Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Insurance commissioners back brokers on health law standard

After more than a year of debate, state regulators ... approved a resolution calling for changes to the healthcare reform law's medical loss ratio provision. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) passed the measure 26-20, over strenuous objections from commissioners who said the process and the resolution itself would undermine the NAIC's reputation.

24 Nov 2011

OECD report finds U.S. pays more by far for health care

The U.S. healthcare system is more effective at delivering high costs than quality care, according to a new study that found first-rate treatment for cancer but insufficient primary care for other ailments. The study, released on Wednesday by the 34-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, said Americans pay more than $7,900 per person for healthcare each year -- far more than any other OECD country -- but still die earlier than their peers in the industrialized world.

24 Nov 2011

Health industry raising alarms about cuts to Medicare after super committee failure

Automatic Medicare cuts triggered by the congressional super committee's failure would hit hospitals harder than any other health industry, according to an analysis from Avalere Health. The report puts hard numbers to across-the-board cuts that stakeholders have mostly viewed in broad, general terms. But Avalere chief executive Dan Mendelson cautioned that the figures also assume the automatic cuts will actually happen - an assumption he's not ready to make.

24 Nov 2011

New Techna Institute at UHN signs first agreement with INO

The new Techna Institute at University Health Network (UHN) has signed its first agreement with INO of Quebec City and Hamilton.

24 Nov 2011

Philips launches Veradius Neo mobile C-arm with flat detector for orthopedic procedures

Royal Philips Electronics today introduced the Philips Veradius Neo mobile C-arm with flat detector to allow surgeons to more easily and precisely handle challenging patients and procedures.

From Philips Healthcare 24 Nov 2011

State roundup: Another Medi-Cal lawsuit; medical homes in Tenn.; Pa. moving forward on exchanges

Some California hospitals would take a significant and long-lasting hit from Medi-Cal reimbursement cuts recently approved by CMS, according to the California Hospital Association, which this week filed a petition in federal court to put a temporary halt to those reductions. CHA's lawsuit and injunction request are separate from the court action taken earlier this week by the California Medical Association and other provider organizations.

24 Nov 2011

A new era in low energy, low dose and low injected contrast imaging

Royal Philips Electronics today announced that Philips iDose4, the latest generation of Philips iterative reconstruction technique, has nearly 500 sales. While iDose4 only began shipping in March, its success validates the desire of radiologists to be able to both acquire and reconstruct images in less time, with improved image quality at low dose.

23 Nov 2011

TJU expands Jefferson Medical College

Thomas Jefferson University announces the expansion of Jefferson Medical College with the creation of its Delaware Branch Campus. The Campus includes three participating hospitals - Christiana Care Health System, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and the Wilmington Veterans Affairs Hospital.

23 Nov 2011

New report: Sharp rise in number of energy drink-related ED visits from 2005-2009

A new nationwide report indicates that from 2005 to 2009, there has been a sharp increase in the number of emergency departments visits associated with the use of non-alcohol energy drinks - from 1,128 visits in 2005 to 13,114 visits in 2009.

23 Nov 2011

Commonwealth Fund president to step down at end of 2012

Karen Davis will retire as president of the Commonwealth Fund, a health care research foundation, at the end of 2012. The foundation, based in New York, has hired an executive search firm to find Davis' successor. In a news release announcing her retirement, Davis said she would spend her final year helping with the leadership transition and "pursuing opportunities for contributing toward the work that is so important to ensuring that every American receives the best possible care and the opportunity to lead healthy, productive lives."

23 Nov 2011

Pre-existing depression may not delay diagnostic resolution of abnormal cancer screening

In what is believed to be the first study of its kind to examine the relationship between pre-existing depression and the amount of time to diagnostically resolve an abnormal mammogram and/or Pap test, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found suffering from depression was not associated with a prolonged time to diagnostic resolution in a vulnerable population of urban women.

23 Nov 2011

Health spending still in jeopardy despite end of super committee

Although Medicare and Medicaid were largely protected when the panel broke up, budget cutters will continue to eye them, and other health programs will likely have funding reduced.

