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New Filton Blood Centre to open in July

When the new Filton Blood Centre opens on 8th July, the National Blood Service will be pleased to name it a centre of excellence and the largest blood processing centre in the world.

4 Jun 2008

Tough action against underperforming hospitals and primary care trusts in UK

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw today set out new plans to drive up standards of care and tackle underperformance in our hospitals and primary care trusts.Tough action against underperforming hospitals and trusts

4 Jun 2008

Number of uninsured Massachusetts residents decreased by nearly half in 2007

The number of uninsured Massachusetts adults declined by nearly half last year, according to the first major study of the state's health insurance law published online Tuesday in Health Affairs, the New York Times reports (Sack, New York Times, 6/3).

3 Jun 2008

Health IT legislation stalled by privacy concerns

Legislation that would promote the adoption and standardization of health information technology is "knotted up" in Congress over privacy issues, CQ Today reports (Wayne, CQ Today, 6/2).

3 Jun 2008

Health insurer lobby releases plan to reduce U.S. health care costs by $145 billion

Officials from America's Health Insurance Plans have proposed a plan they estimate could reduce U.S. health care spending by $145 billion by 2015, The Politico reports. The group plans to present its findings to congressional committee chairs and ranking members and to hold a policy briefing.

3 Jun 2008

Finance Committee staffers meet with stakeholders about Medicare physician cuts

Democratic staffers for the Senate Finance Committee on Monday met with physician specialty groups to discuss a legislative package proposed by committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that would halt a scheduled 10.6% cut to Medicare physicians' payments and institute a 0.5% increase in the payments for next year, CongressDaily reports.

3 Jun 2008

Rep. Walberg touts market-based health care legislation in Washington Times op-ed

The "one-size-fits-all, Washington-based approach" to overhauling the U.S. health care system "is wrong" and, instead, reform should focus on providing a "patient-centered health care system that gives consumers direct control and choice over their health care decisions," Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

3 Jun 2008

Arizona Republic examines health insurance policy rescissions

The Arizona Republic on Friday examined how the practice of health insurers rescinding and canceling the health care policies of beneficiaries has been "scrutinized from California to Connecticut with some states passing tough measures or pursuing regulatory actions and assessing fines to restrict these retroactive health policy voids."

2 Jun 2008

Senate Democrats to move forward with bill that would halt 10.6% Medicare physician payment cut despite veto threat

Despite a veto threat from the White House, Senate Democrats plan to move forward in the next two weeks with a bill (S 1951) that would reduce payments to Medicare Advantage plans to offset delaying a 10.6% cut to Medicare physicians' payments, CQ Today reports.

2 Jun 2008

Lawmakers seek to revive legislation that would eliminate COBRA coverage limits

Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) are pushing to revive legislation (HR 2047) proposed last year that would allow people to pay for health coverage from their former employers until they qualify for Medicare at age 65, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

2 Jun 2008

Health care standards needed at immigration detention centers, opinion piece states

"Unlike federal and state prisons, immigrant detention centers, many of which are run by private contractors, are not legally mandated to abide by any health care standards when it comes to treating sick immigrants," Sandra Hernandez, a staff writer for the legal newspaper Daily Journal, writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece.

2 Jun 2008

Improving palliative care

Palliative care clinicians are increasingly faced with the problem of treating a wider range of diseases, and treating patients in all settings, not just in hospices or specialist units. This has created new challenges in the treatment of symptoms, which in turn creates a need for new research and practical recommendations to help palliative care clinicians and improve patient care.

2 Jun 2008

Prime Healthcare to acquire three hospitals from Tenet Healthcare

Prime Healthcare Services has acquired the 151-bed Encino Campus of Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center from Tenet Healthcare Corporation ("Tenet") effective June 1 and will operate the hospital as Encino Hospital Medical Center.

2 Jun 2008

13.7 million young adults in the United States lack health insurance coverage

The number of uninsured young adults in the United States rose to 13.7 million in 2006-an increase from 13.3 million in 2005-making the 19-to-29 age group one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the population without health insurance. According to a newly updated report from The Commonwealth Fund, 38 percent of high school graduates who do not attend college and 34 percent of college graduates will spend some time uninsured in the year after graduation.

1 Jun 2008

Minnesota Health Care Group to launch pilot 'pay-for-performance' initiative to reduce treatment costs for depression

The Buyers Health Care Action Group, a health care purchasing coalition in Minnesota for large employers, on Wednesday announced a pay-for-performance pilot program that will reward physicians who effectively treat depressed patients, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

30 May 2008

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine) on Wednesday announced a health care proposal that would aim to provide health coverage for all U.S. residents using a combination of public and private plans, the Portland Press Herald reports. Allen is running against sitting Sen. Susan Collins (R).

30 May 2008

Consumers Union to launch hospital ratings service

Consumers Union, the not-for-profit group that publishes Consumer Reports magazine, plans to offer a new online service that will rate hospitals, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 May 2008

Report ranks Aetna, Cigna most efficient, accurate among health insurers in reimbursements to physicians

Aetna ranked first among 130 large health insurers in efficiency and accuracy in reimbursements to physicians, and Cigna ranked second, according to a report scheduled for release on Thursday by Athenahealth, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 May 2008

Sen. Kennedy to introduce bill to revise national cancer act

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who recently was diagnosed with brain cancer, previously had begun work on legislation that would revise the 1971 National Cancer Act, and supporters hope that the "fact that Kennedy has fallen victim to this disease will generate public support and lend new urgency to the need to update the bill," the AP/Chicago Tribune reports.

30 May 2008

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

30 May 2008

Healthcare News

New Filton Blood Centre to open in July

Tough action against underperforming hospitals and primary care trusts in UK

Number of uninsured Massachusetts residents decreased by nearly half in 2007

Health IT legislation stalled by privacy concerns

Health insurer lobby releases plan to reduce U.S. health care costs by $145 billion

Finance Committee staffers meet with stakeholders about Medicare physician cuts

Rep. Walberg touts market-based health care legislation in Washington Times op-ed

Arizona Republic examines health insurance policy rescissions

Senate Democrats to move forward with bill that would halt 10.6% Medicare physician payment cut despite veto threat

Lawmakers seek to revive legislation that would eliminate COBRA coverage limits

Health care standards needed at immigration detention centers, opinion piece states

Improving palliative care

Prime Healthcare to acquire three hospitals from Tenet Healthcare

13.7 million young adults in the United States lack health insurance coverage

Minnesota Health Care Group to launch pilot 'pay-for-performance' initiative to reduce treatment costs for depression

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

Consumers Union to launch hospital ratings service

Report ranks Aetna, Cigna most efficient, accurate among health insurers in reimbursements to physicians

Sen. Kennedy to introduce bill to revise national cancer act

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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