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First Edition: May 21, 2012

Today's headlines includes reports on a new poll that explores what it is like to be sick in America.

21 May 2012

Poll: 70% of Americans oppose efforts by insurance companies to deny payment for ER visits

Seventy percent of Americans oppose efforts by insurance companies to deny payment for emergency visits when patients believe they are having medical emergencies, but after examination are diagnosed with non-urgent medical conditions, according to the results of a new poll conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

21 May 2012

HCCI's report shows facility prices outpaced general inflation for the privately insured under 65

Rising prices for care were the chief driver of health care costs for privately insured Americans in 2010, according to the first report from the newly formed Health Care Cost Institute.

21 May 2012

Specific risk factors linked with exacerbation-prone phenotype of severe asthma

A number of specific risk factors are associated with an exacerbation-prone phenotype of severe asthma, according to a new study from researchers in Sweden.

21 May 2012

LKCF, Spirit of Women’s HeartCaring to help reduce disparities in diagnosis and care

In an ongoing effort to save the lives of thousands of Americans at risk of cardiovascular ailments each year, Spirit of Women Health Network has joined forces with the Larry King Cardiac Foundation (LKCF) to help reduce the devastating disparity in the diagnostics, clinical care, and survival rate of heart attacks, strokes and other heart events for women and people of color.

19 May 2012

Afghanistan breaks ground on $30M hospital for treatment of TB, AIDS, malaria

"Afghanistan has begun work on a $30 million hospital for the treatment of tuberculosis [TB], a disease that health officials say kills more than 10,000 Afghans every year," VOA's "Breaking News" blog reports.

19 May 2012

FDA gives patients less-expensive option, approves first generic versions of Plavix

Patients taking the popular blood thinner Plavix now have the option of getting a less-expensive pill, following the approval Thursday of the first generic versions in the U.S. That's because the patent for Plavix, the world's second-best-selling medicine, just expired. Plavix is taken by millions of people every day to prevent heart attacks and strokes, by preventing platelets in the blood from clumping together.

19 May 2012

Modeling data shows vaccine can build on HIV/AIDS prevention tools

In this post in USAID's "IMPACTblog," International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) President and CEO Margaret McGlynn discusses new modeling data from IAVI and the Futures Institute, with support from USAID, which "illustrates how a safe, preventive HIV vaccine that is accessible and affordable can help us end the AIDS pandemic."

19 May 2012

Despite contraception controversy, Sebeilus to speak today at Georgetown University

Criticism about Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius' appearance at the Jesuit institution has mounted this week because of her role in the Obama administration's rule on contraception requirements in the health care law.

19 May 2012

Survey: Health IT spending a high priority at not-for-profit hospitals

In other news, Partners HealthCare hopes to replace its patchwork approach to electronic health records with a single commercial system.

19 May 2012

ACP recommends HHS to consider use of SNOMED-CT rather than ICD-10 for coding problems

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to use the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) implementation delay to consider specifying the use of Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Term (SNOMED-CT), rather than ICD-10, for coding problems in all situations.

19 May 2012

International community must organize, commit financial resources to win war on polio

In this editorial in the International Herald Tribune's "Express Tribune," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon examines the global push to eradicate polio, highlighting progress in the "world's war on polio" since it was declared nearly a quarter century ago but warning that "we are in danger of falling victim to our own success," as "the world is now populated by a generation which has either never been exposed to polio or has been inadequately vaccinated."

19 May 2012

Urologic conditions contribute to major economic burden in the U.S.

Urologic conditions like urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostate cancer are a major economic burden on Americans, resulting in health care costs of close to $40 billion annually, according to a newly released national report that charts the demographic and economic impact of urologic diseases in the U.S.

19 May 2012

Geithner pushes back against GOP calls for long-term cuts to Medicare, social security

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner sharpened the Obama administration's criticism of Republican fiscal policy in a speech Thursday, pushing back against the GOP on calls for immediate spending cuts and long-term plans for Social Security and Medicare.

19 May 2012

AMA fears FTC decision on who can whiten teeth could change regulation of medical practice

The doctors' group says the federal rule could have a "devastating impact on public health" by impeding state regulation. Other legal cases in today's news include a dentist in trouble in Florida and a deal on mental health care in Arizona.

19 May 2012

Mo. legislators reportly reach compromise on abortion coverage bill

The St. Louis Beacon reports that the legislature might take up a bill Friday that strips controversial provisions passed by the House earlier in the week.

19 May 2012

Blogs address food security, African agriculture in anticipation of high-level meetings in Washington

Several blogs recently have published posts in anticipation of a symposium on food security taking place in Washington on Friday, at which President Barack Obama is expected to speak, and the G8 summit at Camp David in Maryland on Friday and Saturday, both of which will focus on food security and agriculture in Africa.

19 May 2012

Loss of U.S. funding for UNFPA 'would be devastating' to family planning services in developing countries

"By voting to ban any U.S. contribution to UNFPA" in the FY 2013 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill, the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday "made a judgment call that saving the lives of women and girls around the world is simply not a U.S. priority," Valerie DeFillipo, president of Friends of UNFPA, writes in a Huffington Post "Global Motherhood" opinion piece.

19 May 2012

Conference to showcase patient and family-centered strategies

This is a critical time to be involved in improving health care in the United States as well as in other nations around the world. These challenging times require inspired leadership, innovative solutions, and enduring partnerships to improve health care in community-based health care organizations, hospitals, and health systems.

19 May 2012

Further examination of key findings of Policy Innovation Memorandum on safety of world drug, vaccine supply

In this post on her blog, "The Garrett Update" -- the last of a series of posts examining the safety of drugs and vaccines -- Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), further details the key findings of the CFR's Policy Innovation Memorandum No. 21, a six-point policy recommendation for the G8/20 that she authored, titled "Ensuring the Safety and Integrity of the World's Drug, Vaccine, and Medicines Supply."

19 May 2012

Health Care News and Research

First Edition: May 21, 2012

Poll: 70% of Americans oppose efforts by insurance companies to deny payment for ER visits

HCCI's report shows facility prices outpaced general inflation for the privately insured under 65

Specific risk factors linked with exacerbation-prone phenotype of severe asthma

LKCF, Spirit of Women’s HeartCaring to help reduce disparities in diagnosis and care

Afghanistan breaks ground on $30M hospital for treatment of TB, AIDS, malaria

FDA gives patients less-expensive option, approves first generic versions of Plavix

Modeling data shows vaccine can build on HIV/AIDS prevention tools

Despite contraception controversy, Sebeilus to speak today at Georgetown University

Survey: Health IT spending a high priority at not-for-profit hospitals

ACP recommends HHS to consider use of SNOMED-CT rather than ICD-10 for coding problems

International community must organize, commit financial resources to win war on polio

Urologic conditions contribute to major economic burden in the U.S.

Geithner pushes back against GOP calls for long-term cuts to Medicare, social security

AMA fears FTC decision on who can whiten teeth could change regulation of medical practice

Mo. legislators reportly reach compromise on abortion coverage bill

Blogs address food security, African agriculture in anticipation of high-level meetings in Washington

Loss of U.S. funding for UNFPA 'would be devastating' to family planning services in developing countries

Conference to showcase patient and family-centered strategies

Further examination of key findings of Policy Innovation Memorandum on safety of world drug, vaccine supply

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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