Latest Healthcare Policy & IT News: i360 Gov

EU Joins Push to Find New Antibiotics

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:32:54 -0400

The Wall Street Journal (online subscription required): LONDON—The European Union Thursday pledged funds to find new antiobiotics, its first attempt to help drugmakers develop medicines to fight increasingly drug-resistant superbugs that are taking more lives every year and adding to rising health costs across the region.

The European Commission has teamed up with a handful of pharmaceutical and biotech companies to launch a new research program that will see the drugmakers and scientists share information that could be useful in developing new drugs, the first step in a wider initiative that European authorities hope will drive the development of a new generation of bacteria-killing medicines.

Insurers may face credit threat if reform stands: Moody's

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:31:59 -0400

Modern Healthcare (complimentary online registration): Insurers could face credit stress if the Supreme Court upholds some or all of the healthcare reform law, according to Moody's Investors Service.

The ratings agency, in a new report, called a decision from the court to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act “a negative credit event” for insurers. The law restricts insurer revenue and introduces new regulations for the sector, the rating agency said.

Obama calls on HHS, others, to make key services mobile

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:31:14 -0400

Government Health IT: The White House on Wednesday unveiled what it called a "sweeping shift to mobile," an initiative aimed at accelerating efforts to make new and useful services available to consumers on their mobile devices.

As part of President Barack Obama's commitment to delivering a 21st century government, he issued a directive requiring that each major federal agency – including the Department of Health and Human Services – make two key government services the American people depend on available on mobile phones within the next 12 months.

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Keep On Truckin' Despite IRS

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:30:33 -0400

Forbes: If you live in a state with legal medical marijuana dispensaries you probably know that the feds do what they can to stamp them out. It’s that old federal versus state law tension. In the case of pot dispensaries, the tension is palpable.

And while the feds are doing everything they can to put out the pot fires, there are already around 2,300 legal dispensaries in the U.S...

Reducing healthcare administrative inefficiencies with big data

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:51:15 -0400

Government Health IT: While it is true that organizations across all industries experience a certain degree of inefficient administrative processes, the size and the cost of the problem in the US healthcare industry is colossal.

Indeed, administrative system inefficiencies have been estimated in the range of $100-150 billion annually, and the actual costs could be even higher. According to a position paper by the Medical Group Management Association, “simplifying our healthcare system’s administration could reduce annual healthcare costs by almost $300 billion.”

Gains in Health System Seen as Lasting by Some

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:31:12 -0400

The New York Times: WASHINGTON — The new health care law is already transforming the way care is delivered, and the changes will continue regardless of how the Supreme Court rules on the mandate for most Americans to carry health insurance, a Democratic senator and an Obama administration official said Tuesday.

The comments by the senator, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and the official, Dr. Richard J. Gilfillan, director of the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, indicated how Democrats were preparing for a Supreme Court ruling on the 2010 law. The law, which President Obama pushed through Congress on a party-line vote, promises to be a salient issue in elections for the White House and Congress this year.

U.S., Mexico set health info-sharing guidelines

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:29:42 -0400

Modern Healthcare: The U.S. and Mexico signed a declaration adopting a set of technical guidelines outlining how information will be shared during public-health events and emergencies, according to an HHS news release.

The guidelines are designed to complement international health regulations and were developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Mexico's General Directorate of Epidemiology. Support also came from HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Mexico's Secretariat of Health. The signing of the public agreement was announced at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, where the two organizations also renewed a food-safety agreement.

Feds issue final rule on consumer tax credit

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:29:15 -0400

Modern Healthcare (complimentary online subscription): The federal government has released a final rule cementing many of the details of the health insurance premium tax credit. Mandated by the healthcare reform law, the credit applies to individuals and families who are enrolled in insurance exchanges and whose income is between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level.

VA, DoD chiefs affirm 2014 iEHR medical center pilots

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:28:42 -0400

Government Health IT: The secretaries of the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments affirmed that they would field test in 2014 initial capabilities of their integrated electronic health record despite delays in the past. Those features will focus on laboratory results and immunizations.

