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Amerinet's Economic Solutions series enhance revenue cycle management

Amerinet, a leading healthcare group purchasing organization is highlighting strategies to enhance the revenue cycle as part of its continuing Economic Solutions series, an initiative focused on keeping members proactively engaged with current economic challenges and healthcare reform issues.

30 Sep 2009

Administrative expenses of Medicare plans rose in 2008

Per member administrative costs grew by 8.3% in 2008, compared with 3.3% in 2007. Adjusting for changes in product mix, administrative expense growth increased to 10.2% in 2008 from 1.9% in 2007.

30 Sep 2009

New 'movements' seek to introduce preventive, mental health care in new settings

A nationwide effort to coordinate mental health with primary care is underway, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "The idea is to give simple interventions in 15- to 30-minute visits that will address behavioral issues ranging from stress to traumatic reactions that often go untreated." Some clinics have coupled licensed social workers with their other clinical staff; the mental health experts provide services while patients and family members receive physical care.

30 Sep 2009

States nervous, anxious for health reform in face of rising costs

Governors express nervousness about about Congress' pending health reform proposals. In Green Bay, residents watched costs rise, again, this year according to a new survey, and in Hawaii, most state workers saw soaring premiums, while teachers got off the hook by means of an innovative alternative insurance plan. In Massachusetts, 60 doctors accepted speaking fees from a drug giant.

30 Sep 2009

Innovex and Healthcare at Home to launch homecare services in Europe

Innovex, a Quintiles company, and Healthcare at Home today announced that they have agreed to form an innovative healthcare joint venture in Europe, named Healthcare at Home Europe.

30 Sep 2009

Université Laval unveils Treatment Compliance Chair to improve population health

The Faculty of Pharmacy at Université Laval sees the creation of the Treatment Compliance Chair as a means to help improve population health and well-being. Medication is a part of everyday life for many Quebecers.

30 Sep 2009

Rite Aid and Atlantic General Hospital sign agreement to open Atlantic ImmediCare clinics

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) and Atlantic General Hospital and Health System today announced an agreement to open Atlantic ImmediCare clinics inside three Rite Aid stores in Ocean Pines and Pocomoke City, Maryland, and Millsboro, Delaware, this fall. The clinics, which will be open daily, will provide extended hours for care in the evening and on weekends.

30 Sep 2009

Impulse Monitoring, VUMC sign agreement for onsite monitoring services

Impulse Monitoring, Inc. (IMI), a leading provider of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) services to hospitals, today announced that it has signed an agreement with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, TN, to provide comprehensive IONM overflow support to VUMC’s in-house neuromonitoring team.

30 Sep 2009

Promised e-health improvements also come with shortcomings, risks

Efforts to achieve greater efficiency and higher quality in health care through new health information technologies are not without new risks as well.

30 Sep 2009

Poll: Support for Democratic health plan hits new low

"Just 41% of voters nationwide now favor the health care reform proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That's down two points from a week ago and the lowest level of support yet measured," Rasmussen reports on its latest poll.

30 Sep 2009

Medical students increasingly spurning primary care

The Baltimore Sun reports: "Ryan Circh's heart is drawn to family medicine, but his head - fixated on his daunting student loans and the uncertainties of health care reform - is leading him toward emergency or sports medicine. The 24-year-old studying medicine at the University of Maryland is probably another potential primary care physician lost. In the school's most recent graduating medical school class, more than a third pursued internal and family medicine."

30 Sep 2009

Automated SafetySurveillor system to detect healthcare-associated infections

The Premier healthcare alliance today announced that Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center of Midlothian, Va., selected Premier’s SafetySurveillor® Web-based infection tracking and antimicrobial utilization tool. More than 270 hospitals use SafetySurveillor to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and optimize antibiotic use, thereby protecting patients more effectively while safely reducing hospital costs.

30 Sep 2009

Democrats ready to battle amongst themselves over public plan

Democrats are set to spar — among themselves — on inclusion of a government-run public option for health insurance coverage during Finance Committee action today.

30 Sep 2009

PAIRO partners with Ministry of Health to organize Health Professionals Recruitment Tour

Over the coming weeks, the Professional Association of Internes and Residents of Ontario (PAIRO) will play host to over 90 Ontario communities in need during the Health Professionals Recruitment Tour. Communities, experiencing a shortage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers will take the opportunity to showcase lifestyle, educational and employment opportunities available. Last year, over 1200 students, residents and established healthcare professionals visited the job fair.

30 Sep 2009

Two new short term health insurance plans to meet people’s needs

UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule Insurance Company is introducing two new short term health insurance plans in North Carolina and West Virginia designed to meet people’s needs for more flexible and cost-effective approaches to coverage.

30 Sep 2009

Fact checking anecdotes: Obama wrong on particulars in cancer and acne insurance denial case

When President Obama recently recounted the story of a woman he said was denied coverage for failure to own up to a skin condition when she enrolled in a plan, he was incorrect, The Associated Press reports.

30 Sep 2009

Measure to protect older insured could impact the young

In most states, insurers charge older people much higher health insurance premiums than their younger counterparts, a practice companies say is "an unavoidable business decision" because the risk of getting sick rises with age, the Associated Press reports.

30 Sep 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

It is the Republicans' right to choose this course of hard-line opposition. But, just as surely, Democrats are the majority party in Congress. And we have a responsibility to lead (Sen. Tom Harkin, 9/29).

30 Sep 2009

Aetna announces first-dollar coverage for H1N1 flu vaccine administration

Aetna announced today that it will provide first-dollar coverage for the administration of the H1N1 flu vaccine for all of its fully-insured health plan members, and for all members of self-funded plans unless directed otherwise by the plan sponsor. Aetna is offering this coverage even in instances where members’ plans do not include coverage for preventive care or have limits on such coverage.

30 Sep 2009

Liberals sponsor anti-Baucus ad, former lawmakers call for civility

A new ad from a liberal group attacks Sen. Max Baucus' position on the public option. Meanwhile, some former lawmakers want to tone down the rhetoric in the debate.

30 Sep 2009