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Index 2009: News in brief

Government - Profession - Business - Health - 2008

Government & Medicine briefs

• HHS launches new efforts against medical fraud, identity theft - Nov. 2
• Employer health coverage continues to drop - Nov. 2
• Settlement reached in Part D lawsuit - Nov. 2
• Medical device firms critical of proposed tax - Oct. 26
• Florida's Medicaid chief resigns - Oct. 26
• Gov. Schwarzenegger rejects physician work force study - Oct. 26
• Lawmakers question tobacco firms over ban on flavored cigarettes - Oct. 19
• OIG to review imaging payments - Oct. 19
• Case challenges employer mandate - Oct. 19
• GAO: Medicaid dental care still needs work - Oct. 19
• Senators call on Medicare to halt radiation therapy cuts - Oct. 12
• Medicare Advantage, Part D premiums announced - Oct. 12
• Few HIPAA complaints result in change, report shows - Oct. 12
• Medicare Part B premium support passes House - Oct. 5
• Calif. federal court again rejects Medicaid payment cuts - Oct. 5
• Without system reform, millions more will be uninsured, report says - Oct. 5
• Appeals court upholds ban on cigarette sales - Sept. 28
• Medicare joins Vermont medical home demo - Sept. 28
• Calif. bill would mandate physician work force plan - Sept. 28
• Medicare lifts sanctions on WellPoint - Sept. 21
• Medicare may cover HIV screening - Sept. 21
• TMA holds public meetings on uninsured - Sept. 21
• HHS gives states more than $70 million to help cover the uninsured - Sept. 14
• HHS extends Wisconsin drug program - Sept. 14
• Iowa hospital settles over excessive physician compensation - Sept. 14
• FDA has a new tobacco advisory committee - Sept. 7
• House reform bill would save billions through health center expansions, study finds - Sept. 7
• White House appoints new HIV/AIDS adviser - Sept. 7
• Insurer offers coverage to Massachusetts immigrants - Sept. 7
• Community health center funding gets boost - Aug. 31
• Most Americans still want health system reform - Aug. 31
• HHS rules require patient notification of privacy breaches - Aug. 31
• States recover $1.3 billion in Medicaid fraud - Aug. 24
• AHRQ to issue grants for patient-centered medical homes - Aug. 24
• N.M. nursing homes protest House reform proposal - Aug. 24
• Senate confirms Dr. Collins as NIH director - Aug. 17
• DME supplier bidding starts in late October - Aug. 17
• HHS assumes HIPAA security enforcement - Aug. 17
• Medicare anti-fraud team ensnares more physicians - Aug. 10
• Measure would require direct deposit of Medicare/Medicaid pay - Aug. 10
• Pelosi reintroduces bill to create health data tracking network - Aug. 10
• House adopts HHS budget bill - Aug. 3
• Bill introduced to expand home oxygen therapy - Aug. 3
• Connecticut Legislature overrides governor on public plan - July 27
• Illinois abortion notification law upheld - July 27
• FTC identity theft rule takes effect Aug. 1 - July 20
• Medicaid/CHIP outreach grants available - July 20
• HHS spending bill passes first hurdle - July 20
• Supreme Court upholds halt to California Medicaid payment cuts - July 13
• Dr. Price takes over ranking House health subcommittee seat - July 13
• Obama favors shorter protections for original biologics - July 13
• HHS distributes health center grants - July 13
• Assistant HHS chief confirmed - July 6
• Wyoming budget cuts threaten Medicaid doctor pay - July 6
• San Francisco access mandate again taken to U.S. Supreme Court - July 6
