IDEAL LIFE's wireless, easy-to-use and affordable remote health monitoring system was featured last week in a session at the 7th Annual World Health Care Congress in Washington D.C., as the potential link between the patient, the provider, and the electronic medical record/health information technology needed to transform health care worldwide. more»

Facilitating fair and easy access to health care services and ensuring prompt, effective resolutions to problems or difficulties that patients and the public experience with health services are two of the top actions people desire most from their governments, according to a new 16-country health care report from Accenture (NYSE: ACN). The survey also found that failing to ensure that citizens are engaged in the decision-making process related to health services is an area where government performance is perceived to be weakest. more»

Verizon Wireless today announced an initiative with BL Healthcare and a number of customers and third-party providers to jointly trial next-generation solutions for the delivery of remote healthcare applications and services to patients. This initiative will provide a unique approach for addressing issues associated with access to quality healthcare and rising healthcare costs. more»

Highlighting what employers and health plans can do to increase participation and results in health and wellness programs, Alere Health, LLC, a leader in personal health support solutions, will be leading a series of key panel discussions with prominent Alere clients including Blue Shield of California, Tufts Health Plan and Union Bank at the 7th annual World Health Care Congress. Alere is also a lead sponsor of the event to be held in Washington, D.C., April 12-14. more»

The Session Serves as a Platform for Organizations Involved in Developing or Implementing Extremely Affordable Solutions in Health Care Delivery Using Innovative Enabling Technologies and Business Models more»

Well over half of non-users say they intend to implement EMRs within next two years more»

MedeAnalytics, a leading provider of healthcare performance management solutions, reported at HIMSS10 in Atlanta, Ga. that Blue Shield of California’s innovative Partnership in Operational Excellence and Transparency (POET) program, utilizing MedeAnalytics’ Claims Transparency solution, has resulted in significant benefits to both Blue Shield of California (BSC) and their hospital partners. more»

When it comes to daily health activities such as diet and exercise, Americans and their doctors may not always see eye to eye. According to the new GE Better Health Study conducted with Cleveland Clinic and Ochsner Health System, 92 percent of healthcare professionals (HCPs) surprisingly give Americans far lower grades, “C” or lower, on managing their personal health than Americans give themselves. As the first in a series that will examine healthy living attitudes and behaviors, the study is part of GE’s healthymagination initiative, which seeks to provide better health for more people through technology and innovation. more»

Alere® LLC, a national patient-centered health management services company, has been selected to demonstrate its innovative integrated health management system, referred to as Apollo, at Health 2.0, a highly respected industry venue created to showcase web-based and mobile technologies transforming the healthcare system. more»

Grameen America (www.grameenamerica.com) has issued microloans to 1,000 low-income borrowers in the United States, Professor Muhammad Yunus said at a press conference here this morning. Yunus' announcement came following Grameen America's recent launch in Omaha, Nebraska, and as Yunus, often called "the father of microcredit," prepared to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony this afternoon. more»

In 1983, the Federal Government passed legislation that would pay the hospitals a portion of Medicare patient bills, based on a set fee determined by one of 467 diagnosis-related groups. This legislation marked a major turning point in the financing of medical care. Prior to this, the government paid what was billed. Many private insurers adopted a similar system of reimbursement. Later, capitation entered the picture as another financing method; it is a fixed payment per patient, per year that shifts some of the burden of risk away from the insurance company or health maintenance organization (HMO) and on to the doctor. more»

Alere EVP and DMAA Chairman Gordon Norman, MD, makes the case in this commentary for why financial results should not be the only concern. more»

Led by Michael Taitel, PhD, vice president of the Alere Center for Health Intelligence, the study examines the factors that influence employee participation in health risk assessments (HRAs). more»

Led by Alere EVP Ron Loeppke, MD, and conducted by the Alere Center for Health Intelligence, the ground-breaking study shows that for every dollar employers spend on medical and pharmacy costs, they spend $2.3 on lost productivity. more»

CIMIT GHI Team's vision applauded by Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus more»

Effective health-care reform must meet two objectives: 1) It must secure coverage for all Americans, and 2) it must dramatically lower the cost of health care. Health-care spending has outpaced the rise in all other consumer spending by nearly a factor of three since 1980, increasing to 18% of GDP in 2009 from 9% of GDP. This disturbing trend will not change regardless of who pays these costs -- government or the private sector -- unless we can find a way to improve the health of our citizens. Failure to do so will make American companies less competitive in the global marketplace, increase taxes, and undermine our economy. more»

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 21, 2009 — Aetna (NYSE: AET) Chairman and CEO Ronald A. Williams today appeared before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee to suggest a set of priorities for reforming the health care delivery system and to encourage Congress to implement a number of successful private-sector innovations on a wider scale to benefit the entire population. more»

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM - News) – Humana Military Healthcare Services (HMHS), TRICARE contractor for the South Region, will partner with Broward Navy Days to hold Fleet Week 2009 Port Everglades, April 27 - May 2, 2009. This annual event brings together men and women of the maritime services and the south Florida community. more»

Express Scripts Inc will buy health insurer WellPoint Inc's NextRx prescription business for $4.68 billion, becoming the No. 2 U.S. pharmacy benefit manager while gaining more leverage in driving down drug prices. more»