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Today's OpEds: States must take on public health challenges; Placing blame for high health costs

Britain's 'reform' will do little to improve access to life-extending drugs (5/25).

25 May 2010

Federal lawyers ask judge to dismiss Virginia overhaul lawsuit

Obama administration officials asked a judge to dismiss Virginia's lawsuit challenging the new health reform law because the state does not have standing to sue over the requirement that individuals will be required to buy health insurance, The Washington Post reports. "Federal attorneys argued that individuals, not the state, are affected by the requirement. … Further, they wrote that the mandate causes no injury to the state and will not take effect until 2014, making the legal challenge not yet timely."

25 May 2010

Gentiva purchase of Odyssey would create largest U.S. home health and hospice provider

A plan from Gentiva Health Services to buy Odyssey HealthCare for almost $1 billion would create the largest U.S. provider of home health and hospice care, The Associated Press reports. "The boards of both companies have approved the acquisition, which is expected to close in the third quarter, pending approval by regulators and Odyssey stockholders.

25 May 2010

Federal law to expand coverage to kids is off to slow start

USA Today: "A federal law that President Obama signed early last year to expand health insurance to 4 million more low-income children has gotten off to a slow start because of budget problems in the states. The law makes more than $10 billion in federal aid available each year through 2013 but requires state funds as well."

25 May 2010

Verisk Health, Carena enter agreement to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce medical costs

Verisk Health, Inc., and Carena, Inc. announced today that they have signed an agreement to join forces to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce medical costs. Verisk Health is a global leader in identifying, analyzing, and predicting healthcare risk. Carena, Inc. provides consumers with 24/7 medical care and education through its network of board-certified physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners.

25 May 2010

Halfpenny Technologies releases new critical value alerting, reporting feature for ITF-GoDoc solution

Halfpenny Technologies, Inc., a leading health information exchange (HIE) solutions provider specializing in laboratory, pathology and physician electronic medical record (EMR) system interoperability, has introduced a new critical value alerting and reporting feature for its ITF-GoDoc solution. ITF-GoDoc enables physicians to securely access laboratory, pathology and radiology result reports from their iPhone, Droid or Blackberry Storm-powered smartphones.

25 May 2010

ALFA recognizes Emeritus Senior Living with 2010 Best of the Best Award

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) has awarded Emeritus Senior Living, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, its prestigious 2010 Best of the Best Award, a national recognition reserved for the nation's most innovative and effective business practices in the senior living industry. 2010 winners will be profiled in the May/June issue of ALFA's flagship magazine, Assisted Living Executive.

25 May 2010

KHN Consumer column: Insuring your health – College student health plans often get low marks

In this Kaiser Health News column, produced in collaboration with The Washington Post, Michelle Andrews writes: "Aaron Smith is learning the hard way that student health insurance has limits.

25 May 2010

HHS 'special mailing' on health law's immediate Medicare benefits sparks GOP grumbles

CQ HealthBeat: "Education or propaganda? Or 'beyond propaganda?' The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday that it will soon send Medicare beneficiaries a special mailing on 'the immediate benefits they may see' from the health care overhaul law. Getting accurate information about key provisions of the law will help Medicare enrollees 'to be on the alert for any scams asking for personal information,' explained acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner in an agency news release Monday.

25 May 2010

State regulators mull definition of medical loss ratio

News outlets report on efforts to define what will be considered "medical expenses" when it comes to the mandated medical loss ratios in the new health law.

25 May 2010

Experts question 'doc fix' as Reid threatens weekend work on bill with COBRA, Medicare provisions

Politico: Experts are questioning the virtues of the three-year Medicare "doc fix" that would stave off cuts to Medicare doctors' pay but set up a larger fight down the road. ... In health policy circles, the 'doc fix' has become emblematic of Washington's worst habits: a potentially solvable policy problem run amok for about a decade now, bogged down in pure politics and accounting gimmicks. The 'doc fix,' a last-minute infusion of funds to head off a looming doctor pay cut under Medicare, hits the floor this week via the tax extenders bill ..."

