Health Care Animation

Collaborative Arrangements Will Provide Better Care For Patients, Autralia
The AMA welcomes the Government's introduction of new regulations that require midwives and nurse practitioners to collaborate with medical practitioners in order to provide Medicare-funded services to patients or prescribe them medications under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)...

PCMA: Increased Focus On Combating Fraud Integral To Medicare Program Integrity
Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President and CEO Mark Merritt issued the following statement today on a provision in the U.S...

States Continue Push For Extension Of Extra Medicaid Funds
News outlets report on state budget gaps and lobbying for extra Medicaid funds from the federal government. Bloomberg: "U.S. state governments project revenue will climb in the current fiscal year after they raised taxes and cut spending to close budget gaps of $84 billion, a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures found...

Senate Subcommittee Approves HHS Funding Bill, Other Health Care Bills Readied
CongressDaily: The Senate Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee approved a draft funding bill Tuesday for HHS, "moving a bill that would provide $170 billion in discretionary spending to related federal agencies, nearly $1 billion under the president's request...

Anti-Fraud Efforts Backed By AARP; Seniors Cautioned About Rebate Cons
AARP on Tuesday "threw its influence" behind a number of plans to reduce Medicare fraud, including the bipartisan Medicare Fraud Enforcement and Prevention Act, which would increase penalties on nabbed fraudsters and supply more claims data to enforcers, The Hill reports...

Texas Raises Organ Donor Registry; D.C. Not Ready For Medical Marijuana Sales; L.A. Health Department Facing Major Service Cuts
The Houston Chronicle: "Though Texas has the nation's lowest percentage of registered organ and tissue donors, several recent initiatives have more than doubled the state's donor rolls this year. The number enrolled in the Glenda Dawson Donate Life Texas Registry has ballooned since Jan...

Today's Opinions: Exchanges Reach Beyond Political Squabbles; Missouri's Choice On Nullification; Losing Jobs For Health Reform
A Fair Exchange The New York Times The battle over health care reform won't end just because Republicans and Democrats find they can cooperate on exchanges...

Senate Subcommittee Approves Labor-HHS Funding Bill
On Tuesday, the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee approved by voice vote its draft fiscal year 2011 funding bill, CongressDaily reports. The $732 billion bill would give HHS $306 million more than requested by the White House, which is similar to the funding boost included in the House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee's bill...

NeurogesX Progresses On Coverage For Qutenza®
NeurogesX, Inc. (Nasdaq: NGSX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel pain management therapies, announced important progress in the implementation of its reimbursement strategy for Qutenza® (capsaicin) 8% patch. Qutenza is currently available in the United States for the management of neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)...

Genzyme Encouraged By CMS Decision To Delay Oral Drug Inclusion In Dialysis Patient Benefit
Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) said it welcomed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) decision not to include oral medications without IV equivalents in Medicare's End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patient benefit. According to the final rule, these medications, including Genzyme's Renvela® (sevelamer carbonate), will not be included in the bundle until January 1, 2014...

Maryland Sees Savings In Federal Health Law, For A While At Least
Maryland could spend $829 million less than expected on health care between next year and 2020 because of the federal health overhaul law, according to an analysis by a state-convened committee, The Associated Press/Washington Post reports...

State Governments Expect Tax Collections To Grow But Still Face Budget Gaps
The Wall Street Journal: "State governments expect tax collections to grow for the first time in two years as tax increases and a recovering economy lead to higher collections...

Today's OpEds: Medical Liability And Health Reform, And What About The 'New' Public Option?
Medical Liability Bill Key To Health Reform Roll Call Repealing ObamaCare and reforming our health care system in a responsible manner continues to be our primary goal - a goal that our constituents sent us here to achieve. Thus, we remain committed to passing comprehensive medical liability reform as part of the solution...

Seniors Understand Very Little About The Health Overhaul Law, Poll Finds
The Hill: "The majority of the nation's seniors have little understanding of what the Democrats' newly enacted healthcare law actually does, according to poll results released Monday...

Berwick Faces Continued Hostility From Senate
Dr. Donald M. Berwick, the new head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, faces continued hostility in the Senate, The New York Times reports. "[T]wo weeks after taking office, Dr. Berwick is still struggling to tamp down a furor over past statements in which he discussed the rationing of health care and expressed affection for the British health care system...