Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Lawmakers agree to extend COBRA benefits, delay Medicare cuts and give states more money for Medicaid

Democratic committee leaders unveiled a tax extensions package today that would continue to allow laid-off employees "to get subsidies to buy health insurance through the COBRA program" and would also "spare doctors from a scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare payments," The Associated Press reports. It would also give states money to cover Medicaid costs (Ohlemacher, 5/20).

21 May 2010

Medicare to evaluate how beneficiaries used personal health records

The Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to evaluate a 17-month-old pilot program that has tested whether beneficiaries use personal health records (PHR) in Utah and Arizona, Modern Healthcare reports.

21 May 2010

AMGA calls for separate SGR pool for ACOs

Donald W. Fisher, PhD, CAE President and CEO of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), today announced its policy stance on the pending Congressional action to address the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula (SGR) problem for physicians.

21 May 2010

Medicare 'doc fix' remains sticking point on tax legislation

CongressDaily: The Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors remains a point of contention on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers cautioned Wednesday that a five-year "fix," currently being bandied about in the House, is unlikely to survive Senate scrutiny, and Republicans, including Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, are demanding that any adjustment in doctor payments must be paid for.

21 May 2010

Most ER visitors have health insurance of some kind

A National Center for Health Statistics study has found that of the one in five Americans who visit an emergency room every year, most have health insurance.

20 May 2010

Weight Watchers group program helps obese adults lose weight, reduce glucose and insulin levels

The 57 million Americans currently living with "pre-diabetes" could benefit from a group weight loss program, like Weight Watchers, according to a new study published in this month's American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Researchers found that after a 6-month Weight Watchers group program, overweight or obese adults who attended at least two thirds of the weekly sessions, not only lost weight, but also significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin levels - important indicators of diabetes risk.

20 May 2010

Vivakor engages IME Capital to structure joint venture relationships for VIVASLICES MRI technology

Vivakor, Inc. announced today that the Company has engaged IME Capital to structure joint venture relationships for its VIVASLICES MRI technology. Vivakor Inc. has also engaged its board member John Gryga, former GE Healthcare Executive, to act as lead on all transactions for VIVASLICES.

20 May 2010

Office-based ESWT for treatment of foot pain

Dr. Ed Davis announced that he is now offering office-based extracorporeal shock wave therapy for the treatment of foot pain, particularly heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis (plantar fash-e-i-tis).

20 May 2010

Milliman's CareWebQI interactive software tools interfaced with TriZetto's CareAdvance Enterprise 4.6 application

Healthcare payors can now use Milliman's CareWebQI® interactive software tools within The TriZetto Group's CareAdvance Enterprise® 4.6 application. A newly developed interface embeds guideline-based decision-making in the CareAdvance™ application workflow.

20 May 2010

Invida Group completes joint venture agreement with MUGI

Invida Group, the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization of healthcare products throughout Asia Pacific, today announced that it has completed a joint venture agreement with the Indonesian pharmaceutical manufacturer MUGI.

20 May 2010

Employers must assess current and future retiree prescription benefit options: Medco Health Solutions

As the nation's healthcare system begins to understand and address the impact of the recently enacted healthcare reform legislation, employers must assess their current and future retiree prescription benefit options, according to executives from Medco Health Solutions, Inc. speaking to more than 700 clients at Medco's annual Drug Trend Symposium.

20 May 2010

3rd Annual Disability Leadership and Policy Summit to commemorate 20th Anniversary of the ADA

United Spinal Association will host its 3rd Annual Disability Leadership and Policy Summit commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on June 2nd at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

20 May 2010

AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies announce Critical Care Pharmacology online nursing course

Elsevier/MC Strategies, a pioneer in providing e-learning solutions to more than 1,300 healthcare organizations, has partnered with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) to develop a series of online nursing courses. Today, AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies announced the first course in this series: AACN Critical Care Pharmacology.

20 May 2010

Cato Research to provide etrials EDC solution through Merge Healthcare's technology transfer program

Merge Healthcare, a leading Health IT solutions provider, announced today that it was selected by Cato Research Ltd. to provide the proprietary etrials EDC solution through Merge's technology transfer program. This new agreement expands Merge's partnership with CATO to provide additional technology for clinical trials management, as well as extending the relationship for an additional five years.

20 May 2010

Prolifiq conducts workshop on driving sales activity with systematic adherance to regulations

As the medical device industry gathers at Sales and Marketing Excellence 2010, Prolifiq, the leading provider of Sales Content Management software, offers medical device companies a solution to promote and sell in this highly regulated environment.

20 May 2010

Patterson's consolidated sales for fourth-quarter fiscal 2010 up 4%

Patterson Companies, Inc. today reported consolidated sales of $812,762,000 for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 ended April 24, an increase of 4% from $779,884,000 in the year-earlier quarter. Internal growth accounted for 1% of the fourth quarter sales increase, with acquisitions and foreign currency adjustments accounting for the balance.

20 May 2010

Stockell Healthcare Systems launches new website

Stockell Healthcare Systems, Inc. is pleased to announce the unveiling of its new website at www.stockell.com.

20 May 2010

Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010 focuses on care, support for dying patients

The type and quality of care and services to ensure a cancer patient dies with dignity in the setting of their choice depends on where the person lives in Canada, according to a special report about end-of-life care in Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010, released today by the Canadian Cancer Society.

20 May 2010

Boston University biomedical engineers develop new nanopore method for DNA sequencing

Sequencing DNA could get a lot faster and cheaper - and thus closer to routine use in clinical diagnostics - thanks to a new method developed by a research team based at Boston University. The team has demonstrated the first use of solid state nanopores - tiny holes in silicon chips that detect DNA molecules as they pass through the pore - to read the identity of the four nucleotides that encode each DNA molecule.

20 May 2010

Dynamic testing approach for HIV/AIDS diagnostics

A relatively simple electronic gadget could speed up HIV/AIDS diagnostics and improve accuracy particularly in parts of the world with very limited access to healthcare workers. The device is described in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology.

20 May 2010

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Lawmakers agree to extend COBRA benefits, delay Medicare cuts and give states more money for Medicaid

Medicare to evaluate how beneficiaries used personal health records

AMGA calls for separate SGR pool for ACOs

Medicare 'doc fix' remains sticking point on tax legislation

Most ER visitors have health insurance of some kind

Weight Watchers group program helps obese adults lose weight, reduce glucose and insulin levels

Vivakor engages IME Capital to structure joint venture relationships for VIVASLICES MRI technology

Office-based ESWT for treatment of foot pain

Milliman's CareWebQI interactive software tools interfaced with TriZetto's CareAdvance Enterprise 4.6 application

Invida Group completes joint venture agreement with MUGI

Employers must assess current and future retiree prescription benefit options: Medco Health Solutions

3rd Annual Disability Leadership and Policy Summit to commemorate 20th Anniversary of the ADA

AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies announce Critical Care Pharmacology online nursing course

Cato Research to provide etrials EDC solution through Merge Healthcare's technology transfer program

Prolifiq conducts workshop on driving sales activity with systematic adherance to regulations

Patterson's consolidated sales for fourth-quarter fiscal 2010 up 4%

Stockell Healthcare Systems launches new website

Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010 focuses on care, support for dying patients

Boston University biomedical engineers develop new nanopore method for DNA sequencing

Dynamic testing approach for HIV/AIDS diagnostics

Industry Focus eBook - Medical device (1st edition) eBook

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Industry Focus eBook - Medical device (1st edition) eBook

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

Newsletters you may be interested in