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Viewpoints: Advice for the super committee and pundits; Calif. health insurance regulation; NEJM on episodic payment

As a member of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Debt Reduction Task Force, I supported gradually raising the Medicare eligibility age. I think it's a good idea now even though it wouldn't have been a couple of years ago. The bottom line is that raising the Medicare retirement age primarily affects higher income older people, who are more likely to be able to keep working and can afford the premiums even if they don't.

26 Aug 2011

NNU Director named one of the '100 Most Influential People in Healthcare'

For the tenth straight year, National Nurses United Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro has won national recognition from a major healthcare industry publication as one of the "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare" which was announced this week.

25 Aug 2011

Constituents try to connect with deficit panel members over possible spending cuts

With the work of the 'super committee' picking up steam, news outlets report on how, while back in their districts for the August recess, some of the panelists are hearing concerns about Medicare and other entitlement programs. Meanwhile, former GOP Senator John Danforth recollects his first-hand experiences with the politics of deficit-cutting commissions.

24 Aug 2011

UMA pharmacy technician diploma programs offer healthcare education to U.S. students

Two recently launched pharmacy technician training programs from Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) have made it possible for students nationwide to prepare for a career in this expanding field, which is projected to experience double-digit growth in the coming years.

24 Aug 2011

Rick Perry's views on Medicare, other health policy issues draw scrutiny

The GOP presidential hopeful's views on key issues have triggered examination by news outlets. Meanwhile, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who proposed sweeping changes to the Medicare program, has opted not to join the presidential primary contest.

24 Aug 2011

Search frictions make small businesses pay more for health insurance

An article in the American Economic Review finds that small businesses have been over-paying for health insurance.

24 Aug 2011

BioLineRx second quarter net loss decreases to NIS 16.4 million

BioLineRx Ltd., a biopharmaceutical development company, today reported its results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2011.

23 Aug 2011

Health Canada grants medical device licence to Gen-Probe's PANTHER system

Gen-Probe Incorporated announced today that Health Canada has granted the Company a medical device license for the PANTHER system, a fully automated and integrated molecular testing system designed with the flexibility to handle a wide range of testing needs.

23 Aug 2011

Supermom myth could put working mothers at greater risk for depression

Working moms have lower rates of depression than their stay-at-home counterparts, but buying into the supermom myth could put working mothers at greater risk for depression, suggests new research to be presented at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

20 Aug 2011

News highlights: Calif. ruling limits medical damages; appeal filed in case challenging Ariz. Medicaid cuts

The state Supreme Court handed insurers and business groups a major legal victory -- and personal injury lawyers an equally big setback -- on Thursday by imposing limits on medical damages in one of the era's closest watched civil cases. The issue in the case, Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions, was whether an injured party could collect the full medical care costs billed by doctors and hospitals, or the lesser amount that the medical providers accepted from an insurance company.

20 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 19, 2011

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Susan Jaffe writes: Shopping for health insurance next year will be easier when hundreds of health insurers and employers use the same simple forms unveiled Wednesday by the Obama administration, consumer advocates and government officials say. But the new materials, required by the 2010 health law, are still a work in progress.

19 Aug 2011

ASA launches new video that highlights need for responsible use of pain medication

The American Society of Anesthesiologists launched a new video today on its lifelinepatients YouTube channel that highlights the need for responsible use of pain medication and proper disposal of the drugs.

19 Aug 2011

Will spending cuts undo health industry's job market impact?

Even during months of stubborn unemployment, the health care industry has provided a solid underpinning, reliably adding jobs in an otherwise dismal environment.

19 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 18, 2011

"The SSI program for children is rapidly expanding, with the biggest increase among kids with mental, behavioral and learning disorders, including ADHD, speech delays, autism, and bipolar disorder. But as it pulls in children like Hulston, the program is sparking criticism in Congress.

18 Aug 2011

Long-delayed forms to provide coverage details likely to be released today

Part of the health law, these rules will lay out, among other things, a new standard form that will provide consumers who are shopping for health coverage with policy details, such as deductibles and specific costs for certain medical circumstances.

18 Aug 2011

AVI BioPharma, MDA to initiate exon-51 Phase 2 trial in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

More than a decade of targeted Muscular Dystrophy Association-funded research, made possible as a result of generous public support of the MDA Labor Day Telethon and thousands of grass-roots special events, has today culminated in MDA providing financial assistance for the start of the first Phase 2 placebo-controlled, multiple dose efficacy, safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics clinical trial of an exon-51 skipping drug, eteplirsen, as a potential therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

16 Aug 2011

Teens involved in research studies prefer telephones over social media

If you think teenagers prefer social media over the telephone, you may want to think again, at least when it comes to teens involved in research studies.

12 Aug 2011

Pelosi adds her picks to deficit reduction committee

With House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's selections now made for the 'super committee,' the panel is complete. The next step: analyzing what positions they will bring to the negotiations and what the likelihood is that the group will strike a deal.

12 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 12, 2011

Kaiser Health News' Mary Agnes Carey and Politico Pro's David Nather talk to Jackie Judd about the now complete "super committee" and what it may mean for Medicare and Medicaid.

12 Aug 2011

Nutrastar second quarter revenue increases 40.8% to $7.68 million

Nutrastar International Inc., a leading producer and supplier of premium branded Traditional Chinese Medicine consumer products, today announced record financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.

12 Aug 2011