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Detailing how health law premium subsidies will work

Kaiser Health News asked a tax expert to explain who will be eligible for this assistance and how the process will work. Meanwhile, The Washington Post examines how the overhaul is linked to work-hour caps for part-timers.

25 Jul 2013

Combination treatment can reduce hepatitis C infection in people who inject drugs

The burden of liver disease could be dramatically reduced by scaling up the combination of interventions for hepatitis C infection among people who inject drugs according to University of Bristol researchers. The findings, published today [24 July], form part of new global recommendations on treating the virus.

25 Jul 2013

State abortion clinic restrictions could impact women's health care access

Stateline reports that abortion opponents are advancing new clinic standards that may be impossible to meet. Abortion rights supporters fear these rules could force many clinics to close, making it more difficult for some women to get a broad array of health care services.

25 Jul 2013

Study reveals that black women with breast cancer continue to have lower survival rate

In an analysis of 5-year survival rates among black and white women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1991 and 2005, black women continued to have a lower rate of survival, with most of the difference related to factors including poorer health of black patients at diagnosis and more advanced disease, rather than treatment differences, according to a study in the July 24/31 issue of JAMA.

25 Jul 2013

Mayo Clinic welcomes Trinity Health as newest member of its Network

In a move designed to strengthen the delivery and quality of health care in northwest North Dakota, Mayo Clinic today welcomes Trinity Health as the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. As a member of the network, Trinity Health's physicians and other providers will have direct access to Mayo Clinic experts and clinical resources.

25 Jul 2013

Some states plan aggressive marketing of health exchanges

News outlets report on state implementation activities, including efforts by California and Oregon to promote new health insurance marketplaces, presentations made to New Hampshire's special commission weighing whether to expand Medicaid and a closed door meeting by Idaho exchange officials.

25 Jul 2013

Most U.S. physicians prioritize obligations to patients' best interests over health care cost concerns

A new study of attitudes about health care costs reveals that an overwhelming majority of U.S. physicians feel a responsibility to address costs, but prioritize their obligations to patients' best interests over cost concerns. Results of the random survey of 2,500 U.S. physicians are published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 Jul 2013

New clinic focuses on men with fast-growing prostate cancer

While every year about 30,000 men die of prostate cancer in the United States, the most common cause of death in men with prostate cancer is heart disease. That's because not all prostate cancers are the same. Some are slow-growing while others are very aggressive.

25 Jul 2013

State highlights: Medicaid pilot project costs $32B more than expected

A selection of health policy stories from the District of Columbia, New York, Georgia, Minnesota, Illinois, North Carolina, Colorado and California.

24 Jul 2013

National Parkinson Foundation releases Parkinson's Central app

The National Parkinson Foundation launched today Parkinson's Central, a free app specifically created for people living with Parkinson's disease and their families. This is the only comprehensive app for people living with Parkinson's.

24 Jul 2013

FDB High Risk Medication Module released

First Databank, a leading provider of clinical drug knowledge that improves medication-related decisions and patient outcomes, today announced the release of the FDB High Risk Medication Module.

24 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 24, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about efforts to both advance and undo the health law's implementation.

24 Jul 2013

Study shows good doctor-patient relationships facilitate discussions about health care costs

Strong relationships with physicians, particularly those that are long standing, are likely to increase patients' openness to talk about health care costs when decisions are being made about their treatment options.

24 Jul 2013

United Health Foundation announces scholarships for 175 students pursuing health careers

United Health Foundation announced it is awarding nearly $2 million to 175 students from diverse, multicultural backgrounds.

24 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: It's time for Congress to talk about 'death panels;' Will health law opponents help constituents get coverage?

Probably nothing causes members of Congress more unease than having to talk about death. It's only been four years since healthcare reform became more about whether President Obama wanted to throw mama from a train via "death panels" than, well, how best to reform a broken healthcare system. Still, there are several representatives from both parties who want to discuss it (Daniel Rothberg, 7/22).

24 Jul 2013

Medical groups oppose efforts to loosen regs for medical imaging and radiation therapy equipment

The organizations, which have sent letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, are concerned that this step would lead to lax standards.

24 Jul 2013

Birth control coverage rule not so simple

Listen to the political rhetoric around the contraception mandate, and you might think that employers must provide women with free birth control of every kind. It's not quite that simple.

24 Jul 2013

State highlights: DOJ sues Fla. over keeping children in nursing homes

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Florida on Monday, accusing the state of unnecessarily institutionalizing about 200 disabled children in nursing homes and cutting services that would allow them to receive care at home (7/22).

24 Jul 2013

Health benefits -- Who gets what?

Bigger businesses are better bets for offering employee benefits than smaller ones. The latest report from the Labor Department on benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans and paid vacations or sick leave found that 88 percent of employees at private-sector establishments with a workforce of 500 or more were likely to have access to health care benefits.

24 Jul 2013

Baylor Research Institute, Novartis sign license agreement for canakinumab

Baylor Research Institute, the research arm of Baylor Health Care System, announced that it has signed an agreement with Novartis to non-exclusively license Baylor's patents pertaining to the treatment of Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis using interleukin-1 beta antagonists.

24 Jul 2013