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Much anticipation surrounds push to bring more transparency to medicine

After years of anticipation, all of the nation's drug and medical device makers must soon begin publicly reporting payments they make to U.S. physicians, according to final regulations announced this afternoon by the federal government.

5 Mar 2013

New initiative aims to increase access to Jadelle reversible contraceptive

Writing in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, Gary Darmstadt, head of the Family Health Division of the foundation, examines the Jadelle Access Program, announced last week, which aims to "reduce the price of Jadelle and make this effective, long-acting, reversible contraceptive more available to more than 27 million women in the world's poorest countries."

5 Mar 2013

Health law implementation largely untouched by automatic spending cuts

The Associated Press reports that only a small fraction of the overhaul's funding is subject to the sequester's cuts. Meanwhile, the Obama administration indicates that insurers will have to report rate increases no matter how small and offers rules to clarify other provisions.

5 Mar 2013

Gates blog examines link between access to contraceptives, women's empowerment

"In my line of work -- improving the health and well-being of women and girls -- 'empowerment' is both the end we seek and the means we use to get there," Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in the foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

5 Mar 2013

Secretary Clinton worked to elevate women's rights; Kerry should continue her work

Writing in the Huffington Post's "College" blog about Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of State, Alecia deCoudreaux, president of Mills College, states that Clinton "pushed for recognition of women's rights as a worldwide humanitarian cause, identifying the connection between the advancement of women's equality and global stability."

5 Mar 2013

Special envoy for malaria Ray Chambers to help secure investment for achieving health-related MDGs

"Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has tasked Ray Chambers, who has served as his special envoy for malaria since 2008, with promoting and securing greater investment to achieve the health-related targets within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," the U.N. News Centre reports.

5 Mar 2013

Commission urges big changes in Medicare doctor pay, including the elimination of fee-for-service approach

The panel, the National Commission on Physician Payment Reform, released a dozen recommendations to ultimately change how physicians are paid.

5 Mar 2013

Five scientists aim to make strides in predicting and preventing preterm birth

Five researchers from four states are investigating how genetics and infections interact to cause preterm birth as well as how proteins and hormones regulate a healthy pregnancy, all with the goal of giving more babies a healthy start in life, the March of Dimes announced today.

5 Mar 2013

Hospital costs under microscope

An article that appeared in Time Magazine, "Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us," has fueled a new round of discussions about health care cost excesses -- especially in the hospital setting.

5 Mar 2013

Automatic budget cuts lead Republicans to sharpen focus on Medicare cost-cutting plans

With the deadline for averting sequestration having come and gone, lawmakers and the White House are jockeying for position in the next round of budget battles.

5 Mar 2013

Medicare patients enrolled in hospice receive better care at lower cost

Medicare patients who enrolled in hospice received better care at a significantly lower cost to the government than those who did not use the Medicare hospice benefit.

5 Mar 2013

Focus on growth, good governance will transform African continent

Writing in the Guardian's "Comment Is Free" blog, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair examines advances made in health and development across Africa since the Gleneagles G8 meeting in 2005, writing, "Today, the positive legacy of that summit is still being felt across Africa: aid was doubled and developing world debt dropped."

5 Mar 2013

Editorial, opinion piece address efforts to eradicate polio

The Independent recently published an editorial and opinion piece discussing the global effort to eradicate polio.

5 Mar 2013

Examining NTD response in Obama's second term

"As President Obama's second term begins to take shape and new faces assume new leadership roles, many in Washington are trying to gauge what will happen to global health," Michelle Brooks, policy director at the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), writes in the organization's "End the Neglect" blog.

5 Mar 2013

U.S. decision to provide non-lethal aid to Syrian opposition draws criticism from some in aid community

"The decision by the Obama administration to provide non-lethal aid to Syrian rebel forces seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad is drawing fire from some in the aid community, saying it politicizes aid and violates principles of neutrality which govern aid delivery," CNN's "Security Clearance" blog reports, noting, "Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday announced the United States would give aid to armed opposition, including medical supplies and meals."

5 Mar 2013

World Trade Organization meeting this week to discuss proposed extension of TRIPS transition period for LDCs

"On March 5-6, the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Council of the World Trade Organization will meet in Geneva to seal the fate of the proposal lengthening the TRIPS transition period for the 49 least-developed countries [LDCs]," Devex's "The Development Newswire" reports, noting, "The transition period, set to expire July 2013, exempts LDCs from the terms of the TRIPS agreement on patents and test data protection for pharmaceuticals."

5 Mar 2013

Eisai, DSM sign 3 year master supply agreement for production of sterile products

DSM Pharmaceutical Products, the custom manufacturing and technology business of Royal DSM, today announced the signing of a 3 year master supply agreement with Eisai Inc., based in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, USA, for the production of sterile products.

5 Mar 2013

Roundup: Mass. health costs may start accelerating again; Review questions Minn. HMO payment rates; Calif. lawmakers approve health care bills

After several years of moderating costs, there are signs the rate of increase in Massachusetts health care prices -- and insurance premiums -- may soon start accelerating again, exceeding a heralded cost cap set by the state last year.

5 Mar 2013

AAP, ACMG release guidelines on best practices for genetic testing and screening of children

For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) spoke with one voice and released a set of recommendations and guidelines on best practices for genetic testing and screening of children.

5 Mar 2013

Workers with rheumatoid arthritis incur increased health-related costs

Workers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) incur increased direct and indirect health-related costs, reports a study in the March Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

5 Mar 2013

Health Care News and Research

Much anticipation surrounds push to bring more transparency to medicine

New initiative aims to increase access to Jadelle reversible contraceptive

Health law implementation largely untouched by automatic spending cuts

Gates blog examines link between access to contraceptives, women's empowerment

Secretary Clinton worked to elevate women's rights; Kerry should continue her work

Special envoy for malaria Ray Chambers to help secure investment for achieving health-related MDGs

Commission urges big changes in Medicare doctor pay, including the elimination of fee-for-service approach

Five scientists aim to make strides in predicting and preventing preterm birth

Hospital costs under microscope

Automatic budget cuts lead Republicans to sharpen focus on Medicare cost-cutting plans

Medicare patients enrolled in hospice receive better care at lower cost

Focus on growth, good governance will transform African continent

Editorial, opinion piece address efforts to eradicate polio

Examining NTD response in Obama's second term

U.S. decision to provide non-lethal aid to Syrian opposition draws criticism from some in aid community

World Trade Organization meeting this week to discuss proposed extension of TRIPS transition period for LDCs

Eisai, DSM sign 3 year master supply agreement for production of sterile products

Roundup: Mass. health costs may start accelerating again; Review questions Minn. HMO payment rates; Calif. lawmakers approve health care bills

AAP, ACMG release guidelines on best practices for genetic testing and screening of children

Workers with rheumatoid arthritis incur increased health-related 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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