Top Stories

• 480 sickened, 33 dead in fungal meningitis outbreak
  CDC officials reported Friday that the fungal meningitis outbreak associated with contaminated steroid shots has sickened 480 people and claimed another life, bringing the total number of deaths to 33. The most recent death was in Indiana. U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News (11/16)     

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Providers & Suppliers

• Partnership to speed up EHR adoption through loan program
  The American Health Information Management Association will collaborate with the Delta Regional Authority on a micro-loan program to help eligible providers purchase EHR systems. Loans of $5,000 or $7,500 will be provided by DRA to serve as a down payment for a system, and AHIMA will provide education. Healthcare IT News (11/15)     

• Report: Care coordination important in Medicare bundled pay project
  The amount hospitals spend on post-acute care varies, but those that coordinate efforts with primary care physicians and other partners stand to do the best in Medicare's Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. The authors say readmissions are a big part of the variations and highlight the opportunity for post-discharge patient outreach that ensures people schedule timely primary care visits, take their medications and follow plans to address problems. MedPage Today (free registration) (11/15)     

	PAC Delivers More Predictable GER than AWP — Click here to see example New drug price type, Predictive Acquisition Cost (PAC), delivers more predictable and stable generic effective rate (GER) than Average Wholesale Price (AWP). Click here to see a scenario illustrating how PAC compares to AWP for GER variability across drug groups. See example now.

Medical Update

• CDC: Breast cancer more fatal in black women than white women
  Black women had a 40% higher risk of dying from breast cancer compared with white women, despite having lower incidence of the disease, CDC researchers wrote in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. They said that more work is needed to raise awareness about prevention and screening and that black women often don't receive the same quality treatment as white women. "Although we are making progress reducing deaths from breast cancer, we have much work to do to reduce preventable deaths, particularly among African-American women," CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden said. Nurse.com (11/14)     

Emerging Trends

• Cook gets FDA OK for device to treat peripheral artery disease
  The FDA has granted Cook Medical approval for its Zilver PTX drug-eluting peripheral stent, the first such device to be approved in the U.S. The self-expanding metal stent, which is coated with the paclitaxel drug, is used to reopen blocked or narrowed femoropopliteal arteries in patients with peripheral artery disease. MedCityNews.com (11/15)     

• Teleflex's vascular access catheter scores 510(k) clearance
  The FDA has cleared Teleflex to market its Nylus catheter, which is delivered peripherally to the central venous system. The device was first cleared in Europe in July and is intended to help minimize the risk of blood clot-related complications during infusions, among other applications. BeckersASC.com (11/15)     

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Health Insurance Plan Company News

• AHIP Coverage: “There is Broad Agreement that Provider Consolidation is a Major Driver” of Health Care Costs

• AHIP Coverage: The Latest Health Care-Related Legislation

• Molina Healthcare Selected to Participate in the Illinois Integrated Care Delivery System for Dual Eligibles

• Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan Selected to Participate in Medicare/Medicaid Dual Eligibles Demonstration

• Coventry and Walgreens Join Forces to Educate Medicare Beneficiaries About Part D Prescription Drug Plan Options

• UnitedHealth Group: Rite Aid Now Offers Diabetes Control Program in Cleveland to Help Fight Diabetes Crisis

• Humana and Reader's Digest Extend Healthy Living Alliance

• Medica Recognizes Three Provider Groups with Innovation Awards for Role-Based Redesigns in Care Delivery

• Mark Owen, An Eighteen Year Health Industry Veteran, Joins Health Care Service Corporation As President, Government Programs

Vendor Company News

• SDLC Partners to Speak at AHIP’s Fall Forum 2012

• Health Dialog Makes Decision Aid Available for National Hospice and Palliative Care Month

• Robert Bosch Healthcare: New Findings Link Telehealth-Enabled Care Coordination with Reduced Mortality for Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

• HDMS: HD Supply Wellness Program Awarded Health Data & Management Solution 2012 Innovator Award

• ZeOmega Recognized as One of the Fastest Growing Companies in North America on Deloitte’s 2012 Technology Fast 500

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AHIP Solutions SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• States offer funding to encourage patient-centered medical homes (Hospitals & Health Networks Magazine)

• CDC data show sharp increase in U.S. diabetes rates (Reuters)

• Review: Steroid shots offer limited benefit for sciatica (HealthDay News)

