On July 15 the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies approved $1 billion in added funds for the NIH in fiscal year 2011, which would raise the agency’s budget to more than $32 billion.

In response to the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program, Medicare Durable Medical Equipment (DME) contractors CIGNA and NHIC have provided details on their prepayment review of claims for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Devices (E0601).

Donald Berwick, MD, was sworn in last week as CMS administrator. Dr. Berwick, who served as president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and as a Harvard University professor, is best known for helping hospitals use standardized procedures to improve quality.

The incentive plan was outlined in the 2009 federal economic stimulus package to spur adoption of health information technology to boost medical care effectiveness and efficiency.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has announced the renewal of a program supporting interdisciplinary graduate training and continuing education in the core occupational safety and health areas as well as other closely related occupational safety and health (OSH) fields.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) - an agency of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - invites you to attend its 2010 National Conference on Health Statistics.

The National Institutes of Health’s Center for Scientific Review (CSR) has released “NIH Peer Review Revealed,” a 15-minute video that shows new applicants and others how NIH assesses more than 80,000 grant applications each year to help find those with the most merit.

In response to a legislative mandate to set durable medical equipment (DME) prices pursuant to a competitive bidding process, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released DME payment amounts for nine communities where the new price structure will go into effect Jan. 1, 2011.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the official website for the Medicare & Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs

This week CMS reminded physicians that it is not too late to start participating in the 2010 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and potentially qualify to receive incentive payments.

Earlier this week CMS announced that it is offering physicians and other practitioners, whose current participation status is non-participating, the opportunity to become participating (PAR). This opportunity is available through July 16, 2010.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2011 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule is now on display at the Office of the Federal Register’s Public Inspection Desk.

The bill designates the first week of September as "Drowsy Driving Prevention Week." During the week, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Department of Transportation are encouraged to educate the law enforcement community and the public about the relationship between fatigue and performance.

On June 28, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle signed Senate Bill 2600 (SB 2600) into law. The bill establishes licensure for respiratory therapists.