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ACOs: Will feds be ready for the start date?

Health care stakeholders and lobbyists are increasingly convinced that CMS will not make the Jan. 1 deadline for launching the flagship accountable care organization program mandated by the Affordable Care Act as release of the final rule slips later into the fall.

29 Sep 2011

Wis. unveils Medicaid savings website; some low-income Minn. residents must change health plans

Also in Medicaid news, Washington state begins new program that limits emergency department visits for Medicaid enrolless. Oregon also reports gains in efforts to get children coverage.

28 Sep 2011

Justice Department does not seek full appeals court review clearing path for high court to decide health law's constitutionality next summer

The Obama administration announced Monday that it won't press for an en banc appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Such an action would have delayed the legal process and likely pushed back the timing of a final Supreme Court decision until at least 2013.

28 Sep 2011

Roundup: Conn.'s new insurance commissioner getting noticed; Miami-Dade County fires consulting firm over health care issue

Checking his watch, Thomas B. Leonardi worked quickly through his dense defense of this nation's state-by-state approach to insurance regulation. This small New England state generates more insurance business than all but a half-dozen nations. He sided with consumer advocates in March at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, helping to delay a federal regulation designed to protect fees for health insurance brokers. Advocates said the regulation would have driven up the costs of insurance to consumers.

28 Sep 2011

ISRA sponsors 'Susan G. Komen Shoot for the Cure' event

In observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the ISRA is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the first annual "Susan G. Komen Shoot for the Cure" benefit shooting event.

27 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Concerns that AIDS fight is losing steam; Pharmacy choice bill is praised; Texas sex-ed policies questioned

The considerable progress in recent years-;including the 22-fold increase in the number of people receiving anti-retroviral drugs between 2001-2010-;has been due to scientific breakthroughs and to civil society's efforts to keep AIDS on the political agenda. This is now changing.

23 Sep 2011

Roundup: Texas House Dems ask CMS to reject Medicaid waiver request; Jobs lost as Ariz. mental health Medicaid cuts kick in

The nine House Democrats from Texas want the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reject their state's request that Medicaid beneficiaries get their prescription drugs through managed care plans.

23 Sep 2011

Lawmakers explore savings potential of Medicare extenders

During a Wednesday House Ways and Means Committee hearing, health industry witnesses defended the Medicare "extenders," which, in many cases, are payment policies enacted to address specific problems faced by specific types of health care providers. Ending some of them would save less than $100 million a year. One economist said, however, that when added up, they can tally an estimated $2.5 billion in savings.

23 Sep 2011

As Congress searches for health care savings, care coordination for dual eligibles may offer an opportunity

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said during a Wednesday Senate Finance Committee hearing that the current lack of coordination for people who are on both Medicare and Medicaid leads to massive amounts of waste and low-quality care, but an Obama administration official said more time was needed to address this issue. Also, a new report written by Emory University's Kenneth Thorpe and funded by America's Health Insurance Plans sets a high possible savings estimate if this coordination goal can be achieved.

23 Sep 2011

Shire announces update on approval status and availability of ProAmatine SOH drug

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announces an update on the approval status and availability of ProAmatine (midodrine HCl), a medicine approved for the treatment of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension.

23 Sep 2011

Tips to fall-proof living environments for older adults

In observance of Falls Prevention Awareness Day Sept. 23, UnitedHealthcare is urging people to know the risks associated with falling and is encouraging older Americans to take simple yet essential steps to reduce fall injuries.

22 Sep 2011

HIMSS Asia Pac’11 focuses on eHealth records

The HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) Asia Pac ’11 Conference and Exhibition incorporating the HIMAA 2011 National Conference, opened on Tuesday, bringing together leading international experts in healthcare information systems and technology.

21 Sep 2011

Powerful new antibiotic treatment for MRSA and C. difficile bugs

MGB Biopharma, a biopharmaceutical company which has licensed technology from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, is developing a powerful new antibiotic treatment for resistant infections including the deadly MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) bugs.

20 Sep 2011

VA extends retroactive traumatic injury benefits to Servicemembers

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is extending retroactive traumatic injury benefits to Servicemembers who suffered qualifying injuries during the period Oct. 7, 2001 to Nov. 30, 2005, regardless of the geographic location where the injuries occurred.

17 Sep 2011

Medicare Advantage premiums to fall 4% in 2012

As premium costs fell, enrollment rose – despite dire predictions from opponents of the 2010 health law that the overhaul would cause enrollment to drop while forcing the cost of premiums to increase.

17 Sep 2011

House Republicans launch new attacks on health law regulations

The medical-loss ratio requirement is one of the prime GOP targets. Democrats responded that Republicans were trying to roll-back key consumer protections. In other health law implementation news, HHS announced new funding for community health centers, and groups interested in setting up health insurance co-ops are seeking certain HHS "tweaks" in the regulations.

17 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 16, 2011

In today's headlines, reports that, despite dire predictions by health law opponents about the Medicare Advantage program, its premiums are falling and its enrollment is rising.

16 Sep 2011

'Super committee' moves behind closed doors; public confidence in Washington at stake

The leaders of a bipartisan congressional committee charged with finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade say Americans' confidence in Washington hinges on their success. … If the committee deadlocks or fails, $1.2 trillion still would be cut automatically from future deficits, divided between defense and domestic spending, including Medicare. Hensarling likened that threat to "a hammer in the closet".

16 Sep 2011

Census data trigger discussion about nation's uninsured population

The data, released yesterday, also focuses attention on issues of poverty in the United States, on the role of government programs and on the future of employer-sponsored insurance.

15 Sep 2011

Fast-track genetic diagnosis for hearing loss

Over 28 million Americans are hearing impaired, and 50 percent of these cases can be traced to genetic causes. The condition can be especially challenging for children born hearing impaired because spoken language, reading, and cognitive development are tied to hearing. That makes early diagnosis essential for identifying appropriate therapy and treatment.

15 Sep 2011

Hearing News and Research

ACOs: Will feds be ready for the start date?

Wis. unveils Medicaid savings website; some low-income Minn. residents must change health plans

Justice Department does not seek full appeals court review clearing path for high court to decide health law's constitutionality next summer

Roundup: Conn.'s new insurance commissioner getting noticed; Miami-Dade County fires consulting firm over health care issue

ISRA sponsors 'Susan G. Komen Shoot for the Cure' event

Viewpoints: Concerns that AIDS fight is losing steam; Pharmacy choice bill is praised; Texas sex-ed policies questioned

Roundup: Texas House Dems ask CMS to reject Medicaid waiver request; Jobs lost as Ariz. mental health Medicaid cuts kick in

Lawmakers explore savings potential of Medicare extenders

As Congress searches for health care savings, care coordination for dual eligibles may offer an opportunity

Shire announces update on approval status and availability of ProAmatine SOH drug

Tips to fall-proof living environments for older adults

HIMSS Asia Pac’11 focuses on eHealth records

Powerful new antibiotic treatment for MRSA and C. difficile bugs

VA extends retroactive traumatic injury benefits to Servicemembers

Medicare Advantage premiums to fall 4% in 2012

House Republicans launch new attacks on health law regulations

First Edition: September 16, 2011

'Super committee' moves behind closed doors; public confidence in Washington at stake

Census data trigger discussion about nation's uninsured population

Fast-track genetic diagnosis for hearing loss

Exploring the G:Box and for high-quality imaging

Shaping the Future of Neuroscience: A Conversation with Atlas Antibodies on the MolBoolean™ and the Impact of SfN 2024

How the Arts Reshape Brain Function: Susan Magsamen on the Future of Neuroaesthetics

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