• U.S. needs 52K additional doctors by 2025, study finds (BeckersHospitalReview.com)

• Study finds greater risk of stroke following hip replacement (MedPage Today)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Pharma News

• FDA panel: More data needed on effects of hep B vaccine
  The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biologics Advisory Committee voted 13 to 1 in support of the efficacy of Dynavax's hepatitis B vaccine Heplisav, but questioned its safety and the insufficient information on its effects among some minorities, including Hispanics, blacks and Asians. MedPage Today (free registration) (11/15)     

• Strontium ranelate may slow progression of osteoarthritis
  Researchers have found patients who took 1 to 2 grams of strontium ranelate daily showed lower cartilage loss measures at one year compared with those in the placebo group. Improved physical function and less pain were also seen in strontium ranelate-treated patients, suggesting that the drug may help delay the progression of knee osteoarthritis. Healio/Orthopedics Today (11/16)     

Policy Watch

• Agency asks for public comment on proposed stage 3 MU measures
  CMS seeks public input on potential stage 3 meaningful use measures developed by Mathematica Policy Research and the National Committee for Quality Assurance to be used by health care professionals participating in the EHR Incentive Programs. The proposed measures will evaluate key parts of the yearly wellness visit benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. BeckersHospitalReview.com (11/16)     

• Utah health privacy bill advances
  Legislation that would require Utah health care providers to inform patients when their personal data has been or might be shared with government programs has cleared a committee hearing. The bill would also require the Utah Department of Health to develop model language and to ensure compliance. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) (11/14)     

Reach health plans as an Affiliate Organization Health plans are looking for innovative products and services as they focus on high-quality, affordable care for their members. Becoming an AHIP Affiliate Organization Member is an ideal way to reach these plans. Contact AHIP's Business Development Team at BusinessDevelopment@ahip.org to learn more.

AHIP News

• Streamline your operational and administrative processes
  How can you leverage data, information and analytics to streamline processes within your organization as you continue to focus on high quality and affordable care for your members? Find out when you attend AHIP’s Fall Forum, Dec. 3 to 5 in Chicago. Register, and watch a video overview of Fall Forum.      

• Tweets to learn by—follow @AHIPEducation on Twitter
  Follow @AHIPEducaton on Twitter for daily tweets about AHIP’s educational opportunities, including conferences, online courses and webinars. View our profile.     

• Improving Workforce Productivity
  Join us from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 29 to learn how to improve employee work processes and application flow through actively engaging your staff. The speakers will discuss what metrics can be used to improve workforce productivity and member service, all while lowering administrative costs. Register now.     

Position Title Company Name Location Chief Executive Officer Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization (BIDCO) Boston, MA Pharmacy Customer Service Manager HealthPartners Bloomington, MN Executive Vice President of Health Insurance Wisconsin Physicians Service Health Insurance Madison, WI Sr Data Analyst CVS Caremark Northbrook, IL Associate Director Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH) Washington, DC Internal Audit Director UCare Minneapolis, MN Senior Director Claims Administration Kaiser Permanente Denver, CO Sr. Director, Healthcare Quality Assurance Evolent Health Arlington, DC Medical Director Arizona Integrated Physicians Inc. Peoria, AZ Director Compliance, Medicare Part D Director Compliance, Medicare Part D Scottsdale, AZ Manager Special Investigations Unit SCAN Health Plan Long Beach, CA Medical Director Virginia Premier Health Plan Richmond, VA Provider Network Management Director Blue Cross Blue Shiled of Georgia (WellPoint) Statewide, GA Chief Financial Officer Neighborhood Health Plan Boston, MA Vice President Member Group Louisiana Health Cooperative, Inc. New Orleans, LA Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Louisiana Health Cooperative, Inc. New Orleans, LA Vice President, Clinical Care Integration Louisiana Health Cooperative, Inc. New Orleans, LA Regional Director Payor Contracts Ameritox Nationwide, United States Vice President, Operations & Information Technology Louisiana Health Cooperative, Inc. New Orleans, LA Vice President, Network Development and Provider Relations Louisiana Health Cooperative, Inc. New Orleans, LA Chief Executive Officer Louisiana Health Cooperative, Inc. New Orleans, LA

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SmartQuote

Nothing is too small to know, and nothing is too big to attempt." --William Cornelius Van Horne, Canadian railway executive