds.

11 Aug 2010

Healthcare professionals should use arts, humanities to improve mental healthcare practice: New book

Doctors and other healthcare professionals should use the arts and humanities to develop their empathic skills and improve mental healthcare practice, according to a new book.

11 Aug 2010

A.D.A.M. launches innovative Health@Hand app in partnership with Highmark

A.D.A.M., Inc., a leading provider of health information and benefits technology solutions, announced today the launch of an innovative iPhone application called Health@Hand in partnership with Highmark Inc., a Pennsylvania-based health insurer. Developed by A.D.A.M. and adapted for Highmark, Health@Hand is available to Highmark health plan members via download in the iTunes store.

11 Aug 2010

Central Logic to host annual symposium to explore nuances of patient transfer center management

Central Logic, the healthcare industry's leading provider of innovative patient flow software and consultative expertise, today announced it will host its highly-anticipated second annual Transfer Center Summit, an exclusive gathering of medical sector specialists exploring the nuances of patient transfer center management, Aug. 19-20, 2010, at the Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.

11 Aug 2010

Quality of translations of clinical trial consent forms questioned

The first study to look at simplified English-language consent forms translated into another language calls into question the common belief that a translated consent form meets readability standards. The study appears in IRB: Ethics & Human Research.

11 Aug 2010

Survey shows strong interest in video games, virtual reality environments for doctor training

Today's students were raised with a digital mouse in their hands. So it should be no surprise that a majority of medical school students surveyed say video games and virtual reality environments could help them become better doctors.

11 Aug 2010

Emergency departments not crowded with non-urgent patients: Report

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention once again debunks the myth that emergency departments are crowded with non-urgent patients, a finding noted by the American College of Emergency Physicians.

11 Aug 2010

Third round of tax-free $250 rebate checks mailed to eligible Medicare beneficiaries

Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the third round of one-time, tax-free $250 rebate checks have been mailed to eligible Medicare beneficiaries whose drug costs are so high they have reached the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap known as the "donut hole."

11 Aug 2010

Major bone-related meetings to take place in Valencia, Spain in March 2011

Two bone-related meetings, jointly organized by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis and International Osteoporosis Foundation will take place in Valencia, Spain in March 2011.

11 Aug 2010

Sypol launches workplace health package for small- and medium-sized enterprises

A top specialist in occupational health has hit out at those who pour scorn on her industry and like to refer to it as 'Elf and Safety', despite the fact that 180 people a year die in workplace accidents and more than 246,000 are injured.

11 Aug 2010

Rates of ED visits increase among adults with Medicaid: Study

From 1997 to 2007, the rates of visits to emergency departments in the U.S. increased significantly, particularly among adults with Medicaid, according to a study in the August 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Aug 2010

NMDP applauds introduction of 'Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2010'

The National Marrow Donor Program today applauded the introduction of the "Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2010." Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Richard Burr (R-NC), Jack Reed (D-RI), John Ensign (R-NV), and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced the act in the U.S. Senate as S. 3751 on Thursday, Aug. 5. Last evening, Reps. C.W. Bill Young (R-FL) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced the companion legislation, (H.R. 6081), in the House.

11 Aug 2010

OHCA applauds Congress for taking action to pass vital Medicaid relief

Reacting to the approval of the U.S. House and Senate to measures extending emergency Medicaid relief until June 30, 2011, the Ohio Health Care Association praised the vote and urged Governor Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly to take advantage of the opportunity. OHCA's chief executive officer said that the $500 million in additional funding for Ohio's Medicaid program can be used to retain access to quality care for the state's most vulnerable seniors, and protect key frontline healthcare jobs.

11 Aug 2010