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Medicare proposes home health payment reductions, savings

Officials say the moves would save the agency $58 million next year by changing how much it pays for some services and requiring agencies to prove their effectiveness.

3 Jul 2014

Indiana seeks OK for Medicaid expansion alternative; Calif. wrestles with Medi-Cal backlog

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Tuesday requested a waiver from the federal government to expand Medicaid coverage using a state plan that he says would promote personal responsibility. Developments in California, Oregon, Georgia and Washington state are also tracked.

3 Jul 2014

University of Sydney announces major initiative in the field of fertility research and treatment

The University of Sydney today announced a major initiative in the field of fertility research and treatment, as it takes over ownership of Westmead IVF Pty Limited, the company which operates the private fertility clinic at Westmead Hospital, Westmead Fertility Centre.

3 Jul 2014

Hacking of health records is 'matter of time,' say experts

Specialists in cybercrime say the health industry "is flirting with disaster" as so much patient data goes digital, Politico reports. Also, speakers at a health care conference explore the difficulties of cutting waste and medical errors.

3 Jul 2014

Study: 35% of adults with dyslexia report childhood physical abuse

Adults who have dyslexia are much more likely to report they were physically abused before they turned 18 than their peers without dyslexia, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill.

3 Jul 2014

New study finds link between lower socioeconomic status and higher rates of peripheral artery disease

Previous research has established a link between lower socioeconomic status and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In a new study led by Brigham and Women's Hospital, researchers have found that there are also higher rates of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in individuals with low income and lower attained education levels in the United States.

3 Jul 2014

Group that once supported healthier school lunches has about-face

The School Nutrition Association now says the new rules are too costly. Meanwhile, NPR looks at the difficulties for employers to deal with workers' weight problems and the increasing number of obese seniors.

3 Jul 2014

Eligibility for subsidies not properly checked, audit finds

The HHS inspector general issues two reports concluding the federal health marketplace and some state exchanges had inadequate safeguards to stop people who were ineligible from getting tax credits to help pay for premiums.

3 Jul 2014

New meta-analysis highlights significant gaps in hepatitis C care

A new meta-analysis published online in PLOS ONE by infectious disease and epidemiology specialists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania highlights significant gaps in hepatitis C care that will prove useful as the U.S. health care system continues to see an influx of patients with the disease because of improved screening efforts and new, promising drugs.

3 Jul 2014

Despite management background, VA nominee faces even bigger challenge now

Robert McDonald, the VA secretary nominee, is facing a huge bureaucracy with more than 300,000 employees. Elsewhere, a new poll finds most veterans say getting care at VA hospitals is "very" or "somewhat" difficult.

3 Jul 2014

Democrats campaign against high court after Hobby Lobby ruling

Borrowing a tactic from the GOP, Democrats use the Supreme Court ruling to energize their voters and raise money, The Los Angeles Times reports.

3 Jul 2014

Achilles wins Cigna's World of Difference grant to explore effect of running on children with autism

A Cigna Foundation grant to Achilles International will help determine whether running holds the key to better mental and physical development for children with autism. The Cigna Foundation today announced its $100,000 World of Difference grant to Achilles International, which has extensive anecdotal evidence showing that walking and running help people on the autism spectrum improve their emotional and physical health.

2 Jul 2014

Prescription drug deaths drop in Fla. after crackdown on doctors

Deaths involving narcotic painkillers dropped 26 percent over two years in Florida after stricter doctor scrutiny, according to a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2 Jul 2014

Arthritis Foundation raises public awareness about juvenile arthritis

Juvenile arthritis (JA) is one of the most common, chronic childhood diseases in the U.S., affecting nearly 300,000 children. During Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, the Arthritis Foundation raises public awareness about this painful and debilitating disease—a disease that currently has no cure and can affect children for a lifetime.

2 Jul 2014

NMR Spectroscopy for In-Vitro Diagnostic Research

An interview with Dr. Manfred Spraul, discussing AVANCE, an advanced NMR spectrometer that is being applied to the fields of epidemiology and metabolomics.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 2 Jul 2014

First Edition: July 2, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about a new audit's findings that the health law's online insurance marketplaces did not adequately screen applicants seeking subsidies.

2 Jul 2014

New collaborative fundraising effort focuses on AYA cancer

Leaders from Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals this evening announced a new collaborative fundraising effort focused on Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer.

2 Jul 2014

Researchers use simple tactics to reduce unnecessary blood tests, health care spending

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center used two relatively simple tactics to significantly reduce the number of unnecessary blood tests to assess symptoms of heart attack and chest pain and to achieve a large decrease in patient charges.

2 Jul 2014

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act can improve health of the US population

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by US President Barack Obama in 2010, can advance public health in the USA by supporting increased emphasis on prevention, and reversing the historic division between public health and private health care services, according to the authors of new research published in The Lancet as part of a new Series, The health of Americans.

2 Jul 2014

USA witnesses dramatic slowdown in health spending growth over last decade

Growth in health expenditure in the USA slowed dramatically between 2000 and 2011, bringing the growth rate of the country’s health budget in line with other high-spending countries, according to new research published in The Lancet as part of a new Series, The health of Americans.

2 Jul 2014