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Reuters examines global rise in drug-resistant tuberculosis cases

"[O]ften seen in the wealthy West as a disease of bygone eras," Reuters examines rising rates of tuberculosis (TB) -- drug-resistant TB in particular -- among the world's rich and poor. "[R]apidly rising rates of drug-resistant TB in some of the wealthiest cities in the world, as well as across Africa and Asia, are again making history," Reuters writes.

21 Mar 2012

HCD implements HLI's Language Engine

Health Language, Inc. (HLI), the global leader in healthcare terminology management, today announced its Language Engine has been selected by Health Care DataWorks, Inc. (HCD), to map disparate data entered into its KnowledgeEdge brand Enterprise Data Warehouse, providing health systems with standard code sets, enhanced analytics, reporting and business intelligence.

21 Mar 2012

IDSA releases new rhinosinusitis guidelines

The vast majority of sinus infections are caused by viruses and should not be treated with antibiotics, suggest new guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

21 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Rep. Ryan on his budget plan; Obama's contraceptive mandate could hurt McCaskill in tight Missouri race

On the critical issues of health security and tax reform, our budget draws a clear distinction between serious reformers and those who stand in the way of the growing bipartisan consensus for principled solutions. Our budget's Medicare reforms make no changes for those in or near retirement. For those who will retire a decade from now, our plan provides guaranteed coverage options financed by a premium-support payment. And this year, our budget adds even more choices for seniors, including a traditional fee-for-service Medicare option.

21 Mar 2012

PSG closes acquisition of Artemetrx

Pharmaceutical Strategies Group, LLC, America's largest independent pharmacy benefits consulting firm, has closed on its acquisition of Artemetrx Health Resources, the company announced today.

21 Mar 2012

Political cartoon: 'Hippocratic Oath?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Hippocratic Oath?" by Mike Peters.

21 Mar 2012

Indian patent court licenses generic copy of Bayer’s blockbuster anticancer drug

Last week an Indian patent court shocked the $600 billion global pharmaceutical business by ordering Bayer, the German health care giant, to allow a tiny Indian generic drug company to sell cheap copies of the blockbuster cancer drug Nexavar – even though everyone agrees that the drug is protected by a patent. Instead, the court decided that Bayer had an obligation to make Nexavar available to people in India who needed it.

20 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 20, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about the new GOP budget proposal, to be unveiled today by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

20 Mar 2012

Pediatricians' unconscious racial bias may affect pain medication decisions

Pediatricians who show an unconscious preference for European Americans tend to prescribe better pain-management for white patients than they do for African-American patients, new University of Washington research shows.

20 Mar 2012

World Bank report calls for increased HIV prevention efforts in Africa

In a report published last week, the World Bank "called on African governments and international donors to increase efforts to prevent new HIV infections in order to control treatment costs," VOA News reports.

20 Mar 2012

Maryland officials seek to boost enrollment in high risk insurance plan

People with medical problems often have trouble buying insurance but the program, funded by the federal government, offers plans designed for them.

20 Mar 2012

Ever-evolving birth control issues affect fundraising, messaging

As the birth control issues pumps up some campaign coffers, one prominent Republican says his party needs to stop talking about it.

20 Mar 2012

Texas files lawsuit over federal defunding of Women's Health Program

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed the suit Friday, saying that the federal government improperly decided to stop funding the state's Women's Health Program.

20 Mar 2012

IPAB and health law repeal efforts mixing up political loyalties

Some Senate Demcrats are considering voting with Republicans to repeal the health law's Independent Payment Advisory Board while several GOP lawmakers are voicing concerns about the broader repeal strategy. Also, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., has introduced legislation to change the law's medical-loss ratio.

20 Mar 2012

More than 1M children under age 5 at risk of malnutrition in Sahel, UNICEF warns

"The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is warning that more than a million children below the age of five in the Sahel are facing a disaster amid the ongoing food crisis in the drought-prone region of Africa," the U.N. News Centre reports.

20 Mar 2012

Obama administration offers proposal to fix contraceptive rule

Under the plan, insurance companies would pick up the cost for providing contraceptives to women employed by religious affiliated employers, but the administration offered ways to help cover those expenses.

20 Mar 2012

In insurance, gender rating continues

Women still pay more than men for the same health insurance coverage, according to new research and data from online brokers. The new health care law will prohibit such "gender rating," starting in 2014. But gaps persist in most states, with no evidence that insurers have taken steps to reduce them.

20 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: The argument for the health law; No one wins contraception battle

It's said that you can judge a man by the quality of his enemies. If the same principle applies to legislation, the Affordable Care Act - which was signed into law two years ago, but for the most part has yet to take effect - sits in a place of high honor.

20 Mar 2012

CSIS report examines HIV prevention, care among people who inject drugs in Ukraine

A new report, titled "Injection Drug Use in Ukraine" and published by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), examines the challenges of providing HIV prevention and care services in the country, particularly to people who inject drugs (PWID), who accounted for "nearly 50 percent of new HIV infections registered in 2010," according to the CSIS website.

20 Mar 2012