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Emergent BioSolutions Meets With FDA To Review Regulatory Strategy For Recombinant Anthrax Vaccine
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) announced that it has met with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review Emergent"s regulatory strategy for the development of its recombinant anthrax (rPA) vaccine. Emergent recently submitted to FDA, among other documents, its rPA Development Plan in response to the Department of Health and Human Services" (HHS) amendment to its request for proposal (RFP) to develop and deliver up to 25 million doses of an rPA vaccine for the Strategic National Stockpile. In amending the RFP, HHS required that all bidders deemed to be in the competitive range submit to FDA a comprehensive plan outlining the regulatory strategy for their rPA vaccine. Emergent completed that submission on May 12, 2009 ahead of the June 15, 2009 submission deadline.
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Wall Street Journal Examines Patients' Confusion Over Coverage Of Preventive Exams
As employers increasingly offer no-cost preventive care as a means of controlling health costs, some people under such plans are being charged for services not deemed preventive by the insurer, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to Watson Wyatt Worldwide, 72% of large employers in 2009 cover 100% of preventive care -- such as physicals, colonoscopies or mammograms -- for employees, an increase from 55% of large companies in 2008. The Journal reports that the charges often result from billing errors or from a physician"s office being unaware of an insurer"s procedures. Charges that are the result of billing errors often can be reversed. However, others -- such as a test or treatment not being defined by the insurer as preventive -- force some patients to "wage a protracted battle" to get the charges reversed, according to the Journal. When unexpected charges appear on patients" bills, physicians and employers often receive complaints but they have little control over how insurers classify treatments. The Journal reports that patients can prevent being charged for preventive services by checking with their insurer before seeking care; asking for specific, covered screenings and treatments at physicians" offices; reviewing explanation of benefits forms supplied by insurers; asking supervisors at insurers to review disputed claims; and seeking help from employees in company human re departments (Wilde Mathews, Wall Street Journal, 5/21).
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NPA Holds Health Inequalities Summit
The National Pharmacy Association is organising a Health Inequalities Summit in the Toynbee Hall lecture theatre, Tower Hamlets on Monday 29 June, 10.00am-4.00pm.
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Martinez: Medicare Fraud Fight Worthy Of Joint Agency Operation

U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) commended the Departments of Justice (DoJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) for their decision to focus on detecting, preventing, and prosecuting Medicare fraud cases. "Medicare fraud is out of control - especially in my home state of Florida. Billions of dollars are lost every year to health care fraud - dollars that could otherwise be used to help care for the elderly and disabled. Any action to combat fraud is a good step," said Martinez, lead Republican on the Senate"s Special Committee on Aging. "Now Congress needs to act to provide the tools necessary to better identify fraud early and stem the tide of fraud that DoJ and other law enforcement agencies must later investigate and prosecute." This month, Senator Martinez introduced the Seniors and Taxpayers Obligation Protection or "STOP" act, which will work to reduce the billions of taxpayer dollars stolen every year by creating Medicare fraud prevention and detection systems. In particular, the STOP Act would protect seniors and doctors from identity theft, keep criminals from becoming Medicare providers, and strengthen data mining and matching to catch criminals currently in Medicare in real time. It would require the HHS to no longer use Social Security Numbers as the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) on Medicare cards, thus reducing fraud and identity theft among seniors. The STOP Act will also help to improve HHS"s detection methods and place billing statements under increased scrutiny. "DoJ and HHS"s focus on Medicare fraud sends a signal to criminals and those contemplating engaging in fraud that there is a significant price to pay for committing Medicare fraud. I look forward to working with them and my colleagues in Congress to support strong fraud-fighting measures as we seek to reform health care," said Martinez. The Office of Senator Mel Martinez


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