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States embroiled in Medicaid expansion battles are running out of time

Politico reports that this health law implementation issue remains an open question for about a dozen states. Some are on the brink of giving up for the first year but looking ahead to the next set of state legislature sessions. Meanwhile, news outlets report on related developments in Michigan, Texas, Ohio, California and Iowa.

24 May 2013

Cinnamon compounds show some promise in the effort to fight Alzheimer's disease

Cinnamon: Can the red-brown spice with the unmistakable fragrance and variety of uses offer an important benefit? The common baking spice might hold the key to delaying the onset of -- or warding off -- the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

24 May 2013

The Hill: Insurers feel pressure to support Enroll America

The Hill reports that unnamed insurance industry sources say they feel that Enroll America, the non-profit group raising funds to support outreach to the uninsured, is "just an arm of the administration." In a separate story, The Hill notes new research concluding the trend toward part-time work and reduced health benefits began before the overhaul.

24 May 2013

Viewpoints: Sen. Alexander sees reflections of Oliver North in Sebelius' quest to raise funds; vaccine scare's legacy

Major news outlets in recent days have reported that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is raising money from the private sector -- including from health care executives -- for use by a private entity that is helping to implement ObamaCare. ... Is Ms. Sebelius raising funds for a private entity and then coordinating with that entity to do something Congress has refused to authorize, or for which it has refused to appropriate funds?

24 May 2013

Leapfrog Group honors John Muir Health's medical centers with "A" for patient safety

The Leapfrog Group, an independent coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health benefits, has honored John Muir Health's Concord and Walnut Creek medical centers with an "A" Hospital Safety Score for the second year in a row.

24 May 2013

HHS report finds uptick in doctors' use of electronic health records

Also in the news, the Pentagon is in search of a new system for veterans' health care while San Francisco is "leading the way" in new health data applications.

24 May 2013

Federal appellate court hears arguments challenging health law's birth control mandate

The Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago is the first federal appellate court to hear arguments in cases challenging the mandate that took effect last August. With dozens of similar lawsuits pending, many say the issue seems likely to land before the Supreme Court. The case brought by Hobby Lobby Inc. is considered the most prominent of these efforts.

24 May 2013

New campaign aims to increase awareness of HIPAA rights, benefits among HIV-positive Black MSM

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights is proud to launch the Information Is Powerful Medicine campaign.

24 May 2013

CCSC, HHS honor hospitals, health care facilities for preventing HAIs

The Critical Care Societies Collaborative, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announces recipients in the 2013 National Awards Program to Recognize Achievements in Eliminating Health Care-Associated Infections.

24 May 2013

Idaho, New Mexico ask feds to run health exchanges

In addition, media outlets report that the nation's largest for-profit insurers will not participate in California's online marketplace. Eleven insurers have applied to operate plans in Colorado.

24 May 2013

FDA approves Tina-quant HbA1cDx assay for diagnosis of diabetes

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is allowing marketing of the COBAS INTEGRA 800 Tina-quant HbA1cDx assay (Tina-quant HbA1cDx assay) for the diagnosis of diabetes by health care professionals.

24 May 2013

Most residents dissatisfied with quality of substance-abuse training, survey finds

A 2012 survey of internal medicine residents at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) - one of the nation's leading teaching hospitals - found that more than half rated the training they had received in addiction and other substance use disorders as fair or poor.

24 May 2013

New data highlights urgent crisis posed on US healthcare system by DFUs and VLUs

Organogenesis Inc., a commercial leader in the field of regenerative medicine, presented new data generated in collaboration with a team of expert economists from Analysis Group (a leading health economics consultancy) demonstrating the significant healthcare resource and economic burden that diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers place upon the US healthcare system.

23 May 2013

Research project analyses practice of mediation in two public hospitals in Valencian Community

The research project from the Universitat Jaume I de Castellón (Spain) analyses the practice of mediation in two public hospitals in the Valencian Community through cases that involved a team of mediators over two years.

23 May 2013

Market pressures may keep premiums low as health law kicks in

USA Today reports this optimisitic view is offered by some industry analysts and health insurance officials. Meanwhile, Politico does a status check on the legal challenges to the health law's birth control mandate. News reports also track the latest regarding the Internal Revenue Service controversy and the overhaul.

23 May 2013

First Edition: May 23, 2013

Today's headlines include various status updates about state activity regarding the health law's online insurance marketplaces.

23 May 2013

Second annual conference to reduce genomic health disparities

Researchers in genomic health disparities from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Stanford University School of Medicine have teamed up to hold the second annual "Why We Can't Wait: Conference to Eliminate Health Disparities in Genomic Medicine."

23 May 2013

As Hill panels focus on Medicare, marketplace examines how Part D changed the pharmaceutical industry

Medicare is a topic of conversation on Capitol Hill as a Senate committee holds a hearing on the Medicare Part D drug program. Meanwhile, on the House side, members of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee heard testimony on patient cost-sharing that triggered a broad discussion of health care incentives within the program.

23 May 2013

Mayo Clinic, Cancer Genetics form joint venture to improve cancer care

Mayo Clinic and Cancer Genetics Inc. today launched OncoSpire Genomics, a joint venture with the singular goal of improving cancer care by discovering and commercializing diagnostic tests that leverage next-generation sequencing.

23 May 2013

State roundup: Loophole could mean Calif. docs eat some costs

A loophole in California's upcoming health care overhaul could be exploited by families gaming the system or responding to hardship in a way that doctors say could leave a pile of unpaid bills. A chain of events would create a two-month period during which a family has medical coverage but no insurer must pay its claims. Nonpayment of premiums for subsidized policies would trigger the oddity: Federal law provides a three-month grace period before cancellation -- but insurers are responsible only for the first month (Sanders, 5/21).

23 May 2013

Health Care News and Research

States embroiled in Medicaid expansion battles are running out of time

Cinnamon compounds show some promise in the effort to fight Alzheimer's disease

The Hill: Insurers feel pressure to support Enroll America

Viewpoints: Sen. Alexander sees reflections of Oliver North in Sebelius' quest to raise funds; vaccine scare's legacy

Leapfrog Group honors John Muir Health's medical centers with "A" for patient safety

HHS report finds uptick in doctors' use of electronic health records

Federal appellate court hears arguments challenging health law's birth control mandate

New campaign aims to increase awareness of HIPAA rights, benefits among HIV-positive Black MSM

CCSC, HHS honor hospitals, health care facilities for preventing HAIs

Idaho, New Mexico ask feds to run health exchanges

FDA approves Tina-quant HbA1cDx assay for diagnosis of diabetes

Most residents dissatisfied with quality of substance-abuse training, survey finds

New data highlights urgent crisis posed on US healthcare system by DFUs and VLUs

Research project analyses practice of mediation in two public hospitals in Valencian Community

Market pressures may keep premiums low as health law kicks in

First Edition: May 23, 2013

Second annual conference to reduce genomic health disparities

As Hill panels focus on Medicare, marketplace examines how Part D changed the pharmaceutical industry

Mayo Clinic, Cancer Genetics form joint venture to improve cancer care

State roundup: Loophole could mean Calif. docs eat some costs

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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