Even before health care reform legislation has been formally introduced on Capitol Hill, skirmishes have broken out regarding proposals to establish a government-sponsored insurance program, tax health benefits and mandate employer coverage. more»

More than any other single issue in the health reform debate, the creation of a public insurance option is most likely to keep health plan executives lying awake at night. Opponents of a public option contend that such an entity would have too many advantages over private insurers and worry that it could be the first step toward a single-payer health system. But President Obama's top health policy advisor insists that such an entity could compete with private health plans on a level playing field. more»

While scientists have made tremendous discoveries in the field of personalized medicine, we are only beginning to realize its promise, said participants in a World Health Care Congress session on personalized medicine. more»

As health plans search for ways to reach and motivate members to become more engaged in their health, they say that one lesson stands out loud and clear: In today's world, people won't come to you on your terms. Health plans that reach out to their members on their terms using tools that reach them wherever they happen to be with tailored, focused messages stand the best chance of success. And one effective way to do this is with cell phones and other mobile devices. more»

Results from trials of a patient-centered medical home suggest that such arrangements result in cost savings and reduced hospital readmissions, according to Dr. Barbara Walters, senior medical director of southern New Hampshire community group practices at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock health care system. more»

Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis have created a USB-based ultrasound probe that can connect to a smartphone, creating a low-cost ultrasound imaging platform. Once connected to a smartphone, the probe acts like any other ultrasound device, serving as an imaging tool for kidney, liver, eye and uterine screenings and biopsies. more»

Top federal health information technology (IT) officials are predicting that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) will help push development and adoption of health IT and interconnectivity to dramatically new levels over the coming years. NCI's pioneering cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid® (caBIG®) 25 project—and its current and prospective partners in the cancer research community—are likely to benefit substantially from the infusion of federal funding and new policies fostering these national economic recovery goals. more»

Interest in healthcare IT adoption has surged forward recently, but the industry needs to stay focused on interoperability, cautioned experts at the World Health Care Congress. more»

The stage is set for unprecedented healthcare reform possibilities, with many of the key leaders now in place. David Blumenthal, MD, took his new position as National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on April 20. For the first six months, healthcare IT leader John Glaser, CIO of Partners Healthcare, will advise him on how best to approach the HITECH Act within the stimulus package. more»

The Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel and its partner in health IT advancement, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology – no slackers to the cause – have seen their work skyrocket – since the passage of the stimulus package in February. more»

At HIMSS09 held in Chicago last month, the two words I heard most were, “meaningful use.” If you think about it, the definition of those two simple words holds the key to billions of dollars. more»

"This year will be the year we get health care reform done," Dora Hughes, HHS' counselor for public health and science, said earlier this month at the 6th Annual World Health Care Congress in Washington, D.C. more»

The Continua Health Alliance’s Executive Director Chuck Parker moderated a few sessions at the World Health Care Congress last week in Washington D.C. and also gave a brief presentation on the Alliance’s mandate. Interestingly, Parker revealed that Continua is considering the television set-top box as one potential hub for wireless health devices. more»

The X PRIZE Foundation, WellPoint, and the WellPoint Foundation are developing a $10 million or more competition called the “Healthcare X Prize” designed to generate new ways to address the nation’s serious healthcare system challenges. The competition is focused on reinventing the healthcare system in a bold, measurable, and scientific fashion. more»

A senior official from Taiwan gave a presentation at the annual conference of the World Health Care Congress (WHCC) Tuesday on the country's well-developed health insurance system. more»

The most urgent task for David Blumenthal, new national coordinator for health information technology, will be “to get his arms around getting the money out," said a senior official in the coordinator's office at the Health and Human Services Department. more»

David Blumenthal, MD, the newly-appointed National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will assume the role Monday, April 20. more»

Computer engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are bringing the minimalist approach to medical care and computing by coupling USB-based ultrasound probe technology with a smartphone, enabling a compact, mobile computational platform and a medical imaging device that fits in the palm of a hand. more»