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AHRQ finds septicemia as the most costly hospital condition in 2009

Septicemia, an illness caused by blood infections with bacteria such as E. coli and MRSA, was the single most expensive condition treated in U.S. hospitals at nearly $15.4 billion in 2009, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

7 Oct 2011

CNBC.com examines counterfeit pharmaceuticals in special report

In a special report, CNBC.com examines "the world of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, from the dangers they pose and where they're made, to what is being done to combat them."

7 Oct 2011

HHS inspector to step up anti-fraud and abuse efforts in 2012

One new item on the to-do list will be to review hospitals deemed to be at high risk of submitting improper bills to Medicare. Also, The Fiscal Times details how lab test costs could be squeezing Medicare and Medicaid.

7 Oct 2011

African-Americans have higher overall post-scene of injury mortality rate than whites

New research based on post-hospital arrival data from U.S. trauma centers finds that even after adjusting for differences in injury severity, gun use, and other likely causes of race difference in death from assault, African-Americans have a significantly higher overall post-scene of injury mortality rate than whites.

7 Oct 2011

Recap of key briefing on advancements in malaria fight

This post in the Malaria Policy Center blog recaps a Tuesday Capitol Hill briefing, hosted by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), co-chairs of the Senate Working Group on Malaria, "that highlighted research and development advancements by the U.S. military and U.S. academic institutions to develop the tools to eliminate malaria and keep our servicemen and women safe as they serve overseas."

7 Oct 2011

CLASS implementation oversight listed in HHS work plan

But GOP lawmakers are seeking an actuarial report from the Department of Health and Human Services that may offer insights into this controversial long-term care insurance program's fiscal viability.

7 Oct 2011

Foreign affairs committee votes to prohibit U.S. funding to U.N. Population Fund

The Republican-led House Committee on Foreign Affairs voted Wednesday to approve a bill that would prohibit the U.S. government from providing funding to the U.N. Population Fund, an organization "that helps women and children in developing countries with reproductive health and family planning," Agence France-Presse reports.

7 Oct 2011

House lawmaker looks into drug shortages, price markups

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., the ranking member on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has begun an investigation into 'gray market' drug distributors and how they may be driving up costs and adding to the nation's current shortage of cancer and critical-care products.

7 Oct 2011

On campaign stump, Obama embraces 'Obamacare'

Also on the trail, a conservative group has launched ads aimed at derailing Mitt Romney's run for the GOP presidential nomination. One of their reasons: his record on health reform while governor of Massachusetts. Meanwhile, at a fundraiser, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius charges Republicans with turning back the clock on women's health.

7 Oct 2011

MD Anderson's pediatric surgeon receives Geneva and James Briscoe Physician Assistant Award

Holly Green, a pediatric surgery physician assistant in the Department of Surgical Oncology, division of pediatrics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, is the recipient of the 2011 Geneva and James Briscoe Physician Assistant Award for Excellence.

7 Oct 2011

Hints of progress emerge from 'super committee' deliberations

A top GOP House lawmaker hopes the deficit-cutting panel will focus entirely on health care costs to reach the $1.2 trillion savings target. Meanwhile, in the background, the Wall Street Journal reports that nearly half of all U.S. households receive government benefits, with about 34% getting means-tested assistance such as Medicaid.

7 Oct 2011

Loyola participates in Pink Glove Dance competition to raise breast cancer awareness

Not since the likes of Fame, Flashdance or Fred Astaire has the Chicago area seen such dancing talent as is showcased in Loyola University Health System's new Pink Glove Dance video. This video is part of the Pink Glove Dance phenomenon that is sweeping the nation.

7 Oct 2011

Global efforts must be coordinated immediately to prevent, control NCDs

In this Scientist opinion piece, Edward Partridge, president of the American Cancer Society and director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, president of health care and education at the American Diabetes Association, and Ralph Sacco, immediate past president of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and professor and chairman of neurology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, write that while last month's U.N.

7 Oct 2011

Keeping HIV patients on ART will have long-term economic benefits, study shows

Investments to keep 3.5 million people living with HIV on antiretroviral drugs provided by programs co-financed through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria through 2020 will cost an estimated $14.2 billion, but "the financial savings would amount to between $12 billion and $34 billion," according to a study published in the journal PLoS One, Sarah Boseley reports in her "Global Health Blog" in the Guardian.

7 Oct 2011

PBS NewsHour reports mHealth applications show promise but need further research

The use of mobile phones for medical purposes, or mHealth, holds "promising implications," but "there are still some challenges to overcome," PBS NewsHour reports.

7 Oct 2011

'Super Committee' cuts in Medicaid spending could have major impact on state budgets

Also, in other Medicaid news, a Florida official testifies in court that the state system for children has no major problems while criticism grows of plan to turn over the Medicaid program to managed care companies.

7 Oct 2011

NO could improve recovery of critically ill patients in intensive care

The latest results from an expedition to Mount Everest that looked at the body's response to low oxygen levels suggest that drugs or procedures that promote the body's production of a chemical compound called nitric oxide (NO) could improve the recovery of critically ill patients in intensive care.

7 Oct 2011

With recession pressures and changes in working patterns, more people are losing insurance

The Des Moines Register examines a new report on the decline in employer-based health insurance while The Philadelphia Inquirer highlights the increasing number of people losing insurance because of the economic downturn. In Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution finds more people turning to high-deductible insurance policies.

7 Oct 2011

Tips on how to prevent unnecessary medication/supplement mishaps

Navigating the supplement and medication maze can get confusing especially when you have multiple prescriptions. It is important to organize yourself with your medications and supplements to prevent unnecessary mishaps.

7 Oct 2011

'Bad' hospitals may treat larger proportion of poor patients, study finds

The nation's worst hospitals treat twice the proportion of elderly black patients and poor patients than the best hospitals, and their patients are more likely to die of heart attacks and pneumonia, new research shows. Now, these hospitals, mostly in the South, may be at higher risk of financial failure, too. That's because the nation's new health care law punishes bad care by withholding some money, says the lead author of the study published Wednesday in the journal Health Affairs.

7 Oct 2011