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.

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.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule outlining standards that Navigators in federally-facilitated and state partnership marketplaces must meet, clarifying earlier guidance about the Navigator program.

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.

Legislation introduced March 27 by North Carolina state senators Bob Rucho and Harry Brown seeks a number of measures to improve transparency in healthcare costs provided by hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities.

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.

Rep. Diana Black (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation on March 21 to amend the HITECH Act to decrease regulatory burden for certain providers struggling to meet Meaningful Use requirements.