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WellPoint cancels investor meeting to prepare for congressional hearing on premium hikes

WellPoint, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross, has canceled an investor meeting "so that executives can prepare for a congressional hearing on the company's large rate hikes in California," the Los Angeles Times reports. "A subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has called WellPoint Inc. Chief Executive Angela F. Braly to testify Feb. 24 about planned premium increases of as much as 39% for many of Anthem's 800,000 individual policyholders in California."

17 Feb 2010

Calif. budget cuts would end aid to new legal immigrants; Minn. Dems criticize Pawlenty for relying on federal funds

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest proposals to close California's budget shortfall would end public assistance for most new legal immigrants, eliminating emergency cash, food and medical aid for those who don't yet qualify for federal welfare. The proposal would represent an about-face for the state.

17 Feb 2010

FDA clears Otonomy's IND for clinical trial of OTO-104 in Meniere's disease patients

Otonomy, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted clearance of the company's Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the clinical trial of OTO-104 in patients with Meniere's disease, a debilitating disorder of the inner ear affecting balance and hearing.

17 Feb 2010

Nebraska laws to protect patients and healthcare providers against unfair prescription insurance practices

Dozens of patients and state and national advocacy and healthcare groups, including Nebraska Medical Association and Nebraska Nurses Association, today urged passage of two precedent-setting consumer protection healthcare bills during a hearing at the Nebraska State Capitol. These laws would be the first in the nation to protect patients and healthcare providers against unfair prescription insurance practices.

17 Feb 2010

States struggle with insurance cost and coverage in Ohio, Rhode Island and Nebraska

The Columbus Dispatch reports that a health-insurance co-operative founded by Tom Rose, a retired businessman from Marietta, Ohio, "hopes to give people who feel alone in the health-care market that power-in-numbers feeling. ... Benefits Unlimited Inc. started in 2007 and started accepting dues-paying members across the nation last month. ... Annual dues range from $25 for an individual or household to $1,500 for employers or associations with 500 or more people.

17 Feb 2010

Infants born to bilingual mothers exhibit different language preferences

It may not be obvious, but hearing two languages regularly during pregnancy puts infants on the road to bilingualism by birth. According to new findings in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, infants born to bilingual mothers (who spoke both languages regularly during pregnancy) exhibit different language preferences than infants born to mothers speaking only one language.

17 Feb 2010

WellPoint cancels Investor Day, schedules conference call to review 2010 financial outlook

WellPoint, Inc. today cancelled its Investor Day previously scheduled for February 23, 2010, and announced that management will review the Company's 2010 financial outlook during a conference call on March 17, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The Company continues to expect full year 2010 net income to be at least $6.00 per share, subject to its ability to secure and maintain sufficient premium rates.

16 Feb 2010

Bone-anchored hearing aids appear to be durable treatment option for single-sided deafness

Surgically implanted hearing aids anchored to the skull bone appear to be a durable treatment option that noticeably improves hearing among children with deafness in one ear, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

16 Feb 2010

Tinnitus not a highly inherited condition, says study

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, does not appear to be a highly inherited condition (i.e., does not pass frequently from parents to offspring), according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

16 Feb 2010

Limited number of free tickets available for Nashville Fearless Caregiver Conference

Today's Caregiver magazine and Caregiver.com announce that a limited number of free tickets are still available for the Nashville Fearless Caregiver Conference on March 10th, 2010 being held at the Radisson Opryland Hotel. Tickets are sponsored by the Greater Nashville Regional Council.

15 Feb 2010

Cuts to Texas Medicaid payment rates will hurt nursing home care providers

In testimony at a Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC) hearing on possible budget reduction options, the President of the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) warned that any cuts now to Texas Medicaid payment rates for nursing home care will confront the nursing home profession with dire financial consequences.

12 Feb 2010

SSA to add early-onset Alzheimer's disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative

In its effort to improve and expedite the disability determination process, the Social Security Administration has announced that it will add early-onset Alzheimer's disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative. The initiative identifies debilitating diseases and medical conditions that meet the SSA's disability standards for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

12 Feb 2010

Mass. Gov. seeks greater authority to attack health costs

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick asked the state legislature to grant his administration broad new authority to "review and reject" excessive rates charged by medical providers in hopes of curbing costs and making health care more affordable, The Boston Globe reports. Under a bill filed Wednesday by Patrick, the rates that "hospitals and other health providers charge insurers would be 'presumptively disapproved as excessive' if they increased faster than the level of medical inflation, and they could be rejected after a public hearing."

