Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Worker health costs drag down Walmart profits even as retailer makes play to be shoppers' health care source

Walmart plans to open a dozen clinics by the end of this fiscal year that will provide a broad range of primary care services.

16 Aug 2014

VA begins discipline process for workers involved in health system waiting scandal

The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to recommend action against six employees at veterans' medical facilities in Colorado and Wyoming. Meanwhile, news outlets report on questions about whether offering veterans the option of private care will address some of the VA health system's problems.

16 Aug 2014

Research roundup: Benefits of smaller practices; Rx price growth; fixing Medicare claims reviews

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services within the Department of Health and Human Services has taken steps to prevent its contractors from conducting certain duplicative postpayment claims reviews - reviews of the same claims that are not permitted by the agency - but CMS neither has reliable data nor provides sufficient oversight and guidance to measure and fully prevent duplication.

16 Aug 2014

UCSF study shows price differences for ten common blood tests across California hospitals

New UC San Francisco research shows significant price differences for ten common blood tests in California hospitals, with some patients charged as little as $10 for one test while others were charged $10,169 for the identical test.

16 Aug 2014

Assessing stroke survivors for medication self-administration ability may predict memory disorder

Kessler stroke researchers and colleagues have identified an association between over-optimistic estimation of one's own ability to take medications accurately, and memory loss among stroke survivors.

16 Aug 2014

Fox News poll finds slim majority continues to oppose the health law

According to Fox News, opposition among voters has been above 50 percent for more than a year. Meanwhile, Politico Pro takes a look at the congressional district of the new House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., where constituents who appear to be benefiting from new health law coverage are still supporting politicians like McCarthy, who want to repeal it.

16 Aug 2014

Vitamin D deficiency linked to higher surgical risk

Patients with low blood levels of vitamin D are at increased risk of death and serious complications after noncardiac surgery, suggests a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

16 Aug 2014

Cops, computer analysts hunt for Medicare fraud

The Wall Street Journal looks closely at the work of the Medicare Strike Force, which includes FBI agents and CMS workers. Meanwhile, the Government Accountability Office finds Medicare audit contractors may hammer hospitals with multiple reviews of the same payment claims.

16 Aug 2014

Philosys receives FDA approval for Gmate SMART Blood Glucose Monitoring System

Philosys announces it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510K approval for the highly anticipated Gmate SMART Blood Glucose Monitoring System. The Gmate SMART meter is the size of a quarter and connects to the headphone jack on the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, while using the free Gmate® SMART app to deliver blood glucose test results, without the use of an adapter or Bluetooth device.

16 Aug 2014

Calif.'s Medicaid expansion brings renewed concerns about pay for doctors

Some advocates fear that state efforts to cut payments to doctors and other providers will make it hard for new enrollees to get care. Also, committees in Texas and Idaho look at ways to expand care for low-income residents.

16 Aug 2014

Prime Healthcare completes acquisition of St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic, New Jersey

Prime Healthcare announced today that it has completed its acquisition of St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic, New Jersey.

16 Aug 2014

Change Healthcare recognized as one of 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare for 2014

Change Healthcare, the market leader in healthcare consumer engagement and cost transparency, has been named one of Modern Healthcare's "100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare" for 2014, an honor the company also received in 2013.

16 Aug 2014

Diet reduces inflammatory markers in ‘real world’ Type 2 diabetes

Encouraging patients newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes to diet or to diet and increase their physical activity reduces markers of inflammation and their cardiovascular risk compared with usual care, real-world study findings show.

15 Aug 2014

Catasys total revenues up 192% in second quarter 2014

Catasys, Inc., provider of proprietary health management services to health insurers and employers, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2014.

15 Aug 2014

First Edition: August 15, 2014

Today's headlines include a variety of updates regarding health policy and the health care marketplace.

15 Aug 2014

The rush is on: Process immigrant paperwork to keep them insured

The Wall Street Journal reports on reaction to the Obama administration's announcement that coverage would be cut off for as many as 310,000 people if they don't prove they are citizens or legal residents by Sept. 5. Other news outlets offer local takes on the issue.

15 Aug 2014

Survey: Companies continue shift of health costs to workers

The main way companies are seeking to curb health care costs is by moving workers into high-deductible health plans, according to the survey by the National Business Group on Health. Nearly a third are offering such plans as the only option to their workers in 2015, the survey found.

15 Aug 2014

Sunshine Act website marked by technical problems

Modern Healthcare reports that this website, which is designed to report industry payments to physicians and teaching hospitals, was temporarily suspended last week but is scheduled to be publicly accessible Sept. 30. Meanwhile, the Des Moines Register explores issues related to the National Practitioner Data Bank.

15 Aug 2014

State highlights: Mass. hospitals see 70% jump in mistakes; changes coming to Md.'s state employee health plan

Massachusetts acute-care hospitals reported 753 serious medical errors and other patient injuries last year, a 70 percent annual jump that health officials attributed mostly to expanded definitions of what constitutes medical harm. So-called serious reportable events in other types of hospitals, including those that provide psychiatric or rehabilitative care, rose 60 percent from 2012, to 206.

15 Aug 2014

Longer looks: A sugar cube pyramid; Obamacare's successes; the suicide checklist

Dean Angstadt, a 57-year-old, self-employed logger, said that the Affordable Care Act saved his life. ... Kathy Bentozi, a 58-year-old Pennsylvanian, is also thankful for Obamacare. ... Joshua Haymore, a 27-year-old Coloradan, could not get a specialist to see him for weeks last year ... Now that he has Medicaid, his prescriptions cost $3 and his health has improved significantly. Those are just three of thousands of good-news stories coming from the insurance expansion in the Affordable Care Act. ... But there is scant evidence that Americans have started to take notice, or care (Annie Lowrey, 8/13).

15 Aug 2014

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Worker health costs drag down Walmart profits even as retailer makes play to be shoppers' health care source

VA begins discipline process for workers involved in health system waiting scandal

Research roundup: Benefits of smaller practices; Rx price growth; fixing Medicare claims reviews

UCSF study shows price differences for ten common blood tests across California hospitals

Assessing stroke survivors for medication self-administration ability may predict memory disorder

Fox News poll finds slim majority continues to oppose the health law

Vitamin D deficiency linked to higher surgical risk

Cops, computer analysts hunt for Medicare fraud

Philosys receives FDA approval for Gmate SMART Blood Glucose Monitoring System

Calif.'s Medicaid expansion brings renewed concerns about pay for doctors

Prime Healthcare completes acquisition of St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic, New Jersey

Change Healthcare recognized as one of 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare for 2014

Diet reduces inflammatory markers in ‘real world’ Type 2 diabetes

Catasys total revenues up 192% in second quarter 2014

First Edition: August 15, 2014

The rush is on: Process immigrant paperwork to keep them insured

Survey: Companies continue shift of health costs to workers

Sunshine Act website marked by technical problems

State highlights: Mass. hospitals see 70% jump in mistakes; changes coming to Md.'s state employee health plan

Longer looks: A sugar cube pyramid; Obamacare's successes; the suicide checklist

Industry Focus eBook - Medical device (1st edition) eBook

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

Flow chemistry, AI, and NMR: A next-gen approach to scalable API production

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Industry Focus eBook - Medical device (1st edition) eBook

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

Flow chemistry, AI, and NMR: A next-gen approach to scalable API production

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