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Ill. Supreme Court rules state can't cut retiree health benefits

The Court said the benefits are protected under the Illinois Constitution. The state wants to cut the benefits to save money on the state's pension liabilities.

8 Jul 2014

Teen dating takes violent turn for nearly 1 in 6 young people

Dating during the teen years takes a violent turn for nearly 1 in 6 young people, a new study finds, with both genders reporting acts like punching, pulling hair, shoving, and throwing things.

8 Jul 2014

Contract for Serco processing center hit by whistleblower allegations is renewed

The $98 million contract extends operations of the facility where employees reported they sometimes slept or played board games for lack of work.

8 Jul 2014

House Of Representatives lawyers ask judge to reject SEC lawsuit

In what is viewed as an ongoing power struggle between two branches of the federal government, the House lawyers termed the investigation related to Medicare insider-trading allegations to be a "fishing expedition."

8 Jul 2014

Long waits for medical attention are normal in many parts of U.S.

The New York Times reports on what it calls the health care system's "waiting game."

8 Jul 2014

Nonprofit religious groups pose next challenge to contraceptive mandate

The issue in more than four dozen lawsuits from faith-affiliated colleges, hospitals and charities is how far the government must go to accommodate them.

8 Jul 2014

Pending health law legal action threatens premium subsidies and exchanges

One of the key questions, according to The Fiscal Times, is whether the premium subsidies available to people shopping on the federal exchange are legal.

8 Jul 2014

Survey shows biggest barrier to receiving Human Papillomavirus vaccine

A survey of first-year Grand Valley State University students showed the biggest barrier to receiving a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was moral or religious beliefs, or a perceived promotion of sexual behavior, according to graduate physician assistant researchers.

8 Jul 2014

Federal push for electronic health records may make fraud easier

USA Today reports on this development. Meanwhile, in other health IT news, The Fiscal Times reports on how hospitals are getting more involved in big data collection.

8 Jul 2014

Fla. hospitals on the hook for $267 million in Medicaid overpayment

The federal government says the hospitals were paid too much, and it wants the entire overage back this year. That is a tough demand for two of the state's safety-net hospitals. Meanwhile, a Florida teen battling cancer hits Capitol Hill to lobby for funding for Medicaid and other children's programs.

8 Jul 2014

Lack of leisure-time physical activity linked to increased obesity, particularly in young women

Sedentary lifestyle and not caloric intake may be to blame for increased obesity in the US, according to a new analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

8 Jul 2014

New test for TB could improve speed and accuracy of diagnosis for deadliest diseases

A new test for tuberculosis (TB) could dramatically improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis for one of the world's deadliest diseases, enabling health care providers to report results to patients within minutes, according to a study published this week in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

8 Jul 2014

Health law backers brace for new battles over 2015 insurance rates

Politico reports that this round of messaging will be critical because rates are expected to increase and could add to Democrats' midterm election challenges.

8 Jul 2014

Medicare proposes 2.1% pay boost for outpatient care

The increased rate highlights a trend towards discouraging unnecessary admissions. Meanwhile, the agency announces a pilot project to cut down appeal waits for long-term care providers.

7 Jul 2014

Military physicians will soon pick up joysticks to save lives of children

Military physicians will soon pick up joysticks instead of textbooks to learn skills that could save lives of children with serious health threats.

7 Jul 2014

$FDA grants Breakthrough Therapy status to Novartis' CTL019 for treatment of relapsed/refractory ALL$

FDA grants Breakthrough Therapy status to Novartis' CTL019 for treatment of relapsed/refractory ALL

Novartis announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted Breakthrough Therapy status to CTL019, an investigational chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r ALL).

7 Jul 2014

Cheaper drug could potentially improve heart attack patient outcomes and save health services millions

A new study published in The Lancet compares outcomes for two drugs used to prevent blood clot formation during emergency heart attack treatment. The study suggests that use of one of the drugs, heparin, could result in improved outcomes (such as a reduced rate of repeat heart attacks), compared to the other drug tested, bivalirudin, which is in widespread use in high-income countries, and is around 400 times more expensive than heparin.

7 Jul 2014

Priority actions needed to tackle the Ebola crisis in West Africa according to researchers in Sierra Leone

Researchers working in Sierra Leone suggest priority actions needed to tackle the ongoing Ebola crisis in West Africa. In a letter to The Lancet, the researchers call for improvements in access to diagnostic technologies and health-care resources, as well as improved disease surveillance and health communication.

7 Jul 2014

Menopause toolkit launched to help primary care physicians

A practical toolkit to help primary care physicians diagnose and manage the menopause has been released, which could potentially revolutionise menopausal treatment.

7 Jul 2014