Wednesday, November 26, 2008

What do Virginia, Utah and Washington have in common? They are the three best states for business operators, according to an annual ranking by Forbes magazine. States were scored according to factors that included business costs, labor rates, regulatory environment, economic climate growth prospects and quality of life. While this marked the third straight year that Virginia topped the list, Georgia moved from 15th to fifth place, just behind North Carolina. In fact, Georgia finished in the top 10 in four of the six categories examined. These days, it's safe to say that many business people really do have Georgia on their minds.

Every 40 seconds, another person in the United States has a stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Ron Gardner, who has survived a stroke, recently wrote "Take Brave Steps for Stroke Survivors and Families - A Message of Motivation and Hope." The book offers motivation and inspiration to stroke survivors—and their caregivers.

Handi-Hut announced the recent sale of its 10,000th Smoking Shelter. The shelters accommodate smokers so that public spaces can remain smoke-free. The products come in many designs, are built to specifications, have vented roofs and are easily installed, according to the company.

Graham-Field recently introduced the Lumex FoldAway Onyx Walker. The product assembles quickly and can be folded easily for transportation or storage. Although the walker weighs only six pounds, it has a 300-pound maximum weight capacity. The walker also comes with a limited lifetime warranty, the firm notes.

Some durable medical equipment, prosthetic, and orthotics suppliers (DMEPOS) are abusing the Medicare system, despite fraud-prevention safeguards, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.In its investigation, GAO investigators created two false suppliers in Virginia and Maryland, the Bureau of National Affairs reported. The fake vendors were approved to bill Medicare, even though neither met all of the 25 supplier standards required of DMEPOS companies. Nursing homes deal regularly with DMEPOS suppliers and some facilities even have established their own supplier businesses.

Officials at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that they approved the upcoming flu season's batch of vaccines, and are hopeful that this year's formula will be more effective than last year's. Breaking with tradition, the agencies changed all three flu virus strains. Usually, only one or two are updated, but last year's inoculation was only 44% effective. Two of the three strains recommended for the U.S. are now in use for the 2008-2009 flu season in the Southern Hemisphere. There are six vaccines for the 2008-2009 flu season in the U.S.

AARP will bring more hearing assistance to its 39 million members as part of a new partnership with HearUSA. The new program will encompass a wide range of products and services for members, many of whom reside in long-term care settings. New program benefits will become available later this year, according to both organizations.