Managed Care Weekly Digest

Healthcare Coverage - Walgreens Health Initiatives to offer Medicare-approved drug discount card

Healthcare Coverage - WellCare to offer Medicare drug discount cards in Florida and New York

Healthcare Coverage - Wisconsin BadgerCare extension approved

Healthcare Economics - South Dakota legislator wants healthcare providers to publicly list prices

Healthcare Training - Additional online training available for Triage Cardio ProfilER

Heart Attack - Cardiac device firm launches completely automatic AED

Heart Disease - Central Ohio hospital granted designation of Accredited Chest Pain Center

Heart Disease Risk - New tool predicts and manages cardiovascular disease risk

Information Technology - DeKalb Medical Center selects HEALTHvision for clinical IT system

Information Technology - Electronic Home Health Care Form 485 under development

Information Technology - Frankford Hospitals activate Sunrise Clinical Manager software solution

Information Technology - Greenwich Hospital signs with MEDai to use Pinpoint Quality solution

Information Technology - Most hospitals continue to track dispensable drug assets with bar codes

Information Technology - POH Medical Center installs Rhapsody Integration Engine

Lab Technology - Wireless, barcode technology for lab departments launched

Legal Issues - Court upholds VA's selection of McKesson as prime pharmaceutical supplier

Long-Term Care - Study reports that California has best cities for nursing-facility care

Medicaid - Alaska's House Finance Committee restores program funding

Medical Equipment - Blood volume analyzer purchased by NYU Medical Center Tisch Hospital

Medical Malpractice - Doctors in Missouri form malpractice insurance company

Medical Malpractice - New York court rules on stillborn death damages

Medical Malpractice - South Dakota's governor proposes changes to monitoring practices

Medicare - CMS increases payments to rural and small urban hospitals

Medicare - Former senator promotes awareness of new benefits

Medicare - Medicare Advantage capitation rates in 2005 expected to rise 6.6%

Medicare - U.S. HHS approves 28 private sponsors to provide drug-discount cards

Mental Health - Advocates concerned about putting services in Florida HMOs

Mental Healthcare - Bill would require more insurers to cover care for mental illness

Mergers & Acquisitions - AdvancePCS stockholders approve merger with Caremark Rx

Mergers & Acquisitions - Cancer-care services company signs merger agreement

Mergers & Acquisitions - I-trax and CHD Meridian complete merger

Mergers & Acquisitions - Pediatrix acquires neonatal, pediatric specialty care group practice

Mergers & Acquisitions - Pharmaceutical distributor merges with and Familymeds Group

Minimally Invasive Surgery - Laparoscopic instruments implemented in fifteenth university hospital

Obstetrics - Guidance issued on treatment of morning sickness during pregnancy

Obstetrics - Program enhances birth weight for at-risk pregnant women

Pediatric Obesity - Massachusetts insurer expands campaign to fight childhood obesity

Personnel - Connextions Health appoints senior VP, corporate medical director

Personnel - Health Net appoints Theodore Craver and Frederick Yeager to board

Personnel - Jay Picerno named Centura COO

Personnel - Keenan joins Adaptis as director of implementation

Personnel - NDCHealth elects Charles W. Miller as president of the company

Personnel - Pharmacy Care Alliance names new president

Personnel - Specialty Laboratories announces executive management change

Personnel - Surgical Services Inc. names new chairman

Personnel - UPMC names new chief financial officer

Pharmacy Management - Baylor All Saints implements automated carousel system in pharmacy

Prescription Drug Benefits - Low reimbursement rates prompt hospitals to end drug program

Prescription Drug Benefits - Wisconsin SeniorCare can continue along with Medicare drug program

Prescription Drug Importation - Canadian health groups call on Canada to ban Internet pharmacies

Prescription Drug Importation - State to plans to add more pharmacies to drug website

Prostate Cancer - Black men less likely to be treated for aggressive prostate cancer

Public Health - Minorities and poor at greatest risk of dying from cancer

Pulse Oximetry Technology - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles chooses OxiMax Pulse Oximetry System

Quality Assurance - Dramatic health gains predicted for Texas Medicare Demonstration Project

Quality Assurance - Pennsylvania's HMOs performing well, report says

Quality Assurance - Prosecutors charge nurse in Pennsylvania patient's death

Regulatory Issues - CMS issues interim final rule addressing physician self-referrals

Regulatory Issues - House panel would increase oversight of Rhode Island Blue Cross

Regulatory Issues - Insurer links high premiums to subscribers' unhealthy habits

Regulatory Issues - New York HMOs get low grades for poor sharing of coverage information

Rehabilitation - PTS, Inc., purchases 100 Flexiciser units

Schizophrenia - Patients don't take antipsychotic medications regularly

State Medicaid - In North Carolina, officials have hope that program will be within budget

State Medicaid - Judge orders people reinstated to Kentucky's program

State Medicaid - Medi-Cal fraud savings of $1 billion significantly overstated, audit shows

State-Employee Healthcare Benefits - Nevada state workers get break on health insurance rates

Substance Abuse - First appointment after discharge is key to kicking drug habit

Telemedicine - "3-D telepresence technology" research to aid medical professionals at remote sites