NICE Adds Two New Indications To Guidance On Somatropin To Treat Growth Failure In Children

March 19, 2010

In final draft guidance published yesterday NICE has recommended somatropin (a synthetic form of human growth hormone) as a treatment option for children who have failed to grow normally due to a condition called short stature homeobox-containing gene (SHOX) deficiency[1], or who were smaller than expected at birth and whose growth has not normalised by the age of four…

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Aetna: ‘We’ve Never Seen’ Such Rate Increases From Hospitals

March 19, 2010

One of the most contentious front lines in the health-care cost wars is between hospitals and private insurers. That battle zone has gotten particularly hot in recent contract negotiations over reimbursement rates that hospitals are demanding from the insurers.
“We’ve never seen the kind of increases we’re seeing right now” from hospitals, Aetna President Mark Bertolini says in a WSJ article this morning. From a typical rate increase of about 5% five years ago, he says Aetna this year has granted rate increases of more than 20% to 50 hospital operators the insurer considered “must have” choices to continue offering consumers.
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Families USA Lauds New Improvements In Health Reform Legislation

March 19, 2010

The congressional leadership today released the contents of the final health reform legislation that blends the best elements from the already passed House and Senate bills. The final package will be considered by the U.S. House in the next few days, and shortly thereafter by the U.S. Senate. The following is the comment of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of the health consumer group Families USA, about this development: “The newly blended House and Senate health reform package will be very helpful to America’s families in the years ahead…

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Families USA Lauds New Improvements In Health Reform Legislation

March 19, 2010

The congressional leadership today released the contents of the final health reform legislation that blends the best elements from the already passed House and Senate bills. The final package will be considered by the U.S. House in the next few days, and shortly thereafter by the U.S. Senate. The following is the comment of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of the health consumer group Families USA, about this development: “The newly blended House and Senate health reform package will be very helpful to America’s families in the years ahead…

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A child’s hope for a new limb, new life

March 19, 2010

Two months after the ground shook in Haiti, 4-year-old Schneily Similien still needs a new leg. His greatest hope is at a small hospital in the rural heart of Haiti, he just needs to get there. Msnbc.com is heading to Haiti track the story of Schneily and other amputees as they work to build new lives. Go to Source… Continue reading

Getting past ‘why me?’

March 19, 2010

In his own words, a U.S. soldier who lost his right leg in the Iraq war shares his journey from self-pity to Paralympic champion. Go to Source… Continue reading

Transcript: President Obama’s Health Reform Rally Remarks

March 19, 2010

In advance of his speech at George Mason University in Arlington, Va., The White House released President Barack Obama’s remarks, “as prepared for delivery:” Hello, George Mason! It is great to be back here with a group of real Patriots. I first visited this university three years ago. At the time, my campaign for the presidency was just a few weeks old. We didn’t have much money or staff. Our poll numbers were pretty low. A lot of people still couldn’t pronounce my name, and most pundits didn’t think it was worth trying. But what we had even then was… Continue reading