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Experts debate rationing and end-of-life care; Hospice use rises in Colorado

PBS NewsHour reports on end-of-life decisions and rationing by examining a recent debate at the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs. "Arguing for rationing: Ira Byock, a doctor and director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

28 Apr 2010

Gangs increasingly involved in Medicare fraud

ABC News: "Gangs across the country are arming themselves with powerful weapons to bilk taxpayers out of billions of dollars through Medicare fraud. What used to be a mostly non-violent, white collar crime has turned potentially deadly, and Federal agents who once combed through paperwork are now firing rounds at the shooting range to prepare for extreme dangers.

28 Apr 2010

Fine print complicates effort to cover young adults

Some parents may have to wait to get children as old as age 26 to be allowed to stay on their health plans because of the health law's fine print, The Associated Press reports. "As a consequence, some families may have to wait until 2011 to get their kids covered, particularly if the parents are working for a large employer, benefits experts and government officials say.

28 Apr 2010

As health reform's specifics continue to emerge, so do questions and answers from stakeholders

Determining how the law will be applied will be the next big battle in health reform and lobbyists are gearing up to influence implementation. "Congress gave sweeping power to federal agencies, especially (HHS), to fill in gaps lawmakers left in the 906-page legislation — an effort that will take years. The law refers more than 1,000 times to Cabinet secretaries who will make decisions on how to carry out the law. For example, the law requires insurance companies to spend 80% of premiums on medical claims, as opposed to administrative costs, by 2011. But it directs the health department to decide whether gray-area expenses, such as health-and-wellness programs offered by insurers, count as care or overhead."

28 Apr 2010

BioMedix TRAKnet software suite receives APMA Seal of Acceptance

Today, the BioMedix TRAKnet software suite was granted the prestigious American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Acceptance. BioMedix is the only company to receive the APMA Seal of Acceptance for Electronic Health Record and Practice Management software.

28 Apr 2010

States uneasy about impact of Medicaid expansion

The expansion of insurance coverage under the health reform law is due largely to an expansion of the government-funded Medicaid program, which is causing some doctors to worry about the specifics of implementation, according to the New York Times. "Absorbing that many people into the system will not be easy. The program is administered and partly financed by the states, which are now racing to figure out how to carry out the necessary changes and simplify enrollment even as they struggle to cope with severe budget cuts and staff shortages."

28 Apr 2010

Queensland Government seeks help with private hospital at Kawana

The Queensland Government is looking for financial assistance and more practical help to operate a private hospital at Kawana, which is to be collocated with the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. The private hospital is expected to be functional by 2013, which is three years before the $1.6 billion Sunshine Coast University Hospital precinct is due to be finished.

27 Apr 2010

Salix Pharmaceuticals announces novel patient and health care provider support program for HE

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced plans for the Hepatic Encephalopathy Living Program (H.E.L.P.). H.E.L.P. is a first-of-its-kind patient and health care provider support program for the management of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and will launch on May 24, 2010. The program will provide patients with HE educational materials, co-pay assistance, treatment adherence support and a 24-hour toll-free hotline.

27 Apr 2010

Penalties and fines for sending non-encrypted e-mails including patient information

A new law that took effect in February calls for substantial new penalties on doctors for something they are doing every day – sending e-mails that include patient information, without encrypting the e-mail.

27 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 27, 2010

Today's headlines focus on the details of health reform that continue to emerge -- including states' reactions to high risk pools and questions about the sweeping expansion of Medicaid.

27 Apr 2010

Universite de Montreal demographer offers prediction of boomer future

Baby boomers are retiring healthy, financially secure and with a desire to travel. According to Universit- de Montr-al demographer Jacques L-gar-, baby boomers will remain among the most self-reliant generations to reach their golden years.

27 Apr 2010

High levels of phosphate in sodas accelerate signs of aging

Here's another reason to kick the soda habit. New research published online in the FASEB Journal shows that high levels of phosphates may add more "pop" to sodas and processed foods than once thought. That's because researchers found that the high levels of phosphates accelerate signs of aging. High phosphate levels may also increase the prevalence and severity of age-related complications, such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular calcification, and can also induce severe muscle and skin atrophy.

27 Apr 2010

Centene's first-quarter Premium and Service Revenues up 12.5% to $1.022 billion

Centene Corporation today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. The results of operations for our New Jersey health plan, University Health Plans, are classified as discontinued operations. The discussions below, with the exception of cash flow information, are in the context of continuing operations and all financial ratios exclude premium taxes.

27 Apr 2010

Department of Justice not to challenge Hospital Value Initiative proposal

The Department of Justice announced today that it will not challenge a proposal by the Hospital Value Initiative (HVI) to establish an information exchange program that will provide data on the relative costs and resource efficiency of more than 300 hospitals in California. The department said the proposed information exchange may reduce health care costs by improving competition among hundreds of hospitals in California and facilitating more informed purchasing decisions by group purchasers of health care services.

27 Apr 2010

Initiative to lower amount of salt in American diet

The American Heart Association and the National Salt Reduction Initiative, a national collaboration led by the City of New York, share a common goal -- to gradually lower the amount of sodium (salt) in the American diet.

27 Apr 2010

Cell phone program to promote more physical activity

About two thirds of the American population is overweight or obese, putting them at higher risk for health problems such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. The obesity epidemic in America is the result of poor eating habits, genetics, and a lack of exercise. It's therefore difficult for public health officials to get people to make a conscious effort to control their weight.

27 Apr 2010

KCI applauds FDA for launching medical device home use initiative

KCI applauds the FDA for launching this important initiative to ensure that complex medical devices are used safely in the home by caregivers and patients. We have made it our priority and unwavering responsibility to help caregivers and patients understand how to use our advanced treatments safely. This includes offering a robust education and training program, employing highly trained clinical support staff and providing easy-to-read, patient-specific labeling.

27 Apr 2010

People infected with gastrointestinal worms respond better to injected vaccines

According to the World Health Organization, two billion people around the globe suffer from chronic parasitic worm infections, which, in addition to causing illness and developmental delay, are also suspected to interfere with the effectiveness of ordinary vaccines, making their victims more vulnerable to life-threatening diseases. A recent discovery by researchers at the Trudeau Institute promises to bypass these obstacles and help deliver more effective vaccines to these people, boosting their protection against common childhood diseases.

27 Apr 2010

Survey highlights need for continued education to reverse skin cancer epidemic in the U.S.

Results released today from a landmark national survey of dermatologists and consumers unveiled that there is a major gap between what dermatologists recommend and what Americans actually do when it comes to sun-safe behavior. This gap further highlights the need for continued education to reverse the skin cancer epidemic in the United States.

27 Apr 2010

Four unhealthy behaviors associated with increased risk of death when combined

Four unhealthy behaviors—smoking, lack of physical activity, poor diet and alcohol consumption—appear to be associated with a substantially increased risk of death when combined, according to a report in the April 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Apr 2010