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Anthem Blue Cross introduces DailyMed Pharmacy program for Medi-Cal members

Imagine having to face the daily struggle of taking six or more different medications a day to manage a chronic health condition; add to this the worry of missing or taking a dose incorrectly. For Anthem Blue Cross (Anthem) Medi-Cal members, that daily struggle will now be simplified to help increase medication adherence and reduce medication errors.

5 Feb 2010

Ascension Health, American Well launch ‘Online Care’ services to increase access to quality healthcare

As part of its efforts to improve the healthcare experience of those it serves and better meet their needs throughout their lives across the entire healthcare continuum, Ascension Health has reached an agreement with American Well™ Inc. to bring Online Care services to communities served by Ascension Health's local Health Ministries.

5 Feb 2010

Attempt by Idaho lawmakers to opt out of federal health care reform could prove disastrous for the state

An attempt by Idaho lawmakers to opt out of federal health care reform could prove disastrous for the state -- resulting in the loss of over a billion federal dollars for Idaho and thousands of jobs in the state.

5 Feb 2010

ARMC selects HMS to provide hospital information system applications for its general acute hospital

Arizona Regional Medical Center (ARMC) has selected Healthcare Management Systems, Inc.® (HMS) to provide hospital information system applications for its general acute hospital, located in Mesa, Ariz.

5 Feb 2010

Landrieu speaks on the Senate floor to defend so-called 'Louisiana purchase'

USA Today's On Politics: Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., took to the Senate floor Thursday "to defend the so-called 'Louisiana purchase.'" Describing the deal as a "'bipartisan effort,'" she said she made no apologies for leading the push to cut a deal "to get Louisiana $300 million in extra Medicaid funds inserted into the health care bill" (Kiely, 2/4).

5 Feb 2010

Survey: 60 percent of Americans doubt health reform will pass this year

While a growing segment of people are becoming more optimistic that a health care overhaul will pass this year, they're still largely outnumbered by people who think reform won't happen, The New York Times reports.

5 Feb 2010

With health reform stalled, Medicare coverage for some therapies subject to caps

Stalled health care reform efforts have created several unresolved issues, some of which related to Medicare and Medicaid.

5 Feb 2010

Virginia AG works to increase outpatient treatment for mentally ill; Iowa hospitals oppose Medicare fraud bill

News outlets report on health care developments in Virginia, the District of Columbia, California, Iowa, Maryland, Maine and Michigan.

5 Feb 2010

Indiana medical school cuts number of students amid budget cuts

The Louisville Courier-Journal: "Facing a $7 million budget cut, the Indiana University School of Medicine plans to reduce the number of new students next year -- a move that will save money but could reduce the number of physicians when the state is already facing a shortage. After several years of ramping up acceptances of new medical students, IU was forced to cut back after Gov. Mitch Daniels recently ordered state-funded universities to reduce their budgets, said Dr. D. Craig Brater, dean of the school.

5 Feb 2010

Majority of rural hospital stays are covered by Medicare

Medicare patients accounted for almost half of all stays (45 percent) at rural hospitals in 2007, while the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries who were admitted to urban hospitals was considerably lower (35 percent) , according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

5 Feb 2010

House to move forward to end antitrust exemption for health insurers

"House Democratic leaders are moving forward with Plan B for passing health care reform by introducing a stand-alone measure to strip the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies — a popular piece of their stalled health care reform package," Roll Call reports. "Freshmen Reps. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) and Betsy Markey (D-Colo.) will file legislation on Friday aimed at barring the insurance industry from fixing prices and setting their own markets without being investigated.

4 Feb 2010

Health spending consumes more of U.S. economy, will tip toward government

A new report by federal actuaries shows government programs will pay for more than half of all U.S. health care spending by 2012, and that total spending on health grew as a share of the economy by 1.1 percent last year to 17.3 percent, the largest leap ever, the Los Angeles Times reports.

4 Feb 2010

Obama tries to bridge Democratic divide on health reform

Speaking with Senate Democrats Wednesday, President Obama "suggested that Republicans could be enlisted to play at least some role in negotiating a final bill, The Washington Post reports.

4 Feb 2010

Arizona Oncology physicians provide advanced cancer care for MHC patients

Cancer patients in Marana now have more options for cancer care. Arizona Oncology physicians will now treat patients at Marana Healthcare Clinic (MHC). Drs. Laurie Chen and Y. Haroon Ahmad, medical oncologists, are now actively caring for patients at MHC.

4 Feb 2010

COBRA extension likely part of Senate Democratic jobs plan

The Wall Street Journal: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today said he plans to move the " first part of a job-creation package next week." In discussing the measure during a Capitol Hill press conference, Democratic leaders were short of specifics "but pledged to make the issue of job creation their top priority in 2010."

4 Feb 2010

VA hospitals urged to accomodate growing number of female veterans

NPR: "The traditionally male-dominated environment often doesn't recognize that women veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have experienced the same psychological, physical and emotional trauma as male veterans." Jill Feldman, manager of the Women Veterans Health Care Program at the Milwaukee VA, says the hospital is working to change a culture that has traditionally been more masculine.

4 Feb 2010