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Pace picks up in budget talks but 'big ticket items' still in play

The key stumbling blocks in the ongoing negotiations being led by Vice President Joe Biden are Medicare changes and fresh revenue demands.

22 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 22, 2011

Today's headlines include an exclusive AP report detailing a "twist" in the health law that would allow millions of middle class Americans -- mainly early retirees -- access to Medicaid.

22 Jun 2011

Anthem Blue Cross agrees to limit rate hikes

Settling a class-action lawsuit, California health insurer Anthem Blue Cross has agreed to limit rate increases for 122,000 policyholders whose plans have been closed to new customers.

22 Jun 2011

Ghana's vice president discusses country's efforts to fight HIV/AIDS

John Dramani Mahama, vice president of the Republic of Ghana, recently spoke with NPR's "Tell Me More" about how Ghana has made significant gains against HIV/AIDS, bringing the prevalence rate down to 1.5 percent from nearly 4 percent.

22 Jun 2011

'Steadfast focus' needed in fight against HIV/AIDS

Recapping the 30-year history of HIV/AIDS from an USAID perspective, Administrator Rajiv Shah writes in this "Impact blog" post, "Our work is far from done. We have a shared responsibility as a global partner to save lives by focusing on smart investments. The generosity of the American people has made sustained progress against this deadly disease possible. Closing the chapter on HIV/AIDS will require a steadfast focus on remaining gaps and challenges as we chart the way forward".

22 Jun 2011

Controversy surrounding McKinsey insurance survey continues

Though the consulting firm released its methodology, its findings continue to draw debate and criticism. Meanwhile, Avalere released a study of its own, which seems to contradict the McKinsey report.

22 Jun 2011

WHO releases first-ever HIV guidelines for MSM and transgender people

The WHO on Tuesday released its first-ever HIV guidelines on men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people, which "urges governments to ensure gay men get equal access to HIV prevention and treatment services," the Associated Press reports.

22 Jun 2011

Doctors stick with support for individual mandate

The American Medical Association's House of Delegates — after a lengthy debate — voted to maintain its support for the health law's individual mandate.

22 Jun 2011

State-level Medicaid cuts could have impact beyond federal reductions

In related news, Minnesota Public Radio reports on how the well-being of rural health providers is linked to Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement.

22 Jun 2011

Poor governance is no excuse for withholding aid

Recent improvements in health indicators in the Democratic Republic of Congo, "in no small part, … are connected to the rollout of basic health services," even at a time when the country's economy is shrinking and its population is growing, Charles Kenny, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, writes in his Foreign Policy column.

22 Jun 2011

Twelve institutions receive NPCRC and American Cancer Society grants for palliative care research

The American Cancer Society and the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) are awarding $2 million in research grants to researchers at 12 institutions for studies aimed at reducing suffering for seriously ill patients and their family caregivers.

22 Jun 2011

Time to expand sanitation for all

"That 2.6 billion people live each day without a proper toilet is shocking," Willem-Alexander, the Prince of Orange who is also chair of the U.N. Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, writes in an opinion piece in the Hurriyet Daily News, which marks the launch of a U.N. effort to build political will for sanitation.

22 Jun 2011

Obama administration launches effort to tout Medicare preventive benefits

The number of Medicare recipients who take advantage of these services has only increased slightly. The availability of these benefits was expanded by the health law.

22 Jun 2011

Food security and development lessons from Vietnam

In a post on the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog," Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize, discusses the impact of witnessing how road development influenced the introduction of "miracle rice" in Vietnam.

22 Jun 2011

Supreme Court accepts case that could shape field of personalized medicine

The U.S. Supreme Court, accepting a case that will shape the burgeoning business of personalized medicine, agreed to consider what types of diagnostic medical tests can be patented. The justices agreed today to hear an appeal from the Mayo Clinic, which is challenging a lower court decision backing two patents for determining the dosage of medicines to treat stomach diseases.

22 Jun 2011

Scientists apply math model to HIV to discover targets for vaccines or drugs

Scientists at the Ragon Institute - a joint enterprise of Massachusetts General Hospital, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University formed in 2009 to bring together diverse disciplines to work on HIV - "using a powerful mathematical tool previously applied to the stock market have identified an Achilles heel in HIV that could be a prime target for AIDS vaccines or drugs," the Wall Street Journal reports.

22 Jun 2011

State roundup: N.J. Gov. Christie's big health care changes

The state Senate voted 24-15 to pass legislation that will force public employees to pay more for their health insurance and pension. The vote, after hours of speeches from lawmakers on both sides, leaves only the Assembly to sign off on the bill that was a focal piece of Gov. Chris Christie's agenda.

22 Jun 2011

Use public-private partnerships to improve access to essential health products

A new report from the International Vaccine Access Center "asks why products like Coca Cola can reach remote villages in developing nations while essential medicines like antibiotics cannot always be found," according to an IVAC press release.

22 Jun 2011

Results of African malaria vaccine trial expected later this year

The final phase of testing for GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals' malaria vaccine, RTS,S, is underway in seven sub-Saharan African countries, and "if the results, due to be released later this, year confirm the vaccine's efficacy in preventing malaria, it could be made available as early as 2015," IRIN reports.

22 Jun 2011

NCDs responsible for majority of deaths worldwide and cost trillions, report says

Nearly two-thirds of deaths worldwide are caused by non-communicable diseases such as heart and lung disease, cancer, and diabetes, which are increasingly prevalent and cost the global economy trillions of dollars, according to a U.N. report and preliminary results from a new study announced Monday at a press conference to preview the September U.N. High Level Meeting on NCDs, the Associated Press/MSNBC.com reports.

22 Jun 2011