Month: February 2015

And so are you. And so am I. We are animals, all.Mammals, to be more specific. We are animals like all others, part of the world, part of our planetary menagerie, and part of nature.With that in mind, reflect for a moment about any nature programming you have ever enjoyed, from Animal Planet to Planet Earth. As the scenes are recalled, I trust…

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(Reuters) – Humana Inc said on Monday that the U.S. government’s proposed payments to insurers that sell Medicare Advantage health plans would mean a 1.25 percent to 1.75 percent cut for the managed care company in 2016. Humana said its geographic and member diagnosis mix affected the impact from the government payment rates. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday evening proposed a cut in its funding of the Medicare Advantage health plans to older and disabled people. In addition, Morningstar Research analyst Vishnu Lekraj said, the company disclosed on Monday that it had higher-than-average quality ratings, which could help its Medicare Advantage plan sales.
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Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc will use its acquisitions of Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd and assets of Dendreon Corp for smaller deals that fit into those businesses, Chief Executive Officer Michael Pearson said on Monday. Laval, Quebec-based Valeant on Sunday announced its largest-ever acquisition, the $10.1 billion cash purchase of Salix, known for its drug Xifaxan to treat irritable bowel syndrome. Valeant will finance the deal for Salix, a drugmaker for gastrointestinal disorders, with debt, pushing its ratio of debt to 5.6 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, from 3.5 times before the deal. Last November, Salix announced that supply levels for Xifaxan and other drugs were higher than it had indicated, forcing the company to slash its full-year earnings forecast.
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An 18-month-old boy who was not vaccinated against measles has died of the virus in Berlin, health officials said on Monday, adding they would try to boost vaccination rates and increase checks on children’s status. The German capital has seen about 600 cases of measles since an outbreak began last October, and the boy’s death reignited a debate about whether to make vaccination compulsory. It is not in Germany and some parents choose not to vaccinate their children due to fears about potential side effects. More than 150 people across the United States have been diagnosed with measles, many linked to an outbreak authorities believe began when an infected international traveler visited Disneyland in late December.
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