SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 4, 2013 -- According to the White House, the U.S. spends $2.2 trillion each year in health care, and Americans spend more on health care than on food or housing.  An upward trend in health care cost is projected over the period of 2015-2021 at an average rate of 6.2 percent annually, reflecting the net result of the aging of the population, several provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and generally improving economic conditions reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  

SAN FRANCISCO, April 4, 2013 -- Ninety percent of Americans don't know when the new health insurance exchanges will open, according to a new survey released today by InsuranceQuotes.com.

HENDERSON, Nev., April 4, 2013 -- The Nevada Health Care Association (NVHCA) has selected COMS Interactive, LLC (Clinical Outcomes Management Systems or COMS) as a Preferred Partner.  The Partnership Agreement further validates NVHCA's commitment to the association members' concentration on promoting quality health care and providing better care for post-acute residents in the state.  The specific focus of the agreement is on enhancing clinical services to the residents and achieving cost-effective financial outcomes for the NVHCA membership. 

SARASOTA, Fla., April 4, 2013 -- MedFocusCapital Partners, Inc., an innovator in the eye care industry, announces See.Hear.Live.Better!, an alliance of healthcare service providers backed by leading product manufacturers, all focused on improving the quality of life through vision, hearing and lifestyle services.

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2013 -- The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), in conjunction with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), International Oncology Network/AmerisourceBergen, and the US Oncology Network, issued a joint statement on the crippling effects of sequestration cuts to cancer drugs and services which began April 1, 2013.  The organizations also sent letters to Health and Human Services (HHS), the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.  Sequestration cuts will apply not only to services physicians and others provide, but also to the fixed, pass-through costs of chemotherapy and related cancer-fighting drugs.  Community cancer care providers are struggling to survive in this unsustainable environment.

PHILADELPHIA, April 3, 2013 -- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Pfizer, Inc., are joining forces with the goal of translating biomedical discoveries into novel treatments. CHOP is announcing its participation in the Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) network, a novel collaboration model built by Pfizer that brings academic researchers together with Pfizer scientists to expedite the pace of innovation.

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (April 3, 2013) – Today marks the 40th anniversary that organizations united to adopt a universal way to conduct business using GS1 Standards. Beginning with a U.P.C. (Universal Product Code) barcode, the GS1 System of Standards has set the foundation for a technological revolution that has changed the way companies, from manufacturers to retailers, conduct business around the world. Now, more than five billion GS1 barcodes are scanned every day.

Columbua, Ohio, April 3, 2013 -- The connection between Ohio's economic future and Technology in Healthcare will be the focus of discussions with legislators at the Ohio Statehouse by advocates of Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) on April 11.

Boston, MA, April 3, 2013 -- Perceptive Informatics, a leading eClinical solutions provider and a subsidiary of PAREXEL International Corporation (NASDAQ: PRXL), today released an enhanced version of its comprehensive IMPACT® clinical trial management system (CTMS). Notable features include improved data entry as well as site management and monitoring capabilities. The system is designed for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies of all sizes, and has more than 26,000 users in studies of up to tens of thousands of subjects and millions of visits.

Boston, April 2, 2013 -- Recognizing that Accountable Care can only succeed if consumers take responsibility for their health, Healthrageous, Inc., has unveiled the concept of Accountable Health. Unlike Accountable Care that focuses on provider behavior, Accountable Health is consumer-centric.  Accountable Health occurs when a consumer takes responsibility for modifying their lifestyle in ways that prevent or improve the management of a chronic condition, increase adherence to medication or comply with care plans that lead to optimal clinical outcomes.  Healthrageous is a leader in digital health self-management.

Indianapolis, Ind., April 2, 2013 -- With the addition of the MedInformatix Patient Portal Module to its Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) platform, Price Vision Group anticipates its patient capacity to increase by more than 15 percent in 2013. Using the secure portal, patients can answer questions about their medical history well before the visit, eliminating the need to fill out responses on a clipboard upon arrival and reducing the overall time they spend in the office.

April 2, 2013 -- Healthbox, a leading business accelerator that supports early-stage health care companies, kicked off its second program today in Kendall Square. After completing the inaugural Boston program in November 2012, Healthbox and anchor partner Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA), quickly launched a second program dedicated to supporting innovative start-up companies to respond to continued industry demand for creative solutions to pervasive healthcare challenges.

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – April 1, 2013 – Honeywell (NYSE: HON) HomMed, a global leader in telehealth and remote patient care, today announced its LifeStream Leaders Advantage Program, designed to support healthcare providers as they implement, market and grow their telehealth programs. 

ST. LOUIS, April 2, 2013 -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today that on April 1, 2013, it completed the purchase of Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a AcariaHealth), one of the nation's largest, independent, comprehensive specialty pharmacy companies, from Enhanced Equity Funds. The transaction was financed through a combination of approximately 1.7 million shares of Centene common stock, cash on hand as well as up to $15.3 million of Centene common stock from an equity offering related to funding the escrow account. 

PointRight Inc., the leader in data-driven analytics for health care and insurance, announces the combined launch of its new iPad App, which now enables providers to have mobile and flexible access to all of PointRight's data analytics services and reports via their iPad. The iPad app is available for free download via the Apple® iTunes® Store.

GZS, Inc., a leader in developing disease-specific and condition-specific Electronic Medical Records/Electronic Health Records (EMR/EHR) and patient registry software solutions, has announced the worldwide release of the WebTracker-Hemophilia ™ EHR patient registry solution used under the new brand name HemaGlobal ™.