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Outgoing Rep. Berman introduces bill to reform foreign aid with emphasis on partnerships

"California Rep. Howard Berman, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, unveiled a 923-page bill on Wednesday that would replace the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with a framework for providing developmental and economic U.S. aid," the Associated Press/Huffington Post reports, noting, "Berman's Global Partnerships Act of 2012 would change the aid system to focus on mutually agreed goals instead of the emphasis on donor-recipient ties, increase accountability and oversight, and eliminate duplication."

14 Dec 2012

U.N. General Assembly votes in favor of draft resolution supporting universal health coverage

The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday "voted in favor of a draft resolution supporting universal health coverage, signaling the importance of universal health care to the international development agenda," the Washington Post's "World Views" blog reports.

14 Dec 2012

Longer looks: 'Reckless' drug prescriptions lead to patient deaths; The struggles to reopen NY hospitals

Dr. Carlos Estiandan was up to no good, and the medical board of California was on to him. He prescribed powerful painkillers to addicts who had no medical need for them, conducted sham examinations and appeared to be a key supplier for drug dealers, according to court records. He wrote more prescriptions than the entire staffs of some hospitals and took in more than $1 million a year.

14 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Politicians flirting with danger on Medicare eligibility age; Maybe doctors should be paid less

The 2010 health- care law, which imposed immediate and heavy cuts on hospitals, drugmakers and insurers, left doctors relatively untouched. A 1997 law that reduces doctors' Medicare payments is consistently overridden by Congress.

14 Dec 2012

Some diplomats, U.N. observers express 'concerns' over U.N. appeal for Haitian cholera aid, Al Jazeera reports

Following U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's announcement on Tuesday of a new initiative appealing for $2.2 billion over 10 years to fight cholera in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Al Jazeera reports "there are concerns by some diplomats and U.N. observers that the funds necessary for the program would not be forthcoming from donors."

14 Dec 2012

Aetna CEO predicts some 'premium rate shock' because of health law provisions; More Medicare ACOs expected in 2013

In news about the health law, Bloomberg reports that Aetna's Mark Bertolini says premiums for individuals and small businesses could as much as double in 2014 and Modern Healthcare examines what's ahead for the accountable care organizations next year.

13 Dec 2012

Rural residents of Utah less likely to follow colorectal cancer screening recommendations

People who reside in rural areas of Utah are less likely to follow colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations than their urban counterparts, according to researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah.

13 Dec 2012

Roundup: Mass. a template for controlling health care costs?; Fewer than expected use Minn. health care vouchers; Blue Shield in Calif.'s proposed rate hikes

This simple shift in how health care is paid for -- long seen as key to taming costs -- has been occurring in pockets of the country. But nowhere is it happening more systematically than in Massachusetts, the state that blazed a trail in 2006 by guaranteeing its residents health insurance. Now Massachusetts, a model for President Obama's 2010 national health care law, may offer another template for national leaders looking to control health spending.

13 Dec 2012

Analyzing the Medicaid expansion balance sheet

As states contemplate the financial implications of pursuing the health law's Medicaid expansion, the recent Health and Human Services' decision not to fund partial expansions continues to draw reactions.

13 Dec 2012

Texas Governor calls for late-term abortion ban

Citing what he called fetal pain, former GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry urged state lawmakers to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. He said his ultimate goal was to eliminate abortions altogether.

13 Dec 2012

Blog series recognizes gender violence campaign

IntraHealth's "Global Health Blog" notes, "In honor of this year's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, the North Carolina-based Triangle Global Health Consortium ran a series of blog entries by local experts and activists on topics that span the globe."

13 Dec 2012

Examining maternal, newborn health care in Ethiopia

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog features two posts on maternal health in Ethiopia. In the first, Jennifer James, founder of Mom Bloggers for Social Good, writes about her trip to the country to "observe Save the Children's work with frontline health workers."