12 Feb 2010

First FDA-approved umbilical cord blood stem cells infusion trial in children with cerebral palsy

Medical College of Georgia researchers are conducting the first FDA-approved clinical trial to determine whether an infusion of stem cells from umbilical cord blood can improve the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy.

12 Feb 2010

WellPoint defends 39% premium hike in letter to Sebelius

The Associated Press/Washington Post: WellPoint, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross "is blaming the Great Recession and rising medical costs for its planned 39 percent rate increase for some California customers of its Anthem Blue Cross plan. But Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius isn't buying the explanation proffered in a letter delivered to her" today.

11 Feb 2010

Nurse files anonymous complaint with medical board against doctor: Jury hears evidence over misuse of complaint process

Today a jury in West Texas is hearing evidence that a nurse, acting in bad faith, tried to run a doctor out of town by filing an anonymous complaint with the Texas Medical Board. The case is Texas v. Mitchell, No. 5612 (Andrews County, Texas, presiding Judge Jim Rex).

11 Feb 2010

Medica Foundation awards grants totaling $604,940 in second cycle of funding

The Medica Foundation wrapped up its 2009 giving with 17 program grants totaling $473,690 in its second cycle of funding in 2009. The Medica Foundation also awarded 19 General Health Improvement Grants totaling $131,250. Funding by the Medica Foundation totaled $604,940 in its second cycle; for all of 2009, its total funding was $1,353,000.

11 Feb 2010

Sears Hearing Centres joins Hearing Mission to Toluca, Mexico

Sears Hearing Centres founder, Rhonda Martin, announced today that she will be volunteering on an eight-day Hearing Mission to Toluca, Mexico from February 21st to the 28th. The Mission, which is preparing to fit more than 2,000 adults and children with over 4,000 hearing devices, has been organized by the Starkey Hearing Foundation, as part of its commitment to "Help the World Hear."

11 Feb 2010

DPC lauds passage of S.B. 316 dialysis care legislation

Dialysis Patient Citizens today praised the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee for unanimously passing legislation – S.B. 316 – which will increase patient access to life-saving dialysis care or transplant medications. Dialysis patients attending yesterday’s hearing encouraged lawmakers to support the bill which, if enacted, would greatly help approximately 2,000 Georgians suffering from kidney failure who are having difficulty accessing health insurance. Twenty-nine states across the country have enacted this popular legislation that is widely embraced by patients, family members and taxpayers.

11 Feb 2010

Findings could lead to new targeted therapies for speech and learning disabilities

A team of University of Oregon researchers have isolated an independent processing channel of synapses inside the brain's auditory cortex that deals specifically with shutting off sound processing at appropriate times.

11 Feb 2010

Hearing News and Research

WellPoint cancels investor meeting to prepare for congressional hearing on premium hikes

Calif. budget cuts would end aid to new legal immigrants; Minn. Dems criticize Pawlenty for relying on federal funds

FDA clears Otonomy's IND for clinical trial of OTO-104 in Meniere's disease patients

Nebraska laws to protect patients and healthcare providers against unfair prescription insurance practices

States struggle with insurance cost and coverage in Ohio, Rhode Island and Nebraska

Infants born to bilingual mothers exhibit different language preferences

WellPoint cancels Investor Day, schedules conference call to review 2010 financial outlook

Bone-anchored hearing aids appear to be durable treatment option for single-sided deafness

Tinnitus not a highly inherited condition, says study

Limited number of free tickets available for Nashville Fearless Caregiver Conference

Cuts to Texas Medicaid payment rates will hurt nursing home care providers

SSA to add early-onset Alzheimer's disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative

Mass. Gov. seeks greater authority to attack health costs

First FDA-approved umbilical cord blood stem cells infusion trial in children with cerebral palsy

WellPoint defends 39% premium hike in letter to Sebelius

Nurse files anonymous complaint with medical board against doctor: Jury hears evidence over misuse of complaint process

Medica Foundation awards grants totaling $604,940 in second cycle of funding

Sears Hearing Centres joins Hearing Mission to Toluca, Mexico

DPC lauds passage of S.B. 316 dialysis care legislation

Findings could lead to new targeted therapies for speech and learning disabilities

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

Exploring the G:Box and for high-quality imaging

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