Uroplasty, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPI), a medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets innovative proprietary products to treat voiding dysfunctions, today reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 ended December 31, 2012. The Company also announced the completion of a purchase agreement for both Urgent PC and Macroplastique with KP Select, Inc., which provides contract management services for all Kaiser Permanente and affiliated health care facilities.

Fiscal Nine Months 2013 Financial Results

For the nine-month period ended December 31, 2012, sales grew 13% to $16.9 million, reflecting a 25% increase in U.S. sales and an 11% decrease in sales outside the U.S. In the U.S., sales of Urgent PC increased 45% to $8.0 million and Macroplastique sales increased 1% to $4.3 million. At December 31, 2012, cash, cash equivalents and cash investments totaled $15.6 million

KP Select Purchase Agreement and Additional Expanded Coverage

The recently-completed purchase agreement with KP Select, Inc. for sales of Urgent PC and Macroplastique to Kaiser Permanente is a three-year contract and begins on March 1, 2013. Kaiser Permanente provides services to more than nine million members in 10 states through 37 hospitals and 611 medical offices and clinics, though not all locations treat urinary incontinence.

The Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York today approved Montefiore Medical Center’s bid to acquire the facilities of New York Westchester Square Medical Center (NYWSMC), a Bronx, N.Y., neighborhood hospital that has operated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for nearly seven years.

The new facility will be renamed Montefiore Westchester Square. The plan is to have a full-service emergency department, an ambulatory surgery center and, over time, comprehensive primary and specialty care services.

A federal lawsuit filed by prominent Delaware Valley cardiologist Nicholas L. DePace, M.D., sparked a multi-year investigation by the United States Department of Justice and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office that has resulted in New-Jersey based Cooper Health System, and Cooper University Hospital paying $12,600,000 to settle Medicare and Medicaid fraud allegations.

According to Dr. DePace’s Complaint, since 2004, Cooper funneled illegal kickbacks to referring physicians through an advisory board known as the Cooper Heart Institute Advisory Board (“CHIAB”). Cooper established the CHIAB in 2004, with the stated purpose of utilizing prominent New Jersey physicians to advise the Cooper Heart Institute regarding innovative technologies, new management strategies, community needs, and appropriate educational and research initiatives.

In reality, the CHIAB was a sham, in which Cooper paid physicians with high-volume medical practices upwards of $18,500 each to do little more than watch four lectures per year hosted at an elegant banquet facility. These lectures consisted mostly of marketing presentation on cardiac care at Cooper. Additional lectures included generic subjects that were irrelevant to the stated mission of the CHIAB, including a 2008 lecture entitled: “The Healthcare Plans of the Two Presidential Candidates.”

In the spring of 2007, Cooper invited Dr. DePace to join the CHIAB. After attending his first CHIAB lecture, Dr. DePace quickly realized that the CHIAB was a thinly-veiled kickback scheme. Dr. DePace observed that the other CHIAB members were family physicians with high-volume practices. These physicians were all in the position to direct millions of dollars in patient care to Cooper.

Dr. DePace also observed that the CHIAB physicians were paid $18,500 for doing nothing more than sitting and listening to marketing presentations and lectures on irrelevant topics. The physicians did not discuss the lecture topics, and were not required to perform any additional work in exchange for the payments from Cooper.

In exchange for Cooper’s kickback payments, CHIAB physicians referred their patients to the Cooper Heart Institute for expensive in-patient and out-patient cardiac services. At least one CHIAB member admitted to Dr. DePace that, when making referrals, he knew that Cooper, through the CHIAB, “butters his bread.”

The settlement with the United States, and the State of New Jersey, announced today, will require Cooper to pay the United States $10,000,000 and the State of New Jersey $2,600,000. The settlement is one of the largest against a hospital for operating a kickback scheme, and is one of the largest recoveries for the State of New Jersey under its recently passed state False Claims Act. Cooper denies that it is liable for violating federal or state laws.

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a pro-life legal organization that focuses on constitutional law, today filed its fourth direct challenge to the mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the basis that the mandate violates the religious beliefs of business owners. The lawsuit was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and contends that the HHS mandate violates constitutional and statutory rights by requiring two Ohio companies and their owners to purchase health insurance for employees that include coverage for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.

The lawsuit, posted here: http://c0391070.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/pdf/complaint-declaratory-injunctive-relief-freshway-v-hhs.pdf, argues that the HHS mandate violates the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.

The lawsuit contends the HHS mandate forces the owners to “violate their religious beliefs and moral values” or face crippling fines and penalties. For the two companies combined, the fines and penalties would total nearly $40,000 a day, amounting to $14.4 million annually, which the owners contend will be “ruinous” for their businesses.

The Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) approach to deciding which treatments are available on health services – used by the UK and generating much interest across Europe – is dangerously flawed and should be abandoned, according a European Commission funded research project.

HTA agencies are charged with recommending whether new treatments are publicly funded. NICE uses QALY – an economic theory which mathematically weighs number of life years by quality of life provided by different treatments. Based on this calculation, decisions are made about whether treatments are offered by the National Health Service. In the UK, if the incremental cost per QALY (= cost for one additional year in perfect health) is below £30,000, the treatment is usually made available. Many European countries are currently considering replicating the NICE model.

The research surveyed 1,300 respondents in Belgium, France, Italy and the UK, and is the largest investigation into QALYs ever undertaken.

ESKADENIA Software has successfully deployed its comprehensive package of General Insurance and Financial Insurance Systems at the short-term insurance operation of Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited in short period of time.

ESKADENIA Insurance Management Systems are designed to reduce operational cost, speed up work, maintain historical data and ensure a high level of security at Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited; The systems support real-time integration with the financial modules of ESKADENIA® Business Manager, including the General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Cash Management Systems to maintain Botswana’s needed financial information and accounts updates.

The ESKADENIA Insurance Software package (General, Financial, Approval System, Notification Engine, Management Information System, & ESKA Insures for Agents & Brokers) provide a collaborative environment for information management across Botswana Insurance Holdings’ departments and allows users to capture up-to-the-minute information whenever required.

The software package also, provides Botswana Insurance‘s users with advanced up-to-date reports and statistics to analyse operational performance and make proper management decisions.

Developed on Microsoft .Net Objected Oriented technology and using Oracle Database, the web-based systems, securely accessed from wherever an Internet service is available, which allows Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited employees to define insurance products, manage production, and run daily insurance transactions in an efficient and simple manner. Through the systems’ location-independent interface, the company can efficiently handle greater volumes of operations and smoothly manage work processes.

John Haenen, the CEO of BIHL Sure! commented that “ESKA® Insures provided us with the best platform for our business, we were impressed by the collaborative way in which ESKADENIA Software handled the deployment of our system – on time, on budget, and faultlessly functional at first switch-on.”

“We are proud to be selected as their technology partner by the largest financial service Group in Botswana – BIHL Sure! and to consolidate our position in the African Insurance market. The systems were deployed in record time indicating our ability to provide advanced and stable products to customers and the market “said Nael Salah, Managing Director of ESKADENIA Software.

About BIHL Sure!
The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BIHL Group, which is in turn a subsidiary of Sanlam, the largest insurance group in Africa with revenues exceeding US$5 billion. It writes some 38 lines of business in client-definable packages, or on custom designed forms for complex risks. The market in which it operates requires interaction with brokers, tied agents and bulk on-sellers such as banks. Systems are required to cater for all of these channels as well as the emerging direct market that demands access via the internet or smartphone. One of the Company’s leading strategies is to provide high standards of customer care 24/7/365, driven primarily by its electronic platforms. For this reason the relationship with its systems supplier is regarded as strategic and mission critical.

About ESKADENIA Software
ESKADENIA® Software is a CMMI® level 3 certified company that is active in the design, development and deployment of a range of software products in the Telecommunications, Insurance, Enterprise, Education, and Internet application areas. The company is based in Jordan and has sales activities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; more than 85% of its sales are exported to the global market. ESKADENIA Software is a product and market-oriented organisation that assists enterprises and promotes businesses by use of highly effective IT strategies, solutions and tools. ESKADENIA Software strongly believes that a company’s achievement is based on the success of its Human Resources and the commitment to quality and excellence that each one holds strong to. ESKADENIA endeavours as a team to maintain quality and customer respect, build up perseverance, and foster innovation.

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) today sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging both chambers to reject a proposal to pay for Stafford student loan subsidies with reductions in the Medicaid provider tax rates, also known as provider assessments.

Last week, House and Senate Republican leaders sent a letter to the President offering reduction in the Medicaid provider assessments as a way to offset the cost of keeping student loan interest rates low. The House of Representatives could vote on the measure as early as June 29.

A copy of the letter is below. [Read more…]

Enterologics, Inc., (OTCBB: ELGO.OB) a biotechnology company, is dedicated to the development of live biotherapeutic products for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that it believes are poorly addressed by current therapies. Key examples include pouchitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and Clostridium difficile infections.

