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Democrats weary of health changes, mull new health bills, 'doc fix'

Democrats are feeling health care "fatigue" and are doubting that Congress will consider any more health-related legislation this year. "Measures in jeopardy include bills that would require more information on healthcare prices, empower federal regulators to sign off on premium increases and strip insurers of their exemption from anti-trust laws."

15 May 2010

NFIB to join lawsuit against health law

"The nation's most influential small business lobby is joining a court challenge to President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, arguing that Americans cannot be required under the Constitution to obtain insurance coverage," The Associated Press reports.

14 May 2010

Obama administration cracks down on health care fraud

Modern Healthcare: "The government's efforts to rein in Medicare fraud and abuse recovered $2.5 billion for the program in fiscal 2009, up 29% from $1.9 billion the previous year, according to a new annual report. ... The $2.5 billion collected in fiscal 2009 is attributed to judgments and settlements in previous years as well as 2009, according to the report of the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program.

14 May 2010

Heart defibrillators complicate end-of-life care

Heart defibrillators, "small implants that save lives by sending an electrical jolt to interrupt a potentially fatal heart rhythm and restore normal beating," can pose a "challenge near life's end, for both patients and their families," The New York Times reports.

14 May 2010

Hospitals plan joint efforts to increase efficiency

An association of California hospitals has proposed creating a foundation to supply doctors to at least 20 of its 160 members, with more likely to join if the project takes off, The Wall Street Journal reports. The foundation "would own clinics and centralize administrative matters including billing and electronic medical records," and it shows another step in efforts to align "doctors and hospitals, a trend expected to be accelerated by the health overhaul."

14 May 2010

New research shows healthy retirees face higher total health care costs

Healthy retirees actually face higher total health care costs over their remaining lifetime than the unhealthy, according to new research conducted by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and underwritten by Prudential Financial.

14 May 2010

First international user meeting of endoscopic spinal surgery

On 14 and 15 May 2010 joimax GmbH holds the first international user meeting of endoscopic spinal surgery in Veenhuizen/Niederlande. Besides the ten reference surgeons about 30 participants and customers from Germany, Europe, the United States and other countries are expected to join the meeting. The scientific program comprises a two-day conference which will be opened with a keynote lecture of Prof. Dr. Gerbrand J. Groen of the university of Utrecht.

14 May 2010

American Shared Hospital Services first-quarter revenue decreases 2% to $4,088,000

AMERICAN SHARED HOSPITAL SERVICES, a leading provider of turnkey technology solutions for advanced radiosurgical and radiation therapy services, today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2010.

14 May 2010

New initiative to reduce health inequities

A major new initiative by the University of Maryland aims to eliminate health disparities in the state and extend the impact of health reform. The university's School of Public Health has recruited a team of nationally recognized faculty-researchers who will create action programs to improve primary care and expand public health outreach, so as to reduce the high rates of chronic disease in Maryland's medically underserved communities.

14 May 2010

Over 75 countries represented at 2010 Alcoholics Anonymous convention

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) celebrates 75 years of "one alcoholic talking to another" as over 40,000 AA members from around the world gather in San Antonio for the 2010 International Convention, July 1-4.

14 May 2010

First Edition: May 14, 2010

Today's headlines suggest that, even as congressional Democrats appear to be suffering from "health reform fatigue" and shying away from other health-related legislation, the G.O.P. is applying newfound vigor and skepticism to the White House's pick to head the agency that runs Medicare and to the administration's claims that the implementation phase of reform is going smoothly.

14 May 2010

11 leading medical societies support Health Care Truth and Transparency Act of 2010

As the United States prepares to add 32 million more patients to the health care system through health care reform, 11 of the leading medical societies in the country joined together today to publicly support the introduction of the Health Care Truth and Transparency Act of 2010.

14 May 2010

SAMHSA grants nearly $8 million for program to reduce chronic homelessness

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today that it is awarding up to four new grants totaling just under $8 million to local organizations working to prevent or reduce chronic homelessness in their communities. These grants are in addition to $81.5 million in grants awarded under this program in September 2009.

14 May 2010

Redesigning way of using energy can help hospitals achieve 60% reduction in energy utility use

A new study presented at the CleanMed conference in Baltimore this week shows how hospitals, which account for four percent of all energy consumed in the U.S., can achieve a 60 percent reduction in energy utility use by redesigning the way they use energy. A newly constructed, code-compliant hospital can expect to save around $730,000 a year, according to the report.

14 May 2010

Practice Greenhealth honors SRI Surgical with Champion for Change Award

SRI/Surgical Express, Inc., a leading provider of reusable surgical products and reprocessing services supporting the healthcare industry, announced today that Practice Greenhealth presented its "Champion for Change Award" to SRI Surgical for outstanding contributions to environmentally responsible health care.

14 May 2010

RMEI, PIM sponsor continuing education series on castration-resistant prostate cancer

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), defined as tumor progression despite castrate levels of testosterone, develops in many prostate cancer patients treated with androgen-deprivation therapy. Current treatment regimens are complicated by toxicities and a low rate of relapse-free survival. Many novel therapies in clinical trials offer hope for patients with this challenging diagnosis. Healthcare professionals who are treating CRPC must stay abreast of these emerging therapies to ensure optimal care for these patients.

14 May 2010

NPAF commends extension of health care coverage for young adults

The National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) – a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of creating avenues of improved patient access to health care through public policy reform at the state and federal levels – today praised the Obama Administration for extending health care coverage for young adults under the new "Affordable Care Act" through a new provision allowing them to stay on their parents' health insurance plans until age twenty-six. This proposed regulation will affect an estimated 1.2 million Americans.

14 May 2010

Local ordinances in Appalachian states do not offer protection against second-hand smoke: Study

Local ordinances in Appalachian states with weak statewide smoking regulations do not offer most residents adequate protection against second-hand smoke, according to a new study.

14 May 2010

Health law guarantees protections for emergency room visits

Kaiser Health News' Maggie Mertens writes: "When Kelly Arellanes fell off a horse and suffered a severe head injury in rural Arkansas, medics said she would need to be airlifted immediately to the nearest hospital—50 miles away in Fort Smith.

14 May 2010

Ambulance fees will deter emergency calls for help and risks lives: Study

Multiple data sources, including scientific survey data, medical studies and analyses of data in regions that have imposed ambulance fees, indicate that ambulance fees will discourage calls to emergency services for help, risking the health and safety of those experiencing medical emergencies.

14 May 2010