Managed Care Weekly Digest

Pain Management - Cancer patients find more relief when treatment guidelines are followed

Veterans Affairs - Study finds VA maintained quality despite shift to outpatient care

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Therapy overcomes differences in outcome between black, white children

Adolescent Health - Teens struggle to find accurate, useful health information online

Demographics - Hispanics face high rates of unstable health coverage, little preventive care

Outcomes - Patients may not fare best with docs or hospitals that most frequently perform the surgery

Accreditation - HIP Health Plan receives URAC's accreditation for utilization management

Addiction Medicine - Service launched to help stop epidemic of sexual addiction

Air Filtration - Hong Kong hospitals get new tool for the fight against SARS

At-Risk Populations - Media blitz persuades more young Latinas to get Pap smears

Blood Product Safety - International bioethics advisory council created

Breast Cancer - Exercise, healthy weight delay cancer among women with highest genetic risk

Breast Cancer - Kaiser to study breast cancer and environment, starting before puberty

Breast Cancer - Smoking decreases survival of patients treated with lumpectomy and radiation

Breast Cancer - Study reveals low complication rates for reconstruction after radiation therapy

Breast Cancer - Use of statins may prevent disease in older women

Business & Finance - AHA extends agreement with CodeCorrect

Business & Finance - Disease management firm lands new accounts

Business & Finance - New Mexico health plans reach agreement

Business & Finance - UPMC Health Plan adds medical center to its network

Business & Finance - UnitedHealth Group's earnings up 35% in third quarter

Business & Finance - Washington state Blue Shield loses two provider contracts

Cancer Genetics - Landmark study offers new information about BRCA1 & 2 genes

Capsule Endoscopy - Diagnostics in community hospitals comparable to success in tertiary centers

Cardiac Rehabilitation - Heart attack patients don't maintain exercise program

Cervical Cancer - Study suggests many women can safely extend screening interval to 3 years

Children's Health Insurance - Colorado to cap state program for kids from low-income families

Children's Health Insurance - Task force members differ on ways to fill needs in Florida

Children's Health Insurance - Texas moves to increase CHIP mental health benefits

Claims Processing - Emory Healthcare selects XactiMed's revenue cycle solution

Consumer-Driven Healthcare - Blues plan puts consumers in charge with "Freedom Account"

Consumer-Driven Healthcare - Employers choose consumer-driven health care plans as cost-control strategy

Consumer-Driven Healthcare - North Carolina insurer unveils new coverage option

Correctional Health - Consultant tours Ohio prisons to review medical care

Correctional Health - New firm picked to provide prison health care in Alabama at higher cost

Correctional Health - State strives to give prisoners health care

Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals - Technology can authenticate drug pedigree

Demographics - Group seeks better care for Asian Americans

Dental Care - Amid Maine dentist shortage, people with tooth pain go to hospitals

Diagnostics - Development of versatile point-of-care testing platforms drives adoption

Disease Management - LifeMasters launches Active Intervention Model

Disease Management - States save in monitoring chronically ill on Medicaid

Domestic Violence - Oregon doctors urged to question their patients about abuse

Electrodes - Kendall-LTP awarded contract by Consorta for adult electrodes

Electronic Drug Prescriptions - Company licenses product that will put prescriptions on digital paper

Emergency Medicine - Insured patients use of emergency rooms increasing

Exercise - Mix of factors related to physical activity among minority women

Finance - Consultants find Arizona health system causing its own financial woes

Finance - Genesis announces $200 million bond offering

Finance - Genesis announces $225 million NeighborCare bond offering

Finance - MercuryMD closes third quarter strongly with five new customers

Formulary Compliance - Study: No link between e-prescribing and improved formulary compliance

Funding - Maine receives $4M in grants to improve programs for disabled, chronically ill

Geriatric Care - Assisted living facility costs increase 10.2%

Health Data Collection - Grant awarded to address racial, ethnic disparities in care

Health Insurance - Employer savings, consumer choices central to new health plans

Health Management - Independence Blue Cross unveils expanded Connections

Healthcare & Politics - Edwards criticizes rivals on healthcare coverage for children

Healthcare Access - Rural elderly in Minnesota depend on a patchwork of care

Healthcare Economics - Anthem promotes use of generic drugs in seven states

Healthcare Economics - Denver's health insurance costs fastest growing of any U.S. city

Healthcare Economics - Insurance premiums in Phoenix, Arizona, up 19% in 2003

Healthcare Economics - Insurer's premium increase to Michigan businesses not as large

Healthcare Economics - Maryland governor proposes 1-year rate hike for hospital