Health Care News and Research

RSS

Debate over publication of bird flu studies continues in journal opinion pieces

Ron Fouchier of Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands -- lead researcher of one of two teams that last year reported study results "that showed how the H5N1 [bird flu] virus can be transmitted through airborne droplets between ferrets, a model for studying influenza in humans."

21 Jan 2012

HHS gives some religious employers an extra year to comply with birth control rule

Press reports indicate that the Obama administration will not significantly change the requirement that most employers cover FDA-approved contraceptives as part of a health plan. The health law includes a requirement that most workplaces cover preventive services for free.

21 Jan 2012

Blog covers experts' comments at country ownership roundtable

This post in the Ministerial Leadership Initiative's (MLI) "Leading Global Health" blog is "the third of a series of perspective pieces on country ownership from the 'Advancing Country Ownership for Greater Results' roundtable organized last week by" MLI, a program of Aspen Global Health and Development.

21 Jan 2012

Exploring how Peru is addressing drug-resistant TB

Discussing the recent reports of so-called "totally drug-resistant" tuberculosis (TDR-TB) in India, journalist John Donnelly in this GlobalPost "Global Voices" blog entry writes, "Overall, the world is treating drug-resistant TB extraordinarily poorly, and that creates more and more cases of resistant TB that aren't being cured."

21 Jan 2012

Texas abortion issue back in court today

A Federal judge in Austin holds another hearing on Texas law requiring women seeking an abortion to have a sonogram. Also, NPR looks at the growing number of restrictions across the country.

21 Jan 2012

Viewpoints: An endorsement for Gingrich; Paula Deen and diabetes

As the attorney general who filed the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that is now before the U.S. Supreme Court, I care deeply about repealing and replacing the law. For this to happen, President Obama has to be replaced. There is no other candidate as well equipped as Newt Gingrich to take it to Barack Obama in a health care debate.

21 Jan 2012

Resources dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS among MSM 'grossly inefficient,' report says

"Funding to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS consistently fails to reach programs designed to control the disease among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), according to a new analysis released Wednesday by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights (CPHHR) at Johns Hopkins University," an amfAR press release states.

21 Jan 2012

Fla. lawmakers advance bill on workers' comp drugs; Kan. legislature considers disability changes

A Florida bill would keep doctors from dispensing "repackaged drugs" at higher prices, while the Kansas measure would bar a single agency from assessing a disabled person's needs and then working as the case manager and providing services.

21 Jan 2012

Political cartoon: 'Welcome Back?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Welcome Back?" by R.J. Matson.

21 Jan 2012

UnitedHealth's profits rise

The company reported that its fourth-quarter profits rose 21 percent, driving by increases in health-insurance membership and continued light health care usage.

21 Jan 2012

Health law supporters brace for future attacks, wonder whether overhaul will be part of the SOTU address

Those who consider the health law one of President Barack Obama's leading domestic achievements look to see whether he will include it in his Tuesday night speech. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius predicts continued criticism and "misinformation" about the health law while House Republicans celebrated the one-year anniversary of their vote to repeal it.

21 Jan 2012

GAVI says Ministries of Health in Cameroon, Niger cooperating to reimburse misused funds

"Following separate investigations into the misuse of GAVI funding in Cameroon and Niger, both Ministries of Health have cooperated fully and confirmed their commitment to take all necessary measures, including the reimbursement of misused funds," the GAVI Alliance said in a statement released on Thursday.

21 Jan 2012

FDA allows marketing of Stratify JCV Antibody ELISA test for PML

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed marketing of the first test to help determine the risk for a rare brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in people using the drug Tysabri (natalizumab) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) or Crohn's disease.

21 Jan 2012

Research roundup: 'No individual mandate' scenarios; Breaking down health care expenditures

This paper expands 2011 research examining whether the health law's controversial individual mandate – which requires most people to have health insurance -- will be effective.

21 Jan 2012

Cutting military medical research funding would jeopardize health of U.S. troops, world's poorest

"In recent months, many politicians and presidential hopefuls have called for budget reductions, and many have specifically targeted military spending for cutbacks," Peter Hotez and James Kazura, past president and president, respectively, of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, write in this Atlantic opinion piece.

21 Jan 2012

Colo. House passes resolution to repeal the health law; Conn. insurance exhange board faces key decisions

Colorado's Republican-led House voted largely along party lines to wage a challenge to the federal health law -- a state-initiated amendment to the Constitution to repeal the measure. And, in Connecticut, the planning panel has decisions to make well before people start signing up for coverage on the state's health exchange.

21 Jan 2012

Retail pork products in the U.S. have higher prevalence of MRSA bacteria

Retail pork products in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified, according to new research by the University of Iowa College of Public Health and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

20 Jan 2012

Roundup: N.Y. insurers to update directories; Cook county, Ill. health fees fall short; Md. woman says hospital denied same-sex visitation

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says his office has reached settlements with eight health insurance companies that require them to ensure the accuracy of provider directories on their websites. The attorney general's office says the companies will remove names of doctors and other providers who no longer participate and correct listing errors for others.

20 Jan 2012

Wisconsin Governor issues 'stop work' order on state health exchange

Wis. Gov. Scott Walker officially announced on Wednesday that he will not implement a state-based health exchange or accept federal funding for it. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, a government task force has begun debating a list of basic principles for that state's health care exchange. And Stateline offers an overview of what states in general are doing in regard to these insurance marketplaces.

20 Jan 2012

State budgets try capping, cutting some health care expenses

In New York, California and Maryland, reactions were varied to the governors' spending plans.

20 Jan 2012

Health Care News and Research

Debate over publication of bird flu studies continues in journal opinion pieces

HHS gives some religious employers an extra year to comply with birth control rule

Blog covers experts' comments at country ownership roundtable

Exploring how Peru is addressing drug-resistant TB

Texas abortion issue back in court today

Viewpoints: An endorsement for Gingrich; Paula Deen and diabetes

Resources dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS among MSM 'grossly inefficient,' report says

Fla. lawmakers advance bill on workers' comp drugs; Kan. legislature considers disability changes

Political cartoon: 'Welcome Back?'

UnitedHealth's profits rise

Health law supporters brace for future attacks, wonder whether overhaul will be part of the SOTU address

GAVI says Ministries of Health in Cameroon, Niger cooperating to reimburse misused funds

FDA allows marketing of Stratify JCV Antibody ELISA test for PML

Research roundup: 'No individual mandate' scenarios; Breaking down health care expenditures

Cutting military medical research funding would jeopardize health of U.S. troops, world's poorest

Colo. House passes resolution to repeal the health law; Conn. insurance exhange board faces key decisions

Retail pork products in the U.S. have higher prevalence of MRSA bacteria

Roundup: N.Y. insurers to update directories; Cook county, Ill. health fees fall short; Md. woman says hospital denied same-sex visitation

Wisconsin Governor issues 'stop work' order on state health exchange

State budgets try capping, cutting some health care expenses

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®

Latest News