The two sites will be at San Antonio, Texas, and Hampton Roads, Va., where DoD and VA provide medical care to thousands of service members and veterans.

AR: Arkansas politicians debate health insurance exchange

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:22:17 -0400

Government Health IT: Like many states, Arkansas is facing a Medicaid deficit for fiscal 2013. In the Razorback State’s case, that could be somewhere between $250-$400 million, which is among the reasons Governor Mike Beebe is talking about reforming the payment system.

Arkansas House and Senate public health committees in early May endorsed the creation of a multi-payer /provider portal, the goal of which is to reform the state’s healthcare payment system from fee-for-service to one that rewards outcomes, taking quality and affordability into account. The portal is slated to launch July 1 and on October 1 the first changes to the payment system will kick in.

Emerging Wireless Medical Technology Gets FCC Blessing

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:21:47 -0400

InformationWeek: In a bid to maximize the potential of Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) devices--miniaturized body-worn sensors that collect patient-specific information including EKG readings and respiratory function--the FCC plans to allow more intensive use of the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the 2.36-2.40 gHz band, that the devices operate on. Some technologists believe MBAN represents a new approach to patient monitoring that offers the potential to eliminate bedside cables traditionally used to capture vital signs.

GOP targeting reform law's device tax

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:19:40 -0400

Modern Healthcare (complimentary online subscription): The latest effort by Republicans to repeal components of the 2010 healthcare law is expected later this week during Senate consideration of a bill that would reauthorize FDA user fees.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) plans to offer an amendment to the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act to repeal a medical-device tax included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

U.S. says drug abuse needs treatment, not just jail

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:19:14 -0400

Reuters: The United States sees drug abuse as a public health problem as much as a crime issue and is seeking to learn from countries in Europe and elsewhere about how to treat addiction as a disease, Barack Obama's drugs policy chief said on Tuesday.

Gil Kerlikowske, the U.S. president's director of national drug control policy, said the United States is taking a more balanced approach to substance abusers rather than fighting a "war on drugs" centered mainly on law enforcement.

U.S. Catholic groups sue to block contraception mandate

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:18:50 -0400

Reuters: The University of Notre Dame and dozens of other Catholic institutions sued President Barack Obama's administration on Monday to block a government regulation that requires employers to provide health insurance coverage for contraceptives to employees.

The regulation, which is part of the president's healthcare reform law, has sparked a nasty fight between the administration and the Roman Catholic Church, which opposes artificial contraception.

Measures: Top 10 HHS IT projects in Obama's 2013 budget

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:33:10 -0400

Government Health IT: President Obama's IT budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) totals $7.1 billion for fiscal year 2013, marking a 3 percent increase from FY12.

The IT budget request covers a variety of business functions and plays a pivotal role in supporting the Department’s overall mission to protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

Study reveals factors that drive rise in health costs

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:32:44 -0400

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: A first-of-its-kind examination of private health insurance claims from three of the largest U.S. health plans shows that per capita spending on inpatient and outpatient facilities, medical procedures and prescription drugs rose 3.3 percent in 2010 for those under age 65 who have private health insurance through their employer.

While it may not be surprising that medical care and pharmacy spending have risen, the analysis by the Washington, D.C.-based Health Care Cost Institute represents a breakthrough in accurately determining what's driving those costs.

Catholic institutions sue Obama over birth control mandate

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:32:10 -0400

USA Today: The birth control dispute between President Obama and some Catholic institutions is headed to court.

Dozens of Catholic organizations, from the University of Notre Dame to the Archdioceses of Washington and New York, sued the Obama administration today over a rule requiring them to provide birth control coverage as part of their health insurance plans.

Feds issue final rule on consumer tax credit

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:31:31 -0400

Modern Healthcare (complimentary online registration): The federal government has released a final rule cementing many of the details of the health insurance premium tax credit. Mandated by the healthcare reform law, the credit applies to individuals and families who are enrolled in insurance exchanges and whose income is between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level.

