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AHF urges Obama to address growing ADAP crisis

As many states across the nation face budget and funding shortfalls that are crippling their lifesaving AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is urging President Barack Obama to redirect a portion of unspent stimulus funds in the Health and Human Services Department in order to address the growing ADAP crisis.

26 May 2010

Accenture announces enhanced insurance industry solutions

Accenture has unveiled newly enhanced claims and policy administration solutions designed to help property and casualty (P&C) and life insurers focus on operational efficiency and profitable growth by enhancing process automation and multi-channel distribution integration.

26 May 2010

G7 aid delivers 'impressive results,' commitment falls short of 2005 pledge

According to an annual ONE report, which tracks progress on aid commitments made at the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, the G7 - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the U.S. - is "on track to deliver 61 percent of their combined commitments to sub-Saharan Africa, or $13.7 billion of the $22.6 billion increase they promised," allAfrica.com reports.

26 May 2010

Academic researchers say tour yielded 23 percent increase in patients who got best, cheapest drugs

Reuters reports that 150 academic researchers touring the U.S. to make recommendations on diuretics and best and cheapest practices for blood pressure medicine have reported a 23 percent increase in patients who get the recommended drugs, "twice the increase in the U.S. over the same period."

26 May 2010

CMS approves Fresenius Medical Care Chronic Kidney Disease Data Registry

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the Fresenius Medical Care Chronic Kidney Disease Data Registry, supported by its Acumen applications. As a participating registry in CMS's 2010 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), the approval of the nephrology-specific Acumen applications enables participating nephrologists to report quality outcomes directly to the PQRI program.

26 May 2010

Philips Livable Cities Award for improving health and well-being of people living in cities

Royal Philips Electronics today announced the launch of the Philips Livable Cities Award, an initiative designed to generate practical, achievable ideas for improving the health and well-being of people living in cities. Individuals, community or non-governmental groups and businesses are eligible to participate in the Award program that comprises a total prize fund amounting to 125,000 Euros.

26 May 2010

Senate Foreign Relations Committee to mark up $3.5B Haiti reconstruction bill

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday is expected to mark up a bill that would "authorize $3.5 billion in reconstruction funds for Haiti over five years" and would also require USAID "to submit a long-term reconstruction plan to Congress as well as mandate the president to appoint a senior policy coordinator for Haiti," The Hill reports (Bogardus, 5/23).

26 May 2010

Liberty National Life Insurance to introduce Platinum PLUS Medicare Supplement product portfolio

Liberty National Life Insurance Company today announced the introduction of their Platinum PLUS™ Medicare Supplement product portfolio. In general, the products feature attained-age, gender-distinct, smoker-non-smoker and geographic area rates. These new plans are available for issue with effective dates starting June 1st.

26 May 2010

Federal funding to support health IT training; New web tools for patients

A federally-funded health information training program is now underway, Modern Healthcare reports. "Last month, HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology awarded $112 million of stimulus funds to dozens of universities and community colleges.

26 May 2010

House eyes Wednesday vote on measure that includes COBRA subsidy extension and doc 'pay fix'

Congressional Democrats are scurrying today to advance a $192 billion catch-all legislative package that includes "safety-net benefits for the unemployed, physician reimbursements, tax breaks for businesses and other provisions."

26 May 2010

Osteopathic manipulative medicine reduces length of hospital stays for pneumonia patients: Research

Older patients battling pneumonia spent less time in the hospital when treated using osteopathic manipulative medicine - a drug-free form of hands-on medical care focusing on increasing muscle motion - in addition to conventional care, recently published research shows.

26 May 2010

Medicare spending growth varies widely around the country

This Kaiser Health News table lists the top ten regions in the nation regarding growth in Medicare spending, comparing the total Medicare reimbursement per enrollee in 2000 and 2007 (Rau, 5/25).

26 May 2010

Penn. doc creates medical home as part of health care transformation

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on Joseph Mambu, a Pennsylvania doctor who created a medical home in 2001. At the beginning "Mambu didn't know where he was headed. Now he's at the vanguard of a movement sweeping America - the patient-centered medical home - in which physicians have more time for complex cases and are much more proactive in promoting the health of all patients, who have same-day access to their medical team."

26 May 2010

Spouses face hurdles when caring for themselves, ill loved ones

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with The Washington Post, Paula Span writes: "They met on a blind date in 1949 and married two years later.

26 May 2010

Benefit Advocates launches its redesigned website

Benefit Advocates Inc. recently launched its redesigned website at www.benefitadvocates.net. The new design offers visitors ease of use and comprehensive information on Benefit Advocates' company profile, employer and broker services, and healthcare industry perspectives.

26 May 2010

Health law bodes well for young people's coverage, isn't helping Democrats

The New York Times reports that young people — representing nearly one-third of the 46 million uninsured in America — stand to "reap substantial benefits" from expanded coverage for them in the new health law.

26 May 2010

State Roundup: Oklahoma, S.C. and Ill. facing tough choices on health costs

States around the country are debating how to deal with health costs and tight budgets.

26 May 2010

AAHSA applauds Sen. Russ Feingold for introducing the Improving Quality of Care in Nursing Homes Act

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging's President and CEO Larry Minnix applauds Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) for introducing the Improving Quality of Care in Nursing Homes Act.

26 May 2010

Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District purchases QuadraMed CPR EHR solution

QuadraMed® Corporation today announced that Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District in Brawley, Calif., has selected the QuadraMed CPR (QCPR™) electronic health record (EHR) solution and several other QuadraMed applications to help improve the quality of patient care, increase operational efficiencies and enhance revenues. Also included in the purchase are QuadraMed's identity management, enterprise scheduling, revenue management and nurse-staffing management solutions.

25 May 2010

UnitedHealth shareholders reject plan to weigh in on executive pay

A proposal to allow UnitedHealth Group shareholders to make suggestions about executive pay was voted down by the same shareholders it would have empowered at the firm's annual meeting Monday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The proposal failed with only forty-six percent of shareholders supporting it.

25 May 2010