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First Edition: February 27, 2012

Among today's health policy headlines, a new Politico poll highlights the deep divide in public opinion that exists regarding the repeal of the health law.

27 Feb 2012

BioConnections, Yissum to commercialize kits that detect MDR and XDR infections

Yissum, the research and development company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, had signed a licensing agreement with BioConnections, a UK based microbiology company, for the commercialization of kits that enables immediate detection of all multidrug resistant (MDR) and of any extremely drug resistant (XDR) infections.

27 Feb 2012

Abortion, contraception politics still on front burner as primaries loom

The political furor around abortion and contraception shows no sign of abating, according to news outlets.

27 Feb 2012

Project GREAT earns ACP's 2012 Award for Creativity in Psychiatric Education

An approach to treatment that focuses on recovery from mental illness, not the treatment of it, is gaining national acclaim for the Medical College of Georgia Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Georgia Health Sciences University.

27 Feb 2012

Romney calls for raising Medicare age gradually to 67

The candidate detailed some of his Medicare plan in front of a crowd of about 1200 people on Friday in Michigan, according to news accounts.

27 Feb 2012

Bird flu may be more common and less deadly: Study finds

The H5N1 influenza virus commonly called “bird flu” or “avian flu” could be more prevalent and less deadly than health officials had thought, according to a new study published online (Feb. 23) by the journal Science.

26 Feb 2012

State health insurance exchanges moving in fits and starts

Vermont, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Texas and California are grappling with various aspects of implementing the health law.

24 Feb 2012

Romney defends health care record on the campaign trail

News outlets report on how GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is casting his health care policies as he moves toward the Tuesday's Michigan and Arizona primaries.

24 Feb 2012

Viewpoints: Elizabeth Warren on contraception mandate, comparison shopping for drugs, 'dismantling' Illinois

In this Kaiser Health News Different Takes feature, The University Of Maryland's Dr. E. Albert Reece and The Heritage Foundation's Stuart Butler discuss how health enterprise zones, a new take on an old economic development idea, might be used to improve the health of the state's minority populations (2/23). Read the commentaries by Reece and Butler.

24 Feb 2012

Senate contests touch on contraception, health reform issues

Media outlets report on how these issues are being debated in Senate campaigns in Massachusetts and Texas.

24 Feb 2012

Woman barred from House contraception hearing testifies at Dems' event

A woman barred by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, R- Calif., last week from testifying at a hearing on contraception and religion starred in a House Democratic hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, saying women are "energized" on the contraception issue.

24 Feb 2012

State roundup: Calif. prison medical facilities; New Ore. Rx dispensing rules

David Martin, who helped write Governor Deval Patrick's health care payment reform bill, is leaving. Martin, the Director of Health Care Policy and Strategy in the office of Health and Human Services, is taking a job at Covidien as Senior Director of Health Care Economics and Policy.

24 Feb 2012

CSIS publishes analyses of health sectors in Egypt, Gaza

The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) on Thursday published two analyses of health in the Middle East -- titled "Egypt and U.S. Health Assistance" and "Gaza's Health Sector under Hamas" -- respectively written by Jon Alterman and Haim Malka, both scholars in the CSIS Middle East Program.

24 Feb 2012

Research roundup: Hospital medication errors; Key Medicaid issues in 2014

Use Of Preventive Services Could Be Better Aligned With Clinical Recommendations -- This report looks at Medicare patients' use of eight specific preventive services, which have "the potential to improve health outcomes and lower health care expenditures," according to the authors. Use of cardiovascular and cervical cancer screenings "generally aligned with clinical recommendations, ... but use of other cancer screenings" did not.

24 Feb 2012

High-risk pools expand coverage for people with serious conditions, but at greater cost than predicted

The Washington Post reports that per patient costs will likely be more than double the initial projections.

24 Feb 2012

Seven states file lawsuit to block Obama administration birth control coverage rule

The states joined with Catholic groups and individuals to file the first major lawsuit challenging these regulations.

24 Feb 2012

Va. considering new abortion ultrasound bill after more controversial bill pulled

Fallout over Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's decision to pull support for a controversial ultrasound abortion bill continues as a similar piece of legislation, which would require a less-invasive ultrasound, winds through that state's legislature.

24 Feb 2012

Study: GOP candidates' plans would lead to larger deficits

Proposals put forth by Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum would pile up the largest increases in debt, while Mitt Romney's initial plan, since revised with bigger suggested tax cuts, would increase it by a smaller amount over the next decade.

24 Feb 2012

Handicapping the role of health care in 2012

So does that mean President Barack Obama is winning the argument on health care? Contraception is the hot topic of the moment, and judging from the polls, the Republican candidates aren't in any danger of finding the center on that issue. But then there's that health care law.

24 Feb 2012

Capsules: Health IT coordinator: Release of stage 2 guidelines a 'push ahead'

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Chrisitian Torres writes about the new "meaningful use" regulation: "It's time to take electronic health records to the next level.

24 Feb 2012