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Mexico's response to H1N1 outbreak praised by Associated Press

The Associated Press praised Mexico's response to the swine flu, or H1N1 outbreak, in a recent article.

3 Sep 2009

Global economic downturn increases malnutrition, death rates among African children, U.N. assessment indicates

The global economic downturn is "raising malnutrition and death rates among Africa's children" and restricting their access to health care, according to a U.N. assessment released ahead of a G20 leaders meeting later this month that will focus on ways to minimize the effect of the downturn on the world's poorest people, VOA News reports.

3 Sep 2009

Colorado braces for mental health cuts, Florida nursing homes brace for Medicare cuts, and other developments

Kaiser Health News: "Three years after Massachusetts implemented a state program to provide near universal health care, officials said that a key to their success was that stakeholders from the state's health care sector and the business community had a commitment to implementing the program." Despite successes, one state official said cost containment remains a challenge (Marcy, 9/1).

3 Sep 2009

Individual mandate would spread risk but could prove difficult to enforce

"If health care reform occurs, it is likely to include an individual mandate — a requirement that every American have health insurance," The Kansas City Star reports. "In theory, health coverage would work something like the requirement that drivers buy auto insurance. But everyone knows someone who has been hit by an uninsured, and sometimes even an unlicensed, driver."

3 Sep 2009

Also in global health news: Vietnam PEPFAR funding; remote village health care; HIV in India; UNICEF budget; mapping drug shortages

PEPFAR will continue to fund HIV/AIDS programs in Vietnam, Hoang Thanh Hai, a spokesperson, said on Tuesday at a memorial for 100 people who died as a result of complications from the disease, Bernama reports. "Since 2004, PEPFAR has provided $320 million to help Vietnam provide comprehensive services on taking precautionary measures against the disease and care and treatment of HIV" patients, the news service writes (9/2).

3 Sep 2009

Adult smoking rate drops to 15.3 percent in Washington

Washington's adult smoking rate has hit a new low for the sixth consecutive year. Results from the state's most recent survey show the smoking rate has dropped to 15.3 percent -- down from 16.5 percent the previous year. Washington has the sixth lowest smoking rate in the nation and remains well below the national rate of 18.4 percent.

2 Sep 2009

Blue dog Democrats still expect health care reform deal

The leader of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrat coalition said Tuesday that she still thinks a health care reform deal can get done with a majority of Blue Dogs supporting it, The New York Times reports.

2 Sep 2009

Baucus-Grassley bipartisan partnership frays under health reform pressure

Kaiser Health News reports on the partnership between Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Ranking Member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and how health reform has affected that dynamic.

2 Sep 2009

Wellpoint chief calls for reform, defends insurers

The top executive of Wellpoint, a major health insurer, called for health reform at a meeting of the Economic Club in Indianapolis Tuesday, WTHR, the local NBC affiliate, reports. "The high and rising cost of health care in America is just not sustainable …" said CEO Angela Braly. Those costs pose "a real threat to the social and fiscal obligations of the government and to the health and prosperity of the American people."

2 Sep 2009

Despite health reform efforts, Milwaukee clinic for low-income patients may close

A clinic in a low-income Milwaukee neighborhood has filled a need for 23 years, but people running it worry that it may not be helped by any changes to the health care system. The New York Times reports on the Milwaukee Immediate Care Center, a small nonprofit clinic, "which keeps hours at night and on weekends, [and] is the only full-time operation in the neighborhood that provides urgent care, luring patients with a sign that reads, 'When You Need a Doctor Today.'"

2 Sep 2009

An already-changing insurance market may face more transformation

The Wall Street Journal: "Insurers are increasingly setting up brick-and-mortar retail stores that peddle individual and sometimes small-group health plans, with companies including Humana Inc., Aetna Inc. and Health Net Inc. so far trying the concept. Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in Pennsylvania and South Carolina say they've had good results from shops, while Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida Inc. plans to add five more locations after the success of its existing two."

2 Sep 2009

Rxeob appoints Sales Director to advance Strategic Health Plan Solution campaign

RxEOB, the industry leader in providing personalized online member communication features and advanced pharmacy benefit data solutions, is pleased to welcome Shaw Newman as Sales Director for RxEOB's Strategic Health Plan Solution campaign.

