Managed Care Weekly Digest

Healthcare Coverage - Humana Military Healthcare Services completes TRICARE South Region transition

Healthcare Coverage - Legislative board considering request to lift premiums for some in Oregon plan

Healthcare Coverage - Medicaid doctors may have to 'clinically justify' some drugs

Healthcare Coverage - North Carolina awards state pharmacy benefit program in 4-year agreement

Healthcare Coverage - Official says 'modernizing' Medicaid could improve care, lower costs

Healthcare Coverage - Program offers lower-income adults and children access to medications

Healthcare Coverage - Senate chief says cut number of Massachusetts's uninsured in half by 2006

Healthcare Coverage - Senior private duty home care group offers client outcome benchmarking

Healthcare Coverage - Study finds almost 90% of Americans expect serious health condition in 5 years

Healthcare Coverage - TennCare advocates back off court wins in effort to save program

Healthcare Coverage - U.S. veterans give VA top healthcare rating for 5 years in a row

Healthcare Coverage - Workshop to be held to standardize pay-for-performance principles

Healthcare Delivery - Healthcare service enables patient to pick time, place for no-wait appointment

Healthcare Expense - New Mexico retiree group seeks budget help from lawmakers

Healthcare Facilities - URAC renews accreditation of disease management programs care services company

Healthcare Fraud - Urologist pleads guilty to healthcare fraud

Healthcare Management - Company introduces new anesthesia workstation

Healthcare Management - Medical staffing firm announces new Web site and results of a nurse satisfaction survey

Healthcare Management - Over-the-counter medications can provide financial benefits

Healthcare Reform - Survey indicates voters have new vision of healthcare reform

Heart Disease - VHI offers hospital mortality information on cardiac care

Helathcare Coverage - Health plan to manage radiology services for Health Net

Influenza - Take steps to minimize risk if getting the flu even without shot, expert says

Influenza Vaccine - HHS head Thompson announces contract to support egg supply for flu vaccines

Influenza Vaccine - Ineffective vaccine given to about 300 in Arkansas, health official says

Information Technology - Brotman Medical Center connects cardiac physicians to TCS Symphony

Information Technology - Educational healthcare web site wins medical marketing industry award

Information Technology - Epocrates Essentials clinical reference suite available for pocket PC devices

Information Technology - HIPPA-compliant AdvancedMD v4.2 software released

Information Technology - Healthcare information provider announces availability of 2004 HPD

Information Technology - Information systems provider partners with healthcare software developer

Information Technology - Missouri healthcare group to use computer information predictive modeling system

Information Technology - National health plan showcases online health programs during open enrollment

Information Technology - Next of Kin Project picks wireless phone company to propagate Next of Kin law

Information Technology - Physician benchmarking module launched

Information Technology - Solucient delivers data using software from healthcare information company

Information Technology - UCLA Medical Group to deliver healthcare online to patients in reimbursed plans

Lead Poisoning - Recommendations of a task force on lead poisoning

Legal Issues - Former National Century executive admits conspiracy

Legal Issues - Judge temporarily blocks Florida's new amendment on bad doctors

Legal Issues - Pharmaceutical's former employees challenge benefits move in division spin-off

Market Analysis - Overall healthiness in U.S. slowing dramatically

Medical Devices - New products help detect heart problems sooner and avoid invasive procedures

Medical Equipment - Medical device company signs 3-year catheter contract with Premier

Medical Fraud - Agents search medical business seeking evidence of fraud

Medical Malpractice - Number of malpractice payments declines, size of payments soars

Medical Malpractice - Rising malpractice premiums affecting entire Maryland economy, analysis finds

Medical Records - New program provides quicker access to medical information

Medicare Coverage - Company focused on morbidly obese comments on Medicare coverage determinations

Medicare/Medicaid Coverage - Physical therapy company helps physicians deal with new Medicare PT ruling

Mental Health - Agency finds 48% increase in involuntary commitments since law changed

Mental Health - New Jersey Governor begins tenure with push for mental health protections

