Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Medicare fraud dragnet snares 91 nationwide

In its continued health care fraud crackdown, the Obama administration announced Wednesday that charges were filed against 91 people in eight cities. These people are accused of bilking Medicare out of an estimated $300 million.

9 Sep 2011

InnoCentive, JDRF announce $100,000 Challenge to uncover solutions for insulin-dependent diabetes

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the worldwide leader for research to cure, treat, and prevent type 1 diabetes, and InnoCentive, Inc., the pioneer in open innovation and crowdsourcing, today announced a $100,000 Challenge calling for innovative ways to approach the discovery and development of a glucose-responsive insulin drug as a means to treat insulin-dependent diabetes.

9 Sep 2011

Mary Ann Liebert launches Games for Health Industry Insider

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers announces the launch of Games for Health Industry Insider , a new bi-weekly electronic newsletter offering up-to-the-minute industry news on health games-an emerging and increasingly adopted resource for healthcare.

9 Sep 2011

Weight Watchers more effective alternative to primary care for obese adults

A new, one-year global study published today in The Lancet indicates that overweight and obese adults referred to Weight Watchers, a community based provider of weight-loss services, lost more than twice as much weight when compared with those who received standard care.

9 Sep 2011

Study: 40% of adult Canadians experience one or more symptoms of insomnia

Sleep disorders affect 40% of adult Canadians according to a study conducted by Universit- Laval researchers under the supervision of Dr. Charles M. Morin.

9 Sep 2011

Medicare fraud investigation nets 91 offenders

A nationwide sweep on lawbreakers has charged 91 people - including doctors and other medical professionals - with participating in Medicare fraud schemes involving $295 million in false billing.

8 Sep 2011

Maxygen increases stock repurchase program to $20 million

Maxygen, Inc., a biotechnology company, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved an increase to the company's current stock repurchase program from $10.0 million to $20.0 million. The repurchase program expires on December 31, 2011.

8 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 8, 2011

In today's headlines, reports from last night's GOP presidential debate, as well as explorations of what the future might hold for the 'Super Committee' and news developments related to physician payment issues.

8 Sep 2011

Nexera to submit amended claims for FDA 510(k) clearance of SpectraShield 9500 Surgical N95 Respirator

Nexera Medical, Inc., today announced plans to submit to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended antimicrobial claims for its current 510(k) clearance for the SpectraShield 9500 Surgical N95 Respirator with embedded antimicrobial technology. The expanded antimicrobial claims will be supported by test data on the inactivation performance of certain strains of viruses.

8 Sep 2011

HRSA announces $5.1M in awards as part of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) today announced awards of $5.1 million to provide training and technical assistance (TA) as part of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides HIV-related services in the United States for those who do not have sufficient health care coverage or financial resources for coping with HIV disease.

8 Sep 2011

Legal, ethical and cultural barriers to child organ donations

Clinicians from a leading UK children's hospital have called for European countries to change the way they tackle the shortage of organ donations from children, after a review, published in the September issue of Acta Paediatrica, found a large number of legal, ethical and cultural barriers.

8 Sep 2011

CDC reports slight drop in smoking; tick worries blood experts

Fewer American adults are smoking cigarettes, and those who do are smoking less, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday. The CDC's latest data from 2010 show that an estimated 19.3 percent of American adults, or 45.3 million people, smoke. This is a slight decline from 20.9 percent in 2005. Of those adults who smoke, the new data show, 78.2 percent -- or 35.4 million -- do so every day.

8 Sep 2011

FTC seeks more details on drug company deal

Pharmacy benefits management company Express Scripts announced in July it was acquiring a similar firm, Medco.

8 Sep 2011

Studies examine overuse of scans in determining status of prostate cancer

During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, researchers will publish the findings of two studies examining the use, or overuse, of scans in determining the status or level of a patient's prostate cancer after diagnosis. "Typically, patients with an elevated PSA level undergo a prostate biopsy to confirm the presence of cancer.

8 Sep 2011

Attention focuses on 'super committee' and Medicare

Health care industries and professionals have contributed millions of dollars over the years to the lawmakers now on the special deficit panel, The Associated Press reports. Meanwhile, some liberal groups are pressuring to protect safety-net programs, while a member of the committee comments on the possibility of compromise.

8 Sep 2011

HHS finds more than 30,000 health record breaches

The security breaches were relatively small scale but they exposed records of nearly 8 million people, Modern Healthcare reports.

8 Sep 2011

Hospitals: HHS inspector general counsel backs telemedicine plan for stroke care program

Hospital issues making headlines include a telemedicine plan, the unreliability of some children's hospital rankings and how long hospital wait times can be deadly.

8 Sep 2011

Medicare actuary: HHS' safety plan savings projections 'reasonable'

CMS chief actuary Rick Foster says the Obama administration's expected savings for its patient safety program are "reasonable," but will be difficult to achieve by 2013.

8 Sep 2011

HHS Secretary tours Alaska health care facilities; judge halts rollback of Ariz. same-sex benefits

Alaska has a message for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: Don't assume that health care delivery reform can work the same way in every state. That's the lesson Sen. Mark Begich says he tried to impart to Sebelius as he toured some of the state's health and early child care centers with her last week. Sebelius went to learn first-hand about the state's health services, the Indian Health Service, and how the health law is being implemented.

8 Sep 2011

Mass. has fewest uninsured, Texas has the most, says poll

Texas residents are the least likely to have health-insurance coverage, while those in Massachusetts are by far the best-covered, according to a Gallup poll published on Tuesday. There are few surprises in the latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which finds on average 16.8 percent of U.S. adults went without any kind of health insurance in the first half of 2011, virtually the same as the year before but up from 14.8 percent in 2008.

8 Sep 2011