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December 5, 2007 America's Health Insurance Plans   Industry News    Three medications cause a third of drug reactions in seniors Researchers found that about 58,000 U.S. emergency room visits by people aged 65 and older in 2004 and 2005 were due to adverse reactions to insulin, the blood thinner warfarin, or the heart drug digoxin. A CDC medical officer says confusion about the appropriate dose for such drugs is a major problem. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (12/4) Study: Fitness, not weight, key to longevity A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found people who were fit but overweight or obese had a lower mortality risk than those who had low fitness levels but were of normal weight. Reuters (12/5) Register for a free webinar, A Special Preview of MEDecision's New Collaborative Care Management Software, Wednesday 12/12 @12:30 pm ET. MEDecision's VP of Product Management, Mary Boyle, & Solutions Marketing Manager, Robyn Fritz, will preview the upcoming release & discuss how this new product design will help clients meet current & future business needs.   Providers & Suppliers    AHIP, BCBSA advance PHR standards effort America's Health Insurance Plans and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association have created an implementation guide for their PHR portability standards initiative that contains technical standards, operating rules for the transfer of data between plans and a data dictionary. Health Level Seven will maintain and further develop the technical standards components of the guide. Health Data Management (12/4) Other News Study: Standard procedures could reduce return ER visits for asthmatic kids The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (12/4) Can Boomers save health care? Read the new "gray" paper. A surge of Baby Boomers is heading straight for American health care. For better or worse depends on whether they are equipped to master their complex health issues. Find out how Boomers can help save health care through health mastery. Download the complimentary "gray" paper from Healthwise.   Medical Update    Research: Antibiotics no better than placebo for sinus infections A British study reports that antibiotics, nasal sprays and other medicines often prescribed by doctors don't cure patients with sinus infections. Improvement in symptoms generally occurred in two weeks, regardless of whether the patients were treated with amoxicillin, steroid spray or placebo, researchers revealed. Yahoo!/Associated Press (12/4) Test warns of higher risk among post-heart-attack patients Two abnormalities detected by electrocardiograms helped researchers identify heart attack patients at a significantly increased risk of cardiac arrest or death. T-wave alternans, a heart-rhythm abnormality, and heart rate turbulence, an abnormality of the autonomic nervous system, clearly indicated patients at risk. Forbes/HealthDay News (12/4)   Emerging Trends    Leavitt urges health IT adoption "The adoption of health IT and the effective creation of competition based on value or quality are interdependent" for physicians, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a conversation with former WellPoint CEO Leonard Schaeffer. He also argued that pay-for-performance should be implemented to persuade doctors to adopt health IT. The Wall Street Journal (free content) (12/4) Group offers $10M for advance in DNA analysis The Archon Genomics X Prize will give $10 million to the first group of scientists that can map the genomes of 100 people in 10 days for a cost of $10,000 or less per genome -- a competition that aims to boost the field of individualized medicine. A Harvard professor has expressed interest in the competition as part of his plan to raise awareness regarding the benefits of the research. The Boston Globe (free registration) (12/4) With the nation's largest pharmacy services network, Mirixa delivers the resources you need to execute targeted member medication and formulary management programs at the point of pharmacy - quickly, and directly. Reach thousands of pre-qualified members weekly, and generate truly powerful results. Mirixa. The Power of Pharmacy.   Company News from PR Newswire    Bravo Health membership tops 100,000 MEDai's predictive modeling impacts the world of health care underwriting   Other Company News from AHIP Solutions  New Aetna Rx-Savings(SM) program cuts cost for medications used to treat chronic health conditions Generic drugs? Blue Shield of California makes it easy Health Net federal services wins distinguished health education awards Humana Military health care services receives 7thURAC accreditation Prime Health Services and H.H.C. Group Enter into a strategic relationship MEGA Life offers tips on finding the right health insurance plan UnitedHealthcare: New York State Department of Civil Service selects UnitedHealthcare to administer pharmacy benefits for more than 1 million state employees American Specialty Health entry named finalist in URAC's Best Practices in Consumer Empowerment and Protection awards Care Management International and WNS Global Services form strategic alliance to expand world-wide health care smart sourcing solutions Acumentra Health wins bid to perform external quality review of Washington's Medicaid managed care program   Pharma News  Drug companies use technology to market products to doctors More drug companies are using the Internet for promotion efforts, including Web sites and online videos, and are using