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Wage disparities could limit success of health-care reform

A national study has found that earnings over the course of the careers of primary-care physicians averaged as much as $2.8 million less than the earnings of their specialist colleagues, potentially making primary care a less attractive choice for medical school graduates and exacerbating the already significant shortage of medical generalists.

29 Sep 2012

Research roundup: Saving money with hospital observation units, total knee replacement rates skyrocketing, Medicare patients and antibiotic overuse

The authors write: Using observation units in hospitals to provide care to certain patients can be more efficient than admitting them to the hospital and can result in shorter lengths-of-stay and lower costs. However, such units are present in only about one-third of US hospitals.

29 Sep 2012

New partnership to provide access to contraceptives for more than 27M women

A new partnership announced today at the United Nations will make a safe, effective, long-acting, reversible method of contraception available to more than 27 million women in the world's poorest nations.

28 Sep 2012

Political cartoon: 'The Introduction'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "The Introduction" by Dave Coverly.

28 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 28, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about political and policy-oriented health care developments.

28 Sep 2012

Link between work-family conflict and musculoskeletal pain among nurses

Nurses and other hospital workers, especially those who work long hours or the night shift, often report trying to juggle the demands of the job and family obligations. A study out today by The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) suggests that the higher the work-family conflict the greater the risk that health care workers will suffer from neck and other types of musculoskeletal pain.

28 Sep 2012

Education key to ending AIDS

"When we talk about HIV prevention, we tend to frame it as a medical challenge and of course it is one," UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe writes in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog.

28 Sep 2012

Blogs recognize World Contraception Day

The following blog posts were published in recognition of World Contraception Day, observed annually on September 26.

28 Sep 2012

FDA, docs, consumers scrutinizing medical apps

Consumers are increasingly relying on mobile applications to monitor their own health as some question whether the FDA can evaluate the apps fast enough.

28 Sep 2012

Polls: Obama scores higher in trust on Medicare

A new Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that 52 percent of the public trusts President Barack Obama over GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney to do a better job with Medicare's future, although young people were more receptive than seniors to GOP Medicare proposals. Meanwhile, a survey by AP-GfK found substantial belief in the widely challenged idea that the law includes "death panels."

28 Sep 2012

NPR blog examines Global Health Service Partnership

NPR's "Shots" blog profiles Vanessa Kerry, a physician and daughter of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), and her work to develop the Global Health Service Partnership to send nurses and doctors to work abroad in exchange for a pay-down in their student loans.

28 Sep 2012

Politico: GOP budget plan in the red without Ryan cuts

Call it Paul Ryan's 0.5 percent solution. In a little-noticed but vital change last spring, the House Budget Committee chairman cut half a point from the annual growth rate he had allowed for Medicare spending.

28 Sep 2012

Big employers change the way they provide health benefits

The Wall Street Journal reports on developments related to the health benefits provided by two large employers. Also, The Associated Press reports on how making smart decisions will be eaiser during the current open enrollment season.

28 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Obama, Romney pitch health care plans in NEJM

Because of you, America is blessed with the world's most talented health care professionals, who do a heroic job serving and saving our citizens. But for years you have faced a health care system that was increasingly fractured. ... But after a century of trying, a broad coalition of doctors, nurses, hospitals, businesses, AARP, and patients helped me sign into law the Affordable Care Act.

28 Sep 2012

Reporting on progress of New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition

In this blog post on FeedtheFuture.gov, Tjada McKenna, deputy coordinator for development for Feed the Future, and Jonathan Shrier, acting special representative for global food security and deputy coordinator for diplomacy for Feed the Future, answer five questions about the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which was established by the G8 in May 2012.

28 Sep 2012

Extend Health announces availability of two free guides for seniors

Extend Health, operator of the nation's largest private Medicare exchange and a Towers Watson company, announced today the availability of two free guides designed to help seniors who are turning 65 - and becoming eligible for Medicare for the first time - navigate the complexity of their health care options to make informed choices about Medicare coverage.

28 Sep 2012

HHS to states, lawmakers: Federal exchange will be ready on time

A pair of stories from CQ HealthBeat examines emerging issues in the implementation of health exchanges.

28 Sep 2012

U.N. SG Ban urges international action to help West Africa's Sahel region

Speaking at the High-Level Meeting on the Sahel on the sidelines of the 67th U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday "called for urgent international support for the people and governments of West Africa's Sahel region, warning that the area is at a critical juncture with 18 million people affected by a severe food crisis," the U.N. News Centre reports.

28 Sep 2012

USAID Office of Health Systems important for meeting global health goals

Ariel Pablos-Mendez, USAID assistant administrator for global health, writes in USAID's "IMPACTblog," "Recently, we reorganized the Global Health Bureau to establish an Office of Health Systems, which will be the hub for the Agency's worldwide leadership network of technical experts in health systems strengthening."

28 Sep 2012

Obama's U.N. speech could be 'turning point' in fight against human trafficking

"When President Obama made a landmark speech against modern slavery on Tuesday, many of us in the news media shrugged," but women survivors of human trafficking "noticed," Nicholas Kristof writes in his New York Times column.

28 Sep 2012