Enterologics intends to license or acquire technology to build a product pipeline based on producing probiotic bacteria in novel, shelf-stable, high potency formulations that are delivered orally. Unlike probiotic bacteria that are sold over-the-counter as dietary supplements or in food products such as yogurt, we intend to develop products to meet the exacting standards necessary to gain FDA approval as prescription drugs and biologics, with demonstrated safety and clinical benefits for specific GI indications. [Read more…]

Buying health insurance coverage is a big decision. It’s complex, it’s costly, and it could have big monetary implications. Similar to a lot of other things, it’s simpler if you break up the job into lesser tasks and find your way out through them.

a) Create a list of solutions you and your household may need.
Take into consideration your gender, age, and family medical record. Are there any ongoing medical conditions? Is There anyone regular medical prescription?

At the lowest, plan to purchase ‘a high insurance deductible health plan’, which is usually termed as ‘catastrophic coverage’. Simply speaking, this coverage provides a reduced premium, and you make payment for most routine costs out of your pocket. If you’ve a critical accident or become severely ill, your insurance plan will activate when you attain your deductible. [Read more…]

Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that it has received a contract to provide IT managed services to a new client, the American Red Cross, a leading provider of humanitarian services.

The contract has a potential value of approximately $80 million over its initial five-year term. It also has two one-year renewal options.

Under the terms of the contract, Unisys will provide a full range of customer support and data center managed services to support approximately 20,000 Red Cross workers throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The workers are engaged in disaster relief, blood-supply management and other activities critical to the organization’s humanitarian mission. [Read more…]

Registered Nurses from two Baystate Health System bargaining units will take action Saturday morning outside the Democratic State Convention in Springfield. The nurses will be joined by labor and community supporters. Convention delegates will be asked to join the nurses in condemning Baystate’s anti-union behavior.

Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United who work at the Baystate Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice (BVNAH) in Springfield and Baystate Franklin Medical Center (BFMC) in Greenfield will highlight Baystate’s ongoing attempts to undercut their fundamental right to bargain over such basic issues as wages and health insurance.

Baystate also is attempting to force BFMC nurses to work mandatory overtime – even beyond twelve hours – a practice that has been shown to put nurses and patients at risk.

In addition, the National Labor Relations Board has determined that Baystate has repeatedly violated federal labor law in their anti-union campaign against nurses.

Solta Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLTM), the pioneer in fractional resurfacing and a global market leader in aesthetic treatments, has announced the availability of the Fraxel re:pair SST Laser Platform in the United States. The updated platform addresses the major needs of aging and sun-damaged skin and offers physicians unmatched versatility and customization to treat a broad range of clinical indications. It also offers patients a fast, single-pass single-treatment option providing impressive resurfacing results with more comfort and minimal healing time than a traditional Fraxel re:pair treatment.

Unlike any other fractional laser system, Fraxel re:pair SST has four unique handpieces: two fractional handpieces for both shallow and deep fractional skin resurfacing needs and two fully ablative handpieces for incisional, debulking and full-coverage skin resurfacing treatments. The fractional handpieces include the improved FMDA™ (Fractional Micro-Dermal Ablation) 600 micron handpiece that allows for a 20-minute, high-coverage, single-pass treatment to address sun damage, fine lines, texture and tone. This procedure is well tolerated with minimal downtime and remarkable clinical results in as little as one week. [Read more…]

Three dedicated leaders in health education will be honored by The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) as the 2012 Champions of Health Professions Diversity for their successful efforts to improve the health and wellness of California’s most underserved communities. Lawrence “Hy” Doyle of the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, provides skills and opportunities for disadvantaged students to enter and succeed in medical school. Peter Manoleas is an educator at the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley, mental health clinician in Oakland and health policy leader with a focus on ensuring access to mental health services. Angela Minniefield recently became vice president of strategic advancement at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles and previously directed programs to increase the diversity of the health professions at the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development in Sacramento.

On June 12, 2012, TCWF will honor these three leaders at its tenth annual “Champions of Health Professions Diversity Award” ceremony in San Francisco. In recognition of their efforts to mentor and inspire students, increase access to higher education and better serve the health and well-being of California’s underserved and disadvantaged communities, each honoree will each receive a cash award of $25,000. [Read more…]

A great deal has been learned in the decade since the first results from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) were published on July 9, 2002. The WHI was the largest and longest trial of postmenopausal women using hormone therapy (HT). The 27,000 women were prescribed estrogen-alone therapy, estrogen-progestogen therapy, or a placebo for 5 to 7 years, respectively.

