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Two governors go 'all in' with health law's trials and tribulations

In a pair of stories, Politico takes a look at how decisions made by governors in two very different states are playing.

10 Dec 2013

Lawmakers seeing same online insurance exchange successes, failures as all Americans

Members of Congress are a microcosm of what's happening for people trying to sign up for health coverage in the health law's online insurance exchanges across the nation -- some are getting through, some are seeing glitches still and some are avoiding it altogether.

10 Dec 2013

Deductibles, other health plan costs may surprise consumers

News outlets report that, as more details become available, some people may find that their health insurance in 2014 will cost more than they hoped.

10 Dec 2013

Former Obama Aide Phil Schiliro returns to help oversee Obamacare

Schiliro is the president's former congressional liaison.

10 Dec 2013

Drugmaker pushes new drug over cheaper equivalent at Medicare's expense

The Washington Post explores the public impact of doctors' decisions to choose a more expensive drug to prevent blindness despite trials showing the drug is equivalent to a much cheaper product.

9 Dec 2013

Children's movies offer discordant presentation about food, exercise and weight status

In a world where animals often take the place of humans, sugar-sweetened beverages, exaggerated portion sizes and unhealthy snacks are common. So is TV watching, computer use and video games.

9 Dec 2013

Study offers new insight into benefits of vitamin D in people with multiple sclerosis

In mice with a rodent form of multiple sclerosis (MS), vitamin D appears to block damage-causing immune cells from migrating to the central nervous system, offering a potential explanation for why the so-called "sunshine vitamin" may prevent or ease symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease, according to results of a study at Johns Hopkins.

9 Dec 2013

California exchange shares consumers' names without their consent

Officials with Covered California said they gave insurance agents the contact information of thousands of people who went online but didn't enroll in coverage as part of a pilot program to help people sign up by Dec. 23.

9 Dec 2013

ART safe and effective for treating combat-related symptoms of PTSD among veterans

Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, is a brief, safe, and effective treatment for combat-related symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans and U.S. service members, researchers at University of South Florida College of Nursing report in a new study. They found this newer treatment -- a combination of evidence-based psychotherapies and use of eye movements -- was shorter and more likely to be completed, than conventional therapies formally endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration.

9 Dec 2013

Maryland's online insurance marketplace plagued by technical issues, discord

The director of the state exchange resigned Friday. Meanwhile, the web portal continues to be marked by operational difficulties that are undermining enrollment efforts.

9 Dec 2013

Older people with diabetes are susceptible to nonfatal cardiovascular complications, hypoglycemic events

Cardiovascular complications and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) were common nonfatal complications in adults 60 years of age and older with diabetes, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

9 Dec 2013

Lawmakers close in on 'cease-fire' budget deal

Lawmakers are close to finding accord on a budget that would undo only a few parts of the government cuts known as "sequester." In addition, the proposed budget wouldn't lower the debt or change the costs involved with health care programs in addition to leaving other programs intact.

9 Dec 2013

GOP uses weekly address to reignite Obamacare debate ahead of election season

In the GOP's weekly address, Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., said the health law amounts to the Obama administration telling Americans what's best for them and that it is also an example of the "war on women." Elsewhere, the health law is figuring prominently in early election politics.

9 Dec 2013

UC Davis experts call for updated prostate cancer treatment guidelines

With a deluge of promising new drug treatments for advanced prostate cancer on the market, a new model of care is needed that emphasizes collaboration between urologists and medical oncologists, according to UC Davis prostate cancer experts.

9 Dec 2013

First Edition: December 9, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about new sticker-shock concerns over costs for coverage purchased through the health law's new online insurance marketplaces.

9 Dec 2013

Janssen announces first-of-its-kind pediatric HIV treatment donation program

Janssen, the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, today announced a first-of-its-kind pediatric HIV treatment donation program to improve access to the company's approved HIV medicines for children and adolescents failing HIV treatment in sub-Saharan Africa.

9 Dec 2013

New research report provides insights on retirement risks

Around 70 percent of pre-retirees plan to work longer in retirement, while only 37 percent of retirees took this approach to address retirement risks. These findings are one of several retirement planning issues covered in the Society of Actuaries new research report, "2013 Risks and Process of Retirement Survey." The report provides insights on how Americans decide to retire and how they manage resources in retirement.

9 Dec 2013

Researchers one step closer to development of drug-eluting contact lens for glaucoma treatment

For nearly half a century, contact lenses have been proposed as a means of ocular drug delivery that may someday replace eye drops, but achieving controlled drug release has been a significant challenge. Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are one step closer to an eye drop-free reality with the development of a drug-eluting contact lens designed for prolonged delivery of latanoprost, a common drug used for the treatment of glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.

9 Dec 2013

New web-based tool empowers people with epilepsy to seek specialized care

Receiving specialized care in a timely manner plays a significant role in the progression and impact of epilepsy on someone's life. Multiple organizations across the global epilepsy community have collaborated on "My Seizure, Know More" a web-based tool that empowers people with epilepsy and their families to seek specialized care.

9 Dec 2013