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Success of health law's exchanges rides on young people

Interviews here with more than two dozen single workers of modest income between 24 and 31 years old suggest that insurance plans will be a hard sell. Subsidies for 26-year-old workers range from $118 a month for someone earning under $16,000 to less than $1 a month for one earning $26,500, according to an analysis of insurance data (Weaver and Radnofsky, 7/25).

26 Jul 2013

Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities to address crucial healthcare problem in US

Springer has entered into an agreement with the W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association (NMA) Health Institute to publish the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Starting in 2014 the new society journal will be published quarterly, electronically on link.springer.com and in print.

26 Jul 2013

For many states, Medicaid expansion plans remain unsettled

Federal officials remind Florida lawmakers that it is not too late to opt into the program, while in Virginia, Politico reports the issue could be decided by this fall's gubernatorial election. Also, an Arizona push to get the issue on the ballot in November may fail because of paperwork errors and the Michigan Senate considers a tweaked expansion bill that requires co-pays for new Medicaid enrollees.

26 Jul 2013

IOM urges Congress not to shift Medicare payments to pay more in areas with low costs

A panel of experts says the government should by wary of suggestions that cutting payments to high cost areas and rewarding low-cost areas would help improve care and reduce Medicare costs.

26 Jul 2013

Two GOP Senators push to choke off IRS health law implementation funds

Also in the news, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is positioning himself to be the lead sponsor of legislation that would ban abortions after 20 weeks. Meanwhile, the nursing home industry is stepping up its lobbying efforts to protect its Medicare funding.

26 Jul 2013

First lots of 2013-2014 seasonal influenza vaccine released for U.S. distribution

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announced today that the first lots of Fluzone (Influenza Virus Vaccine) for the 2013-2014 season have been released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for U.S. distribution and were shipped July 24.

25 Jul 2013

Study: Daily dietary supplementation with blend of omega fatty acids improves severe dry eye

Study findings published online, ahead of print, in Cornea show that daily dietary supplementation with a unique combination of omega fatty acids (GLA, EPA and DHA) for six months is effective in improving ocular irritation symptoms and halting the progression of inflammation that characterizes moderate to severe dry eye.

25 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 25, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about WellPoint's second-quarter profits and the Insitute of Medicine's findings about geographic varitions in Medicare spending.

25 Jul 2013

Using right tool to measure patient satisfaction can improve health care quality, says study

Using the right tool to measure patient satisfaction can guide improved health care quality, according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesiology. In a comprehensive review of thousands of patient satisfaction studies, researchers identified several questionnaires physician anesthesiologists could use to ideally measure patient satisfaction in various clinical settings.

25 Jul 2013

Rate of inappropriate cancer scans for low-risk prostate cancer patients reduces in Sweden

The rate of inappropriate cancer scans for low-risk prostate cancer patients in Sweden plummeted in the decade following a joint campaign to curtail such tests by Swedish County Councils and the National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR) of Sweden, a professional association of Swedish urologists.

25 Jul 2013

Psychiatry professor selected for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow 2013-2014

For millions of people across the United States, health and well-being depends on policy decisions made at the federal level. With mental health at the center of today's health policy discussion, Amir Afkhami, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and global health at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), will bring his "boots on the ground" experience in mental health policy to the government as a 2013-2014 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow.

25 Jul 2013

Medicare spending variation across geographic areas driven by differences in use of post-acute care

A "geographic value index" that would tie Medicare payment rates to the health benefits and costs of health services in particular regions of the country should not be adopted by Congress, says a new congressionally mandated report from the Institute of Medicine.

25 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: Indian health service takes big cuts; labor 'mutiny' over health law; Gov. Jindal says Medicaid expansion would have moved privately insured to Medicaid

It's an old American story: malign policies hatched in Washington leading to pain and death in Indian country. It was true in the 19th century. It is true now, at a time when Congress, heedless of its solemn treaty obligations to Indian tribes, is allowing the across-the-board budget cuts known as the sequester to threaten the health, safety and education of Indians across the nation.

25 Jul 2013

Study: Docs place 'major responsibility' for health care costs on others

In a survey of doctors by Mayo Clinic researchers, most respondents pointed to lawyers, health insurers, hospitals, drug companies and patients as having a large stake in cutting costs.

25 Jul 2013

Research findings provide insight into safety of central line uses outside hospital

Pediatric cancer patients whose central lines are used to treat them at home develop three times as many dangerous bloodstream infections from their devices than their hospitalized counterparts, according to the results of a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study.

25 Jul 2013

Michelle Obama seeks Latino activists' assistance with insurance enrollment

Speaking Tuesday to the National Council of La Raza, the first lady urged the organization's members to encourage their friends and families to enroll in new coverage options.

25 Jul 2013

Bipartisan proposal would change the way U.S. values medical procedures

Some members of Congress believe it is time to "redo the RUC" and strengthen oversight of the American Medical Association committee that helps to set payment levels.

25 Jul 2013

Study shows 90% of dementia cases in China go undetected; high level in rural areas

An international team of researchers has found that over 90 percent of dementia cases in China go undetected, with a high level of undiagnosed dementia in rural areas. The team of public health experts led by Dr Ruoling Chen at King's College London argues that more mental health education targeting high-risk populations is now needed to improve diagnosis rates, and increase support for sufferers and their families.

25 Jul 2013

Fierce battle shaping up over health law's rollout

The White House believes a successful rollout of the health law will help determine President Barack Obama's legacy, while Republicans appear equally intent on reaping political benefits by gutting this and other administration priorities.

25 Jul 2013

Acos trigger activity by consumers, providers

As Reuters reports, consumers will actively have to seek out providers who are participating in this new delivery system model, and the Miami Herald checks in on how the idea is working in Florida.

25 Jul 2013

Health Care News and Research

Success of health law's exchanges rides on young people

Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities to address crucial healthcare problem in US

For many states, Medicaid expansion plans remain unsettled

IOM urges Congress not to shift Medicare payments to pay more in areas with low costs

Two GOP Senators push to choke off IRS health law implementation funds

First lots of 2013-2014 seasonal influenza vaccine released for U.S. distribution

Study: Daily dietary supplementation with blend of omega fatty acids improves severe dry eye

First Edition: July 25, 2013

Using right tool to measure patient satisfaction can improve health care quality, says study

Rate of inappropriate cancer scans for low-risk prostate cancer patients reduces in Sweden

Psychiatry professor selected for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow 2013-2014

Medicare spending variation across geographic areas driven by differences in use of post-acute care

Viewpoints: Indian health service takes big cuts; labor 'mutiny' over health law; Gov. Jindal says Medicaid expansion would have moved privately insured to Medicaid

Study: Docs place 'major responsibility' for health care costs on others

Research findings provide insight into safety of central line uses outside hospital

Michelle Obama seeks Latino activists' assistance with insurance enrollment

Bipartisan proposal would change the way U.S. values medical procedures

Study shows 90% of dementia cases in China go undetected; high level in rural areas

Fierce battle shaping up over health law's rollout

Acos trigger activity by consumers, providers

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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