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Medicare announces funding for health insurance counseling

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a 50 percent increase in funding for the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). SHIPs are a key partner in Medicare’s Education and Outreach effort to insure that everyone with Medicare knows they are eligible for prescription drug coverage, that they will have a choice of at least two plans, and that there will be extra assistance for those in need.

12 Apr 2005

Disability tax credit benefits Canadians with diabetes

Some Canadians who use insulin to manage their diabetes may be eligible for a federal tax credit worth up to $1,055 when they file their 2005 tax returns next year, the Canadian Diabetes Association announced recently.

12 Apr 2005

Health resources must go to patients, not administration

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Bill Glasson, said recently that reports of Government changes to the health system seemed to have the priorities all wrong.

12 Apr 2005

Commons committee blasts dementia discrimination

On 10 April 2005 the House of Commons Health Select Committee published a damning report about the government’s policy on fully funded NHS continuing care.

12 Apr 2005

Can cancer be prevented?

Common habits – what we eat, how much we exercise, smoke and use alcohol – contribute to about a third of cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.

12 Apr 2005

HHS to tackle obesity among African Americans

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced today the award of $1.2 million to improve efforts to reduce obesity among African Americans through a new partnership with national African American organizations.

7 Apr 2005

Unchaperoned examinations risk misconduct allegations

Doctors who continue performing intimate examinations unchaperoned risk allegations of misconduct, warn researchers in a letter to this week’s BMJ.

7 Apr 2005

Competition in health care may not result in better quality

For several decades, competition within the health care industry has been touted as the way to curb rising prices by reducing inefficient practices and improving quality and safety. But a study of 341 HMOs suggests that more competition may not automatically solve price and quality-of-care problems as hoped for by legislators, regulators and employers.

7 Apr 2005

Congress must act now to avert crisis and keep Medicare program strong

A survey of physicians released by the American Medical Association (AMA) indicates that steep Medicare payment cuts to physicians, nurses and other health professionals will hurt access to care for America's seniors and disabled.

5 Apr 2005

ACNM joins call to make every mother and child count on World Health Day 2005

Increasing the number of trained midwives, especially in low resource countries, is a life-saving intervention that must receive support from policy makers and funders if we expect to lower maternal and infant mortality rates, said the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) as it prepared to participate in World Health Day activities set for April 7th, 2005.

5 Apr 2005

Hospital Compare gives the rundown on US hospital services

Hospital Compare, a new service, will give Americans the ability to compare the quality of care in nearly all of the nation’s hospitals using quality information available from the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA).

5 Apr 2005

Canadian doctors plan to shorten waiting lists

The medical profession in Canada has developed a scheme that is setting "benchmarks" for how long patients should have to wait for key medical services, ranging from hip and knee replacement to cardiac care.

4 Apr 2005

"A new era in UK medicine", doctors to get training in communication skills

A new educational programme which has been launched in the UK will encourage trainee doctors to boost their communication skills. A two-year curriculum covering the whole UK will include the need for trainees to demonstrate they can effectively communicate with patients and other doctors and are able to work as a team.

4 Apr 2005

Midwives credited with reducing C-section rate at New Jersey hospital

Certified nurse-midwives working for a federally qualified health center in New Jersey are credited with helping reduce the Cesarean section rate at one of the state's hospitals, according to a report in the Plainfield Courier-News this week.

4 Apr 2005

UK Health Minister applauds new NHS complaints procedure

UK Health Minister Andy Kerr says the new NHS complaints procedure which comes into force this month, will be quicker and easier for patients and will involve a one-stage process where complaints should be answered within 20 working days.

4 Apr 2005

U.S. website allows consumers to shop around

The US government launched a new Web site on Friday designed to help consumers shop around when it comes to comparing their local hospitals.

4 Apr 2005

Hospital Compare gets thumbs up from National Quality Forum

The National Quality Forum (NQF) has applauded the public release of hospital performance measurement data through the launch of Hospital Compare.

3 Apr 2005

Political point-scoring over policies to control MRSA confuses real issue

Political point-scoring over policies to control MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus) confuses cleanliness with the real failure in UK hospitals - poor hand hygiene and inadequate use of gloves, states an editorial in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

3 Apr 2005

British hospitals need clinical ethicists

"We need to introduce clinical ethicists in hospitals in the United Kingdom," says a researcher in medical ethics in this week's BMJ.

3 Apr 2005

Healthcare information system vendors focus on developing business with new clients

The healthcare industry in Europe is fragmented with several vendors controlling different niche segments. Early technology vendors that implemented legacy systems still have a hold on pockets of provider groups both in the primary, secondary and acute care segments, simply because the end users do not have the resources for expensive upgrades.

29 Mar 2005