Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Survey finds seniors satisfied with Medicare Part D

The national survey of 2,363 seniors, which was conducted by Medicare Today, found 90 percent are satisfied with their Medicare prescription drug coverage.

5 Oct 2012

Candidates clash over health law, Medicare and Medicaid proposals

Although only a portion of Wednesday night's debate was supposed to focus on health issues, the presidential candidates sparred on Medicare, Medicaid and specific provisions of the health law throughout the entire 90-minute event.

5 Oct 2012

A flood of post-debate fact checking follows points and counterpoints

News outlets examined a range of issues brought up during last night's presidential face-off, ranging from discussions of the $716 billion Medicare cut to talk of death panels and whether the health law promise of lower health insurance costs came true.

5 Oct 2012

Romney embraces his Massachusetts health plan as bipartisan success

After months of distancing himself from the state health reforms he oversaw while governor of Massachusetts, GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney said that overhaul illustrates his ability to work with Democrats. President Barack Obama, however, countered that the Massachusetts' plan was one of the models for the 2010 health law that has been a target of conservatives.

5 Oct 2012

What's new on pre-existing condition health plans, the Medicaid expansion

CQ HealthBeat offers a progress check on the health law's pre-existing condition insurance plan while the St. Louis Beacon explores the Medicaid expansion debate.

5 Oct 2012

Report finds increase in occurrence of MRSA bacteria in Denmark

In 2011, more Danes became infected with MRSA bacteria, and the number was the highest in over 25 years. The increase was primarily seen in otherwise healthy people without any hospital relation. Although the number of MRSA positive pig herds is on a par with the level seen in 2010, significantly more pigs at slaughter were found to be infected with the so-called pig MRSA, and the number of people infected with pig MRSA is increasing. This appears from the Danish surveillance report, DANMAP, for 2011.

5 Oct 2012

New ToxIC study identifies current drug poisoning trends

Nonprescription medications are just as likely a cause of poisoning as prescription drugs, according to a new study by Timothy Wiegand, M.D. from the University of Rochester Medical Center in the US and colleagues.

5 Oct 2012

New gene test can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with mouth lesions

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival.

5 Oct 2012

Aditazz, Develop partner to market Patient Mobility Platform

Aditazz announced a strategic partnership with inventor Roger Leib to jointly develop and market the Patient Mobility Platform, a suite of mobility products conceived and designed by Leib, founder of Develop, LLC.

5 Oct 2012

Truven Health Analytics names Banner Heart among 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals

Banner Heart Hospital has been named one of the nation's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics, formerly the health care business of Thomson Reuters.

5 Oct 2012

FDA licenses Quotient’s ALBAsera products

Quotient Biodiagnostics, Inc., a supplier of innovative and high-quality transfusion diagnostic products to hospitals, blood banks and other healthcare institutions, is pleased to announce that its range of ALBAsera Rare Antisera products have been licensed for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

5 Oct 2012

Researchers determine nature and frequency of pain assessments in Canadian children

A multi-site study published in The Journal of Pain showed a wide range of pain intensity scores in hospitalized infants and a significant number of them were found to have moderate to severe pain during their hospital stays.

5 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 4, 2012

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz, working in collaboration with the PBS Newshour, reports: "The future of Medicaid -- the state-federal workhorse of the nation's health system that provides health coverage to the poorest and sickest Americans -- hangs in the balance on Election Day. President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney have vastly different approaches to the program."

4 Oct 2012

Premier, ArjoHuntleigh announce three-year contract for vascular compression therapy systems

ArjoHuntleigh announced today that it has been awarded a three-year contract with Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P., the group purchasing unit of the Premier healthcare alliance, for its vascular compression therapy systems.

4 Oct 2012

Parsing health and Medicare plans amid campaign promises

News outlets analyze the presidential candidates' proposals for tackling Medicare and Medicaid costs, as well as how these differing ideas are playing among voters.

4 Oct 2012

States ask, answer questions on health law implementation

Even as some states didn't meet the target set by the Department of Health and Human Services for submitting their "benchmark" plans regarding the health law's essential health benefits, others offered specifics about what would be covered and what plans would be their choice.

4 Oct 2012