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Obama administration proposes labor rules for home care aides

President Obama circumvented Congress and moved Thursday to require that home-care aides be paid minimum wage and overtime, giving the fast-growing workforce long-sought assistance. Home-care workers, who now number close to 2 million people, have been exempted from federal labor law since 1974.

17 Dec 2011

A call for continued investment in global health, development

In this Politico opinion piece, former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), who chairs the non-profit Hope Through Healing Hands, writes, "Continued investment in the fight to end global AIDS is more than an investment in the lives of families and communities in developing nations -- it is an investment in security, diplomacy and our moral image worldwide."

17 Dec 2011

Research roundup: Insurance coverage in the Great Recession; PCIP vs. CHIP

The researchers how physicians examined claims of lower back back pain and note that part of the "rising economic cost of this epidemic is the burgeoning use of indiscriminate imaging," specifically MRIs. Researchers divided patients into two groups and "the treating physician in group 1 patients was blinded to the MRI results, while the physician for group 2 patients decided on treatment after reviewing the MRI findings."

17 Dec 2011

Study: Dentists' role in medical checkups

A study in the American Journal of Public Health indicates that many people who don't have regular contact with a physician still see a dentist at least once a year -- potentially positioning these professionals to spot the early signs of chronic illnesses.

17 Dec 2011

UNAIDS Board convenes, approves global efforts to meet 2015 HIV/AIDS targets

The UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board "convened from 13-15 December to review and follow up on recommendations of the 2011 U.N. General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS," a UNAIDS press release states.

17 Dec 2011

NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester named 'Planetree Designated Patient-Centered Hospital'

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Westchester Division has been formally named by Planetree Inc. as a "Planetree Designated Patient-Centered Hospital" in recognition of the Hospital's achievement and innovation in the delivery of patient-centered care.

17 Dec 2011

State news: Ariz. Planned Parenthood resumes some services

A state advisory group on Thursday recommended legislative changes to bolster oversight of coronary stent placements amid widespread concerns about unnecessary medical procedures, but it stopped short of proposing that state law regulate physician reviews in hospitals.

17 Dec 2011

Washington state's tobacco prevention and cessation programs reduce health care costs

The following is a statement by Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: A study published Thursday by the American Journal of Public Health provides some of the strongest evidence yet that tobacco prevention and cessation programs not only reduce smoking and save lives, but also save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs.

17 Dec 2011

3-year study identifies key interventions to reduce maternal, newborn, child deaths

A three-year study conducted by the WHO, Aga Khan University, and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) "has identified key interventions to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths," PANA/Afrique en Ligne reports.

17 Dec 2011

Inexpensive weight management program could improve health and reduce medical costs

A weight management program for inactive and retired military members and their families could improve health and reduce medical costs, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of South Carolina, Cooper Institute, and TRICARE Management Activity.

17 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Fascination with Wyden, Ryan plan; Need for school nurses; Pa. abortion bill controversy

The new Wyden-Ryan Medicare framework is the most fascinating policy and political maneuver of the year. Let me try to explain why.

16 Dec 2011

Drugmakers get more time to record gifts to doctors

U.S. drugmakers and device companies got an extension on the deadline to record all payments and gifts to doctors because of a delay in a proposed rule from health officials.

16 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone decreases odds of premature delivery in women

A new study co-authored by the University of Kentucky's Dr. John O'Brien found that applying vaginal progesterone to women who are at a high risk of preterm birth significantly decreased the odds of a premature delivery.

16 Dec 2011

Wyden and Ryan join forces on new Medicare overhaul plan

The plan, which is being advanced by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., involves a framework that would offer traditional, government-run Medicare as an option for future retirees along with a variety of private plans. They are billing their approach as a means to prevent Medicare spending from swamping the federal budget. Meanwhile, early analyses indicate it could potentially create higher out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries.

16 Dec 2011

GOP presidential candidates promise limits on abortion

Republican presidential contenders Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum appeared at the screening of an abortion documentary hosted by former candidate Mike Huckabee. They each spoke for about 10 minutes, and offered descriptions of the steps they'd take to limit abortion if elected president.

16 Dec 2011

Young adults make insurance coverage gains under health law

Data from the Department of Health and Human Services estimate that 2.5 million young adults have remained on their parents' health insurance plans as a result of the 2010 health law.

16 Dec 2011

Raising salaries helped reduce health worker migration in Malawi

Mary O'Neil, a principal program associate at Management Sciences for Health (MSH), examines how Malawi has reduced health care worker migration through a program to raise salaries, "with support from the U.K.'s Department for International Development (DFID) and other development partners," in this post in the Global Health Council's Global Health Magazine blog.

16 Dec 2011

Role of local advocates, NGOs important in Malawi's health system

In this post in the Health Affairs blog, Martha Kwataine, executive director for the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) and head of the Access to Medicines Campaign in Malawi, examines the role of local advocates and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country's health system.

16 Dec 2011

Historical context: The intersection of politics and Medicare policy

The 1920s-era charge that national health insurance was socialist eventually begat Ronald Reagan's 1961 anti-Medicare record album. A 1972 carve-out won special Medicare treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease.

16 Dec 2011

Health law implementation efforts drawing praise from some critics

The LA Times reports that the Obama administration is taking steps to ease some of the requirements of the health law in an effort to "prevent further backlash." Also in the news, the latest on the essential benefits rule and more on the early retiree program.

16 Dec 2011