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UHC's Clinical Documentation Audit Profile assists hospitals with RAC reviews

University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) has announced the development of the Clinical Documentation Audit Profile, designed to assist hospitals with Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) reviews.

18 Sep 2009

Proposal renews calls for tax on sugary beverages

A proposal to tax sugary drinks as a way to improve the nation's health had been considered dead. But it was given new life Wednesday by a group of experts who published their idea to tax soft drinks at a rate of 1 cent per ounce.

18 Sep 2009

Premier Purchasing Partners offers agreements for bulk oxygen

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18 Sep 2009

HHS Secretary announces a funding opportunity for communities and tribes

Creating ways for healthful lifestyle habits to be the natural first choice for Americans is the goal of a $650 million initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, decrease obesity, and decrease smoking in U.S. communities.

18 Sep 2009

Some governors worry about proposals to expand Medicaid as part of reform effort

The provisions in health care reform legislation have caused concern among some governors who fear it could increase financial burdens on their states.

18 Sep 2009

Chairman Baucus' effort on health care reform applauded

"We are pleased that Chairman Baucus' bill is a meaningful step forward toward health insurance coverage for all Americans. We look forward to working with the chairman and senators to ensure the very best enrollment strategy for connecting to coverage all those who need it.

18 Sep 2009

U.S. healthcare system fraught with racial inequalities

Racial inequalities in health care access and quality added more than $50 billion a year in direct U.S. health care costs over a four-year period according to a study released today by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based think tank.

18 Sep 2009

Health care leaders urge Congress to act on meaningful health reforms

More than 400 of the nation's most respected health care leaders today issued a joint Open Letter to Congress declaring that the health care system is in crisis and is unsustainable and calling on Congress to act now on meaningful reforms. They state that Congress has a moral and ethical obligation to improve healthcare for all our citizens now.

18 Sep 2009

NCPA and AADE collaborate to provide DSME/T program for community pharmacies

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) today announced a partnership that will expand counseling options for patients while offering community pharmacies a path to be compensated by Medicare and other insurers for diabetes management.

18 Sep 2009

Heart Institute's first LHIN program in Ontario for emergency heart attacks

Heart attack victims who live outside Ottawa's urban centre now are part of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute's (UOHI) far-reaching emergency life-saving program, ensuring urgent standardized treatment regardless of geography and, for the first time in Ontario, throughout an entire regional health district.

18 Sep 2009

Strategies for reducing tobacco use and health care costs in the U.S.

The Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes support for strategies to reduce tobacco use, is a smart investment in the nation's health that will save lives, prevent disease and help reduce health care costs.

18 Sep 2009

New Healthier Habits Rewards Program educates families on healthy hygiene routines

LYSOL((R)), the number one pediatrician recommended brand, announced today the launch of the Healthier Habits Rewards Program, an initiative to educate families on healthy hygiene routines. Through the Healthier Habits Rewards program, parents can learn valuable tips to help protect themselves and their children from potential illness-causing germs at home or at school.

18 Sep 2009

Savings from tort reform less than advocates claim

While President Obama appealed to conventional wisdom - malpractice claims drive up costs by encouraging "defensive medicine" - when he supported tort reform recently, BusinessWeek reports that "The evidence suggests a much smaller effect.

18 Sep 2009

National Health Partners to provide cross-border healthcare program

National Health Partners, Inc. (National Health) (OTCBB:NHPR), a leading provider of unique discount healthcare membership programs, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with a major international healthcare company in furtherance of its goal of creating a cross-border healthcare program.

18 Sep 2009

NACHC and WGU partner to offer a new online bachelor's degree program in nursing

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and Western Governors University, www.wgu.edu, will partner to provide clinical training opportunities as part of WGU's new competency-based bachelor's degree program leading to initial RN licensure.

18 Sep 2009

CCS Advantage program's performance measures validated by Milliman

MedAssurant, Inc., a leading provider of data-driven healthcare solutions, announced today that Milliman, Inc., has validated the calculations of several performance measures for MedAssurant’s CCS Advantage program, and confirmed the calculated values of medical cost for Medicare patients with chronic illness in the study population.

18 Sep 2009

Leahy bill pushes antitrust laws

CQ Politics reports on new legislation to subject insurers to antitrust laws: "The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday introduced legislation to repeal health and medical malpractice insurers' exemption from federal antitrust laws.

18 Sep 2009

$650 million funding from HHS to benefit black and Latino communities

The health of the nation's black and Latino communities stands to get a significant shot in the arm from the $650 million in health and wellness funding announced this afternoon by the Department of Health and Human Services, according to PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy organization.

18 Sep 2009

Study compares annual healthcare costs of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals

Risk factors for metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated blood lipid levels, can increase a person's healthcare costs nearly 1.6-fold, or about $2,000 per year. For each additional risk factor those costs rise an average of 24%, according to an illuminating article in a recent issue of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

18 Sep 2009

In Massachusetts, fears about public health vaccination proposal

The Boston Globe reports on the dramatic and fearful response to a "seemingly prosaic piece" of pending Massachusetts state legislation "that aims to better define - and, in some respects, restrict - the emergency powers of the state's public health officials."

18 Sep 2009