News From Around the Web
> University of Florida researchers have found that the quality of the information one digs up on the Internet may depend on what you ask for and the results "could be hazardous to your health." According to study results, published in the journal Decision Support Systems, a search for the word "health" returned first-page results from well-respected healthcare providers, for example, while a search for "newborn vaccines" yielded hits for blogs and forums that discuss delaying or refusing medically recommended vaccinations. So when it comes to health information, search results may vary, an announcement from the University of Florida states. Announcement
> Medical devices for children often are only tested in adults, according to a study in Pediatrics. The study concludes that most high-risk pediatric devices are approved on the basis of trials in patients who are less than 18 years old, with few pediatric patients exposed to the devices before market availability. "Few post-marketing studies require additional study in pediatric patients," study authors write. Study
Health Insurance News
> Colorado was one of the first states to launch an accountable care-like model in 2011 to rein in Medicaid costs while improving quality of care. But other states are now following the Centennial State's lead. States across the country are either joining Medicaid ACO demonstration projects, in the middle of a pilot program or looking to start one, MedPage Today reported. Article
> More than nine months since the American Medical Association declared obesity a disease, federal law still forbids Medicare from covering obesity medications. But coverage of obesity under Medicare and other insurance plans could slow the rate of chronic diseases and reduce the long-term costs of obesity-related chronic conditions, according to Tommy G. Thompson, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Kenneth Thorpe, chair at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Article
And Finally... Show some class to the Glass. Article