> A third member of a Turkish family has died of bird flu in the town of Dogubeyazit, close to the Iranian border. The World Health Organization says a quarantine has been imposed on the town. These are the first bird flu deaths outside of Asia. Article
> Louisiana, which faces an uninsurance crisis after Hurricane Katrina, granted Affiliated Computer Services' a 20-month, $11 million contract extension to expand its services for Medicaid recipients. Article
> The Washington Post reports that Medicare officials responsible for awarding lucrative contracts attended lavish all-expense paid trips to resorts in Florida and Napa Valley. Article
> The Cleveland Clinic becomes the latest big-name hospital to experiment with video podcasting, offering a new service called Health Edge. Article
> In a restructuring, Eclipsys lays off 100 employees today. Release
> LifePoint said it is selling off three hospitals it acquired in its takeover of Province Healthcare. Article
> The AARP drops support for reimportation, saying the new prescription drug benefit serves seniors needs better. Article
> As many suspected, some seniors confused by the new drug benefit are going without medication. Article
> The California Healthcare Foundation released One-e-App, free software designed for state and local governments that allows Medicaid recipients to enroll electronically. Article
And Finally... In San Francisco, there is disagreement over supervisor Tom Ammiano's plan to require businesses with more than 20 employees to offer health benefits to their workers. Article