13 Dec 2012

Family health insurance costs up 62 percent since 2003

The total cost of family health insurance, for both employers and employees, hit $15,000 last year, up 62 percent since 2003 -- and worker wages rose only 11 percent in that time, a new Commonwealth Fund report says.

13 Dec 2012

Lutheran Malaria Initiative holds advocacy day on Capitol Hill

In the U.N. Foundation Blog, Gretchen King, director of the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI), examines the efforts of LMI to "mobiliz[e] U.S. Lutherans in the global effort to end malaria deaths in Africa."

13 Dec 2012

States still have time to build exchanges, some experts say

Politico Pro reports that some exchange experts aren't buying the argument that states have too little time to set up insurance markets. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports on the fragmented regulatory landscape that insurers selling products in those new markets will face.

13 Dec 2012

Fiscal talks continue with new round of proposals, finger-pointing

With the deadline looming, President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boener, R-Ohio, traded new fiscal offers but appeared no closer to a deal. Boehner is pushing for more specifics on how Obama would cut safety net programs, while the White House continues to press for tax increases for the wealthy.

13 Dec 2012

Survey finds serious shortfalls in quality of mental health care for older adults

Large majorities of older Americans with depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders are receiving treatment that does not meet evidence-based standards, and many do not know that depression can put their health at increased risk, according to a national survey, "Silver and Blue: The Unfinished Business of Mental Health Care for Older Adults," released today by the John A. Hartford Foundation.

13 Dec 2012

More than 850,000 children treated for malnutrition in Sahel in 2012, UNICEF says

"A UNICEF progress report says that more than 850,000 children are expected to have received life-saving treatment for severe acute malnutrition across nine countries in the Sahel region during the course of 2012," according to a UNICEF press release, noting the number is "based on the more than 730,000 children under five treated at centers between January and the end of September."

13 Dec 2012

Madagascar traditional midwives recruited to bring women in labor to clinics for care

IRIN examines efforts to recruit Madagascar's traditional midwives, called "matronnes," to "a campaign to get women to deliver in clinics or hospitals, part of a move to lower maternal and newborn death rates."

13 Dec 2012

Yoga can provide students with many emotional and physical benefits

While many university professors are busy with study groups and student meetings in preparation for final exams, Sandi Tenfelde, PhD, RN, ANP, CYI, has turned to sun salutations and savasanas.

13 Dec 2012

Health Care News and Research

Outgoing Rep. Berman introduces bill to reform foreign aid with emphasis on partnerships

U.N. General Assembly votes in favor of draft resolution supporting universal health coverage

Longer looks: 'Reckless' drug prescriptions lead to patient deaths; The struggles to reopen NY hospitals

Viewpoints: Politicians flirting with danger on Medicare eligibility age; Maybe doctors should be paid less

Some diplomats, U.N. observers express 'concerns' over U.N. appeal for Haitian cholera aid, Al Jazeera reports

Aetna CEO predicts some 'premium rate shock' because of health law provisions; More Medicare ACOs expected in 2013

Rural residents of Utah less likely to follow colorectal cancer screening recommendations

Roundup: Mass. a template for controlling health care costs?; Fewer than expected use Minn. health care vouchers; Blue Shield in Calif.'s proposed rate hikes

Analyzing the Medicaid expansion balance sheet

Texas Governor calls for late-term abortion ban

Blog series recognizes gender violence campaign

Examining maternal, newborn health care in Ethiopia

Family health insurance costs up 62 percent since 2003

Lutheran Malaria Initiative holds advocacy day on Capitol Hill

States still have time to build exchanges, some experts say

Fiscal talks continue with new round of proposals, finger-pointing

Survey finds serious shortfalls in quality of mental health care for older adults

More than 850,000 children treated for malnutrition in Sahel in 2012, UNICEF says

Madagascar traditional midwives recruited to bring women in labor to clinics for care

Yoga can provide students with many emotional and physical benefits

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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