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Statement on patient safety principles for office-based surgery

Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of invasive procedures being performed in the office setting. Recognizing that many states still haven't issued patient safety guidelines in this area, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) sponsored a resolution, which was passed at the American Medical Association's (AMA's) December 2002 Interim Meeting of its House of Delegates.

22 Apr 2004

Pierre Pettigrew outlines plan of action for health care reforms

Canadians have a "right" to know how long they have to wait to receive medical treatment, Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew said yesterday.

21 Apr 2004

Hospitals Reclassified Under Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that 121 hospitals in 25 states will begin receiving higher payments for patients who are discharged on or after April 1, 2004. The increases are due to the geographic reclassification of these hospitals under a special one-time-only provision in the recent Medicare modernization law. The new payments will be retroactive to April 1.

20 Apr 2004

Medicare makes drug card enrollment easier

Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, today announced two new steps to help Medicare beneficiaries enroll in the Medicare drug card program.

19 Apr 2004

Medicare wants better access to drug discount cards

The Medicare program is taking steps to make it easier for low-income Americans to sign up for Medicare-approved prescription drug discount cards.

17 Apr 2004

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin pledges health care push

Any discussion of health care runs the risk of deteriorating into generalities. So let me be specific: We must reduce wait times. Canadians need to know, Wherever they live, how long it takes to get an MRI, how long it takes to see a doctor, to get needed hip surgery, and how quickly their child will be seen in the emergency ward.

16 Apr 2004

'Medicare-Approved' cards available soon

Beginning in June 2004, the Medicare discount card program will provide America's seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries with much-needed discounts and information on their prescription drugs. The purchasing power behind the Medicare population is expected to save beneficiaries an average of 10 to 25 percent off the retail price of most drugs.

14 Apr 2004

Canadian health groups urge ban on exportation of pharmaceutical drugs from Canada to the U.S.

Canadian health groups today called on the Government of Canada to ban the exportation of pharmaceutical drugs from Canada to the U.S. The groups, who represent the interests of millions of Canadian patients, were in Washington to highlight their concerns with Internet pharmacies.

14 Apr 2004

Novartis to provide free medicines to low-income medicare recipients

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced today that the company will work with Medicare-approved drug discount card sponsors to provide its products free of Novartis charges to low-income Medicare enrollees, after they have exhausted their $600 transitional assistance available from the government.

13 Apr 2004

Medicare to launch website showing comparative drug pricing

Medicare has announced it will be publishishing detailed information comparing the prices of most prescription drugs, which is set to shake up the pharmaceutical industry.

12 Apr 2004

Sponsors of Medicare-approved discount cards will begin marketing their cards

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) announced last week that 28 private sponsors will offer 49 different Medicare-sponsored drug discount cards, beginning June 1. Additionally, 43 private health plans have received CMS approval to offer Medicare drug discount cards to their members only.

11 Apr 2004

Government warns medicare drug card sponsors

Medicare card sponsors of drug discount cards who pay pharmacists to attract customers to their cards could violate federal fraud and abuse laws, health inspectors warned Friday.

10 Apr 2004

AMA advises physicians to order influenza vaccine

In order to ensure the availability of influenza vaccine for administration early this coming fall, the AMA recommends that physicians and providers begin to order supplies of influenza vaccine immediately. In 2003, large numbers of cases of influenza began to appear in October, and activity was widespread.

5 Apr 2004

Alzheimer’s Association asks for $40 million in additional funding

The Alzheimer’s Association today called on the House of Representatives to provide $40 million in additional funding this year to the National Institutes of Health NIH) to support large-scale clinical trials for treatments that would slow or delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

30 Mar 2004

36 million Americans have inadequate health care

New data indicate 36 million Americans do not have access to health practitioners and therefore do not receive adequate health care, regardless of the fact that many are insured or are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.

29 Mar 2004

New oral test for HIV approved by FDA

FDA today approved the use of oral fluid samples with a rapid HIV diagnostic test kit that provides screening results with over 99 percent accuracy in as little as 20 minutes. Until now, all rapid HIV tests required the use of blood in order to get such rapid results.

27 Mar 2004