Managed Care Weekly Digest

Healthcare Coverage - Plans redeploy targeted care restrictions

Healthcare Reform - Study finds confidence waning in competition as healthcare system cure

Disease Management - Iowans' use of cough and cold prescription drugs nothing to sniff at

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance - Survey: Working-age Americans support government-mandated healthcare coverage

Healthcare Access - Financial challenges lead physicians to cut back in services, increase costs

Barcode Regulations - Company helps hospitals, manufacturers respond to new FDA rules

Breast Cancer - Study demonstrates clear survival benefit of treatment in clinical trials

Breast Cancer - Treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ varies widely in United States

Business & Finance - Banner Baywood Medical Center in Arizona planning expansion

Business & Finance - Berlin, Vermont, hospital re-submits expansion plan to state

Business & Finance - Deal withdrawn for North Carolina bankrupt hospital

Business & Finance - Scripps Research Institute plans Florida research hospital

Business & Finance - Vista Medical Technologies receives Nasdaq notification

Business Update - Health insurer president has $2.8 million compensation package

Business Update - State gives Kaiser only part of its requested rate increase

Business Update - Wisconsin health plan to provide online customer service capabilities

Cardiovascular Disease Therapy - Plasmat Futura HELP apheresis system safe and effective

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea - Aloxi injection incorporated into NCCN antiemetic guidelines

Children's Health Insurance - Stricter qualifications proposed for Texas' insurance program

Claims Management - Meridian awarded $6.2 million defense department contract

Congestive Heart Failure - Medicare weighs defibrillator coverage

Consumer-Driven Healthcare - Insurer aims to change the way Americans look at health

Diagnostics - IMPATH enters into national agreement with Humana

Dialysis - Regency Hospital of Odessa announces new services

Disease Management - Matria Healthcare awarded two new disease management accounts

Drug Costs - Drug benefits clients beat national drug cost trend

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance - Companies benefit by shifting health costs

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance - Consumer protection needed against MEWA health plan insolvency

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance - Majority of employers support policies to expand employer coverage

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance - Study: Workers happy with their benefits are more productive

Finance - Ardent Health Services reports net revenue of $1.3B

Finance - Geriatrix raises $8M; achieves profitability in fourth quarter

Finance - HealthSouth says its 2003 annual report will be filed late

Finance - Molina announces secondary offering of common stock

Finance - Netsmart announces year-end results for 2003

Finance - Nursing services firm reports income of $0.83 per share

Finance - On The Go reports financial results for 3 and 6 months ended January 31, 2004

Finance - Remote-presence company secures $6.7M series B funding led by Acacia

Finance - Tenet amends certain terms of revolving credit agreement

Finance - Tenet reports 2003 fourth quarter results

Funding - British government pledges higher spending on medical research

Funding - Grants to be awarded for studying effectiveness of patient-provider web portals

Geriatric Care - Assisted, independent living facility prices rise, skilled nursing prices drop

Geriatrics - One million disabled adults lack adequate help with essential needs

HIV/AIDS - Former guardian of Virginia girl with AIDS convicted of Medicaid fraud

Health Benefits - Aetna combines health, disability management for employee wellness, productivity

Health Insurance Reform - Underwriters' group makes recommendations to expand coverage

Healthcare & Politics - Bush makes fresh pitch for healthcare remedies, tax cuts

Healthcare Access - Judge OKs end to health benefits for Weirton retirees

Healthcare Access - Mexican immigrants helped by Indiana clinic

Healthcare Access - Study considers school buses to transport rural residents to medical facilities

Healthcare Budget - Idaho senate endorses $1 billion healthcare budget

Healthcare Costs - Louisiana still in limbo over use of healthcare dollars

Healthcare Coverage - Access for poor children improves, but gap in care for uninsured grows

Healthcare Coverage - Americans know about healthcare costs, survey says

Healthcare Coverage - Can the U.S. government require people to buy insurance?

Healthcare Coverage - Cigna Choice Fund advances new options for consumers

Healthcare Coverage - Hawaii Governor says hospital budget cuts will hurt neighbor islands

Healthcare Coverage - IntelliClaim executes national agreement with Kaiser

Healthcare Coverage - Iowa senators say health care can be paid by closing corporate loopholes

Healthcare Coverage - Kentucky house passes bill to allow mandate-light health plans

Healthcare Coverage - Missouri selects HMS to recover costs for Medicaid and mental healthcare

Healthcare Coverage - NEBCO launches new pharmacy benefits management division

Healthcare Coverage - Study shows insurance rates spike in California

Healthcare Economics - Border snowbirds enjoy cheap medicine, health services

Healthcare Economics - Health insurance premiums for California workers grew 15.8% in 2003

Healthcare Economics - Healthcare costs put a crimp on the classroom

Healthcare Quality - Delmarva to use evidence-based data to improve healthcare quality

Healthcare Trends - Studies examine physicians' responses to market conditions

Heathcare Coverage - Radiofrequency ablation for liver cancer approved for reimbursement in Japan

Hepatitis B Virus - Nabi to supply Novaplus Nabi-HB

Hernia - FDA approves TiMESH for hernia repair