2 Sep 2009

NCPA urges Congress to prevent Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement cuts

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) is urging Congressional action in the next 30 days to preserve the access Medicaid patients have to approximately 23,000 community pharmacies.

2 Sep 2009

CIGNA partners with MCNT to launch a medical home type program in Texas

CIGNA (NYSE:CI) and Medical Clinic of North Texas (MCNT) are preparing to launch a pilot program that incorporates components of the medical home model based on a comprehensive, accountable and collaborative approach they believe will lead to improved patient access, better continuity and coordination of care, improved quality of care for patients, and lower medical costs.

2 Sep 2009

SynerMed's announces a 35 percent growth in membership since the beginning of the first quarter of 2009

SynerMed, Inc. today announced a 35 percent growth in membership since the beginning of the first quarter of 2009. Representing 550,000 beneficiaries through its clients, SynerMed is the largest Medicaid managed service organization (MSO) in the country.

2 Sep 2009

Thunderhead announces the selection of Thunderhead NOW solutions by Allianz Worldwide Care

Thunderhead, recognized innovators in document automation and multi-channel communications solutions, today announced that Allianz Worldwide Care has selected the Thunderhead NOW platform to create, produce and manage its multi-channel client communications.

2 Sep 2009

First Edition: September 2, 2009

Baucus-Grassley Bipartisan Partnership Frays Under Health Reform Pressures For nearly a decade, the cross-aisle team of Democrat Max Baucus and Republican Charles Grassley has shaped dozens of tax cuts, trade measures and health bills on the Senate Finance Committee. That led many to predict that the partnership would be strong enough to broker bipartisan health care legislation this year (Kaiser Health News).

2 Sep 2009

Department of Health Care Services 2009 Gold Quality Award for SFHP

San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP), the City's community public health plan, today announced that it has received the Department of Health Care Services 2009 Gold Quality Award, ranking the plan as a leader in quality care throughout the state of California for Medi-Cal managed care plans.

2 Sep 2009

Ektron reports growth as more consumers select Ektron CMS400.NET

Ektron Inc., a technology and market leader in Web content management software, reports a steady growth in customers in the Healthcare industry. Ektron attributes this growth to its Healthcare Practice, a team dedicated to working with healthcare providers in the development of their Web strategy using Ektron CMS400.NET.

2 Sep 2009

AARP volunteers call on Sen. Durbin with Rx bottles containing constituents' health care stories

While Members of Congress may be taking a break from Washington, AARP is making sure they don't get a break from the need to fix the broken health care system. With a giant inflatable Rx bottle as a backdrop, armed with prescription bottles filled with constituents' personal health care stories, AARP members converged in Springfield today calling on Senator Durbin and the Springfield-area Congressmen (John Shimkus, Aaron Schock and Phil Hare) to tackle health care reform when they go back to the nation's Capitol in September.

2 Sep 2009

Healthcare News

Mexico's response to H1N1 outbreak praised by Associated Press

Global economic downturn increases malnutrition, death rates among African children, U.N. assessment indicates

Colorado braces for mental health cuts, Florida nursing homes brace for Medicare cuts, and other developments

Individual mandate would spread risk but could prove difficult to enforce

Also in global health news: Vietnam PEPFAR funding; remote village health care; HIV in India; UNICEF budget; mapping drug shortages

Adult smoking rate drops to 15.3 percent in Washington

Blue dog Democrats still expect health care reform deal

Baucus-Grassley bipartisan partnership frays under health reform pressure

Wellpoint chief calls for reform, defends insurers

Despite health reform efforts, Milwaukee clinic for low-income patients may close

An already-changing insurance market may face more transformation

Rxeob appoints Sales Director to advance Strategic Health Plan Solution campaign

NCPA urges Congress to prevent Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement cuts

CIGNA partners with MCNT to launch a medical home type program in Texas

SynerMed's announces a 35 percent growth in membership since the beginning of the first quarter of 2009

Thunderhead announces the selection of Thunderhead NOW solutions by Allianz Worldwide Care

First Edition: September 2, 2009

Department of Health Care Services 2009 Gold Quality Award for SFHP

Ektron reports growth as more consumers select Ektron CMS400.NET

AARP volunteers call on Sen. Durbin with Rx bottles containing constituents' health care stories

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