25 May 2010

DOJ warns hospitals, insurers: Mergers will be scrutinized

The Obama administration warned the health care industry Monday that it "won't hesitate to block mergers that threaten to stifle competition," The Associated Press reports.

25 May 2010

Emdeon introduces Office EZBill solution

Emdeon Inc., a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management solutions, today announced the launch of a free service available through its Emdeon Office solution. Healthcare providers will now have the ability to submit workers' compensation and automobile medical bills and related attachments electronically through the Emdeon Office EZBill solution regardless of which practice management software they are currently using.

25 May 2010

First Edition: May 25, 2010

Today's headlines reflect health policy action at the federal level as the Obama administration issues a warning to the insurance industry about mergers and urges the courts to dismiss Virginia's lawsuit against the health reform law.

25 May 2010

BIO praises Obama Administration’s dissemination of Therapeutic Discovery Project Program

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) praised the Obama Administration for its new guidance, released today, that will lead to many small biotechnology companies receiving needed funding to support critical on-going research and development programs. The guidance document initiates the Therapeutic Discovery Project Program (TDPP), which was created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama on March 23.

25 May 2010

GATOR approach helps assess health information websites

Patients researching health conditions on the internet should use reputable and frequently updated websites and not see online research as a replacement for consulting healthcare professionals, according to a paper in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

25 May 2010

Botvin LST Parent Program now available as e-book

The award-winning Botvin LifeSkills Training Parent Program is now available as an e-book: Princeton Health Press announced today its plan to make parent resources more accessible through the world's most popular eReader, Amazon's Kindle, as well as through the Kindle application for PCs, Mac, Blackberry and the Apple iPhone and iPad.

25 May 2010

DeCare Dental introduces International Emergency Dental Program

DeCare Dental, a global dental benefit management company and a wholly owned subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc., is pleased to introduce the International Emergency Dental Program – a service that gives dental members and their covered dependents access to emergency dental care from credentialed dentists around the world.

25 May 2010

Hawaii Pacific Health, Saint Barnabas Health Care System and XCelience achieve CEO Cancer Gold Standard

Hawaii Pacific Health, Saint Barnabas Health Care System N.J., and XCelience LLC, have received CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ accreditation, recognizing the commitment of these organizations to reducing the risk of cancer for employees and their families by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.

25 May 2010

AlphaMed Press earns CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation

AlphaMed Press has received CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ accreditation, recognizing the organization's commitment to taking concrete actions to reduce the cancer risk of its employees and their families through screenings, early detection, and healthy changes in lifestyle and in the workplace.

25 May 2010

Healthcare News

Today's OpEds: States must take on public health challenges; Placing blame for high health costs

Federal lawyers ask judge to dismiss Virginia overhaul lawsuit

Gentiva purchase of Odyssey would create largest U.S. home health and hospice provider

Federal law to expand coverage to kids is off to slow start

Verisk Health, Carena enter agreement to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce medical costs

Halfpenny Technologies releases new critical value alerting, reporting feature for ITF-GoDoc solution

ALFA recognizes Emeritus Senior Living with 2010 Best of the Best Award

KHN Consumer column: Insuring your health – College student health plans often get low marks

HHS 'special mailing' on health law's immediate Medicare benefits sparks GOP grumbles

State regulators mull definition of medical loss ratio

Experts question 'doc fix' as Reid threatens weekend work on bill with COBRA, Medicare provisions

DOJ warns hospitals, insurers: Mergers will be scrutinized

Emdeon introduces Office EZBill solution

First Edition: May 25, 2010

BIO praises Obama Administration’s dissemination of Therapeutic Discovery Project Program

GATOR approach helps assess health information websites

Botvin LST Parent Program now available as e-book

DeCare Dental introduces International Emergency Dental Program

Hawaii Pacific Health, Saint Barnabas Health Care System and XCelience achieve CEO Cancer Gold Standard

AlphaMed Press earns CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation

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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