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First Edition: April 26, 2013

Today's headlines include reports that some Democratic senators have concerns about the health law's roll out as well as other news about the measure's implementation.

26 Apr 2013

PBS Newshour examines proposed changes to U.S. food aid program

PBS NewsHour on Wednesday aired two video reports examining proposed changes to the U.S. food aid program included in President Obama's FY 2014 budget request released this month.

26 Apr 2013

Researchers call H7N9 bird flu strain 'one of the most lethal'; first case outside China reported by Taiwan

Chinese scientists have confirmed for the first time that a new strain of bird flu that has killed 23 people in China has been transmitted to humans from chickens.

26 Apr 2013

U.N. urges sustained support for prevention, treatment activities on World Malaria Day

On World Malaria Day (April 25), the U.N. "warned ... that malaria maintains its impact on less developed countries, mainly in Africa, where millions of people lack needed attention," and in a message marking the day, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "urged political leaders and health authorities of states where malaria is endemic to keep their commitment to achieve universal access to prevention and treatment of malaria".

26 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: GOP rebranding effort spurs revolt; will health law help or hurt Democrats in next campaign?

When even a key architect of Obamacare says the law's implementation will resemble a "train wreck," it is clear that its biggest remaining supporters need to finally level with the American people about what's in store - starting with President Barack Obama.

26 Apr 2013

Roundup: Calif. employer health premiums soar 170% over decade; Minn. hospitals allege blues cut hospital payments; Mass. AG warns on hospital sale market impact

Premiums for employer health insurance in California jumped 170 percent over the last decade, more than five times the 32 percent increase in the state's inflation rate. That escalation in premiums has taken a toll on employers' willingness to offer health benefits, according to an annual survey by the California HealthCare Foundation (Terhune, 4/24).

26 Apr 2013

Opinion pieces published in recognition of World Malaria Day

Wednesday is World Malaria Day, observed annually on April 25. This year's theme is "Invest in the future: defeat malaria." The following is a summary of opinion pieces published in recognition of the day.

26 Apr 2013

Increasing unsustainable prices for leukemia drugs represent larger issue across all cancers

The increasing cost of treatments for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the United States has reached unsustainably high levels and may be leaving many patients under- or untreated because they cannot afford care, according to a Blood Forum article supported by nearly 120 CML experts from more than 15 countries on five continents and published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

26 Apr 2013

Obama administration loss in anti-prostitution pledge Supreme Court case would be 'victory for health and human rights'

"No one denies that prostitution can be dangerous, demeaning work. But health experts long ago recognized that sanctions and stigma make it far more harmful," MSNBC.com health policy reporter Geoffrey Cowley writes in an MSNBC.com opinion piece."

26 Apr 2013

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB): an interview with Dr. Jennifer Cohn, Médecins Sans Frontières

MDR-TB is tuberculosis, a mycobacterial infection, that has developed resistance to two important and powerful first-line anti-TB drugs, INH and rifampin.

26 Apr 2013

U.S. CDC, FDA, armed forces taking action to fight malaria

Testifying before Congress this week, CDC Director Thomas Frieden "said the challenge in the fight against malaria, which in Africa alone kills one child every minute, is staying one step ahead of the malaria parasite" and "cited the need for better public health surveillance, and urged Congress to fund better detection tools".

26 Apr 2013

Longer looks: Paying the oncologist; plenty of diagnostic errors, a patient revolution

When the automatic spending cuts kicked in for Medicare this month, every doctor saw a 2 percent reduction in reimbursement from the government insurance program. But cancer doctors have made the most noise

26 Apr 2013

Kaiser Family Foundation, CSIS host panel discussion on IOM's PEPFAR evaluation

On Tuesday, April 30, from 2:00-3:30 p.m., the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Global Health Policy Center will host a panel discussion, titled "The Policy Implications of the Institute of Medicine's Evaluation of PEPFAR," at the CSIS conference center in Washington, D.C.

26 Apr 2013

Implementation news: Co-Ops face historic test, White House makes hire for health law PR push

Politico notes the support and challenges of nonprofit CO-OPs as alternatives to commercial insurance plans, while HealthyCal examines parts of the health law that may be giving pause to small businesses.

26 Apr 2013

Md. insurer proposes 25% rate hike because of health reform

The state's largest insurer -- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield -- wants to raise rates for individuals buying coverage on their own in order to offset the cost of the health law requiring that insurers accept patients with pre-existing conditions.

26 Apr 2013

House measure introduced to 'eliminate consumer confusion' about who is, and is not, a doctor

The measure would make it illegal for a health care professionals to make false or deceptive advertising claims. In addition, two Senate committees are focusing on various aspects of either fruad within the health care markeplace, or misleading sales tactics, as a means to find savings in Medicare and Medicaid.

26 Apr 2013

GOP leader pulls bill to redirect public health funds to high-risk patients

Shelving the measure to provide more money for coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, which faced strong opposition from conservatives, is viewed as a setback for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and efforts to rebrand the Republican Party.

26 Apr 2013

Fla. lawmakers close in on Medicaid expansion deal

Florida lawmakers are closer to a deal that would OK a Medicaid expansion there -- the state would use federal funds to cover more vulnerable residents while providing childless adults and adult parents with state money to buy private insurance.

26 Apr 2013

Universal Health Services net revenues increase 2% to $1.83 billion in first quarter 2013

Universal Health Services, Inc. announced today that its reported net income attributable to UHS was $119.8 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, during the first quarter of 2013 as compared to $128.6 million, or $1.31 per diluted share, during the comparable quarter of 2012.

26 Apr 2013

Nature editorial, opinion piece address H7N9 virus

The journal Nature published an editorial and opinion piece on the emergence of the H7N9 avian influenza strain.

26 Apr 2013

Health Care News and Research

First Edition: April 26, 2013

PBS Newshour examines proposed changes to U.S. food aid program

Researchers call H7N9 bird flu strain 'one of the most lethal'; first case outside China reported by Taiwan

U.N. urges sustained support for prevention, treatment activities on World Malaria Day

Viewpoints: GOP rebranding effort spurs revolt; will health law help or hurt Democrats in next campaign?

Roundup: Calif. employer health premiums soar 170% over decade; Minn. hospitals allege blues cut hospital payments; Mass. AG warns on hospital sale market impact

Opinion pieces published in recognition of World Malaria Day

Increasing unsustainable prices for leukemia drugs represent larger issue across all cancers

Obama administration loss in anti-prostitution pledge Supreme Court case would be 'victory for health and human rights'

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB): an interview with Dr. Jennifer Cohn, Médecins Sans Frontières

U.S. CDC, FDA, armed forces taking action to fight malaria

Longer looks: Paying the oncologist; plenty of diagnostic errors, a patient revolution

Kaiser Family Foundation, CSIS host panel discussion on IOM's PEPFAR evaluation

Implementation news: Co-Ops face historic test, White House makes hire for health law PR push

Md. insurer proposes 25% rate hike because of health reform

House measure introduced to 'eliminate consumer confusion' about who is, and is not, a doctor

GOP leader pulls bill to redirect public health funds to high-risk patients

Fla. lawmakers close in on Medicaid expansion deal

Universal Health Services net revenues increase 2% to $1.83 billion in first quarter 2013

Nature editorial, opinion piece address H7N9 virus

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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