Researchers expected to find that hormones prevented chronic conditions of aging in women, including heart disease. Instead, they found that hormones produced a mix of risks and benefits. The subsequent data from the WHI suggest that the risks of HT vary with a woman’s age (safer if started soon after menopause). [Read more…]

A new nationwide poll finds that heavy majorities of voters across party lines believe that the legal system is increasing health care costs. The survey also found that 66 percent of voters favor taking medical claims out of the current legal system and putting them into new health courts with expert judges. The poll was conducted for Common Good by Clarus Research Group.

Among the poll’s key findings are the following:

— A strong majority of voters––75 percent––believe “lawsuits and legal fees are a major cause of high medical insurance rates.” Eighty-nine percent of Republicans, 76 percent of independents and 62 percent of Democrats agree on this.

— Sixty-eight percent agree that “plenty of good doctors are leaving the practice of medicine because of the number of lawsuits and the cost of liability insurance.” Seventy-eight percent of Republicans, 64 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of independents agree. [Read more…]

When it comes to how Idaho cares for its elderly and disabled, the state is ahead of the curve in some areas and right behind the eight ball in others, according to a new AARP report taking an in-depth review of long-term care services and supports (LTSS) in the Gem State.

The report analyzes the results of AARP’s long-term care scorecard for Idaho, finding the state earning an overall rank of 19 nationally, meaning 32 states scored lower – showing where Idaho leads and lags the nation on crucial elder care matters. Idaho was one of three states across the nation chosen as a case study state because, for the most part, Gem State LTSS rankings fell right in the middle. (Minnesota was also chosen because it ranked first overall and Georgia was picked because it ranked poorly).

The Good: Idaho ranked 8th in the nation for helping elderly and disabled residents to age in their setting of choice, excelling in balancing LTSS dollars in Medicaid toward providing home and community based services (HCBS), as opposed to costly nursing home care. [Read more…]

As Michigan continues to make economic progress, many residents still live without health insurance – with more than one million Michigan residents currently uninsured. Many of these people rely on locally-operated, nonprofit clinics as access points for healthcare. Through its “Strengthening the Safety Net” program, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan provides continuous support for the uninsured and underinsured – and today the company announced it is again accepting requests for funding clinics in 2012. Applications from Michigan free clinics providing health care services to the state’s uninsured and underinsured populations will be accepted until July 9, 2012. Notice of Intent to Apply is due by June 21, 2012.

Free clinics can apply for non-competitive grants of at least $15,000 and/or a limited number of competitive grants of up to $50,000. Awarded funds can be earmarked for improvements or initiatives like streamlining office operations through technology upgrades, collaborating with area hospitals and other healthcare organizations to increase patient volume, or expanding clinic services to include women’s health care, dental care, behavioral health services, etc. [Read more…]

As America’s bishops and Catholic organizations around the country file lawsuits to protect their First Amendment rights from the government’s health care mandate, a new survey finds that a significant majority of Americans support the right to opt out of providing drugs, services and procedures for religious reasons.

According to the Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll, the survey found that three in four Americans (74 to 26 percent) say that freedom of religion should be protected, even if it conflicts with other laws. Majorities would also protect the First Amendment conscience rights of hospitals, health care workers and insurers.

Strong majorities would let individual health care providers and organizations opt out of providing: abortion (58 to 38 percent), abortion-inducing drugs (51 to 44 percent), in vitro fertilization treatments that could result in the death of an embryo (52 to 41 percent), medication to speed the death of a terminally ill patient (55 to 41 percent) and birth control pills (51 to 46 percent). The number supporting the right to opt out of providing birth control is particularly interesting given the fact that more than eight in 10 Americans (88 percent) believe contraception is morally acceptable. [Read more…]

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) and Discovery Education, in partnership with Sports Authority, today awarded schools in South Carolina, Arizona and Illinois with $50,000 in prizes as the winners of the 2012 Find Your Balance Challenge, a program designed to engage K-5 students in creating practical, long-term improvements in nutrition and physical activity at their school.

The Grand Prize winner from Myrtle Beach Intermediate School in Myrtle Beach, S.C., will receive $30,000 in sporting equipment and cash awards from Sports Authority for their program on the importance of balancing calories-in with calories-out. Principal Dana Penick entered on behalf of the school and recruited a Healthy Challenge Team from her fourth and fifth grade students. An entirely student-led and student-written entry, Myrtle Beach Intermediate School recognized a need for energy balance education and set a goal to increase healthy snacking and physical activity.

Integrating HWCF and Discovery Education’s Energy Balance 101 curriculum, students encouraged participation by creating an “exercise menu” and giving their peers choices for how to expend energy. The students engaged the entire community in their efforts through donations from the local Food Lion, asking parents to encourage exercise on weekends, hosting an event at the local recreation center and working with the cafeteria staff to provide more fruit and vegetable snack options. [Read more…]

A new Consumer Reports poll shows overwhelming public support for strong medical device safety oversight. The poll was released just as House and Senate Committees have issued draft legislation to reauthorize the statute governing medical devices and at a time when the FDA’s process for reviewing new implants has come under intense criticism.

