Medicine & Health articles from April 2008

Medicine & Health archives from April 2008

Patients not as happy with quality of care as experts would like: pain control is one among many complaints.(Patient Satisfaction)(Clinical report)
April 4, 2008... The first uniform national patient survey had surprising results last week. A study by the federal government was meant to give patients an outlet to complain about possible doctor and nurse personality shortcomings and dirty or noisy hospital...

AHRQ's annual analysis shows state-by-state health care performance: states had varied rankings among the areas rated.(Quality Improvement)
April 4, 2008... The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently released its annual analysis of health care performance, aimed at helping providers identity areas of health care delivery needing quality improvement. The analysis, called State...

Future should hold new protections for implantable medical devices: for now, seniors encouraged to arm themselves with knowledge.(Medical Devices)
April 4, 2008... Patients faced with the need for medical devices, from knee implants and stents to implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), don't have a Consumer Reports to guide them--but maybe they should. That's the gist of a renewed call for...

Mental Health Parity bill halts Medicare benes' access to America's best hospitals: House and Senate conferees are looking to ensure passage of Mental Health And Addiction Equity Act.(Mental Health)
April 4, 2008... Medicare recipients could have their chances of being treated in the nation's best hospitals drastically reduced if a measure currently before Congress passes into law, according to a report published on bio-medicine.org. By a narrow...

FDA issues draft guidance on implantable stents: action follows last year's investigation over manufacturing errors.(FDA)
April 4, 2008... New draft guidelines may change the way coronary stents wend their way to market. On March 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced new draft guidelines to aid the development, testing and manufacture of coronary drug-eluting...

High court ruling okays disparate health plans: age discrimination protections don't apply for Medicare-eligible retirees.(Legal News)
April 4, 2008... Employers are able to reduce health care benefits when retirees become Medicare-eligible. That's the message sent from the U.S. Supreme Court March 24, when the high court declined to review a related federal appeals court ruling. In a...

Dr. Smith goes to Washington ... and so do hundreds of others: rally on the Hill encourages lawmakers to save Medicare.(Medicare)
April 4, 2008... The AMA's National Advocacy Conference wasn't the only place that physicians visited this week while in Washington, DC. Earlier this week, an estimated 1,000 doctors made a "house call" on Congress. Their goal? To meet with congressional...

New program spotlights individual caregivers: at least one dozen grants available.(Grants)
April 4, 2008... The unsung heroes in the care of the elderly could soon see some more support from the communities in which they reside. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation is set to dole out $9 million nationally over the next three years to help...

Congress considers fall-prevention bill: advocates also seek increased CDC funding.(Legislation)
April 4, 2008... A bill that would promote fall prevention and research at the federal level is likely to make its debut on the House floor in April. That was the word recently from the National Council on Aging (NCOA) regarding HR 3701, the "Keeping...

Vitamins E and C won't stave off dementia: adverse effects include increased mortality risk.(Vitamins)
April 4, 2008... Older adults who supplement their diets with vitamin E or C supplements could be wasting their money if their goal is to keep a sharp mind. A new study shows that the supplements do not reduce the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's...

Alzheimer's and dementia cost billions each year: new report includes data on prevalence and mortality.(Alzheimer's Disease)
April 4, 2008... The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer's and other dementias to Medicare, Medicaid and businesses amount to more than $148 billion each year. That's just one of the many facts presented in 2008 Alzheimer's Disease Facts & Figures, a new...

Study shows older Americans are healthy, wealthy and wise: gender and ethnic information is inconsistent.(Studies & Reports)
April 4, 2008... Statistics on Americans 65 and older is the locus of a report released March 27 from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, a coalition of 15 federal agencies that use or produce data about older Americans. Among the...

Insurers to rank physicians under new national standards: earlier ranking attempts proved to be misleading.(Physician Ranking)
April 11, 2008... The ongoing dispute between doctors and insurers over how health plans grade patient care is finally coming to a halt. Both parties are now working together to create national standards that will measure physician performance, according to a...

Round one bidding notices rock DME industry: outraged trade groups plan legal action.(Competitive Bidding)
April 11, 2008... Suppliers nationwide are catching a glimpse of their Medicare future, and it looks bleak. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent out round one competitive bidding contract offers March 20. Round one will take place in 10...

