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Turmoil at VA continues as two more senior officials resign

Robert Jesse, acting undersecretary for health, and Will Gunn, the department's general counsel, will be leaving their positions at the troubled agency.

27 Jun 2014

State roundup: Troubles in Kentucky; MD. hospital under review

The team at The Upshot, a Times news and data-analysis venture, compiled six basic metrics to give a picture of the quality and longevity of life in each county of the nation: educational attainment, household income, jobless rate, disability rate, life expectancy and obesity rate.

27 Jun 2014

Public health issues: Climate change; funding for Alzheimer's research

A medical expert calls for hospitals and health care officials to begin to plan for global warming problems, and The Wall Street Journal looks at new ways to finance research.

27 Jun 2014

Longer looks: Women caregivers giving up careers; 'Buyers Club' laws; finding a voice for the patient

Tracy Murphy was managing a nonprofit agency five years ago when her mother became seriously ill with heart problems.

27 Jun 2014

Sociologists to discuss economic inequality at ASA's Annual Meeting in San Francisco

More than 5,000 sociologists will convene in San Francisco this August to explore ideas and scientific research relating to economic inequality and many other topics, as part of the American Sociological Association's 109th Annual Meeting. This year's theme, "Hard Times: The Impact of Economic Inequality on Families and Individuals," draws attention to the many ways in which inequality reverberates throughout American society and the world.

27 Jun 2014

Medicare boosts anti-fraud efforts, but problems are still rife

Medicare officials recovered about $19.2 billion in fraudulent payments over the past five years, including $210 million through a new system that uses analytics to probe billing patterns, CQ Healthbeat reports. But the recovered sum is dwarfed by the size of the problem, projected to be up to $50 billion a year.

27 Jun 2014

Lower health spending contributed to downturn in GDP

The revision by the Commerce Department finds that health spending was substantially below expectations for the first quarter and subtracted 0.16 of a percentage point from the nation's growth rate.

27 Jun 2014

New 3D mammography helps diagnose breast cancer quickly than ever before

Screening for and diagnosing breast cancer is quicker and more precise than ever before thanks to new three-dimensional (3D) mammography being used at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest.

27 Jun 2014

Patients kept in the dark on costs of tests, treatments

The CT Mirror examines the difficulties patients face when trying to comparison shop or simply figure out how much they might have to spend on medical treatments.

27 Jun 2014

Hillary Clinton says Democrats should run on Obamacare

Meanwhile, a tea party challenger to Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Republican incumbent, is focusing on his posture to the health care law, and House Speaker John Boehner said he plans to sue the president for misuse of executive powers on issues including health care.

27 Jun 2014

Blocking enzyme Cdk5 could reduce brain damage after stroke

A drug that blocks the action of the enzyme Cdk5 could substantially reduce brain damage if administered shortly after a stroke, UT Southwestern Medical Center research suggests.

27 Jun 2014

Veterans who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual may benefit from mental health professionals

In 2011, the United States Military repealed its "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prevented gay and lesbian service members from disclosing their sexual orientation. Current estimates indicate that more than 1 million veterans identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB).

27 Jun 2014

Study proposes moving open enrollment season

Researchers suggest consumers are not willing to spend money on insurance in the busy fall season as they plan for the holidays so sign-ups in the spring after tax returns are received might be better. Also, a look at consumers' reluctance to shop for insurance

27 Jun 2014

Argus Dental & Vision signs new vision contract with Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare

Argus Dental & Vision, a premier benefits organization, announced a new vision contract with Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare. Beginning July 1, 2014, Argus Dental & Vision will administer vision benefits to eligible Medicare Advantage members of Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare plans in Florida as well as America's 1st Choice in North Carolina and South Carolina.

26 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 26, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the effects of lower health spending on the economy.

26 Jun 2014

OSNP program addresses potential gaps in outpatient settings

An innovative framework for identifying and addressing potential gaps in health care in outpatient settings using electronic clinical surveillance tools has been used to target patient safety across a variety of conditions, according to a study published today in the journal eGEMs.

26 Jun 2014