• CBO finds coalition savings proposals difficult to verify - June 29
• Most support public plan, trust physicians' opinions on health reform - June 29
• Legislation seeks to improve cancer treatment options - June 29
• Legislation would raise Calif. Medicare rates - June 22
• Physicians want more nutrition services covered, report says - June 22
• Oregon adopts health reform bills - June 22
• Physicians worry health reform will increase their costs - June 15
• Bill to end generic drug delays clears House subcommittee - June 15
• Florida tobacco tax increase to benefit state Medicaid program - June 15
• Nebraska governor approves abortion-related measure - June 15
• Georgetown University professor to oversee CHIP, Medicaid - June 8
• HHS releases Medicare outreach grants - June 8
• Bill would alter comparative effectiveness research oversight - June 8
• Progressives outline $82 million health reform campaign - June 8
• Illinois Senate clears medical marijuana bill - June 8
• Dr. Hamburg confirmed to lead FDA - June 1
• New Medicare anti-fraud team announced - June 1
• Obama names new CDC chief - May 25
• California Medicaid cuts fuel ongoing litigation - May 25
• Bill would allow small businesses to buy insurance together - May 25
• Senators urge e-prescribing policy change - May 18
• HHS names reform office personnel - May 18
• WellCare to pay $80 million to resolve alleged Florida Medicaid fraud - May 18
• Colorado hospital tax to help cover uninsured - May 18
• Renamed organization gathers physicians' voices - May 11
• Insurers move forward with pay-for-performance - May 11
• Illinois clinic settles Medicaid antitrust suit - May 11
• Sebelius confirmed as HHS chief - May 4
• Americans fear loss of medical privacy - May 4
• Medicare halts portion of EHR bonus demo - April 27
• States still facing big budget shortfalls - April 27
• Uninsured population skyrockets in North Carolina - April 27
• Emergency bid to halt San Francisco health spending mandate fails - April 20
• AMA releases guidance on FTC "red flag" rules - April 20
• Physician pay could drop 6.8% under national public health plan, report says - April 13
• Obama picks assistant HHS chief - April 6
• Nursing homes to see Medicare P4P - April 6
• National health IT chief named - March 30
• Members named to federal comparative effectiveness council - March 30
• Researchers urge 7% boost to NIH budget - March 30
• Employers support nonpayment for "never events" - March 23
• Okla. House adopts basic insurance bill - March 23
• Medicare to pay for sleep apnea tests - March 16
• Obama nominates Kansas governor for HHS secretary - March 9
• WellCare's Medicare plans to halt enrollment, marketing - March 9
• New York, Utah physicians fight for liability protections - March 9
• San Francisco uninsured program expands - March 2
• New HRSA chief to oversee community health centers - March 2
• Medicare expands bariatric surgery coverage - March 2
• CMS against covering virtual colonoscopies - Feb. 23
• Number of uninsured rises in Pa. - Feb. 16
• Daschle withdraws as HHS nominee - Feb. 9
• Senate bill would expand senior care training - Feb. 2
• Physicians defend San Francisco universal access program - Jan. 26
• Obama names HHS deputy secretary - Jan. 19
• Pallone keeps House health panel chair - Jan. 19
• Wis. physicians rebuffed in effort to stop raid on liability fund - Jan. 19
• Survey rates Medicare contractors - Jan. 12
• FPs seek more training funds - Jan. 12
• Abortion conscience rule takes effect Jan. 18 - Jan. 5