Stem cell technology could save drug manufacturers millions: technology found effective in avoiding false positives in drug testing.(Studies & Reports)
April 11, 2008... Stem cell technology might help reduce false positives depicted by many drugs during preclinical drug testing. So states a new report from Kalorama Information, "Stem Cells: Worldwide Markets for Transplantation, Cord Blood Banking and Drug...

Competitive bidding program reductions 'unsustainable and unpredictable': Medicare funding reductions will eliminate key jobs when demands for quality increase.(Competitive Bidding)
April 11, 2008... Leaders in the home oxygen community expressed concern on March 20 over the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) announcement about projected program reductions tied to Medicare's competitive bidding program for the home oxygen...

Drug treatment market for obesity to reach $2.7 billion in 2016: emerging novel therapies will capture 80 percent of the total obesity market in 2016.(Obesity)
April 11, 2008... The obesity drug market in the United States. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan will experience more than five-fold growth, rising from $478 million in 2006 to more than $2.7 billion in 2016, according to a study...

Americans continue to spend millions on plastic surgery procedures: 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2007.(Plastic Surgery)
April 11, 2008... The number of plastic surgery procedures performed in America is growing steadily with no sign of a slowdown, recent data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows. Almost 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were...

Study touts benefits of zero-emission vehicles: California could lead the way to health cost savings, survey says.(Air Quality)
April 11, 2008... Converting all motor vehicles in California from gasoline to zero-emission (ZEV) technology in the 2010-2030 timeframe would result in a $142 billion benefit in human health and global warming reduction benefits, a study sponsored by the...

Allergy sufferers face uphill battles, study shows: communication between allergy sufferers and their physicians is crucial, a survey states.(Studies & Reports)
April 11, 2008... Allergy patients often find their maladies viewed as overblown by others, and must cope needlessly with both the physical and the emotional effects of their allergic conditions, according to a national survey, "Attitude About Allergies,"...

Chronic diseases weigh heavy on the economy: need for a renewed national commitment to achieve a 'healthy body weight.'.(Health Costs)
April 11, 2008... The annual economic impact of chronic diseases on Ohio's economy is calculated to be $56.8 billion, according to a recent study, "An Unhealthy America: The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease," released by the Milken Institute. The study also...

CMS increases dialysis standards: patient quality of care stays in focus.(Standards)
April 11, 2008... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be bringing dialysis centers into the 21st century with new minimum standards that dialysis facilities must meet to attain Medicare certification. The new standards, outlined in a final...

Medicare covers home wafarin use: Medicare reimburses for meter training, equipment and supplies.(Medicare)
April 11, 2008... Medicare Part B has expanded its coverage to all long-term wafarin users who monitor their prothrombin time at home with a portable handheld meter. It now covers meter training, equipment and supplies for all such users. The new coverage...

Hospitals avoiding most costs for their medical errors, study says: researchers suggest that financial incentives are needed to improve performance.(Patient Safety)
April 18, 2008... Medical errors cost $17 billion to $29 billion per year, but hospitals have little incentive to improve patient safety because they shift the cost to other payers, a Commonwealth Fund-supported study says. The study, "Who Pays for Medical...

5.6 million workers get insurance coverage for new substance-abuse services: 'screening and brief intervention' is now valid for payment.(Federal Employees Health Benefits Program)
April 18, 2008... Millions of federal employees who are in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program will now be covered for a medical procedure to help eliminate substance abuse. Doctors can use the Screening and Brief Intervention procedure to check...

States show inequalities in children's health, report says: study reveals huge gap among states on a wide variety of child well-being indicators.(Geographic Analysis)
April 18, 2008... The state where a child is born and raised can make a drastic difference in his chances of staying healthy and surviving to adulthood, reveals a new report, "Geography Matters: Child Well-Being in the States." The study shows huge gaps...

Consumer, labor groups approve physician performance rankings: the Patient Charter covers health plans' activities across the nation.(Healthcare Standards)
April 18, 2008... Consumer, employer and labor organizations recently announced a comprehensive national agreement with leading physician groups and health insurers on principles to guide how health plans measure doctors' performance and report the information...

House approves increase to the global fund for HIV/AIDS: the new measure authorizes HIV/AIDS programs to include linkages to food and nutrition, education and healthcare programs.(Congressional Action)
April 18, 2008... A bipartisan compromise brokered by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-CA) led to the U.S. House of Representatives' April 2 vote to expand the landmark U.S. effort to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide. Berman argued for the...

