Medical News

RSS

Consumer groups urge transparency in health care reform for pharmacy benefit managers

Three top consumer groups are urging Congress to include in health care reform legislation transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) participating in any new federally sponsored health plans in a public health care exchange. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA), U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), and the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices (NLARx) have sent a joint letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) supporting the provision, authored by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) and included in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200).

20 Aug 2009

Cambodia's maternal mortality; drugs in Uganda; cholera risk in Zimbabwe; HIV laws in Niger

A lack of outreach by public health officials and rural villagers' preference for traditional midwives have hindered efforts to reduce maternal morality in Cambodia, government officials said recently at regional conference, the Phnom Penh Post reports.

20 Aug 2009

Kennedy pushes fast transition as hopes dim for his return to Washington

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., "is trying to make sure that the leading cause in his life, better health coverage for all, advances in the event of his death" with a recent letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and leaders in the state legislature, the Boston Globe reports.

20 Aug 2009

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance projected to double in 10 years

Nationally, family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance increased 119 percent between 1999 and 2008, and could increase another 94 percent to an average $23,842 per family by 2020 if cost growth continues on its current course, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report.

20 Aug 2009

Senators to test bipartisan water on co-op plan

Key Senate negotiators - a group of three Republicans and three Democrats on the Finance Committee - will test the traction of a plan to create private health insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run insurance plan during a conference call today, The Los Angeles Times reports.

20 Aug 2009

Lawmakers face constituents' health care flak

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, "lashed out at protester who held a poster depicting President Obama with a Hitler-style mustache during a heated town hall meeting on federal health care reform," The Associated Press reports.

20 Aug 2009

Gary Bauer calls Obama's use of scripture to sell failing health care plans "clumsy attempt to manipulate"

Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer on Thursday called President Obama's invocation of scripture in defense of his failing health care takeover "breathtaking hypocrisy" as well as a "clumsy attempt to manipulate."

20 Aug 2009

As Democrats eye going it alone, some recommit to bipartisan reform

While some Democrats maintain that bipartisan health care reform work still has potential, others seem to be hedging their bets. The Christian Science Monitor reports that "In all likelihood, (White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and press secretary Robert Gibbs) are engaging in creative ambiguity, designed to send signals to multiple audiences - friend and foe - and keep options open as long as possible."

20 Aug 2009

House healthcare reform legislation and administrative rule combined cut $44 billion in Medicare funds for long term care

The Community Cares Coalition (CoCares) - a national coalition of community long term care businesses and organizations providing key services to the skilled nursing community - today said that while long term care businesses support reform measures to increase efficiencies in the healthcare system and promote cost savings, the current reform proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives and a recent administrative rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS') that cut $44 billion Medicare funds to long term care will have the opposite impact on nursing home care and the businesses and organizations that support the nation's long term care sector.

20 Aug 2009

Biden: $1.2 billion from stimulus for computerized medical records

"Vice President Joe Biden today announced $1.2 billion from federal stimulus dollars to allow hospitals to modernize record keeping systems," The Chicago Tribune reports.

20 Aug 2009

Heated town halls fire up Republicans

Town hall protestors are "part of a phenomenon enabling national conservative groups to galvanize grassroots anger about big government and reshape the debate over President Obama's health care plan. Suddenly, it's the conservatives' turn to be fired up," USA Today reports.

20 Aug 2009

House Democrats ask to examine health insurers' finances

House Democrats examine pay and profit for health insurers as health insurance stocks dip lower than market.

20 Aug 2009

Rex Healthcare Laboratory to provide billing, marketing and business support services to Pathology Service Associates

Pathology Service Associates, LLC (PSA), a MED3OOO Company, was recently selected by Rex Healthcare Laboratory for revenue cycle management (billing), marketing, and business support services.

20 Aug 2009

Midcareer professionals find new opportunities in health care

"Health care may be a costly drag on the economy, but it's still a great place to find a job," The New York Times reports. "Midcareer managers and other workers have been migrating to health care jobs for years, of course. Now, with the recession, the lure is even stronger. Hospitals, which employ more than four million people, added 135,000 jobs last year and 19,400 more in the first half of 2009, even as millions of American workers wound up unemployed." For many working in the field, health care is a second career. "Many managers with experience in fields like human resources, finance and marketing find a welcome in health care, with a little studying up."

