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Prescription overdoses are second leading cause of unintentional deaths in US

"Unintentional poisoning is now the second leading cause of unintentional death in the US," reports Dr. Jeffrey H. Coben of West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown. Among people 35 to 54 years old, unintentional poisoning surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of unintentional death in 2005.

6 Apr 2010

CMS aids Medicare counseling programs

In the latest healthcare reforms there was a mandatory freeze in payments of $130 billion over the next decade. This was criticized by President Obama as a corporate giveaway. Initially Medicare had proposed a preliminary increase of 1.28% in February. Since this was vetoed due to the new health care law that mandates the rates remain unchanged, an announcement under the Medicare Advantage program from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was made yesterday. Under this program it was expected that it would be 14% of the total earning in 2011 at Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth and 42 percent for Louisville, Kentucky-based Humana, Dave Shove.

6 Apr 2010

Prescription drug abuse reaches epidemic proportions

Poisoning is now the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S. While several recent high-profile Hollywood celebrity cases have brought the problem to public attention, the rates of unintentional poisoning deaths have been on the rise for more than 15 years.

6 Apr 2010

NHS cancer patients to receive latest and best treatments available

Cancer patients on the National Health Service may soon be offered expensive life extending drugs which are currently denied to them. David Cameron has proposed on behalf of the Conservatives that the drugs that are licensed and prescribed by the health consultant of the patient should be made available to the cancer patient, irrespective of the NHS rationing.

5 Apr 2010

Growing problem of prescription drug abuse

Prescription painkiller abuse is a rapidly growing and widespread problem, recently coming into full view due to high profile stories and tragic celebrity deaths.

3 Apr 2010

Prescription drug spending up in 2009

Prescription drug spending in the United States rose 5.1 percent in 2009, acording to a new report from IMS Health., a data collection company.

3 Apr 2010

More corporations announce tax impact of health law

Verizon Communications, Inc. announced Thursday "it will record a related $970 million non-cash charge in the first quarter," The Associated Press reports. "So far at least 15 companies have disclosed about $2.8 billion in charges prompted by the health care overhaul. Verizon's charge is the second-largest after AT&T, which last week announced a $1 billion charge related to the tax bill. Verizon and other companies currently receive a government subsidy to keep prescription drug benefits for retirees.

3 Apr 2010

Debate and skepticism over the healthcare reforms

A few years back a law that was meant to cover millions of elderly extending their prescription drug coverage backfired with many who could not access their medicines or were charged more all because of computer generated errors. Administration, industry and consumer groups are gearing up to prevent the same thing from happening after the healthcare bill became law last week.

2 Apr 2010

Verizon charges $970 million due to the health care bill

The recent health care reform bill has shown its impact on corporate tax structure this Thursday when Verizon Communications Inc. a phone company announced it will record a related $970 million non-cash charge in the first quarter.

2 Apr 2010

More big companies report charges spurred by health law

News regarding the health law's early impact on large companies - millions of dollars in lost tax exemptions - is continuing to emerge.

2 Apr 2010

Democrats, Republicans vie to claim public opinion about health reform

USA Today: "A week after Congress passed President Obama's 10-year, $938 billion health care plan, lawmakers from both parties are spending their spring break trying to turn the historic legislation to their political advantage. At stake are the large majorities Democrats have built up over the past two elections, including a 76-vote margin in the House and an 18-vote cushion in the Senate."

2 Apr 2010

Seniors worry about Medicare reforms, especially changes to Medicare Advantage

The Associated Press: "While Democrats hail the sweeping legislation as the greatest expansion of the social safety net since Medicare, they also fear that seniors won't see it that way for this fall's elections. Indeed, Republicans have portrayed the overhaul as a raid on Medicare — a bedrock of retirement security — to provide money to pay for covering younger, uninsured workers and their families.

1 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 1, 2010

According to today's headlines, President Obama will head to Maine to continue efforts to sell the new health reform law. Meanwhile, his administration is ramping up education plans and efforts to smooth the shift.

1 Apr 2010

With corporations already claiming pain from overhaul, business lobby prepares to fight back

A week after the health overhaul cleared Congress, a business lobby that opposed the plan is now regrouping to shape its implementation and exact political retribution on supporters, The Wall Street Journal reports. "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is planning a broad effort to blunt the health overhaul by trying to shape its regulatory language and spending heavily to unseat vulnerable Democrats who voted for it."

1 Apr 2010

Pfizer admits paying $35 million to doctors over last 6 months

Pfizer among other large pharmaceutical companies recently disclosed payments to doctors and other medical professionals for consulting and speaking on its behalf and also some sponsorship of clinical trials. On Wednesday in an announcement the company spokesperson revealed that they had paid a whopping $20 million to 4,500 doctors and other medical professionals in the last six months of 2009. Pfizer also accepted that they paid $15.3 million to 250 academic medical centers and other research groups for clinical trials in the same period. This disclosure is only about payments made within the US.

1 Apr 2010

Rite Aid's fiscal 2010 fourth-quarter revenues down 3.6%

Rite Aid Corporation today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended February 27, 2010.

31 Mar 2010

Nation's emergency physicians warn parents about dangers of prescription drug abuse

The nation's emergency physicians are issuing a strong warning to parents about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, which are now the second most abused drugs, after marijuana. Nearly three-quarters of a million people (741,425) needed emergency care in 2006 because of prescription drug abuse.

31 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 31, 2010

According to today's headlines, just as President Obama signed the last piece of the health overhaul into law, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched efforts to shape its regulatory language. Meanwhile, analysis of particular policies included in the sweeping measure continue.

31 Mar 2010

Pelosi releases statement on signing of Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act into law

Health insurance reform represents remarkable progress for the American people. Today, with President Obama's signature, health care becomes more affordable for the middle class, we begin closing the prescription drug donut hole, and we demand accountability from the insurance industry.

31 Mar 2010

gloStream launches gloDNA 100% Stimulus Guarantee

gloStream, maker of gloEMR and gloPM – the only electronic medical record software and practice management applications with Microsoft® Office built right in – today announced the gloDNA 100% Stimulus Guarantee.

31 Mar 2010