Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

GAO: Most insurers met health law spending rules -- even before they kicked in

Most U.S. health insurers last year would have satisfied the much-disputed spending rules under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform, according to a new report by a congressional watchdog agency... In a report posted online on Wednesday, the Government Accountability Office looked at the insurance plans in 2010, before the new rules took effect, and found that at least 64 percent of eligible insurers would comply with the spending rates.

2 Dec 2011

NAPWA advocates for fighting a three-fronted war against HIV/AIDS

"NAPWA, the largest and oldest advocacy group for people living with HIV/AIDS, advocates for fighting a three-fronted war against HIV/AIDS.

2 Dec 2011

Hospital mergers with health systems, insurers and other hospitals trigger disputes

The legal back and forth over public records continues in Kentucky as the Jefferson County attorney's office, which represents Louisville, filed a lawsuit against the University of Louisville demanding the release of documents related to the pending three-hospital merger involving the university's hospital.

2 Dec 2011

GE Healthcare invests in C8 MediSensors to focus on disease management solutions

GE Capital and GE Healthcare, the financial services and healthcare divisions of General Electric Company, announced today an investment in C8 MediSensors, Inc., a privately held developer of non-invasive continuous glucose monitors for diabetic patients.

2 Dec 2011

Scottsdale resident donates $1 million to TGen pancreatic cancer initiative

A son's passion to find a cure for the cancer that claimed the life of his mother has led to a new series of clinical trials under a Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) initiative to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.

2 Dec 2011

Drinking increases nearly 27% between Thanksgiving and January 2nd

Newly released data that looks at the drinking patterns of more than 200,000 criminal offenders monitored 24/7 for alcohol consumption shows that even when Big Brother is watching, drinking increases nearly 27% between Thanksgiving and January 2nd.

2 Dec 2011

MergerTech launches $50M venture capital fund for healthcare IT

MergerTech Advisors is excited to announce the launch of 'MergerTech Capital', a new $50 million venture capital fund. The fund will focus on the investment and development of healthcare IT product and services firms, building on the sectors' substantial potential for extraordinary growth and creativity.

2 Dec 2011

HIV physicians launch CALIBER of Care initiative

Today, on World AIDS Day, an expert panel of physicians from HIV clinics across the country announced the launch of the CALIBER (Clinic Activation to Lead and Implement Best practices for Enhancing Response to HIV) of Care© initiative, a partnership with Merck that is designed to help improve HIV patient care through physician-patient communication resources.

2 Dec 2011

Republicans advance plan to charge wealthy beneficiaries more for Medicare to offset cost of payroll tax extension

The proposal would require people who earn more than $1 million to pay the full cost of Medicare. Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., is floating a "trigger bargain" that would delay for one year the automatic spending cuts scheduled to begin in 2013 and also could include a payroll tax extension and a fix for physician's Medicare payment rate.

1 Dec 2011

Pfizer acquires Ferrosan Consumer Health's business

Pfizer Inc. today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Ferrosan Consumer Health's business, which includes dietary supplements and lifestyle products, from Altor 2003 Fund GP Limited.

1 Dec 2011

FDA clears Covidien's SpiderFX embolic protection device

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared SpiderFX for the treatment of severely calcified lesions used in conjunction with plaque excision in arteries of the lower extremities. It is the only embolic protection device indicated for this treatment in the United States.

1 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 1, 2011

In today's headlines, Republicans in Congress advance plan to charge wealthy beneficiaries more for Medicare in order to cover the costs of the proposaed payroll tax extension.

1 Dec 2011

House Committee expected to vote Wednesday to repeal CLASS Act

The Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to approve, along party lines, a measure to repeal the long-term care insurance program. Meanwhile, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is being pressed to lift his hold on legislation to fund children's hospitals. He has been blocking the measure's progress because he still hopes to add an amendment that would expand it to children's psychiatric hospitals.

1 Dec 2011

Doc fix, health program extenders still on Congressional agenda

News outlets report on the health issues and programs that remain on the Capitol Hill to-do list, as well as how some GOP lawmakers might look to the health law's insurance subsidies as a way to pay for a planned payroll tax cut extension.

1 Dec 2011

New poll finds public support for health law returns to usual split

The latest Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that, after reaching an all-time low, support for the 2010 health law bounced back a bit to the levels shown in previous polls.

1 Dec 2011

GE Healthcare announces interoperable visualization and image management applications at RSNA 2011

Today at RSNA 2011, GE Healthcare announced a leap forward in radiology department workflow with an interoperable suite of advanced visualization and image management applications.

1 Dec 2011

CMS observers say Tavenner will bring changes in style not substance

Although she might not share outgoing Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chief Donald Berwick's "visionary zeal," she is expected to share in his agenda. And, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor terms her as "eminently qualified" to take on this role.

1 Dec 2011

Inadequate mask and respirator use put health care workers at risk of 2009 H1N1 infection

Inadequate use of masks or respirators put health care workers at risk of 2009 H1N1 infection during the earliest stages of the 2009 pandemic in the U.S., according to a study published in the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

1 Dec 2011

Reporters examine health care stances of Gingrich, Romney, Bachmann, Santorum

If Republicans are flocking to Newt Gingrich to get away from Mitt Romney's health care problems, they could end up with a nominee with … awfully similar health care problems. Or maybe worse: While Romney signed a state mandate into law, Gingrich once went a step further and advocated a federal one.

1 Dec 2011

States opposing health law are among those receiving federal grants for exchanges

The Obama administration announced on Tuesday that nearly $220 million in new grants would be awarded to 13 states bringing the total that have been awarded such assistance to 29. This number includes seven of the states run by GOP governors that are suing the administration to overturn the health law.

1 Dec 2011