Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

State roundup: Colorado uninsured/underinsured rate skyrockets; Georgia personhood resolution brewing

The Colorado Health Access Survey, a new report from The Colorado Trust and the Colorado Health Institute, has found that more than 1.5 million Coloradans – or nearly one in three residents – either have no health insurance or are underinsured, meaning they spend more than 10 percent of their income on out-of-pocket medical expenses. Just since the last survey two years ago, the percentage of employers offering health insurance has dropped to 57.8 percent this year from 63.7.

16 Nov 2011

Boehringer Ingelheim bolsters drug discovery, development with $350M in capital investments

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has made more than $350 million worth of capital investments throughout its U.S. operations this year, in order to further bolster its drug discovery, development and manufacturing capabilities.

16 Nov 2011

Grants up to $30 million for those with innovative ideas for healthcare

The Obama administration on Monday announced a $1 billion federal fund allocation for last year's health reform law to be channeled toward innovation programs designed to boost jobs and improve patient care.

16 Nov 2011

White House continues to push health care policies, sidestepping Congress

Using executive branch powers, the Obama administration has laid out new steps to cut fraud in Medicare and Medicaid, and announced that $1 billion of federal funding will go toward innovation programs designed to boost jobs and improve patient care. The president also offered comment on the super committee's progress.

16 Nov 2011

Press Ganey recognizes UT Southwestern with two major patient satisfaction awards

UT Southwestern Medical Center today became the nation's only academic medical center to win two major patient satisfaction awards - the Patient Voice Award and the Summit Award for inpatient services - from Press Ganey, a national consulting firm specializing in health care performance.

16 Nov 2011

States seeking waivers, moving ahead on health reform implementation

The court could upend the national health law if the justices decide the mandate is unconstitutional. Yet, planning for full implementation of the law in Massachusetts is moving "full steam ahead," said Glen Shor, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector, the agency that runs the state's health insurance exchange. ... Lawmakers in Colorado, for example, created the infrastructure needed to set up the state's health insurance exchange earlier this year.

16 Nov 2011

GOP presidential candidates assail possible tax changes in deficit deal

As members of the super committee race against the clock in their quest for a plan to reduce the deficit, some of the Republicans running for president criticize efforts that would raise taxes.

16 Nov 2011

What will be at stake when the Supreme Court offers a decision?

President Barack Obama is so confident of the constitutionality of his signature Affordable Care Act - and so happy to cast Mitt Romney as his human shield against its Republican critics - that he did little to stop the Supreme Court from fast-tracking a ruling on the law now likely to come in the middle of the 2012 campaign.

16 Nov 2011

Community-based cancer screening may increase awareness of smoking, reduce at-risk behaviors

Large, population specific community-based screening may increase awareness of the dangers of smoking and reduce at-risk behaviors, according to a new study in the November 2011 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

16 Nov 2011

High court to hear health care challenge as presidential campaign heats up

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to the 2010 health care overhaul law, President Obama's signature legislative achievement, setting the stage for oral arguments by March and a decision in late June as the 2012 presidential campaign enters its crucial final months.

16 Nov 2011

Study examines changes in siblings after death of a brother or sister from cancer

The majority of children experience personal changes and changes in relationships one year after their sibling has died from cancer; however, positive and negative changes are not universal. These are the findings from the first study - published online November 3, 2011 in Cancer Nursing - to examine changes in siblings after the death of a brother or sister to cancer from three different perspectives: mothers, fathers and siblings.

16 Nov 2011

UI bioengineering professor to take part in OSA's congressional briefing

On November 17, 2011, Stephen Boppart from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will take part in a congressional briefing convened by the Optical Society of America (OSA). The briefing is being held under the auspices of the Advisory Committee for the Congressional Research and Development Caucus.

16 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Questions of partisanship and timing could complicate Supreme Court's decision on health law

The Supreme Court's decision to review the constitutionality of health care reform means it will be issuing a ruling in the middle of the 2012 presidential campaign. This can be a highly politicized court, and, for the public good and its own credibility, it must resist that impulse.

16 Nov 2011

Health Canada approves NDSsi's ZeroWire wireless surgical video technology

NDS Surgical Imaging (NDSsi) today announced it received Health Canada approval for its ZeroWire wireless surgical video technology.

16 Nov 2011

Implementation news: ACO ancillary service industry booms; New poll finds spike in support for mandate

Modern Healthcare reports on the many companies that are lining up to play a role in the services, marketing and other related ventures to support accountable care organizations. Meanwhile, Politico Pro reports on a poll released Monday that shows support for the health law's individual mandate is growing.

16 Nov 2011

State roundup: Calif. high deductibles spark lawsuit; New Ark. Medicaid Chief; Adult day care resolution soon?

For the second time in eight months, California health insurer Anthem Blue Cross is being sued over allegations that it has breached contracts with individual policyholders for hiking annual insurance deductibles in the middle of the year. The latest lawsuit, filed Monday by the group Consumer Watchdog, says that California's largest for-profit health insurance company used "bait and switch" tactics to raise deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for some customers May 1.

16 Nov 2011

Public health officials should address needs of people with blood disorders

Public health should focus not only on reducing the burden of common diseases but also address the needs of people with blood disorders , experts say in a supplement to December's American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

16 Nov 2011

Multifaceted quality initiative can reduce adverse obstetric outcomes

A new study published in the Journal for Healthcare Quality reveals that a multifaceted quality initiative can significantly reduce adverse obstetric outcomes, thereby improving patient safety and enhancing staff and patient experiences.

15 Nov 2011

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) shows success as blood thinner in acute coronary syndrome

A new anti-blood clotting drug – Xarelto (rivaroxaban) has shown clinical success. It may help people with “acute coronary syndrome” lower their risk of death, subsequent heart attack or stroke, a new study finds. Acute coronary syndrome is term that includes people with angina or prior history of heart attack.

15 Nov 2011

Eliminating drug co-pays improves medication adherence in heart attack patients

The use of specific medications following a heart attack has been shown to reduce cardiovascular events and mortality, however; while highly effective, the rate of adherence to these medications is poor. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) evaluated whether eliminating co-payments for these medications would increase adherence and improve outcomes in patients who have had a heart attack.

15 Nov 2011