Health Care

N.J. nonprofit gets $100M loan to prepare insurance plans for state-run exchange

By Katie Eder
February 22, 2012 02:36 PM

A new private, nonprofit, consumer-directed health insurance group in New Jersey, sponsored by the Freelancers Union, has been awarded a loan of more than $100 million under the Affordable Care Act to set up and maintain affordable health plans for individuals and small businesses.

Realogy providing gold standard cancer prevention to employees

By Melinda Caliendo
February 20, 2012 12:37 PM

Parsippany-based Realogy is the latest company to receive accreditation from a national organization dedicated to reducing cancer among corporate employees.

Congress approves payroll tax cut, but concerns in N.J. over Medicare decision

By Katie Eder
February 17, 2012 02:36 PM

An extension of the federal payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits passed today by U.S. Congress won applause in the House of Representatives, but representatives of New Jersey's health care community said they were discouraged that no long-term solution was included to handle Medicare reimbursements.

Survey: Payers skeptical about contraceptive mandate savings

By Jared Kaltwasser
February 17, 2012 01:54 PM

The enactment of a new contraception coverage mandate could end up costing employers, according to a new survey.

Design firm bulks up on wellness center projects

By Melinda Caliendo
February 13, 2012 01:37 PM

Jarmel Kizel Architects & Engineers Inc., in Livingston, is bulking up on fitness and wellness centers in New Jersey, as last week it announced it is working to design a fourth center with Fitness and Wellness Professional Services at the new University Medical Center at Princeton, in Plainsboro.

Getting hospitals off of life support

By Melinda Caliendo
February 10, 2012 03:46 PM

What began as a trickle of mergers and partnerships has become a flood for New Jersey’s hospitals, which are increasingly exploring partnerships as a way to fend off the fiscal pressures of a new and changing health care landscape.
“Throughout the state and the country, you’re seeing consolidation in the industry,” said Robert Garrett, president and CEO of Hackensack University Medical Center. “There was almost a frenzy that started after health care reform was passed two years ago, and that frenzy has continued and accelerated. I think standalone hospitals that traditionally had no interest in joining a system or network are now rethinking those positions, because they’re wondering can they survive on their own in the future.”

Restructuring talk hasn't slowed interest at UMDNJ's South Jersey campus

By Melinda Caliendo
February 6, 2012 01:58 PM

Uncertainty surrounding the future of the state's medical schools has done little to deter interest from prospective students at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's Stratford campus, which reported a larger, more talented applicant pool for its fall 2012 semester.

Hackensack geriatric center receives honor for patient-centered care model

By Melinda Caliendo
February 6, 2012 02:13 PM

Responding to the demand for more coordinated care for geriatric patients, the Center for Healthy Senior Living at Hackensack University Medical Center announced Friday it had been given the highest level of certification as a patient-centered medical home.

Experts: Focusing on medicine adherence could save $290B

By Melinda Caliendo
February 3, 2012 02:11 PM

A seminar put on today the by the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey and the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute put its focus on ways to improve patient adherence to prescriptions, citing research that found improved compliance could save nearly $290 billion annually in the United States.