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AARP Idaho unveils list of winners and losers of 2010 legislative session

With the 2010 Idaho legislative session drawing to a close, the dust has settled on several key pieces of legislation that deliver good news and bad news for people across the state. Today, AARP Idaho unveiled its list of "2010 Legislative Session Winners and Losers," highlighting bills that either help or hurt Idahoans.

31 Mar 2010

CVS Caremark awarded Specialty Pharmacy accreditation from URAC

CVS Caremark announced today that it has been awarded Specialty Pharmacy accreditation from URAC, a Washington, DC-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry.

31 Mar 2010

FDA grants priority review status for Isotechnika Pharma's voclosporin

Isotechnika Pharma Inc. today announced that the New Drug Application (NDA) for the Company's next generation calcineurin inhibitor, voclosporin, has been accepted for priority review as filed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The application was submitted by Isotechnika's partner, Lux Biosciences, Inc.

31 Mar 2010

Women, diabetics, dementia patients most likely to fall in 'doughnut hole'; Reform seeks to close coverage gap

Among elderly Americans, women and those with diabetes and dementia are most likely to find themselves in the Medicare Part D drug plan 'doughnut hole,' the coverage gap that occurs after a beneficiary has reached the annual coverage limit but hasn't spent enough on drugs to qualify for catastrophic coverage.

31 Mar 2010

Britain popping “pills for every ill”, says research

A new study reports that Britons are turning to prescription drugs for every illness, minor or major. This recent paper titled “A Pill for Every Ill”, published in Social Science & Medicine journal says that while two decades earlier average number of prescriptions dispensed per person was only eight, it is more than 16 now.

30 Mar 2010

Closing Medicare drug gap helps Democrats sell reform

Kaiser Health News writer Christopher Weaver, in a story produced in collaboration with the Los Angeles Times, looks at the government's plan to close the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole."

29 Mar 2010

Seniors with diabetes and dementia more likely to fall into Medicare Part D prescription drug plan

Among seniors, women and patients with diabetes and dementia are the most likely to fall into the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan "donut hole" - the gap occurring after beneficiaries reach their annual coverage limit and before catastrophic coverage kicks in - according to new research published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

29 Mar 2010

It's over: Congress completes work on health overhaul with approval of 'fixes'

After more than a year of political wrangling, Congress finished its work on health care reform Thursday night when the House passed a Senate-changed bill of fixes to the new law.

27 Mar 2010

Health reform brings significant changes to Medicare, Medicare Advantage

As part of a series, "The Five Keys To Health Reform's Success Or Failure," Time writes: "Fiddling with Medicare is not for the faint of heart. ... But if there are to be far-reaching changes in the way medicine is practiced in this country, Medicare will have to drive them. ... 'Medicare has to go first,' says Len Nichols, director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University.

27 Mar 2010

Businesses – small and large – prepare for health reform impact

USA Today columnist Rhonda Abrams outlines how the new health law affects small businesses. "The good news: For the first time, there's real help for entrepreneurs. If you can't afford or can't qualify for insurance, you'll have new options starting in 2014. If you're struggling financially - as many self-employed do - you may qualify for a government subsidy or Medicaid.

27 Mar 2010

Medical conditions put seniors at high risk of unsubsidized medical prescription expenses

If you're older, a woman, and suffering from either dementia or diabetes, you are the most likely to be exposed to unsubsidized medication costs in the US. This is known as the coverage gap for enrollees of Medicare Part D - the US federal program which subsidizes the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.

26 Mar 2010

HealthWell applauds lawmakers for passing historic health care reform bill

The HealthWell Foundation, a national nonprofit that helps underinsured Americans afford their medical treatments, applauds lawmakers for passing the historic health care reform bill this week. While the bill extends coverage to millions of uninsured people, it does not adequately address the problem of the underinsured -- people who have health insurance but not enough coverage to afford the care they need. It may even increase the number of people in this underserved group.

26 Mar 2010

Overhaul will affect other economic sectors, not just health care

Health-overhaul legislation signed into law this week will affect not only America's health care industry, but the broader economy, too, The Christian Science Monitor reports. The overhaul could help create jobs. "But the legislation also means tax hikes, mainly on the highest-income Americans. And provisions designed to curb healthcare costs probably aren't strong enough to put a big dent in medical inflation - or federal budget deficits" (Trumbull, 3/24).

26 Mar 2010

Medicare Roundup: Changes from health reform, payments for HIV patients

USA Today: "Perhaps the biggest factor in whether your Medicare costs will rise or fall depends on your Medicare plan. There are two: a traditional Medicare plan run by the federal government and Medicare Advantage, which is run by private insurance companies. Medicare Advantage costs more than the traditional plan, but provides more generous benefits.

26 Mar 2010

New initiative to reduce prescription drug abuse

With overdoses and deaths involving the use of prescription drugs skyrocketing in the United States, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has selected the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University to host a new initiative to reduce diversion and abuse of these drugs: the PMP Center of Excellence.

26 Mar 2010

Alzheimer's Foundation of America applauds dementia-related provisions in health reform law

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) is extremely pleased that the historic health reform signed into law by President Obama late this morning, after passing the U.S. House of Representatives on Sunday and the U.S. Senate in December, includes a number of provisions that are especially significant for AFA's constituents—and bode well for improving quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and their family caregivers. In particular, we are grateful that the final action addresses many of the practical and financial needs faced daily by this population, speaks to preventative issues and bolsters training of dementia care professionals.

25 Mar 2010

Health reform debate often misrepresents changes to Medicare

Seniors, as well as doctors who treat Medicare patients, "have been shaken up by news that health care reform efforts are largely funded by about $455 billion worth of projected savings in the government health insurance program for the elderly.

25 Mar 2010

China set to dominate prescription drug markets

New reports indicate that prescription drug sales in emerging markets will grow quickly, especially in the hugely influential market of China. In fact, China's pharmaceutical market continues to expand its dominance and clout at an astonishing rate.

25 Mar 2010

Med-Vision provides strategies to lower healthcare costs, improve quality

Med-Vision, a Tampa-based medical consulting company providing strategies to lower healthcare costs and improve quality of care, is providing free healthcare planning advice and solutions via the Web. A newly launched Insights on Healthcare Blog (http://medvision.wordpress.com/) created by Dan Ross, president of Med-Vision, offers timely healthcare commentary, insights to help healthcare consumers, and information to help self-funded employers understand complicated issues of employee benefits.

24 Mar 2010

MHPA commends Congress for improving state Medicaid programs

"Congress has made a historical commitment to providing access to health care for 16 million low-income Americans through expansion of the Medicaid program. The bills also maintain and strengthen health coverage for kids through the Children's Health Insurance Program."

24 Mar 2010