- Federal agency accepts Nevada hospital's plan to curb patient-dumping - May 24 2013 17:59
By Ronnie Cohen (Reuters) - Federal authorities approved a Nevada hospital's proposal on Friday for correcting deficiencies that led to newly discharged psychiatric patients being bused out of state without adequate plans for continued care. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also said it would conduct unannounced inspections of Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas to ensure that procedures are in place and working to prevent further instances of so-called patient dumping. ... - Bausch & Lomb's Ista pleads guilty over kickbacks - May 24 2013 13:25
By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Ista Pharmaceuticals Inc pleaded guilty on Friday to charges it used kickbacks and improper marketing to boost sales of a drug meant to treat eye pain and agreed to pay $33.5 million to settle criminal and civil liability, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The unit of eye care company Bausch & Lomb pleaded guilty to conspiracy to offer kickbacks to induce physicians to prescribe Xibrom, a drug meant to treat pain after cataract surgery, and conspiracy to promote that drug for unapproved uses, including after Lasik and glaucoma surgeries. ... - California reveals prices for health insurance under Obamacare - May 23 2013 15:13
By Sharon Bernstein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California unveiled prices on Thursday that consumers will pay for a selection of health plans offered through the state under the Affordable Care Act, providing a glimpse into how health care reform may look as it is rolled out across the nation. Under the federal health care reform law, Californians who do not get or cannot afford health insurance through their jobs can buy coverage through an exchange, at a group rate negotiated by state regulators. ... - Maine Medicaid expansion passes but governor sets veto - May 23 2013 14:44
By Dave Sherwood BOWDOINHAM, Maine (Reuters) - Maine's Democratic-controlled legislature on Thursday passed a bill to expand access to its Medicaid program as outlined by the Affordable Care Act, setting up a showdown with the state's Republican governor, who immediately began veto procedures. At issue is lawmakers' effort to link expanded access to the health insurance program for low-income residents to a plan to pay the state's share of $484 million in debt owed to Maine's hospitals. ... - Sugar water injections may help ease knee pain - May 23 2013 14:00
By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Knee pain appears to decrease up to one year after "prolotherapy," a series of sugar water injections at the site of the pain, according to a new study. Previous research on the therapy that suggested positive effects was plagued by flaws, but the new report may be more reliable, according to Dr. John D. Loeser, a pain specialist and professor emeritus at the University of Washington in Seattle. ... - Online tool reduces inappropriate medical tests - May 23 2013 13:28
By Trevor Stokes NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A web-based decision-making tool that alerts heart doctors when diagnostic tests would not be useful for a specific patient can curb wasteful procedures, according to a new study. "This educational tool helps doctors determine the best test for any particular patient," said lead author Dr. James Min, director of cardiac imaging research at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Imaging tests help detect disease and motivate doctors to focus their care, but expensive diagnostic tests can be a financial drain if overused, experts said. ... - Saudi Arabia confirms another death from SARS-like virus - May 23 2013 05:11
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has announced another death from the SARS-like novel coronavirus (nCoV) in its central al-Qassim region, bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 17. A non-Saudi, whose nationality and age were not given, died on Tuesday, the Health Ministry said on its website late on Wednesday. It said he had been admitted to a hospital in al-Qassim several days ago with an "acute respiratory syndrome". "Most cases recorded so far are among elderly patients and people with multiple chronic diseases," it added. ... - Merck's insomnia drug moves a step closer to U.S. approval - May 22 2013 18:02
By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug moved a step closer to U.S. approval on Wednesday after a panel of medical experts said it is effective and safe at lower doses. The advisory panel was convened to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decide whether to approve the drug, suvorexant, which would be the first in a new class of sedatives that block chemicals in the brain called orexins that help keep people awake. The drugs are designed to help people fall asleep and stay asleep. ... - FDA panel says Merck's sleep drug safe, effective at lower dose - May 22 2013 15:57By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug was safe and effective at the lower of two doses studied, a panel of medical experts said on Wednesday, increasing the chance it will be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The advisory panel was convened to help the FDA decide whether to approve the drug, suvorexant, which would be the first in a new class of sedatives designed to help people fall asleep and stay asleep. ...
- More patients than docs report skin surgery problems - May 22 2013 12:34
By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More than one quarter of people being treated for non-melanoma skin cancer in their doctor's office reported some type of complication after surgery, in a new study. About half of those complications were medical problems related to the cancer-removing procedure, including pain, infections and slow wound healing. But just 3 percent of doctors noted a complication in the same patients' medical records, researchers reported this week in JAMA Internal Medicine. ... - Thrifty Merrimack developing new cancer drugs at lower cost - May 22 2013 11:59
By Bill Berkrot NEW YORK (Reuters) - Little known biotechnology company Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc has quietly built a large pipeline of experimental cancer treatments that it aims to deliver at a fraction of the cost spent by larger rivals. That could translate into lower-cost treatments for large unmet needs, such as pancreatic cancer, at precisely the time when pressure is mounting to reduce runaway healthcare spending. ... - Advertencia sobre fármaco no modifica uso en centros médicos con fines de lucro - May 21 2013 11:37
Por Andrew M. Seaman NUEVA YORK (Reuters Health) - A pesar de una fuerteadvertencia de las autoridades regulatorias de Estados Unidos enel 2007, los centros de diálisis con fines de lucro seguíanutilizando más que los centros sin fines de lucro un fármacopara la anemia en los pacientes con insuficiencia renal. En JAMA Internal Medicine, los autores de un nuevo estudioaseguran que eso sugiere que los ingresos motivarían a esoscentros a utilizar más el fármaco a pesar de la advertencia. ... - Pricey radiation no better post prostatectomy: study - May 20 2013 13:25
By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who get an older and less costly form of radiation after their cancerous prostates are removed fare just as well as men who get a new and expensive type of radiation, according to a new study. "What we demonstrate is that both (therapies) are very safe and effective after prostatectomy, and patients should feel very confident receiving either technology," said Dr. Ronald Chen, the study's senior author from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Conformal radiotherapy (CRT) delivers radiation over a large area to kill cancer cells. ... - FDA staff says Merck's sleep drug effective, questions dosage - May 20 2013 09:06
By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug suvorexant appears generally effective, according to reviewers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but they questioned the company's proposed dosing levels. The reviewers posted their comments on the FDA's website on Monday, two days ahead of a meeting of outside medical experts which will advise the agency on whether or not it should approve the drug. Merck's shares fell 1.1 percent to $45.49 in midday trading. ... - Greying China taps rural elderly to care for those even older - May 19 2013 10:08
By Li Hui and Maxim Duncan QIANTUN, China (Reuters) - Two years short of 70, Zhang Guosheng spends his days caring for an 81-year-old fellow villager - washing his clothes, bringing meals to his bed, and keeping him company - a routine he'll keep up until he himself needs the type of care he is now giving. "Living here is better than staying at home alone. We help each other and have a common language," said the spritely Zhang, an enthusiastic dancer. "We are very happy here. ...