Last year's news briefs - Back to top

If defensive medicine accounts for 1% of the annual health care bill, that's $22 billion. Read more

Professional Issues briefs

• New GME journal launched - Nov. 2
• Fla. physician hits $189 million lottery jackpot - Nov. 2
• Medical interpreters can get certification - Oct. 26
• Video contest for students considering medical school - Oct. 26
• Nobel Prize in medicine shared by 3 U.S. scientists for DNA work - Oct. 19
• Shingles boosts stroke risk, study says - Oct. 19
• Prevalence of autism is rising, according to study - Oct. 12
• Doctors not comfortable talking with patient surrogates - Oct. 12
• One dose of H1N1 vaccine found effective for children 10 and older - Oct. 5
• Trial lawyer ads for liability cases on the rise - Oct. 5
• NIH accepting embryonic stem cell line applications - Oct. 5
• Former AMA president dies - Sept. 28
• Office managers often gatekeepers for drug reps - Sept. 28
• N.J. hospitals must disclose "never events" - Sept. 21
• CDC funds cancer screenings, prevention of health care-associated infections - Sept. 21
• Gene patent suit stirs medical community - Sept. 14
• Joint Commission: Hospital CEOs should be judged on safety - Sept. 14
• Antimicrobial resistance trials begin - Sept. 14
• Tobacco settlement funds misused, Ohio judge rules - Sept. 7
• FDA proposes electronic safety reporting - Sept. 7
• Teens have easy access to potentially abusive substances - Sept. 7
• California liability cap withstands legal threat - Aug. 31
• 45% of U.S. hospitals ban smoking - Aug. 31
• Life expectancy continues upward trend - Aug. 31
• Ariz. law gives liability relief for emergency care - Aug. 24
• IOM to provide advice for doctors on H1N1 protection - Aug. 24
• Costs of noncompliance spur reform call - Aug. 24
• Fla. ruling upholds Good Samaritan immunity - Aug. 17
• Consumer Reports starts hospital ratings site - Aug. 17
• Accuracy of some flu tests questioned - Aug. 17
• Blues settlement disbursements sent to physicians - Aug. 10
• Two physicians among Medal of Freedom recipients - Aug. 10
• Rebuilding health care in New Orleans still seen as a challenge - Aug. 10
• Doctors differ on life-support decisions for patients in septic shock - Aug. 3
• Idaho high court recognizes negligent credentialing by hospitals - Aug. 3
• Simulated emergencies found to offer effective learning tool - Aug. 3
• Bill seeks to create health care innovation zones - July 27
• AHA honors hospice work - July 27
• Groups join forces on medical liability reform - July 20
• Strategies seek to boost health care worker flu vaccination rates - July 20
• Study shows problems managing test results - July 20
• California court mulls criminal drug treatment program - July 13
• New Hampshire prescribing data law will not get Supreme Court review - July 13
• Texas laws help track vaccination status - July 13
• Georgia ruling may lift peer review protections - July 6
• Board expands specialties eligible for addiction medicine certification - July 6
• Improving health literacy helps diminish disparities - June 29
• Elderly patients awaiting kidneys often die before transplant - June 29
• New pediatric bioethics center launched - June 29
• Calif. medical board withdraws complaint against transplant surgeon - June 22
• Dr. Tiller's clinic closed - June 22
• Overcrowding is still the norm in EDs, says GAO - June 15
• Tort reform leads to better ranking for Illinois medical liability insurer - June 15
• Hurricane relief provided to medical students - June 8
• Black women may decline breast cancer treatment - June 8
• Bill challenging Nevada liability cap defeated - June 1
• Oregon weighs measure giving psychologists prescribing rights - June 1
• Surgeons group: Medical tourists should check doctors' qualifications - May 25
• IRB stung by investigation shuts down - May 25
• WellPoint/Anthem class-action settlement set to expire - May 18
• Ohio State Medical Assn. launches medical liability blog - May 18
• Primary care subject of Connecticut study - May 11
• Ethics essay contest offers medical students chance at $5,000 - May 11
• Massachusetts physicians lobby for apology protections - May 4
• North Carolina hospital wins award for case-management services - May 4
• Oklahoma physicians push for liability protections - April 27
• State legislatures, medical schools target gifts, financial conflicts - April 20
• ABMS adopts changes to certification standards - April 13
• Utah doctors win ED liability shields - April 6
• CME program offered to internists - April 6
• Pitt gets $4.7 million for MRSA control research - March 30
• Connecticut grant aims to improve care for minorities - March 23
• Texas board announces new leaders - March 16
• Discharge help can cut hospital use - March 9
• Musicians and singers wanted for VA music group - March 2
• Medical school faculty reveal attitudes about diversity - Feb. 23
• HHS ramps up message on preventing hospital infections - Feb. 16
• Missouri court upholds negligent credentialing claim against hospital - Feb. 9
• Device trade group updates ethics code - Feb. 2
• Joint Commission remains ASC accrediting agency - Jan. 26
• Study ties shorter surgeries to fewer infections - Jan. 19
• Cleveland Clinic surgeons perform first face transplant in the U.S. - Jan. 12
• Scope of practice dispute can proceed, Texas court rules - Jan. 5

Last year's news briefs - Back to top

Solo and small-group practices deliver the most primary care but have the lowest rates of EHR adoption. Read more

