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Grand bargains, fall-back plans and short-term deals — debt talk status checks

The status of ongoing negotiations to raise the debt ceiling changes daily, and news outlets report on the political and policy dynamics in play.

22 Jul 2011

A counter to claims that extending Medicaid drug rebates would help reduce deficit

Rep. Henry Waxman and Sen. Jay Rockefeller have introduced legislation that would extend Medicaid rebates to "dual eligibles" and those who qualify for the low-income subsidy program — a plan they say could reduce the deficit by $112 billion over the next ten years.

22 Jul 2011

U.S. must continue long-term investment in food security

In a post on USAID's "IMPACTblog," USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah describes the U.S. response to the drought in the Horn of Africa, as well as his visit on Wednesday to the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.

22 Jul 2011

Medigap policy options could lead to program savings, increased costs for enrollees, report says

Savings estimates range from $1.5 billion to $4.6 billion — depending on the proposal. Policymakers are currently eyeing some of these options to reduce Medicare costs in the ongoing deficit-reduction talks.

22 Jul 2011

Regulation of association health plans triggers questions

News outlets report on this and other issues related to implementation of the health law, including patient-centered outcomes research and how the so-called death-panel discussions are now echoing in the debate surround the Independent Payment Advisory Board.

22 Jul 2011

IAS conference concludes with positive news on HIV prevention

"Scientists on Wednesday wrapped up their biggest forum in the 30-year history of AIDS, unveiling stunning weapons to prevent the spread of HIV," Agence France-Presse reports about the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Rome.

22 Jul 2011

House Foreign Affairs Committee bill would cut U.S. aid, U.N. payments

"House Republicans sought to put their stamp on U.S. foreign policy Wednesday by advancing a bill that would slash federal payments to the United Nations and other international bodies and slap restrictions on aid to Pakistan, Egypt and others," the Washington Post reports.

22 Jul 2011

IRIN reports on challenges to fighting child malnutrition in Nepal

IRIN examines the "silent epidemic" of child malnutrition in Nepal, where nearly half of all children under five have stunted growth and 13 percent of children over six months and under five years old have moderate or severe acute malnutrition, a measurement known as global acute malnutrition.

22 Jul 2011

Financial Times examines product development partnerships developing drugs for neglected diseases

The Financial Times examines the rise of product development partnerships (PDPs), which are "non-governmental organizations that generate their own funding and build partnerships with universities, businesses, government and patients in low-income countries to develop new drugs, vaccines, prevention techniques and diagnostics for diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, cholera and meningitis."

22 Jul 2011

Hepatitis B immunization for health care students may fall short of current recommendations

A study in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), suggests that documentation of hepatitis B vaccination for health care students may fall short of current recommendations.

22 Jul 2011

The next round of mammogram advice

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued new recommendations that women should begin getting annual mammograms at age 40.

22 Jul 2011

Clinton discusses clean cookstove initiative in India

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday "used a visit to India to highlight the damage done to women and children's health in poor countries by poor quality stoves," Agence France-Press reports.

22 Jul 2011

Calif. workers seek mental hospital safety; Md.'s rate-setting policies explained; palliative care rare in Ga.

This roundup of state hospital news also includes reports about a Mass. hospital company planning layoffs and the controversy over the proposed sale of a hospital in Denver.

22 Jul 2011

Health insurance — there's an app for that

Japan's mobile phone triad knows their customers want more from their handsets than just calling and texting — standard Japanese models come equipped with applications to pay your train fare, buy a soft drink and even scan a coupon.

22 Jul 2011

Fla., Idaho differ on federal funds tied to health law

Florida lawmakers have rejected more than $50 million in federal child-abuse prevention money. The grants were tied to the Obama administration's health care reform package, which many lawmakers oppose on philosophical grounds.

22 Jul 2011

The Joint Commission certifies 7 disease-specific programs at Children's Medical Center

The Joint Commission has certified seven disease-specific programs at Children's Medical Center Dallas, www.childrens.com. Children's is the only pediatric hospital in the United States with more than two such designations of excellence, making the Dallas hospital a leader in health care reform.

22 Jul 2011

NPR: Vaccine cost-benefit analysis complicates guidelines

The group that advises the U.S. government on vaccination thinks some new vaccines may not be worth the cost. In 2009, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, decided it's not cost effective to routinely vaccinate boys for human papillomavirus, though they do recommend the vaccine for girls.

22 Jul 2011

HIV-infected MSM more likely to contract HCV through sex

Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered rare. But a new study by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides substantial evidence that men with HIV who have sex with other men (MSM) are at increased risk for contracting HCV through sex.

22 Jul 2011

Longer looks: The effect of bedside manner; digging deep on Rick Scott's business deals; migraines and sexism

Even if your doctor doesn't have the best beside manner, you're probably willing to excuse her behavior as long as she treats your condition and makes you healthy again, right? Well, you might not want to be so forgiving. It turns out that rudeness and incivility among doctors, in particular in the operating room, can actually lead to poorer health outcomes and even higher death rates among patients.

22 Jul 2011

'Gang of Six' plan includes deep health care cuts

The plan would repeal the health law's long-term care provision and make deep reductions in Medicare and Medicaid that would impact hospital payments. But the blueprint also would permanently address Medicare's physician payment issue.

22 Jul 2011