The Treasury Department, which published the rule May 18 (PDF), estimates the tax credit will help provide coverage for nearly 20 million middle-income Americans.

Government task force discourages routine testing for prostate cancer

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:30:05 -0400

The Washington Post: Men should no longer receive a routine blood test to check for prostate cancer because the test does more harm than good, a top-level government task force has concluded in a final recommendation that immediately became controversial.

The recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force runs counter to two decades of medical practice in which many primary-care physicians give the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test to healthy middle-aged men.

‘Radical’ bill seeks to reduce cost of AIDS drugs by awarding prizes instead of patents

Mon, 21 May 2012 06:47:53 -0400

The Washington Post: Prizes, not patents.

That could be the slogan for a radical idea that leading economists say would lower the price of new drugs for treating HIV/AIDS.

Treating AIDS costs tens of thousands of dollars per patient annually in the United States, and more and more patients are unable to afford the life-saving drugs, according to figures from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. The waiting list for the program, which is jointly funded by federal and state governments and provides medicines to low-income patients, now stands at 2,759, up from 361 in 2010.

CDC: Half of overweight teens have heart risk

Mon, 21 May 2012 06:47:25 -0400

AZ Central: ATLANTA (AP) -- Half the nation's overweight teens have unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels that put them at risk for future heart attacks and other cardiac problems, new federal research says.

And an even larger proportion of obese adolescents have such a risk, according to the alarming new numbers.

What Should Congress Do after the Supreme Court Decision on Obamacare?

Mon, 21 May 2012 06:46:51 -0400

Forbes: There’s been a bit of a flap in the media this week about what House Republicans are planning to do regarding health care reform once the Supreme Court rules on Obamacare. But the back-and-forth leaves unanswered an important question: given all of the possible SCOTUS scenarios, what should Congress do to optimize the outcome for people with a stake in a functioning health-care system? Let’s examine the possibilities.

By way of background, earlier this week, Politico reported that House Republicans were planning on “forcing insurance companies to provide coverage to those with pre-existing conditions,” among other things, if the Affordable Care Act is struck down. For reasons I described on Thursday, the story didn’t make a lot of sense.

Health secretary urges contraception compromise

Mon, 21 May 2012 06:46:16 -0400

Reuters: The Obama administration's top health official on Friday took the debate over whether healthcare coverage should include contraceptives to the campus of a Catholic university that has been deeply divided over the administration's policy.

U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in a speech at Georgetown University a few miles from the White House, praised the new U.S. healthcare law requiring coverage and called for "conversation and compromise."

FCC to vote on broadband space for patient monitoring

Mon, 21 May 2012 06:45:43 -0400

Healthcare IT News: WASHINGTON – Federal officials will soon consider a plan to set aside broadband spectrum for wireless healthcare monitoring devices, opening the door to more and better uses both inside and outside the hospital setting.

At a Thursday morning press briefing at George Washington University Hospital in Washington D.C., Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said the FCC would, at its May 24 meeting, vote on allowing the healthcare industry to use designated broadband space to develop and deploy mobile body area networks (MBANs). The wireless technology is used to continuously monitor physiological signs, including pulse rate, blood pressure and glucose measurements.

Red States Unswayed By Federal Health Exchange Plan

Mon, 21 May 2012 06:45:14 -0400

Governing: Following another apparent offer of state flexibility for health exchanges from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), officials from some Republican-controlled states remained stalwart in their opposition to the concept, even as the Obama administration described this week what an online insurance marketplace run by the federal government would look like.

A federally-facilitated exchange is the option for states that decide not to establish a state-run exchange, as created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). HHS outlined Wednesday two separate models for a federal exchange: one in which the state would still retain some responsibilities (such as running consumer services and participating in the certification of insurance plans that are sold on the exchange) and the other in which the federal government would run the whole show.