Business briefs

• Health plan will reimburse physicians for online patient communications - Nov. 2
• Health Net introduces Medicare Advantage plan for Hispanic seniors - Nov. 2
• Mass. governor urges reforms for small business insurance market - Nov. 2
• Medical care costs outpace overall inflation rate - Oct. 26
• Former government health tech chief joins open-source consortium - Oct. 26
• Health information organization unveils patient bill of rights - Oct. 19
• Number of physicians using e-prescribing expected to double - Oct. 19
• N.D. Blues plan settles marketing, contracting violation claims - Oct. 19
• WellPoint cuts worker health benefits - Oct. 19
• Extortion attempt against Express Scripts confirmed - Oct. 12
• Decision over CareFirst reserves delayed - Oct. 12
• Mass layoffs in health care industry decrease - Oct. 5
• Dell acquires Perot Systems - Oct. 5
• Oregon judge finds Regence rate hike approval followed the law - Oct. 5
• Large disease-management firm files for bankruptcy - Sept. 28
• Calif. upgrades Rx monitoring to high-tech database - Sept. 28
• Web site aims to standardize newborn screenings - Sept. 28
• California lawmakers pass bill limiting rescissions; veto possible - Sept. 21
• Pharmacists asking for change to new HIPAA rules - Sept. 21
• WellCare pays $120,000 penalty for exceeding limits for campaign donations in Florida - Sept. 14
• Health info group awarded money to help build national health information exchange - Sept. 14
• WebMD forms HSA partnership - Sept. 7
• United discounts some drug co-pays - Sept. 7
• Aetna stops paying for some "never events" - Sept. 7
• Congressional panels ask insurers for more information on executive pay - Aug. 31
• Dossia welcomes prominent new member - Aug. 31
• Insurance commissioners examining rescissions - Aug. 31
• Online search for insurance coverage spikes - Aug. 24
• Health sector employment continues to grow slowly - Aug. 24
• HIMSS launches online clinical decision support tool - Aug. 24
• Billions spent annually on complementary, alternative therapies - Aug. 17
• Maine's health information exchange will soon go live - Aug. 17
• Calif. regulators try to rein in medical discount card firms - Aug. 10
• N.D., S.D. health systems to merge - Aug. 10
• Aetna to buy employee assistance business for $70 million - Aug. 10
• Military service members and families in Hawaii will get access to e-visits - Aug. 10
• S.C. medical home pilot for patients with diabetes under way with Blues support - Aug. 3
• New hospital company forms - Aug. 3
• Michigan lawmakers consider insurance market reforms - July 27
• AMIA calls for change in certification process - July 27
• Hybrid concierge support company signs 100th practice - July 27
• New mobile tool checks OTC drug interactions - July 20
• MGMA posts business tips for doctors - July 20
• HSAs become more popular - July 13
• University of Miami, Microsoft test remote diabetes management tools - July 13
• Florida approves drug monitoring program - July 6
• MGMA releases report on physician relocations - July 6
• Lawmakers propose further review of N.J. Blues conversion - July 6
• Scrushy ordered to pay HealthSouth shareholders for alleged fraud - June 29
• HITSP tackles clinical research standards - June 29
• Coventry sells part of its Medicaid business - June 22
• Aetna stock price declines following revised earnings forecast - June 22
• Medical tourism gaining appeal - June 15
• Indiana hospital temporarily turns patients away after EMR outage - June 15
• Antitrust waiting period for WellPoint's NextRx sale expires - June 15
• IRS urges small businesses to take advantage of one-time tax breaks - June 8
• Cigna freezes pension plan, replaces CFO - June 8
• Google asks why people search - June 8
• Maryland insurance commissioner orders United to pay $1.5 million - June 8
• California issues first fine for patient privacy violations - June 1
• Hospital stocks improve; analysts take more positive view of investing - June 1
• Partnership to give patients online access to lab results - June 1
• Oregon regulators shrink Regence's requested rate increase - May 25
• Former WellPoint CFO consulting for Health Net - May 25
• More physicians take part in pay-for-performance when incentives grow - May 25
• TMA introduces EMR review center - May 18
• N.J. Blues plan cuts 253 jobs - May 18
• HCA earnings up - May 11
• WellPoint buys dental benefits firm - May 11
• Cigna offers cost estimator tools - May 4
• Maryland fines Coventry for unclear policy - May 4
• Walgreens sets e-Rx record - May 4
• 3 million and counting using Kaiser's PHR - May 4
• IBM, Oklahoma school team up for medical homes project - April 27
• WellPoint unveils contest parameters - April 27
• AMGA survey goes online - April 27
• Payer-owned electronic network grows - April 20
• AMA updates on Twitter - April 13
• Kaiser employees caught snooping at medical records of octuplets' mom - April 13
• For-profit Hawaiian hospital system files bankruptcy plan - April 13
• Community Health Systems adding hospitals - April 13
• Massachusetts Blues sign fourth medical group to capitated contract - April 6
• WebMD to launch portal in the UK - April 6
• New York insurers seeking doctors for medical home initiative - March 30
• More Pennsylvania hospitals feeling economic pain - March 30
• Vt. Blues interim CEO made permanent - March 23
• Pharmacy company shortens name, unveils e-prescribing resource - March 23
• More Pa. hospitals feel economic pain - March 23
• CDC asks retailers to promote responsible antibiotic use - March 16
• Horizon answers regulators' questions about conversion proposal - March 16
• Maryland health network gets push - March 16
• Cigna extends phone line hours - March 9
• Study: EHRs can test drug efficacy - March 9
• Prescribing system links with Wal-Mart - March 2
• Cigna offers podcasts - March 2
• Consumers not swayed by "top doc" rankings - March 2
• Cleveland Clinic strikes deal with MinuteClinic - Feb. 23
• Anthem settles with California insurance department over coverage rescissions - Feb. 23
• S.C. Blues plan opens retail store - Feb. 16
• Calif. retail clinics shutting down - Feb. 9
• Judge bars WellPoint's $1,000 offers - Feb. 9
• UnitedHealth Group appoints EVP to lead health system reform efforts - Feb. 2
• Blue Shield of California reinstates members in settlement with state - Feb. 2
• Michigan Blues warned about undermarketing medigap - Feb. 2
• Online doctor visits go live in Hawaii - Jan. 26
• Walgreens markets health care to businesses - Jan. 26
• AHIC successor has new name - Jan. 19
• Text messaging test for diabetes care - Jan. 19
• Florida Blues add MinuteClinic - Jan. 19
• Grocery chain latest to offer free generic antibiotics - Jan. 12
• Doctor-founded urgent care company growing - Jan. 12
• WellPoint designated to get members transferred from departing PPO - Jan. 5
• Minnesota campaigns for safety-net payment hike - Jan. 5

