Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Patients enrolled in consumer-directed health plans have control over health care spending

The historic RAND Health Insurance Experiment found that patients had little or no control over their health care spending once they began to receive a physician's care, but a new study shows that this has changed for those enrolled in consumer-directed health plans.

30 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 30, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about how new and old health policy positions are playing on the campaign trail.

30 Sep 2011

Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson celebrates two decades of caring and collaboration to beat cancer

From October forward, the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson (KCC), a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, is celebrating 20 years of service to the community and the groundbreaking cancer research from the scientists and physicians who've provided an invaluable contribution to medical science and healthcare.

30 Sep 2011

Obama administration asks high court to rule on health law

The Justice Department's formal appeal puts to rest speculation about the administration's legal strategy. In addition, Republican state attorneys general separately asked the Supreme Court for a verdict early next year. Many observers say the new timeline will make the court's ultimate finding a factor in the presidential election.

30 Sep 2011

Analyzing the health law's tax credits and the CLASS Act's future

This round-up of health law implementation news also includes a report that the comment period for state health exchanges has been extended and news that Catholic organizations have stepped-up their opposition to the measure's requirement that contraceptive services be covered.

30 Sep 2011

Initiative pays primary-care docs for coordinating Medicare patients' care

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday a new initiative created by the health law that will ask physicians to focus on patients with chronic conditions. The program will be tested in five to seven markets across the country.

30 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Rising health costs and the health law

Even a slow economy can't stop healthcare costs from rising. A new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust shows that the cost of employer-provided insurance rose 9% this year - even as workers and their families were cutting back on trips to the doctor's office - and has more than doubled over the last decade.

30 Sep 2011

New survey finds Minneapolis as the best U.S. city for senior living

Minneapolis is the best city in the United States for senior living, with Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Denver rounding out the top five, according to a new survey conducted for the Bankers Life and Casualty Company Center For a Secure Retirement.

30 Sep 2011

APhA encourages patients to discuss with pharmacist about pain and medications

In honor of Pain Awareness Month, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) encourages patients to have an open discussion with their pharmacist about their pain and the medications they take for pain.

30 Sep 2011

HBI, TPF launch One Heart Magazine

Heartbeat International Foundation, Inc. (HBI), in partnership with The Publishing Firm Inc (TPF), today announced that it will launch its new publication, One Heart Magazine, to coincide with World Heart Day on September 29, 2011.

30 Sep 2011

Survey: 25% of employers have little or no understanding of specialty pharmacy, costs

Twenty-five percent of employers have little or no understanding of specialty pharmacy and 53 percent have only a moderate understanding of this challenging benefit according to a new survey released by the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation's leading business groups of private and public employers.

30 Sep 2011

IOM offers additional ideas to revamp system of geographic adjustments to Medicare payments

The Institute of Medicine supplemented its earlier list of ideas for overhauling the system of geographic adjustments to Medicare payments with four more suggestions today.

30 Sep 2011

Invida, Sinclair IS launch two dermatology products in seven Asia-Pacific markets

Sinclair IS Pharma Plc, the international specialty pharmaceutical company, and Invida Holdings Private Limited, a leader in the commercialisation of specialty biopharmaceutical and healthcare products throughout Asia Pacific, announce that their partnership has already led to the launch of two Sinclair IS dermatology products in seven Asia-Pacific markets.

30 Sep 2011

Almirall seeks European approval for linaclotide to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation

Almirall, S.A. announced today that it has submitted a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for linaclotide, an investigational guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C) receptor agonist for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). Once approved, linaclotide will be marketed in Europe under the trademark Constella®.

29 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 29, 2011

In today's headlines, reports that a Supreme Court ruling on the 2010 health law is now likely before the 2012 presidential election.

29 Sep 2011

Clinithink, Acusis to improve clinical documentation in ambulatory and acute care settings

Acusis, LLC and Clinithink Ltd. have agreed to collaborate with the initial goal of enhancing the clinical documentation process in ambulatory and acute care settings through the integration of Clinithink's new and transformative technology into the market-leading Acusis solution: AcuSuite.

29 Sep 2011

SIS becomes an Industry Supporter of ASA

Surgical Information Systems (SIS) has become an Industry Supporter of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), as a part of a Corporate Supporter program available to pharmaceutical, medical device, anesthesia information management system and practice management companies.

29 Sep 2011

Bone and joint health supplements market to be worth over $9 billion by 2017

A globally ageing population, changing consumer lifestyles and a focus on preventative medicine is driving growth in the bone and joint health supplements market, which is forecast to be worth over $9 billion by 2017.

29 Sep 2011

Costs of premiums for employer-provided health insurance jump

A study released by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average annual premium for family coverage was 9 percent higher in 2011 than in the previous year. Although many benefit analysts say the federal health law's requirements played only a small part in the rise, the results could provide political fodder for the law's supporters and opponents.

29 Sep 2011

ACOs: Will feds be ready for the start date?

Health care stakeholders and lobbyists are increasingly convinced that CMS will not make the Jan. 1 deadline for launching the flagship accountable care organization program mandated by the Affordable Care Act as release of the final rule slips later into the fall.

29 Sep 2011