20 Aug 2009

Chemical components of elderberry, cinnamon and green tea extracts block HIV viruses from infecting cells

The development of new antiviral drugs has had a tremendous impact on the quality of life and life expectancy of HIV-positive and AIDS patients, as the drugs effectively disrupt the replication cycle of the HIV virus. Yet the regular use of those drugs - such as zidovudine (also known as azidothymidine or AZT), protease inhibitors, and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) involving multidrug therapies - has led to resistant HIV strains.

20 Aug 2009

GS Gmbh to integrate Masimo Rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximetry into corpuls patient monitoring modules

Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI), the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM) and Measure-Through Motion and Low-Perfusion pulse oximetry, and GS Elektromedizinische Gerate G. Stemple GmbH, a German developer and manufacturer of innovative medical equipment for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), today jointly announced a worldwide technology licensing agreement to integrate Masimo Rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximetry into corpuls(R) patient monitoring modules. The agreement enables GS GmbH to expand the vital signs and noninvasive measurement capabilities of its defibrillators and patient monitoring systems to help EMS professionals detect and treat life-threatening conditions earlier.

20 Aug 2009

Enterprise Technology Solutions and Health Net Federal Services to provide recovery audit services to VA HAC

Enterprise Technology Solutions (ETS) LLC, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and Health Net Federal Services LLC, the government operations division of Health Net, Inc., (NYSE:HNT) today announced they have been awarded a contract by the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration Center (VA HAC) to provide recovery audit services of VA payments made for non-VA hospital care to veterans. As the prime contractor for this agreement, ETS will provide program management, and Health Net Federal Services, the prime subcontractor, will provide technical and operational expertise.

20 Aug 2009

Software suite for comprehensive analysis of cardiac safety released by NewCardio

NewCardio, Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: NWCI) a cardiac diagnostic technology provider, today announced that the Company has formally launched its lead product, QTinno(TM), a software suite that provides an automated, comprehensive analysis of cardiac safety for the pharmaceutical industry.

20 Aug 2009

IBISS research group's project aims to examine Ribavirin role in promoting the survival of transplanted stem cells

Hard to Treat Diseases (HTDS.PK) Dr. Sanja Pekovic, Chief Project Scientist, Chief Strategy Officer Slavica BioChem reported that IBISS research group from Serbia has begun preliminary experiments within a project aimed at Promoting stem cell graft survival in the model of traumatic brain injury in rats.

20 Aug 2009

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals plans US launch of Option Inferior Vena Cava Filter

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI; TSX: ANP), today announced the commercial launch of the Option(TM) Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter in the United States, following FDA 510(k) clearance in June and a limited pre-launch in July. Angiotech holds exclusive worldwide rights to market and distribute the Option IVC Filter, which it obtained in a license agreement with privately held Rex Medical, LP (Rex Medical), as announced in March 2008.

20 Aug 2009

Medical News

Consumer groups urge transparency in health care reform for pharmacy benefit managers

Cambodia's maternal mortality; drugs in Uganda; cholera risk in Zimbabwe; HIV laws in Niger

Kennedy pushes fast transition as hopes dim for his return to Washington

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance projected to double in 10 years

Senators to test bipartisan water on co-op plan

Lawmakers face constituents' health care flak

Gary Bauer calls Obama's use of scripture to sell failing health care plans "clumsy attempt to manipulate"

As Democrats eye going it alone, some recommit to bipartisan reform

House healthcare reform legislation and administrative rule combined cut $44 billion in Medicare funds for long term care

Biden: $1.2 billion from stimulus for computerized medical records

Heated town halls fire up Republicans

House Democrats ask to examine health insurers' finances

Rex Healthcare Laboratory to provide billing, marketing and business support services to Pathology Service Associates

Midcareer professionals find new opportunities in health care

Chemical components of elderberry, cinnamon and green tea extracts block HIV viruses from infecting cells

GS Gmbh to integrate Masimo Rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximetry into corpuls patient monitoring modules

Enterprise Technology Solutions and Health Net Federal Services to provide recovery audit services to VA HAC

Software suite for comprehensive analysis of cardiac safety released by NewCardio

IBISS research group's project aims to examine Ribavirin role in promoting the survival of transplanted stem cells

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals plans US launch of Option Inferior Vena Cava Filter

Flow chemistry, AI, and NMR: A next-gen approach to scalable API production

Digital pathology and the PathoVerse: A conversation with Dr. Singh

Bioprocess Efficiency with Cell Density Monitoring

Latest News