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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan faces new lawsuits, GOP in Florida looks to malpractice reform to help draw doctors to Medicaid program

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is facing a wave of lawsuits across the state accusing the insurance giant of pocketing millions of dollars in hidden fees from local governments and others to administer their health care plans.

23 Nov 2010

Kansas hospitals report sharp increases in uncompensated care

News outlets report on a dramatic increase in uncompensated care at Kansas hospitals because of the economic downturn and a new study that finds poor families with high-deductible plans often put off needed care.

23 Nov 2010

BioAlliance presents AMEP preclinical, phase I clinical results for melanoma at Electrochemotherapy Meeting

BioAlliance Pharma SA, a company dedicated to the supportive care and treatment of cancer patients, presented preclinical and promising preliminary phase I clinical results with its AMEP biotherapy at the "Electrochemotherapy 1st International Users' Meeting"(Bologna, Italy, November 19-20, 2010).

23 Nov 2010

ViiV Healthcare awards $20 million to Idenix for GSK2248761 clinical milestone

Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases, today announced that the Company will receive a payment of $20 million from the ViiV Healthcare Company for the achievement of a clinical milestone relating to GSK2248761.

23 Nov 2010

Government orders three Medicare advantage plans to stop marketing, enrolling new members

The U.S. government's Medicare program has ordered three health insurers Universal American Corp. (UAM), Health Net Inc. (HNT) and Arcadian Health to stop marketing to and enrolling new members in their Medicare Advantage health and prescription-drug plans, saying the companies violated regulations.

23 Nov 2010

Combination of caffeine and glucose can improve cognitive performance: Study

The combination of caffeine and glucose can improve the efficiency of brain activity, according to a recent study in which functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify the neural substrate for the combined effects of these two substances.

23 Nov 2010

Health on The Hill - November 22, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writers Mary Agnes Carey and Julie Appleby talk with KFF's Jackie Judd about recent health policy developments, including the newly released Health and Human Services regulations dealing with the medical loss ratio and the status in Congress of the one-month patch to prevent physicians who see Medicare patients from having their payments reduced.

23 Nov 2010

Omni Bio receives U.S patent for treatment of viral infections

Omni Bio Pharmaceutical, Inc., today announced that U.S. Patent No.7,807,781, entitled "Inhibitors of Serine Protease Activity and Their Use in Methods and Compositions for Treatment of Viral Infections", was issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on October 5, 2010

23 Nov 2010

Today's Op-Eds: HMOs, the 'fixed' middlemen; you can't keep your coverage; the (in) effectiveness of medical cost control

Wouldn't it be better to let HMOs compete to offer the cheapest most innovative plans-rather than having the plans defined by new exchanges that must follow federal rules and meanwhile allow the HMOs a generous fixed middleman share of total health pie.

23 Nov 2010

Women view their weight wrong: Study

Researchers have found that among more than 2,200 women ages 18 to 25 seen at several Texas reproductive-health clinics there were many who did not know if they weighed normal or were overweight.

23 Nov 2010

Exercise combo best for type 2 diabetes: Study

A new study shows that a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training may offer the biggest benefits for people with type 2 diabetes in helping them control their disease. This combination improved HbA1c levels much better than either form alone. HbA1c levels denote long term sugar or glycemic control in a diabetic patient. Normal HbA1c is 6% or less. People with diabetes are urged to keep their HbA1c below 7%.

23 Nov 2010

Early diagnosis and treatment result in positive outcomes for RA patients

Positive outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are closely linked to early diagnosis and treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). A study by researchers in the Netherlands found that patients who are assessed by rheumatologists soon after RA symptoms appear are more likely to experience less joint destruction and improved chances of DMARD-free disease remission.

23 Nov 2010

Parkinson Society Canada awards Quebec scientists $573,384 for research

Quebec Parkinson researchers receive a record $573,384 in funding from Parkinson Society Canada to increase their efforts to identify the causes of this degenerative brain disease for which there is currently no cure. At a Research Innovation event in Montreal this evening, hosted by Parkinson Society Quebec in partnership with McGill University and the CHUM, 11 Parkinson scientists will be lauded for their efforts in getting closer to a cure.

23 Nov 2010

ShangPharma third quarter net revenue increases 16.6% to $23.1 million

ShangPharma Corporation, a leading China-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology research and development outsourcing company, today announced its financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2010.

23 Nov 2010

Innovative new roles and occupations in health sector of the future

Innovative new roles and occupations that could possibly emerge in the health sector of the future are explored in a new working paper published today by Skills for Health.

23 Nov 2010

Ergothioneine international congress 2011 to be held at UCLA

OXIS International, Inc., today announced that the "First International Congress on Ergothioneine, Anti-Oxidants, and Age Management Medicine" will be held Friday to Sunday, July 15-17, 2011, in the DeNeve Auditorium at the University of California, Los Angeles.

23 Nov 2010

Children cannot accurately judge speed of vehicles travelling faster than 20 mph, reveals study

To coincide with Road Safety Week (22-28 November) new research is published today (23 November) revealing primary school children cannot accurately judge the speed of vehicles travelling faster than 20mph.

23 Nov 2010

NC family hopes to win Pepsi Refresh Project grant to fund research for Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood

A Rolesville, NC family is hoping to win the Pepsi Refresh Project that could help to find a cure for a rare neurological disorder for which there is no current cure. Matthew Wuchich, age 3, was diagnosed with Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood or AHC when he was 18 months old. Winning the grant is important to the family and to others with the disease since rare diseases often are overlooked by more common ailments.

23 Nov 2010

Scientists establish new biological links between early puberty and obesity

An international group of scientists, including researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC), has discovered 30 genes that control the age at which girls reach sexual maturity. They found that many of the genes responsible for puberty also play a strong role in how the body metabolises fat, establishing new biological links between going through puberty at a young age and being at increased risk of obesity.

23 Nov 2010

Loyola University professor suggests general travel tips for children with nut allergies

No matter the mode of transportation, holiday travel holds special challenged for parents. Either you're stuck in an enormous security line at an airport filled with cranky people or hearing the constant stream of "are we there yet" from the back seat of the car. It's enough to make a Scrooge out of even the most Tiny Tim of us. For many families adding to the chaos is the reality that their child has a dangerous nut allergy.

23 Nov 2010