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GOP message: Democratic health reforms are bad for America

Politico: "Through the summer, congressional Republicans were able to stand back and let the health care debate play out around them — watching public support for the idea plummet amid bitter town halls and Democratic infighting." And even as the chances increase that "President Barack Obama will have a chance to sign a health reform bill, Republicans say they're content to stick by that strategy — believing they can define the Democratic plan as a bad mix of higher premiums, more taxes and cuts to Medicare. And that, they believe, is a winning formula for them in 2010."

21 Oct 2009

Practical changes in school infrastructure can provide better environments for disabled students

NJIT Research Architect B. Lynn Hutchings believes that by making a few practical, effective and relatively inexpensive changes to school buildings, they can become better environments for students with severe physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities.

21 Oct 2009

Swine flu treatments, safety issues prompt health workers to speak out

In anticipation of new swine flu cases, medical workers are looking for new ways help their patients - and protect themselves.

21 Oct 2009

Americans who believe in equality are impulsive shoppers, says new study

A new study from Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business finds that Americans who believe in equality are more-impulsive shoppers. And it has implications for how to market products differently in countries where shoppers are more likely to buy on impulse.

21 Oct 2009

Regenstrief Institute links emergency medical services providers with electronic medical records

Emergency medical responders typically know very little about the patients they treat at mass disasters, accident scenes, or other sites where an ambulance is dispatched for rapid response. That's true everyplace in the United States except Indianapolis, the capital of the most health-wired state in the nation.

21 Oct 2009

Research may facilitate improved understanding of music perception in human nervous system

Music serves as a natural and non-invasive intervention for patients with severe neurological disorders to promote long-term memory, social interaction and communication. However, there is currently no plausible explanation of its neural basis for why and how music affects physical and psychosocial responses.

21 Oct 2009

Some Medicare recipients will see jump in premium costs next year

"The basic Medicare premium will shoot up next year by 15 percent, to $110.50 a month, federal officials said Monday," The New York Times reports. "The increase means that monthly premiums would top $100 for the first time, a stark indication of the rise in medical costs that is driving the debate in Congress about a broad overhaul of the health care system."

21 Oct 2009

Missouri group accuses Humana of using scare tactics

After administration officials retreated last week on an order to silence insurers, activists in Missouri accused Humana of using scare tactics aimed at seniors. The Springfield, Mo., News-Leader reports: "Days after the Obama administration backed away from a gag order against health insurers, a small group of state activists traveled to Humana's corporate office in Springfield [Missouri] and lodged a formal complaint."

21 Oct 2009

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's initiative to transform health in developing countries

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced 76 grants of US$100,000 each to pursue bold ideas for transforming health in developing countries. The grants support researchers across 16 countries, including nine in Europe and Africa with ideas as diverse as using the power of sunlight to kill malaria-causing mosquito larvae and developing a device that repels mosquitoes without insecticides.

21 Oct 2009

Reid: No comment on public option, bill will be ready 'soon'

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) declined Tuesday afternoon to predict when negotiations on a final health care reform bill would be complete, saying only that he hopes to have legislation in hand 'soon,'" Roll Call reports

21 Oct 2009

Osteologix to continue clinical development of NB S101 osteoporosis drug

Osteologix, Inc., a bio-pharmaceutical company announced today that the company will continue the clinical development for its osteoporosis drug, NB S101 (strontium malonate), in the United States and the rest of the world markets. Additionally, the company wants to recognize World Osteoporosis Day’s significance and make more people aware of its research dedicated to improving the lives of people with osteoporosis.

21 Oct 2009

Majority of IT practitioners believe organizations have insufficient resources to protect patients’ privacy

LogLogic®, the leader in log and security management solutions, and the Ponemon Institute, a privacy and information management research firm, today announced results of a national survey of healthcare IT security professionals that shows patients may be surrendering their privacy as the $2.5 trillion medical industry – prompted by federal stimulus funding – pushes to accelerate the pace of digitizing health information records.

21 Oct 2009

The medical homes model is spreading

A new model of health care called "medical homes" offers a stark contrast to hurried doctor visits, long waits and rushed physicians, the Chicago Tribune reports. Instead, a patients gets regular phone calls and e-mails from medical staff, reminders for flu screenings and vaccines, and less hurried doctors.

21 Oct 2009

Retinal prosthesis restores partial vision to people who are totally blind

Two experimental treatments, a retinal prosthesis and fetal tissue transplant, restored some vision to people with blinding eye diseases. The findings, presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health, may lead to new treatments for the blind. Researchers also reported that an engineered protein restored vision in an animal model and identified ways to improve stem cell treatments.

21 Oct 2009

New poll finds most Americans back public option in health reform

The Washington Post leads the paper today with a report that "a new Washington Post-ABC poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public."

21 Oct 2009

Massachusetts seeks to cut increase in small business health care costs

Today's state news covers access to care issues in Florida and California, a new proposal to review premiums charged to small business, and the potential flaws of Ohio's nursing home payment plan.

21 Oct 2009

Health care reform leads to mergers

Health care reform has caused some unrest in the health care industry but has also led to strong deal-making and mergers.

21 Oct 2009

Baucus doubts a pure public plan can get 60 votes in Senate

Kaiser Health News staff writer Eric Pianin reports on the Senate leadership's ongoing efforts to craft a health overhaul measure that can draw 60 votes.

21 Oct 2009

Rice University scientists win NIH stimulus funds to study influenza A

Rice University scientists have won a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to scrutinize the influenza A virus for clues that could lead to more effective antiviral drugs. Strains of influenza A include this year's pandemic H1N1 variety, some seasonal varieties and the much-feared H5N1 bird flu.

21 Oct 2009

Senate health bill negotiators discussing, debating versions of public option

Senator Max Baucus says there is still the possibility for some sort of public option in the Senate health bill, though he doubts it can get 60 votes, as Majority Leader Harry Reid negotiates to shape the final legislation.

21 Oct 2009