Mergers & Acquisitions - Broadlane acquires National Oncology Alliance

Mergers & Acquisitions - Healthcare corporation agrees to sell California hospital to CHA Medical Group

Mergers & Acquisitions - Surgery center owner and operator acquires two centers in Alabama

Military Healthcare - U.S. VA officials say mental health of soldiers a top priority

Neurology - Beckley doctor believes brain can control robots

Nutrition - Active people can make mistakes in their diet

Nutrition - Portion control, not sweetness, is issue, says food think tank

Obstetrics - Premies' infections increase risk for mental, physical problems

Obstetrics - U.S. sees steep rise in elective cesarean deliveries

Oncology Research - Survivor, patient advocacy group started to support cancer advancements

Osteoporosis - Study: Elderly women with distal radial fracture have low hip, lumbar spine BMD

Pain Medicine - Generic anti-inflammatory drug causes fewer gastrointestinal complications

Pain Medicine - Survey: Doctors cautiously supportive of COX-2 drugs in wake of Vioxx withdrawal

Pain Relief - First Medicare coverage of ON-Q PainBuster announced

Patient Care - Hospitals turning to medical interpreters to avoid 'charades'

Patient Care - Remote-control robots help doctors save time, see more patients

Patient Safety - Survey helps hospitals measure and improve safety culture

Pediatrics - California social services announces 'surrendered baby' awareness campaign

Pediatrics - Nation's largest study tracks children's health

Personnel - Allina Hospitals & Clinics board of directors names Edson W. Spencer, Jr.

Personnel - Backoff promoted to senior general manager by Florida hospice care group

Personnel - COO Tom Mills leaves home healthcare provider, Frank Powers joins firm as VP

Personnel - Centura Health names chief medical officer

Personnel - Christy Beaudin named Fellow for foundation's leadership program

Personnel - Cigna HealthCare appoints Frank Monahan as general manager

Personnel - CompONE names new chief executive and financial officers

Personnel - Coventry Health Care elects Dale B. Wolf to board of directors

Personnel - Dave Carlucci named CEO, David Thomas remains executive chairman of market group

Personnel - Denise Fletcher named CFO of DaVita

Personnel - Diabetes device supplier expands executive management

Personnel - Diabetic Treatment Centers of America hires Dr. Sherman B. Johnson, MD

Personnel - Former AT&T, IBM executive Earley named president, COO of health insurance group

Personnel - Former Tennessee mental health commissioner James Brown is dead

Personnel - Health alliance president David J. McIntyre named to USO Board of Governors

Personnel - Martin Kaplan, U.N. scientist and former head of Pugwash, dies at 89

Personnel - Petillo named president, Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Personnel - Wound management/infusion company taps McConnell and Prior as CEO, COO

Pertussis - Closing schools can't contain whooping cough outbreak

Philanthropy - Foundation arranges 7,200 free eye consultations in India

Prescription Drugs - Organizations announce support for prescription drug assistance program

Professional Development - Survey suggests majority of women surgeons satisfied in their profession

Prostate Cancer - HRT patches prevent the side effect of osteoporosis during cancer treatment

Purchasing - Regional healthcare organization networks offer standardized supply purchasing

Quality Assurance - Computer vignette to be effective way to measure quality of physician practice

Quality Assurance - Study faults medical school for poor patient care at Dallas hospital

Regulatory Issues - Pharmacists share concerns about relaxation of drug importation laws

Reimbursement - Imaging company comments on final APC rates for 2005

Research Funding - Wisconsin Governor unveils $750 million plan to support scientific research

Staffing Issues - Nursing journal salary survey shows continued gains for nurses nationwide

Stem Cell Research - Louisiana Baptists affirm disapproval of gay marriage, stem cell research

Stock Market - Healthcare services provider announces private placement of securities

Suicide - $6.6M grant made to support suicide prevention hotline

Transplant Medicine - Four transplants done under living kidney donor registry

Urology - Diamonds are a urologist's best friend