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Viewpoints: Overlooked costs for insurers; Medicaid disparities; dropping doctors from Medicare Advantage

In a Think Tank post Thursday, I wrote about how insurers deciding to participate next year in the health exchanges established under Obamacare could be expecting funds that the federal government may not have legal authority to disburse. But that's not the only potential pitfall for carriers: They could also end up on the hook for payment reductions caused by sequestration (Chris Jacobs, 6/23).

25 Jun 2014

Virginia House obstructs governor's effort to expand Medicaid

Virginia's Republican House Speaker William J. Howell killed a line item veto from Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe that would have allowed the governor to use federal funds to expand the low income health care program.

25 Jun 2014

Md. Governor closely watches how health marketplace plays in race for successor

Maryland voters' views of the roll-out of the online exchange could impact the primary election and have political implications for Gov. Martin O'Malley, who may be considering a presidential run. And in Mississippi, the incumbent senator's style on issues like the health law may be a disadvantage.

25 Jun 2014

Dental hygienists prepare to take increased responsibilities for oral health care

With opportunities to take increased responsibility for oral health care and to deliver care in a more comprehensive way, it's an exciting time in the profession of dental hygiene.

25 Jun 2014

State highlights: Texas immigrant surge brings health crisis

Large stores in California need not keep automated external defibrillators for customers who suffer heart attacks, the California Supreme Court decided. In a unanimous ruling Monday, the state's highest court said California law requires only that fitness centers have such potentially life-saving devices and encourages most public buildings to keep them (Dolan, 6/23).

25 Jun 2014

SEC sues after House Resists insider trading probe

The Securities and Exchange Commission has sued a House committee and its staff director in federal court to enforce subpoenas for documents and testimony about possible tipping of confidential government information about a planned change in Medicare reimbursement rates that reached investors and sent health insurance stocks soaring.

25 Jun 2014

Small antioxidant molecules suppress colon cancer associated with colitis

Researchers from Case Western Reserve and Dartmouth universities have shown that a class of small antioxidant molecules carries enormous promise for supressing colon cancer associated with colitis.

25 Jun 2014

Missouri proposes 'assistant physician' role for rural areas

The bill, if signed by Gov. Jay Nixon, would allow medical school graduates to see patients before completing their residencies.

25 Jun 2014

Good news for adults who suffer from insomnia

There's good news for the 30 per cent or more of adults who suffer from insomnia--difficulty falling asleep, waking up for prolonged periods during the night or unwanted early morning awakenings.

25 Jun 2014

How will hepatitis C drug affect health care spending?

Elsewhere, pharmaceutical companies are upset over new rules for a drug discount program -- known as 340B.

25 Jun 2014

MU researcher receives funding to study how to increase independence among youth with ASD

As of 2014, approximately one out of every 68 children born has an autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

25 Jun 2014

Chronic migraine significantly impacts family relationships and activities

A web-based study of 994 men and women with chronic migraine found that the condition significantly impacts family relationships and activities, including cancelled vacation plans and reduced quality time with partners and children.

25 Jun 2014

Blistering review criticizes VA for downplaying whistleblower reports of deficient patient care

Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner criticized the Department of Veterans Affairs in a Monday letter to President Barack Obama, noting that the agency failed to acknowledge allegations of poor patient care made by its own employees.

25 Jun 2014

Study finds link between high CD4 cell counts and reduced ischemic stroke risk in people with HIV

A 15-year study found that HIV-positive individuals had a 40 percent increased risk of ischemic stroke, however stroke rates were nearly the same for HIV-positive individuals with high CD4 cell counts as for HIV-negative subjects.

24 Jun 2014

Texas slow to move those with disabilities out of institutions

Georgia also struggles to move the developmentally disabled out of state hospitals and into community residences, and in Wyoming, cuts are leaving some disabled people with fewer opportunities to get care.

24 Jun 2014

NeuroMetrix receives marketing certification from TÜV SÜD Japan for NC-stat DPNCheck

NeuroMetrix, Inc., an innovative health care company that develops wearable medical technology and point-of-care tests to help patients and physicians manage chronic pain, nerve diseases, and sleep disorders, today reported the receipt of marketing certification from Technischer Überwachungs-Verein SÜD Japan Ltd. for NC-stat DPNCheck as a Class II Designated Controlled Medical Device as defined in the technical standards of the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.

24 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 24, 2014

Today's headlines include news about the latest report detailing problems at the VA.

24 Jun 2014

SLU researchers discover pain pathway and potential way to block it

In a recently published study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Saint Louis University professor of pharmacological and physiological sciences Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D. describes two discoveries: a molecular pathway by which a painful chemotherapy side effect happens and a drug that may be able to stop it.

24 Jun 2014

Guide to treating endocrine and metabolic emergencies released at ICE/ENDO 2014

The Endocrine Society's publishing imprint Endocrine Press released its first original title, Endocrine and Metabolic Medical Emergencies, today during the Society's annual meeting, ICE/ENDO 2014.

24 Jun 2014

Improved physical fitness reduces risk of CKD in patients with Type 2 diabetes

Adults with Type 2 diabetes who improve their physical fitness lower their chances of getting chronic kidney disease (CKD), and if they already have kidney damage, they can improve their kidney function.

24 Jun 2014