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Healthcare financial leaders discuss the impact the crisis in the financial markets is having on hospitals’ ability to access capital. John Bigalke, vice chairman and U.S. national industry leader, Health Sciences & Government, Deloitte LLP, discusses the impact of the current economic situation. more»

Amid the current crisis in the financial markets, one question weighs on the minds of most Americans: Will the unprecedented actions the U.S. federal government has taken to try to stabilize the nation’s economy be effective? Even as Congress enacted the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the reaction of the financial markets to the failure of some of the largest U.S. financial institutions was sending shock waves throughout the nation and the world. No one can predict whether the measures implemented will successfully resolve the nation’s financial crisis. What is certain is that hospitals will feel the effects of tightening credit more»

45.7 million Americans are currently without health insurance; Analysis by Paul Keckley of Deloitte's Center for Health Solutions more»

Aetna has decided to become the first health plan to offer its members access to Microsoft's personal health record technology. It will roll out Microsoft's HealthVault in November, offering access not only to patients but also physicians, if the patient gives them permission. What makes this interesting is that it involves a switch from Aetna's existing PHR, which is already available to the company's six million members. more»

With the presidential election almost upon us, it is time to consider how the next president and Congress can reform America’s healthcare system in the midst of a stumbling economy. Rather than using our economic challenges as an excuse for inaction, we should use them as a catalyst for change and move towards a system in which everyone can have access to healthcare at the right time, receive the appropriate care at an affordable cost and achieve the best health outcome. more»

Americans should be required to buy health insurance, bringing healthier people into plans that will help bring down costs, Ron Williams, chairman and CEO of Aetna, told a Detroit audience. Williams said he favors plans similar to those adopted by some states that require everyone to have health insurance: either through a workplace plan or through a plan consumers buy on their own, with help from state subsidies for those who can't afford it. A mandatory system would help bring down costs and end the problem of enrolling healthy applicants and rejecting those with prior medical problems because costs and risks would be spread over a larger group of people, Williams said. more»

(Dallas – October 23, 2008) – Broadlane is pleased to announce that Anna Maria Medvid has joined its sales team as vice president of strategic sales leading the East region.

Medvid comes from Premier, Inc. where she was responsible for working directly with healthcare executives at key accounts to recruit hospitals into the Premier Group Purchasing Organization (GPO). more»

(PORT WASHINGTON, NY, October 1, 2008). With the nation’s health system in crisis, and the cost of employee health benefits continuing to rise, Healthcentric Partners, Inc. has been formed to help corporations better address the growing challenge of effective employee engagement on healthcare issues. more»

The Center for Health Value Innovation (www.vbhealth.org) has issued an industry-wide call for evidence, best practices, and new value-based health design innovations that enhance engagement strategies to improve workforce productivity/performance and sustainable cost trend reductions. As the nation's premier organization dedicated to establishing value and producing evidence for sustainable health and financial improvement, Center leaders emphasize that the goal is to flatten the cost curve, not simply to save dollars. more»

(Dallas – September 25, 2008) – Today Broadlane released a new case study detailing the value of its Live Group Buy event – "Saving Dollars and Days: Broadlane's Live Group Buy Saves Hospitals Time and Money on a New CT Scanner." Two Brim Healthcare hospitals each saved approximately 25 percent on a new computed tomography (CT) scanner at a Broadlane Live Group Buy. more»

Dallas – September 23, 2008 – Broadlane is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Sherry to chief operating officer. He replaces David Ricker who became president and chief executive officer last month. more»

The Center for Health Value Information (www.vbhealth.org), the nation's premier organization dedicated to establishing value and producing evidence for sustainable health and financial improvement, lauds the area healthcare initiative and ongoing collaboration in Battle Creek, Mich., which brings together consumers, employers, health plans, and physicians to improve clinical outcomes and the health of the community while reducing healthcare costs. more»

CATONSVILLE, MD (September 16, 2008) – Erickson Retirement Communities, one of the leading national developers of full-service retirement communities, today announced that it has ranked 83rd on the 2008 InformationWeek 500. Erickson is being recognized for the innovations it has achieved in the areas of health informatics, operational systems integration and custom software development supporting the company’s construction operations. more»

(Dallas – September 15, 2008) – Broadlane, the leading technology-oriented healthcare supply chain services company, is pleased to announce the newest version of its client portal, OnRamp™. Broadlane clients use OnRamp as the primary tool for accessing contract and product information, receiving relevant communications, accessing reports and more. more»

As chief executive of Aetna, one of America's big health insurance companies, Ron Williams is at the centre of one of the country's most contentious political issues.

Unlike many of his corporate peers, he has become an outspoken supporter of healthcare reform - though Mr Williams, 58, is careful not to endorse the specific plan of any candidate or political party. more»

Dallas – September 11, 2008 - Broadlane announced today that University Physicians Healthcare (UPH) in Tucson, Arizona has selected Broadlane to provide an array of supply chain services under an exclusive agreement. Financial terms were not announced. more»

A Google-backed startup that analyzes customers' genetic makeup to predict health risks and provide ancestry information has slashed the price on its personal DNA test, the company announced Tuesday.

The decision by 23andMe Inc. to cut the price of its test from $999 to $399 could herald a price war in the small but buzz-heavy marketplace for direct-to-consumer genetic testing. The company's main competitors charge anywhere from just under $1,000 to $2,500 for similar services. more»

Dallas – September 9, 2008 - Broadlane is pleased to announce its latest service enhancement – Capital Procurement Services. Broadlane’s Capital Procurement Services streamlines the capital equipment purchasing process for healthcare facilities, resulting in an estimated savings of 5 to 10 percent or more on equipment purchases. Broadlane’s standardized Capital Equipment Procurement procedures provide healthcare facility chief financial officers assurance that capital equipment is consistently purchased at competitive prices and in accordance with each client’s guidelines. more»

In July the Associated Press (AP) profiled new studies on medical tourism and retail clinics by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, part of Deloitte LLP. The two studies demonstrate that consumers are receptive to new ways of saving money on health care costs. more»