By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer http://news.yahoo.com/ WASHINGTON – Legislation that would require prescription drug makers to disclose payments to doctors got a boost Tuesday when Eli Lilly and Co. broke ranks with the industry and endorsed the bill. Lawmakers gained Eli Lilly’s support after they agreed to raise the payment limit requiring disclosure from […]

By Steven Reinberg http://www.washingtonpost.com/ TUESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) — The quality of care at hospitals that treat poor and underserved patients, often called safety-net hospitals, is lagging well behind hospitals that do not serve these patients, a new study finds. These hospitals, which rely on state and federal funding from Medicaid and other sources, […]

By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS http://www.nytimes.com/ New York’s public and private hospitals stand to lose more than $1 billion in state and federal funds for the training of doctors because of changes to the Medicaid program backed by the Bush administration, according to an analysis by the city’s Independent Budget Office released on Tuesday. The change would […]

By Ray Long and Jeffrey Meitrodt http://www.chicagotribune.com/ SPRINGFIELD — Comptroller Dan Hynes and several lawmakers used a stinging new audit to blast Gov. Rod Blagojevich‘s administration for trying to expand state-subsidized health care when the current state Medicaid program is racking up huge deficits and is sometimes taking months to pay doctors who care for […]

By DIBYA SARKAR http://www.chicagotribune.com WASHINGTON – Losing the audio feed during “Monday Night Football” may seem like a crisis for some sports fans, but it’s nothing compared to losing the signal that monitors a critically ill hospital patient. The technical glitches share a potential source: the proposed use of unoccupied TV airwaves for high-speed Internet […]

By GETAHN WARD http://www.tennessean.com At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, up to 35 percent of trauma victims come in with alcohol or drugs in their system at the time of an accident. Under state law, insurers can deny payment of those medical claims, something that doctors and hospitals argue not only costs them money but also […]

By Lory Pounder News BRECKENRIDGE — Instead of going to the emergency room after ripping the side of his leg open while riding rails in the park, the uninsured snowboarder decided to duct tape it together. About 10 days later, he heard about Dr. David Gray and gave him a call. “He’d done a pretty […]

Wells Fargo Insurance Services http://www.earthtimes.org CHICAGO, IL — 05/13/08 — Wells Fargo Insurance Services, Inc. has named Nathan Hughes national healthcare practice leader. He will be based in the Bloomington, Minn. office. In his new role, Hughes will work with healthcare professionals throughout the Wells Fargo Insurance Services organization to provide support and industry knowledge […]

By Elizabeth Cooney http://www.boston.com/ Despite assertions that high malpractice rates are driving them out of the state, Massachusetts doctors are paying less than they were in 1990, after adjusting for inflation, according to a Suffolk University Law School study. Massachusetts ranks fourth in the nation for money paid to settle malpractice cases and is one […]