23 Nov 2011

Recession cuts into health spending; High-deductible plans spread

The economic slump has put the brakes on health spending, which may bolster a conservative truism: When consumers become more sensitive to the cost of health care, they cut back. Or maybe it supports a progressive one: Forcing consumers to have more "skin in the game" means they will cut back on needed care, not just elective or unnecessary care. And neither side can tell for sure yet whether people have changed spending patterns for good or just postponed seeing doctors or getting tests or treatment.

23 Nov 2011

Obama administration calls on Pa. insurer to lower rate hike

The Obama administration on Monday called on a Pennsylvania insurer to lower its proposed 12 percent rate increase for a small business health insurance plan. It's the first time the administration has used such new powers given it in the health reform law.

23 Nov 2011

Insurers fear consequences of individual mandate being struck down

The Hill writes that letting the 2010 health law stand without the individual mandate is the worst possible outcome for insurers. Meanwhile, CQ looks into the Medicaid expansion issue and demands for Kagan and Thomas to recuse themselves.

23 Nov 2011

University of Liverpool introduces HEP i-chart for HCV patients

The University of Liverpool has launched an iphone app, HEP i-chart, that provides Hepatitis C (HCV) patients with quick and easy access to the latest information about drug interactions.

23 Nov 2011

California providers sue over Medicaid rates; Texas weighs steep cuts for Medicaid rehab

The federal law extends Medicaid coverage to millions of Americans in 2014, including childless adults. But with permission – and dollars – from the federal government, California started the expansion early. ... Surprisingly though, the roll-out of what conservatives derisively call "Obamacare" has largely gone unnoticed in Bakersfield.

23 Nov 2011

State roundup: Calif. retirees to retain health benefits; Emory, MinuteClinic partner in Ga.; Free services in Md.

Health benefits for government retirees may not be eliminated if state and local governments had clearly promised workers those benefits, the California Supreme Court ruled in an Orange County case Monday. The unanimous ruling is expected to make it more difficult for state and local governments to shave costs by cutting health benefits to retirees if elected officials in previous years made it clear that those benefits would last a lifetime.

23 Nov 2011

FDA approves Medtronic's iPro2 Professional continuous glucose monitoring system

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of iPro2, a next generation Professional continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system and the latest in a series of recent diabetes technology approvals and innovations from the company.

From Medtronic 22 Nov 2011

Number of annual polio cases in Nigeria quadruples; WHO, government working to vaccinate millions of children

Nigeria has reported 43 cases of polio so far this year, up from 11 cases in 2010, and the disease has spread to Niger, Mali, and Cote d'Ivoire, according to a WHO official, BBC News reports.

22 Nov 2011

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Insurance commissioners back brokers on health law standard

OECD report finds U.S. pays more by far for health care

Health industry raising alarms about cuts to Medicare after super committee failure

New Techna Institute at UHN signs first agreement with INO

Philips launches Veradius Neo mobile C-arm with flat detector for orthopedic procedures

State roundup: Another Medi-Cal lawsuit; medical homes in Tenn.; Pa. moving forward on exchanges

A new era in low energy, low dose and low injected contrast imaging

TJU expands Jefferson Medical College

New report: Sharp rise in number of energy drink-related ED visits from 2005-2009

Commonwealth Fund president to step down at end of 2012

Pre-existing depression may not delay diagnostic resolution of abnormal cancer screening

Health spending still in jeopardy despite end of super committee

Recession cuts into health spending; High-deductible plans spread

Obama administration calls on Pa. insurer to lower rate hike

Insurers fear consequences of individual mandate being struck down

University of Liverpool introduces HEP i-chart for HCV patients

California providers sue over Medicaid rates; Texas weighs steep cuts for Medicaid rehab

State roundup: Calif. retirees to retain health benefits; Emory, MinuteClinic partner in Ga.; Free services in Md.

FDA approves Medtronic's iPro2 Professional continuous glucose monitoring system

Number of annual polio cases in Nigeria quadruples; WHO, government working to vaccinate millions of children

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

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