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee’s draft bill would significantly weaken device safety oversight and should be rejected by Congress, according to Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports. While the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s draft bill provides some additional protections for patients once devices are on the market, it misses the opportunity to enact a clear process for preventing unsafe devices from being sold in the first place.

The medical device industry has been pushing Congress to scale back oversight of implants and other devices, which it claims is necessary to promote innovation and make it easier to get new devices approved. But according to the new Consumer Reports poll, 82 percent of Americans believe that preventing safety problems is more important than limiting safety testing in order to prevent delays and encourage innovation. [Read more…]

The S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index indicates that the average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs increased by 5.21% over the 12-months ending January 2012. This was a decline from the +5.30% annual growth rate posted for December 2011.

As measured by the S&P Healthcare Economic Commercial Index, healthcare costs covered by commercial insurance plans increased by 7.05% over the year ending January 2012, down from the +7.11% reported for December 2011. Growth rates in Medicare claim costs rose by 2.40%, as measured by the S&P Healthcare Economic Medicare Index, down from the +2.52% reported for December. The Professional Services Index’s annual growth rate also decelerated from its +5.37% December 2011 rate, increasing by 5.13% in January. The broad Hospital Index’s annual growth rate increased slightly to 5.03% in January from its +4.99% December pace. [Read more…]

Mevion Medical Systems, a radiation therapy company dedicated to advancing the treatment of cancer, has received CE Marking certification for the MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System. This important commercial milestone indicates that Mevion has completed its development in compliance with the European Union’s Medical Device Directive. The CE Marking allows the MEVION S250 to be marketed, sold, and installed in the European Union and in any country recognizing CE Mark approval. [Read more…]

Unilife Corporation (“Unilife” or “Company”) (NASDAQ: UNIS; ASX: UNS) has released its investor relations app, now available for free at the App Store™ on the iPhone®.

The Unilife investor relations app for iPhone allows users to navigate the Company’s investor relations materials, as well as receive a stock quote and other important stock information. Developed and powered by KCSA Strategic Communications, the Unilife app features the latest press releases and SEC filings as well as background information, videos and presentations from the Company. [Read more…]

HealthSouth Corporation (NYSE:HLS) today announced that its board of directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $16.25 per share on its 6.5% Series A Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, payable on April 16, 2012, to holders of record on April 2, 2012. [Read more…]

Earlier today the federal district court denied our motion for a preliminary injunction against the DEA’s immediate suspension of our license to ship controlled substances from our Lakeland, Fla., distribution center. We disagree with this decision and have noticed our appeal of this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Our contingency plans will be immediately activated, and we will make every effort to meet our customers’ needs with minimal disruption. [Read more…]

Crothall Healthcare announced the name change of its operating division from Clinical Equipment Services to Clinical Equipment Solutions (CES). The new name emphasizes Crothall’s intent to focus management and oversight resources on the entire cycle of healthcare technology rather than the traditional “fix it” approach of clinical equipment services programs.

Crothall’s CES division will continue to focus on safety, risk management, technical support of medical devices and clinical technologies, financial stewardship, and management of healthcare technologies that are integrated and interoperable. [Read more…]

Today, the Health Council of Canada releases Turning what we know into action: A commentary on the National Symposium on Patient Engagement , calling for the inclusion of the patient voice when designing, planning and delivering health care services in Canada. The goal of the symposium is to raise awareness of the potential of patient engagement as a means of improving the health care system.

In October 2011, the Health Council of Canada held a national symposium on patient engagement. Patients, representatives from patient organizations, provincial and federal government representatives, researchers, health system administrators and health care providers shared their perspectives on patient-centred care. [Read more…]

Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisors, LLC (MCRA), a leading independently-operated medical technology consulting firm focused exclusively on serving the worldwide neuro-musculoskeletal industry, announced today that Joseph “Chip” Thomas, M.D., former Medical Director for leading commercial insurance organizations, has joined the firm’s Health Economics, Reimbursement & Public Policy team. [Read more…]

Researchers led by a senior investigator at Hofstra-North Shore LIJ School of Medicine and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have released initial findings from a first-of-a-kind clinical trial in adaptive radiotherapy (ART) for head and neck cancer. The trial, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, provides evidence that ART may benefit patients with less technical difficulty than previously believed. The findings of this trial were released online in advance of publication in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics. [Read more…]