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Cognitive behavioral therapy reduces headache frequency, migraine-related disability in children

Among children and adolescents with chronic migraine, the use of cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in greater reductions in headache frequency and migraine-related disability compared with headache education, according to a study appearing in the December 25 issue of JAMA.

25 Dec 2013

Parsing Obamacare's impact on business, insurers and parolees

Media outlets explore how the law might affect those buying less expensive policies, businesses anxious about new investments and those recently released from prison.

25 Dec 2013

On-site testing for HIV, STIs declines substantially between 2000 and 2011: Study

A survey of opioid treatment programs finds that the proportion offering on-site testing for human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections declined substantially between 2000 and 2011, despite guidelines recommending routine opt-out HIV testing in all health care settings, according to a study appearing in the December 25 issue of JAMA.

25 Dec 2013

Retirement of baby boomers to spur surge in health sector

As baby boomers retire, employment opportunities in the health care sector could be substantial. Meanwhile, doctors disagree over whether gynecologists should be able to treat men.

24 Dec 2013

City National Bank donates much-needed items to Valley Presbyterian Hospital's Pediatrics Department

Valley Presbyterian Hospital is excited to announce that City National Bank recently donated much-needed items to the Pediatrics Department. The addition of electronic, gaming and entertainment systems specifically augments recreational activities that the unit's Playroom has to offer to its teenage patient population.

24 Dec 2013

Looking to 2014's elections: GOP steadies aim on Dems, even those without Obamacare ties

One North Carolina Democrat who never voted for the health law finds he still has a tough fight from Republicans. In the meantime, new polls show support for the health law at a new low, but some still see the law as Obama's biggest achievement.

24 Dec 2013

In state-run exchanges, last minute rush to enroll in coverage

States who run their own health insurance exchanges are trying to cope with people attempting to enroll before the deadline to get coverage that would begin Jan. 1.

24 Dec 2013

In 'symbolic' move, President signs up for health insurance

President Barack Obama selected a plan over the weekend while vacationing in Hawaii.

24 Dec 2013

Administration extends enrollment one day after crush of website customers

More than a million people signed onto the federal health website Monday as consumers rushed to sign up for coverage to begin Jan. 1.

24 Dec 2013

3 states take divergent paths on health care for poor

Media outlets look back at the decisions made by Minnesota, Wisconsin and Texas leaders about expanding coverage to the poor under the health law and what that will mean for residents living just above the poverty line.

24 Dec 2013

Holiday reads: Squabbling families, the psychology of Santa, holiday stress and chocolate chip cookies

[T]his time of year the Internet is ripe with lists on how to avoid or mitigate family conflicts. At big gatherings, familiarity may not always breed contempt, but it sure can breed festering emotional wounds. Leonard Felder, a Los Angeles psychologist, has found that about three-quarters of us have at least one family member who annoys us. But why is it that the same minor jabs and annoying tics that are harmless coming from friends prompt epic screaming matches when uttered by relatives? ... Here are four theories as to why our families drive us nuts, and it would be nice of you to pay attention for once in your life (Olga Khazan, 12/23).

24 Dec 2013

Planmeca to co-develop CAD/CAM products with E4D Technologies

Planmeca, the world's largest privately owned dental imaging company and equipment manufacturer, announced today that it has made a non-controlling, strategic investment in E4D Technologies, LLC, developer of the E4D CAD/CAM Restorative System. This strategic investment reinforces Planmeca's on-going commitment to help dental providers improve patient care by offering a comprehensive portfolio of integrated digital dental solutions for dentists and dental laboratories.

24 Dec 2013

Capsules: Catastrophic Obamacare policies prove hard sell so far; explaining Obama's move to allow some 'catastrophic' health coverage plans

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Phil Galewitz examines catastrophic insurance policies: "The Obama administration's decision this week to allow people to buy catastrophic-level policies if their individual health plans had been canceled comes amid reports that few people have bought these less expensive policies sold in new online insurance marketplaces" (Galewitz, 12/20).

24 Dec 2013

Young women more likely to have negative urodynamics experience

Research from the USA suggests that while urodynamic testing is well-tolerated by women on the whole, patients who are younger, or have anxiety or depression may have more negative experiences of the procedure than other patients.

24 Dec 2013

Young adults remain a focus of insurance marketplace outreach

The success of the Affordable Care Act's online marketplaces may depend on people like [26-year-old] Lizzie Bunnen. If healthy adults her age don't sign up, the risk is that predominantly older and sicker members will drive up costs and threaten the portals' future. With the Dec. 23 deadline approaching for January coverage, and at the end of March for all 2014 enrollment, the clock is ticking on what many believe is one of the health law's biggest challenges.

24 Dec 2013

Who do Americans want care from? Doctors or other practitioners?

Doctors who provide personalized care get organized into a new group while a new survey seems to suggest American prefer getting their care from a doctor instead of nurse practitioners or physician assistants.

24 Dec 2013

First Edition: December 24, 2013

Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Appleby, working in collaboration with NBC News, reports: "If you buy one of the less expensive insurance plans sold through the health law's marketplaces, you may be in for a surprise. Some plans will not pay for a doctor visit before you meet your annual deductible, which could be thousands of dollars" (Appleby, 12/23).

24 Dec 2013

White House to health insurance consumers: You've got another day to sign up

The White House has decided to allow an extra 24 hours for people to sign up for insurance on HealthCare.gov, through the end of the day Tuesday, to receive coverage beginning on Jan. 1, according to a senior official familiar with the change. The official deadline for getting insurance remains 11:59 p.m. on Monday. But because of record traffic on the website Monday morning, officials wanted to reassure the public - and themselves - that people who sought coverage in good faith would be covered (Shear, 12/23).

24 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: Impact of 'meddling with' health law; antibiotics on farms; 'Let thirtysomethings' join Medicare

[A]ll of these last-minute policy shifts confuse people who were already struggling to understand a complex new system, ... The cumulative effect is that at least some people - we hope not many - will misunderstand their responsibilities under the law or be deterred from seeking coverage. The biggest danger is that the Obama administration is encouraging politicians to meddle in the health-care system every time a few vocal constituents get upset about its requirements (12/21).

24 Dec 2013

Medical consultation increases for Medicare patients before cataract surgery

Preoperative consultations before cataract surgery became more common for Medicare patients despite no clear guidelines about when to require such a service, hinting at unnecessary use of health care resources, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

24 Dec 2013