Last year's news briefs - Back to top

As of Aug. 20, H1N1 flu has been cited in 522 deaths and nearly 8,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. Read more

Health & Science briefs

• New tools for cancer survivors - May 4
• Task force renews tobacco-cessation recommendations - May 4
• Plan B access expanded - May 4
• Writer's cramp may have its root in brain abnormalities - April 27
• FDA approves rapid influenza test - April 27
• Disparities affect longevity - April 20
• Guidelines issued on low blood glucose disorders - April 20
• Combination therapies more effective in helping patients quit smoking - April 13
• Oxycodone relieves shingles pain - April 13
• Family history strong indicator of venous thrombosis risk - April 13
• Despite shortage of Hib vaccine, CDC urges primary dose for infants - April 6
• FDA warns about weight loss products with undeclared drugs - April 6
• Most people eat too much salt - April 6
• FDA appointees announced - March 30
• Admissions of patients with prescription painkiller addiction increase - March 30
• Some medicated patches missing warning about use during MRI - March 23
• Poor balance a flag for cognitive decline among Alzheimer's patients - March 23
• ADHD children may be chronically sleep deprived - March 16
• FDA approves new gout medication - March 16
• Vitamins may cut risk for vision loss - March 9
• Cancer deaths plague African-American community - March 2
• Joint replacement in extremely obese possible, but complicated - March 2
• FDA panel recommends approval of anticlotting drug - Feb. 23
• No increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome after HPV vaccination - Feb. 23
• Number of suicides in the military up - Feb. 16
• RSV leads large number of children to needed medical care - Feb. 16
• Acting director of CDC named - Feb. 9
• Antidepressant effectiveness - Feb. 9
• More potassium, less sodium reduces cardiovascular risk - Feb. 9
• Benefit of genetic testing before blood-thinning therapy studied - Feb. 2
• Serious injuries from Tasers rare - Feb. 2
• New dietary tool helps Hispanics reduce their diabetes risk - Feb. 2
• CDC director resigns - Jan. 26
• Study: Blood pressure higher in winter - Jan. 26
• Lack of sleep linked to cold resistance - Jan. 26
• New HIV test approved - Jan. 19
• Cognitive decline associated with adult-onset diabetes starts early - Jan. 19
• Antiepileptic drugs get new warnings - Jan. 12
• Study explores sleep issues - Jan. 12
• FDA top job soon to be vacant - Jan. 5
• Secondhand smoke still a health risk for many children - Jan. 5
• Defective antibodies from RSV vaccine - Jan. 5

Last year's news briefs - Back to top

159 million people in the U.S. are in the CDC's priority group to receive H1N1 vaccine. Read more