Health Agreement

US Health-Insurer Group Warns Against Code-Change Timeline (Nasdaq)
The federal government’s proposed timeline for insurers and health-care providers to adopt a new diagnosis coding system would wreak havoc for patients and doctors, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association warned Thursday, urging adoption of a longer schedule.

Study: Workers to pay more for health care (AP via Yahoo! News)
Get ready for another hike in copays and deductibles. A survey being released Thursday by the Mercer consulting firm found 59 percent of companies intend to keep down rising health care costs in 2009 by raising workers’ deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket spending limits.

New 14m city health centre opens (BBC News)
A new 14m health centre is to be officially opened in Nottingham.

Workers to Pay More for Health Care (Time Magazine)
A survey being released by the Mercer consulting firm found 59% of companies intend to keep down rising health care costs in 2009 by raising workers’ deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket spending limits

Older Vietnamese report more mental health problems (EurekAlert!)
( University of California - Irvine ) Vietnamese Americans over 55, most who came to the United States as political refugees, report more mental health problems than nonHispanic whites, according to a UC Irvine Center for Health Care Policy analysis of state data.

Survey: VARs Concerned About Cybersecurity, Health Care (PC World)
VARs are concerned about U.S. cybersecurity and health-care costs, according to a survey.

Brace Yourself - Workers to Pay More for Health Care (Fox News)
A survey being released Thursday by the Mercer consulting firm found 59 percent of companies intend to keep down rising health care costs in 2009 by raising workers’ deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket spending limits.

Prenatal counseling may aid black women’s health (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Counseling on smoking cessation and other health issues during pregnancy may have lasting benefits for low-income African-American women, a study suggests.

Health Highlights: Sept. 4, 2008 (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Chemical in Plastic Is Connected to Health Problems in Monkeys (Washington Post)
Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have linked a chemical found in everyday plastics to problems with brain function and mood disorders in monkeys — the first time the chemical has been connected to health problems in primates.

New shooting, new failure by state s mental health system (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

superdiv — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:20:03 +0000

New shooting, new failure by state s mental health system (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
The state spends billions on mental health but often in the wrong places, leaving people in crisis and, sometimes, the public at risk.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield buys Florida Health Care for $85M (BizJournals)

superdiv — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:20:03 +0000

Blue Cross and Blue Shield buys Florida Health Care for $85M (BizJournals)
Florida Health Care Plan Inc. is being sold to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida for $85 million.

Health Highlights: Sept. 2, 2008 (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

NEJM - Shattuck Lecture -Healthof the Nation

superdiv — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:20:02 +0000

NEJM - Shattuck Lecture -Healthof the Nation

probaway

Economics does not apply tohealth.

Jane L. Delgado

Diabetics put health at risk during Ramadan (AFP via Yahoo! News)

superdiv — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:20:02 +0000

Diabetics put health at risk during Ramadan (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Diabetic Muslims in the Netherlands are putting their health at risk by ignoring medical advice to take part in Ramadan.

Mental health crisis in focus (The Post and Courier)
COLUMBIA The state is trying to get a handle on what medical providers classify as a crisis: holding mental health patients in emergency rooms when they have no other place to go for treatment. The Delivery of Behavioral Health Care Services Study Committee, made up of 10 legislators, is being established this summer at the direction of a joint resolution that calls for a list of recommended …

Health, wellness programs help city restrain medical costs (The Columbus Dispatch)
A growing emphasis on wellness and prevention — not to mention bigger deductions from workers’ paychecks — is helping Columbus city government rein in an expense that still vexes other employers. As it struggles with higher fuel prices and stagnant tax income that are pushing its budget into the red, Columbus kept increases in what it pays for city workers’ health care well below the national …

New program will allow people to manage health care online (Metro Halifax)
A $1 million health care investment by the province will allow Nova Scotians to manage their families health online. The province announced Friday an equity investment in Connecting People for Health, a business cooperative that offers a secure web-based service for managing health care. Subscribers can access online referrals, test results and medical records, as well as peer support …

Panel says expand Oregon Health Plan to cover all kids, more adults (The Oregonian)
Oregon should tax hospitals and insurance companies over the next two years to insure all children and to add 100,000 low-income adults to the Oregon Health Plan, a state task force will recommend this week.

Health Highlights: Sept. 1, 2008 (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

More health recruits arrive from Indonesia (The Japan Times)

superdiv — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:20:03 +0000

More health recruits arrive from Indonesia (The Japan Times)
Three more Indonesians arrived Sunday in Japan as health care recruits following the first batch of 205 earlier in August under a bilateral economic partnership agreement that took effect July 1. The 208 comprise all of this fiscal year’s recruits from Indonesia. The three arrived later than the others because they don’t have to go through Japanese-language training as they are already …

Health centres adopt clean hands (BBC News)
Health centres run by Bristol Primary Care Trust sign up to adopt the NHS Clean Your Hands campaign.

Hulshof hopes to tap aid to hospitals for health plan (The Springfield News-Leader)
To expand health coverage to the uninsured, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof wants to dip deep into the money now paid to hospitals as reimbursement for their charity care.

Framingham names public health director (The Framingham Tab)
More than a year after Public Health Director Bob Cooper retired, the town has found a full-time, permanent replacement.

Health Department offers help for dialysis patients (The Biloxi Sun Herald)
The Mississippi State Department of Health has announced that dialysis patients with concerns about maintaining their routine schedule or the availability of dialysis facilities may call 877-936-9260.

Department of Health closes shellfish growing waters. (NBC 15 Mobile)
The Alabama Department of Public Health has closed all shellfish growing waters in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Health, education sector strikes in Gaza a plot, Hamas says (EARTHtimes.org)
Gaza - Strikes in the education and health sectors in the Gaza Strip were considered by the Islamic Hamas movement to be a plot against its regime in the enclave, officials said Sunday. Ismail al-Ashqar, a Hamas lawmaker in Gaza, said the strikes wer…