Web-based visits, e-mail and telephone interaction with doctors rather than in-office visits. Companies are also using tablet PCs to present information quicker in an acknowledgment of the high demands on physician's time. The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)/Associated Press (12/4) FDA says desmopressin may pose risk of seizure Patients taking desmopressin, a bed-wetting treatment for children, may be at risk of hyponatremia, a lack of sodium in the blood that can cause seizures and death, the FDA warned Tuesday. The agency urged discontinuing use of desmopressin -- sold under brands such as DDAVP, DDVP and Stimate nasal spray -- in patients with fever and vomiting. Forbes/Associated Press (12/4), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/4) Other News Novartis aims for four new cancer drugs by 2011 The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/5) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Destination EDI? Chart Your Course with Ingenix webinar. This informative, one hour session will help you find out where you are on the path to EDI and which route will help you achieve your goals. Payers can learn more from leading industry experts how to leverage clearinghouse options and direct connectivity to providers. Register today. Issue Brief! Consumers and health care providers have more in common than they may know. Both respond to a slight financial nudge to use health care resources in ways that lead to better outcomes, according to a new issue brief from IncentOne that links pay-for-performance (P4P) initiatives to the use of consumer incentives in health management programs. www.IncentOne.com/p4p. Complimentary Webinar: Toolkit for Optimizing Provider Network Management from Portico Systems. Learn how the country's largest and most forward-thinking health plans are creating best-in-class toolkits for streamlining operations, increasing staff efficiency and more effectively managing provider relations. Click here to register. And the Winner Is.... Judges have selected the finalists for URAC's Best Practices in Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards competition. Nation-wide competition attracted entries detailing innovative and proven programs enhancing patient safety and giving consumers more control over their health care. Early-Bird Register for the March 25-26, 2008 Event Ends Dec 31! Read about the judges and the winners! Interested in learning more about advertising in the AHIP Solutions SmartBrief? Contact Matt Kavney at (202) 737-5500 x244 or mkavney@smartbrief.com.     Policy Watch    Bush administration details Medicare bill requirements HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee outlining the White House mandate that any bill to block a 10% cut in physicians' Medicare fees should require doctors to adopt health IT. Leavitt also said the president would veto a bill that cuts payments to private insurers under the Medicare Advantage program. The Hill (12/5) Get expert coverage of critical health care policy developments. CQ HealthBeat offers twice-daily e-mail briefings and a robust Web site that tracks legislation, provides breaking news and includes a schedule of important events. Understand how Washington decision making affects your business. Visit CQ HealthBeat to request a complimentary trial.   AHIP News  Apply for EPA's environmental leadership award in asthma The Environmental Protection Agency's National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management recognizes health insurance plans and providers for their leadership in addressing management of environmental triggers as part of their comprehensive asthma management programs. Applications are due on Feb. 1. Apply today. AHM offers online learning The Academy for Healthcare Management makes it convenient and flexible for you to advance your career and enhance your professional development through its online program. Successfully complete AHM exams and earn the internationally recognized PAHM (Professional, Academy for Healthcare Management) and FAHM (Fellow, Academy for Healthcare Management) designations. Get ahead with AHM! Register now at www.e-ahm.com. Help every step of the way AHIP Career Source is the career Web site that allows job seekers in the health care industry to find the perfect job. Our dedicated group of customer service professionals, the AHIP Customer Solutions Team, is here to help you navigate the site, post a resume or simply explain more about the service. Please call 877-291-2247 or e-mail customersolutions@ahip.org to learn more about AHIP Career Source. Learn more about AHIP -> About AHIP  |  Join AHIP  |  Conferences  |  AHIP Solutions  |  Career Source   SmartQuote  If A is success in life, then A equals X plus Y plus Z. Work is X; Y is play; and Z is keeping your mouth shut." --Albert Einstein, German-born Swiss-American physicist     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Account Director:  Matt Kavney 202-737-5500 x244 Download Media Kit   AHIP Solutions Team Managing Editor, Online Publishing: Doug Schulz       Recent AHIP Solutions SmartBrief Issues: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 Monday, December 03, 2007 Friday, November 30, 2007 Thursday, November 29, 2007 Wednesday, November 28, 2007     Lead Editor:  Kathryn Doherty Contributing Editor:  Maureen Backman     Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do not reflect actual AHIP endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not necessarily reflect the official position of AHIP.