Medicare trustees' report shows need for reform: the sooner long-term financing problems are addressed, the more flexible and gradual the solutions can be.(Federal Budget)
April 18, 2008... The most recent Medicare trustees' report calls for comprehensive reform to address the program's long-term financing issues, according to the American Academy of Actuaries. Medicare's hospital insurance expenditures exceed income from payroll...

Midwestern states get less CDC money than other states: study shows Midwestern states receive an average of $16.24 per person.(Public Health)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Report)(Brief article)
April 18, 2008... In comparison to other states, the Midwestern states receive less money from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reveals a new report, "Shortchanging America's Health: A State-by-State Look at How Federal Public Health Dollars Are...

Medicare enrollment, revalidation process just got trickier: new provider requirements for CMS-855 form start in June.(CMS Regulations)
April 18, 2008... That time of year has come again--time for CMS to issue yet another enrollment form, taking the enrollment and revalidation process into murky waters. CMS has revised CMS-855, the Medicare enrollment application, urging providers to begin...

CMS issues e-prescribing standards in Medicare: agency's move induces doctors to use the electronic technology.(Government Guidelines)
April 18, 2008... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued final electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) standards in Medicare, the Reuters Web site reports. The CMS move signifies that it is important for doctors to use this technology in...

Study shows bacteria could be key to solving obesity: animal studies suggest gut microbiota have role in regulating weight.(Science and Health)
April 18, 2008... Bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract could help regulate weight and reduce the incidence of obesity, recent research reveals. Scientists from Mayo Clinic Arizona and Arizona State University have examined the role that gut...

Inspector general issues new self-disclosure protocol: changes require providers to supply information about potential violations of law.(Federal Healthcare Programs)
April 25, 2008... In an open letter to healthcare providers, Health and Human Services Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson said the OIG has refined and improved the Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol, which healthcare providers use to voluntarily report...

Experts want major changes in healthcare delivery system, survey says: vast majority of participants support payment reform.(Opinion Leaders Speak Out)
April 25, 2008... A large percentage of participants in the latest Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare survey want fundamental change in the way the U.S. healthcare delivery system is organized, the Commonwealth Fund says. The 14th Commonwealth Fund/Modern...

Dutch and German health systems could be role models for U.S. reform: foreign ministers emphasize the need for regulated competition among private insurers.(International Meeting)
April 25, 2008... Dutch and German health systems are emerging as potential models and have achieved universal coverage through competition among nongovernmental insurers, along with government subsidies for those with low incomes, according to an article...

Low cholesterol and blood pressure can combat atherosclerosis: study of American Indians shows reversal of damage to arteries.(Science and Medicine)(Report)
April 25, 2008... Reducing cholesterol and blood pressure levels below current targets in adults with type 2 diabetes may help to prevent--and possibly reverse--hardening of the arteries, according to new research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood...

States' health insurance expansion won't cure inequalities: nearly 2 dozen states are considering reform legislation to change insurance coverage and regulation.(Government Action)
April 25, 2008... States can eliminate racial and ethnic healthcare disparities by improving the healthcare infrastructure in underserved communities and stimulating the growth of culturally and linguistically appropriate services, says a recent article...

Pregnancy and cancer most frequently searched health conditions: Chantix, a smoking-cessation treatment, got the most drug hits.(Internet Research)
April 25, 2008... The terms "pregnancy" and "cancer" were the two most commonly Web-searched conditions in February 2008, according to a listing of the 20 most commonly searched health conditions released April 10 by comScore Inc. The terms "pregnancy" and...

New survey reveals Alzheimer's disease care is a family affair: young children and teens are pitching in.(Demographic Trends)
April 25, 2008... Results of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America's third annual survey, "ICAN: Investigating Caregivers' Attitudes and Needs," suggests that children of caregivers assist their parents in delivering care for an aging parent, other relative or...

Chronically sick patients getting more care than they need: over-treating does not guarantee better outcomes, report says.(Long-Term Illness)(Clinical report)
April 25, 2008... Medicare-funded treatment for the chronically ill does not necessarily result in positive outcomes, a new report from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice indicates. The report signifies that it is necessary to...

OIG joins the digital age: seeks efficiency through electronic payments.(Interim Final Rule)(Office of Inspector General)(Brief article)
April 25, 2008... The Office of Inspector General has changed its rules for requesting advisory opinions in an interim final rule published in the March 26 Federal Register. The OIG will no longer ask for initial deposits and will require electronic payments,...