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Wellcare faces allegations about director's resignation; Wellpoint confronts reports regarding breast cancer recissions

"A prominent director at WellCare Health Plans Inc. resigned Wednesday and raised questions about accounting practices at the Medicare and Medicaid company. Regina Herzlinger, the head of the board's audit committee and a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, said internal audits found WellCare overbilled the Illinois Medicaid program by $1 million in 2009 and potentially overcharged states for almost $500,000 worth of maternity care."

27 Apr 2010

A first step in the long road to health reform

Australia provides good health care to the majority of its citizens most of the time and compares well with like countries. The capacity for illness to destroy families financially, seen in the US and in many less economically advanced countries where governments make small or no contributions to the cost of health care, is much diminished by Medicare, public hospitals and subsidised pharmaceuticals.

27 Apr 2010

Nurses interrupted – leading to 12% rise in medication errors: study

In a study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine on the 26th of April the causes of “procedural failure and clinical error” by nurses in Australian hospitals were analyzed. The study found that nurses made at least one mistake or oversight in a whopping 80.2% of cases where they were administering drugs or other therapy to patients. These mistakes could range from not checking the patient’s identity before giving the drug to not washing hands. Researchers say that in some cases these mistakes could be fatal.

27 Apr 2010

NHS funding a major issue in the coming election

The state of the British economy has made the cut backs in NHS funding a major issue in the coming election. However no matter what the posturing is right now, and no politician wants to be seen making cuts here, there may be no other viable alternatives. No matter who forms the government after 6th May, they will be under great strain to keep their earlier promises of no health fund cuts.

27 Apr 2010

Experts warn doctors to be aware of new requirements in health bill's false claims act

"A longtime Miami-Dade healthcare operator and his son have been charged with bilking more than $2.8 million from Medicare in an undercover FBI case. The father has fled the country and the son is cooperating with authorities. Ernesto Angel Montaner and his son, Ernesto Montaner, are accused of operating a network of physical rehabilitation clinics in Miami-Dade that submitted millions of dollars in phony bills to the federal healthcare program for the elderly and disabled between 2003 and 2008" (Weaver, 4/24).

26 Apr 2010

AHRQ releases Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit

Several studies have found that a majority of American adults have trouble with basic health literacy tasks such as reading and understanding prescription drug labels and following their doctors' instructions correctly.

26 Apr 2010

e-MDs selected as one of two recommended EHR vendors by AEHRA

e-MDs, an industry leader in the development and implementation of electronic health record and practice management solutions, announced they have been selected as one of two recommended EHR vendors by the Alaska EHR Alliance. e-MDs was identified through The EHR Selection Project as an endorsed vendor to Alaska healthcare providers looking to incorporate an EHR in their clinical practice.

26 Apr 2010

CHE selects Zynx Health to deploy order sets and plans of care to 18 acute care hospitals

Catholic Health East, a multi-institutional health system headquartered in Newtown Square, Pa., announced it has selected Zynx Health, the market leader in providing evidence-based and experience-based clinical decision support solutions, to deploy order sets and plans of care to 18 of its acute care hospitals.

26 Apr 2010

Dozens of states pass, debate greater restrictions on abortion

Dozens of states are passing or debating new restrictions on abortion, a trend fueled in part by passage of the nation's new health care law. Both sides of the hot-button issue are seeing new approaches to reduce abortions. … So far, 2010 has been 'very successful,' said Mary Spaulding Balch of the National Right to Life Committee.

26 Apr 2010

General Dynamics Information Technology awarded task order to support HHS' CMS

General Dynamics Information Technology's VIPS business sector, a business unit of General Dynamics, has been awarded a task order to support the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

26 Apr 2010

Huntington Hospital integrates new electronic order set solution to CPOE system

Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today that Huntington Hospital has selected ProVation Order Sets, powered by UpToDate Decision Support, to automate the creation, deployment and maintenance of evidence-based order sets.

26 Apr 2010

New health law offers protection against elder abuse, but advocates complain provision is not funded

As baby boomers and their parents age, many stumble across an unsettling surprise — elder abuse that occurs in both institutions and the home. The problem, and the lack of a national strategy to combat it, is something that advocates for the elderly have been complaining about for years. So they fought for, and won, provisions in the new health law (PL 111-148) that are designed to address the issue.

26 Apr 2010

New textbook series entitled Essentials of Chinese Medicine launched

The Baptist University of Hong Kong and Springer Science+Business Media have launched a new textbook series entitled Essentials of Chinese Medicine. The three-volume English language set is of fundamental significance for the subject. Spearheaded by the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and the School of Chinese Medicine HKBU, the books were co-written by 14 distinguished scholars from Hong Kong, mainland China and the USA.

26 Apr 2010

Today's opinions: Health overhaul reflects history of government intervention; Importance of repairing clinical trials system; Stopping Medicare fraud

The system's opacity gives insurers the upper hand in debates over government payment rates (Austin Frakt, 4/26).

26 Apr 2010

WorkSmart MD launches Offsite Practice Support and Meaningful Use consulting services for doctors

WorkSmart MD, a Florida based physician services company, announces the launch of Offsite Practice Support and Meaningful Use consulting services for doctors.

26 Apr 2010

CompCare launches behavioral health services for a health plan in Texas

Comprehensive Care Corporation today announced the launching of its behavioral health services for a health plan in Texas.

26 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 26, 2010

Today's headlines reflect state-level health policy developments as well as forward-looking stories related to the cost of federal health reforms.

26 Apr 2010

Elderlink offers personalized referral lists for senior citizens and their families

Elderlink, Inc., a free senior care referral service serving California since 1994, is offering senior citizens and their families the ability to find the care they need via personalized referral lists based upon their individual needs.

26 Apr 2010

Reconstructive techniques for degenerative mitral valve disease

Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, proudly announces the release of a brand-new single volume comprehensive book on reconstructive techniques for degenerative mitral valve disease by the internationally renowned cardiac surgeon and educator, Dr. Alain Carpentier. The book will launch at the 90th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, May 1 - 5, 2010.

26 Apr 2010

Beijing Customs seize Biosite's Triage products

Biosite's Triage products imported by Inverness Medical Beijing Co., Ltd. in April 2010 have been seized by Beijing Customs for not complying with the applicable importation regulations. As a result, the Chinese market is facing a severe shortage.

26 Apr 2010