Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

New research explores massive depopulation of ethnic Tibetan communities in Nepal

Ethnic Tibetan communities in Nepal's highlands are rapidly shrinking as more parents send their children away for a better education and modern careers, a trend that threatens to create a region of graying ghost towns at the top of the world, according to a study that includes Dartmouth College.

19 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 19, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about how the 2015 insurance premium rates are shaping up across the country and details of consumers' experiences in trying to get their new coverage.

19 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Working for benefits; fears for a pill to prevent HIV; possible Medicaid strategy for Virginia

[Economist Robert] Moffitt noted in an email that "the work incentives in the government safety net have greatly increased over the last 20 years: less welfare payments if you don't work, and much greater government payments if you do."

19 Jun 2014

State highlights: Illinois Medicaid digital shift delayed; N.C. hospitals fight cuts; heroin in New England

Alexian Brothers Health System is suspending its effort to launch a new Medicaid program, blaming the difficulty of connecting physicians using different electronic records systems. The Arlington Heights, Ill.-based health system was spearheading a so-called accountable care entity (ACE) to coordinate the care of about 46,000 patients on Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled. The ACEs are a form of managed care, one of Gov. Pat Quinn's initiatives to focus on preventative treatment to keep patients healthy and reduce health care costs (Schorsch, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

UT Arlington researchers use portable device to map brain activity responses during cognitive activities

UT Arlington researchers have successfully used a portable brain-mapping device to show limited prefrontal cortex activity among student veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when they were asked to recall information from simple memorization tasks.

19 Jun 2014

African American women with invasive breast cancer less likely to receive invasive technique

African American women with early stage, invasive breast cancer were 12 percent less likely than Caucasian women with the same diagnosis to receive a minimally invasive technique, axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, even as the procedure had become the standard of surgical practice, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

19 Jun 2014

Medicare faces cost tension with lawmakers, advocates

More than 130 lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to expand coverage for a lung-cancer test under Medicare that could cost the program billons, calling the screening important for vulnerable seniors. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the lawmakers called for a timely decision on coverage for low-dose CT scans for older patients at higher risk of developing lung cancer. ... A CMS spokesman said the agency's decision will be based on whether the test is "reasonable and necessary," without regard to its cost to Medicare (Yen, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

Feds join whistleblower suit against doctors' company

The Justice Department says in a lawsuit that IPC The Hospitalist Co., which assigns doctors to hospitals in 28 states, bilked Medicare and Medicaid by billing for more expensive care than was provided.

19 Jun 2014

Study demonstrates cost-effectiveness of Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation

In a recent study published in Tobacco Control, researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute have demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation (OMSC), an intervention that includes in-hospital counseling, pharmacotherapy and post-hospital follow-up, compared to usual care among smokers hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

19 Jun 2014

Insurers continue to eye state health exchanges

In a pair of stories, the Associated Press reports on how insurers in New Hampshire and Kentucky that did not participate in the health law's online insurance marketplaces during the first enrollment period are now indicating their interest for the next open season. In addition, news outlets in Oregon and Minnesota report on developments related to state exchanges.

19 Jun 2014

HHS report details premium subsidy use and cost

Nearly 9 of 10 people who bought coverage on the health law marketplaces got government assistance to pay for the premium, and the average out-of-pocket premium cost was $69.

19 Jun 2014

Generic drug delays cost U.S. payers millions

Problems surrounding an Indian company's launch of generic versions of three blockbuster drugs have preserved millions in revenue for the brand-name makers, reports The Wall Street Journal.

19 Jun 2014

U of MD researchers to use $3.7 million NIH grant to develop novel method to treat monogenic diabetes

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a four-year, $3.7 million grant to researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine to develop a personalized medicine program to help doctors diagnose and treat monogenic diabetes - a form of diabetes caused by a mutation in a single gene.

19 Jun 2014

Federal officials, software specialists working to simplify healthcare.gov enrollment application

Their goal is to make the process easier during the next enrollment season. Meanwhile, Enroll America held a meeting to rally its troops as the organization also looks ahead to the next sign-up period.

19 Jun 2014

Counseling, medication management by pharmacist can lower hospital readmissions

Getting discharged from the hospital and then having to go right back in again can be emotionally draining for a patient and their family. It can also cause financial strain for all involved - the patient, the hospital system and the insurers-including Medicaid and Medicare, which are taxpayer funded.

19 Jun 2014

Bill to give veterans private medical care advances in house

The Rules Committee approved the measure Tuesday. In other news on veterans' care, a Kansas senator pushes the administration to keep a pilot project offering some of that same flexibility in rural areas and the White House is turning to experts for help in picking a new leader for the VA.

19 Jun 2014

Cardiac Lead Extraction celebrates 25-Year anniversary at Cardiostim

A quarter century ago, doctors treating patients with implanted cardiac pacemakers had a big problem. Their patients were outliving the complex electrical devices that gave them an acceptable quality of life.

From COOK MEDICAL INC. 18 Jun 2014

Hospitals across the Netherlands use SAS Visual Analytics to improve patient care

Hospitals across the Netherlands are using SAS Visual Analytics and data visualization to optimize business processes and improve patient care. Seven hospitals across the region, including Gelderse Vallei Hospital, the Sint Maartens Clinic, the BovenIJ Hospital, the Scheper Hospital, the Bethesda Hospital, and the Hospital of the Gelre Foundation selected SAS to access and analyze large data sets to better manage business processes.

18 Jun 2014

EHOB announces release of Position Perfect System

EHOB, Inc., a leading provider of affordable products effective in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, is announcing today the release of the Position Perfect System. Designed as a unique turning, transferring and positioning system, it not only complies with facility turning protocols but also protects patients from added pressure and shearing forces.

18 Jun 2014

Five Points Healthcare announces acquisition of BestCare Home Care

Five Points Healthcare announced that it acquired BestCare Home Care on April 30, 2014. BestCare is a home health provider of Medicare-certified, Medicaid-waiver and personal care services throughout Northern and Western Virginia.

18 Jun 2014

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

New research explores massive depopulation of ethnic Tibetan communities in Nepal

First Edition: June 19, 2014

Viewpoints: Working for benefits; fears for a pill to prevent HIV; possible Medicaid strategy for Virginia

State highlights: Illinois Medicaid digital shift delayed; N.C. hospitals fight cuts; heroin in New England

UT Arlington researchers use portable device to map brain activity responses during cognitive activities

African American women with invasive breast cancer less likely to receive invasive technique

Medicare faces cost tension with lawmakers, advocates

Feds join whistleblower suit against doctors' company

Study demonstrates cost-effectiveness of Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation

Insurers continue to eye state health exchanges

HHS report details premium subsidy use and cost

Generic drug delays cost U.S. payers millions

U of MD researchers to use $3.7 million NIH grant to develop novel method to treat monogenic diabetes

Federal officials, software specialists working to simplify healthcare.gov enrollment application

Counseling, medication management by pharmacist can lower hospital readmissions

Bill to give veterans private medical care advances in house

Cardiac Lead Extraction celebrates 25-Year anniversary at Cardiostim

Hospitals across the Netherlands use SAS Visual Analytics to improve patient care

EHOB announces release of Position Perfect System

Five Points Healthcare announces acquisition of BestCare Home Care

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (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 - Cell & Gene Therapy (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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