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Retirees can expect to shoulder more than half of the cost burden of health benefits-51% to 54%-according to Towers Watson's 2010 Retiree Health Care Cost Survey.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Board of Directors has named Eric H. Schultz as its new president and CEO.

The pilot initiative is designed to make delivering and getting health care easier for patients and their physicians by reducing the time, effort, and expense for the paperwork required for each office visit.

One in four dollars spent on health care in America now pays for unnecessary tests and treatments that physicians order to keep from being sued, according to a new Gallup poll of the nation's doctors.

Alternative short-term coverage costs less and lasts six to 12 months to fill in the gap between jobless and finding new employments.

Agents in late-stage development for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

New molecular entity: Tocilizumab (Actemra) was approved in January 2010, for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor antagonist therapies.

Recent FDA approvals (through March 2010) related to Iprivask, VPRIV, Mirapex ER, Cayston, Menveo, Lamictal XR, Rituxan, Oleptro, Xiaflex, Norvir, Benicar, Crestor.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a debilitating and potentially fatal condition, often seen in the aging population. VTE results from clot formation in the venous circulation and presents as either deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. A population-based study estimated that at least 201,000 new cases of VTE occur in the United States annually.

The main objectives of gout therapy are to treat the acute attack, provide prophylaxis to prevent flares, and prevent complications associated with the deposition of urate crystals in tissues. Obesity, alcohol intake, and certain foods and medications can contribute to hyperuricemia and should be identified. Pharmacologic management remains the mainstay of treatment for chronic gout and acute attacks.

Recent FDA action (through March 2010) related to CPI-300, Ondansetron, Intravenous acetaminophen, Gabapentin enacarbil, Rifaximin, ENMD-2076, Ap301, CM-AT, Fingolimod, Nilotinib.

On February 18, 2010, FDA recommended drastic changes in the way long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists are used in the treatment of asthma in order to limit their utilization.

Our current system puts private, third-party payers in a key position, because they provide the financial incentives that drive behavior through a large portion of the healthcare system.

Whether your organization has health information technologies (HIT) in place today or preparations for meaningful use are just beginning, the time is now to understand your environment, locate where patient information exists today and prioritize your needs.

In the alphabet soup of healthcare, nothing's garnering greater attention these days than accountable care organizations.

Timely access to treatment for HMO patients in California has been a long time in coming as HMOs, physicians, hospitals, and consumer groups battled it out.

Deborah Peel, MD, knows patient data can be protected as well as leveraged for analytical research, but the infrastructure must be redesigned for granular control

Anthem Blue Cross says that rising healthcare costs in a challenging economy necessitate higher premiums.

Providers that have not adopted EHRs that meet the meaningful use standards of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act by 2015 face a significant decrease in Medicare reimbursement.

It's intuitive that preventing a problem from happening is preferable to fixing it after the fact.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and 15 hospitals will embark on a statewide project in May to cut the millions of dollars spent on preventable hospital readmissions.

Public spending is projected to total more than $1.2 trillion in 2010 and to account for slightly more than 50% of all national health expenditures in 2011.

Employee wellness programs are becoming a mainstream perk at many larger companies, but whether they're worth the time and effort depends on whom you ask.

The need to improve the accessibility and efficiency of healthcare has more providers adopting the emerging shared medical appointment model.

As the baby boom generation ages, more and more employees are taking on a second job as caregivers to elderly parents or chronically ill relatives.

Health IT will enable a sweeping transformation.

Just as national health reform fervor began to wane in Washington in recent weeks, California's state senate approved a bill to create a $200 billion, single-payer, government-run state health system. Ugh.

There are pros and cons of posting UM criteria online. Information can be helpful, but it can also open up a can of worms.