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Viewpoints: Health law opposition not propelling GOP; keep politics out of the fight against Ebola

As recently as April, Obamacare was going to be the silver bullet for Republicans in this year's midterm elections. The leader of conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity said his plan was to make Obamacare "the No. 1 issue in the country." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declared that the law would be "a huge disaster in 2014" and the deciding factor in November. Well, that was then. Now, three weeks from Election Day, some GOP challengers trying to knock off Democratic incumbent senators have scaled back their anti-Obamacare ads in favor of new targets such as the economy and national security (10/13).

15 Oct 2014

Extra physical activity can stimulate learning, improve school performance

Just two hours of extra physical activity each week can improve school performance. This has been shown by a study of approximately 2,000 twelve-year-olds carried out by scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

14 Oct 2014

TSRI scientists awarded $6.6 million NIH grant to study Lassa fever virus

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have been awarded $6.6 million from the National Institutes of Health to lead an investigation of Lassa fever virus, the most prevalent virus-induced hemorrhagic fever disease in Africa.

14 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

Hubris is the greatest danger in wealthy countries - a sort of smug assumption that advanced technologies and emergency-preparedness plans guarantee that Ebola and other germs will not spread. It was hubris that left Toronto's top hospitals battling SARS in 2003, long after the virus was conquered in poorer Vietnam. It was hubris that led the World Health Assembly in 2013 to cut the WHO's outbreak-response budget in favor of more programs to treat cancer and heart disease.

14 Oct 2014

Medicaid backlogs persist, raising concerns as enrollment season nears

The Wall Street Journal reports that hundreds of thousands of people still don't officially have the Medicaid coverage they signed up for. Some of them began the process in late 2013. In other Medicaid news, debate in Mississippi continues regarding whether the state should pursue the expansion of the health insurance program for low-income and disabled people.

14 Oct 2014

Research roundup: Older consumers' spending on health care; hospital leaders' views of reporting quality

In 2011, households with at least one member between ages 50 and 64 spent 8 percent of their total budget on health items, compared with 19 percent for those age 85 or over.

13 Oct 2014

Preparing for the health law's second lap

With open enrollment fast approaching for the online insurance marketplaces, news outlets are examining the preparations that have been made in order to ensure a smoother process this time around.

13 Oct 2014

State highlights: Gubernatorial election outcomes will have big impact on health law's future

The deciding factor in the Senate races will be President Barack Obama's sagging approval numbers, he said, which are weighing down Democrats like Sen. Mary Landrieu in Louisiana and Sen. Mark Pryor in Arkansas. ... Mr. McAuliffe pushed Virginia legislators to expand the state's Medicaid program as part of the Affordable Care Act last summer, but Republicans wouldn't have it (Bauerlein, 10/8).

10 Oct 2014

States grapple with Obamacare premium increases, related issues

In California, voters are split over a ballot initiative that would give the state's insurance commissioners new powers to veto health insurance cost increases. Meanwhile, in Iowa, the insurance commissioner approves rate increases proposed by three insurers.

9 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Walmart's cuts in insurance grow from health law; online marketplace still lacks transparency

Wal-Mart gave lawmakers a concise lesson in economics Tuesday when it disclosed that it would no longer offer health insurance to yet more of its part-time employees. ... I'll just argue that what we're seeing is the entirely predictable result of the employer mandate in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- a mandate, by the way, that Wal-Mart lobbied for. The company was offering health benefits for most employees at the time, and may simply have been trying to force its competitors to do the same (Jon Healey, 10/7).

9 Oct 2014

Digital Clinic International acquired by Voice Solutions

As the digital signage industry continues to gain momentum, Voice Solutions announced that it has acquired Digital Clinic International LLC, a digital signage company focused on the needs of dental, cosmetic surgery and health care clinics.

8 Oct 2014

Arizona resident receives donor heart transplant after living with SynCardia Total Artificial Heart

Randy Shepherd, an Arizona resident nicknamed the "tin man," has received a donor heart transplant after 15 months of support from the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart.

8 Oct 2014

AARP survey shows that many Americans not planned enough for health expenses in retirement

Today, AARP released a new survey that says more than half of working Americans over age 50 (55%) don't think they'll have enough money for health care as they reach the age they expect to retire. While Medicare only covers about half of health costs, four in ten (38%) say they haven't saved anything at all for such expenses even though multiple studies show that these costs often reach more than $200,000 for a retired couple.

8 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Relatively few face insurance cancellations; new doctor payment site is 'impenetrable'

People are starting to get letters telling them their health insurance plans have been canceled because of the Affordable Care Act. Because the letters will go out just before the midterm congressional elections, they are likely to get a lot of attention. There have been several stories this past week. But the people affected will represent only a small fraction of the population with health insurance (Margot Sanger-Katz, (10/6).

8 Oct 2014

L.L. News and Research

Viewpoints: Health law opposition not propelling GOP; keep politics out of the fight against Ebola

Extra physical activity can stimulate learning, improve school performance

TSRI scientists awarded $6.6 million NIH grant to study Lassa fever virus

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

Medicaid backlogs persist, raising concerns as enrollment season nears

Research roundup: Older consumers' spending on health care; hospital leaders' views of reporting quality

Preparing for the health law's second lap

State highlights: Gubernatorial election outcomes will have big impact on health law's future

States grapple with Obamacare premium increases, related issues

Viewpoints: Walmart's cuts in insurance grow from health law; online marketplace still lacks transparency

Digital Clinic International acquired by Voice Solutions

Arizona resident receives donor heart transplant after living with SynCardia Total Artificial Heart

AARP survey shows that many Americans not planned enough for health expenses in retirement

Viewpoints: Relatively few face insurance cancellations; new doctor payment site is 'impenetrable'

Obama administration announces plans to step up airport screening for Ebola virus

Standardized guidelines for collection of blood to test for early Alzheimer's disease

UT Arlington scientists explore how fluid flow could play significant role in neuronal growth

U-M scientists launch $11.5 million effort to better understand cause of Parkinson's disease

OMRF scientist selected to receive EMD Serono's Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation

MSU to provide specialized health benefits to veterans

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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