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Previously unknown E. coli strain affects more than 1,500 in Europe; source remains unknown

The WHO on Thursday said "that an unusually lethal strain of E. coli, which has infected more than 1,500 people in Germany, mystified public health officials and threatened to touch off panic in Europe, was a previously unknown variant of the bacteria, raising new concerns about the extent and severity of the contagion," the New York Times reports.

3 Jun 2011

AHRQ data show quality improving but disparities remain

The latest data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality brought more of the usual news: modest gains in health care quality but persistent racial and income disparities.

3 Jun 2011

Transitional care can improve health outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions

Currently, one in five elderly patients discharged from a hospital is readmitted within a month. Seeking to address the human and substantial financial burden of revolving door hospital readmissions, the Affordable Care Act proposes a number of initiatives to improve care and health outcomes and reduce costs for the growing population of chronically ill people in the U.S.

3 Jun 2011

Angiotensin receptor blockers do not increase risk of cancer: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that a group of medications used to control high blood pressure, called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), do not increase the risk of developing cancer in patients using the medications.

3 Jun 2011

State roundup: Texas special session highlights health issues

States are slashing funding, and more cuts are expected. But in places like Reno, where police have teamed up with counselors to aid the mentally ill, the services don't seem expendable.

3 Jun 2011

Viewpoints raise questions: Can free market fix Medicare? Should military families pay more for health care?

If even a fraction of [the president's Medicare cuts] take place, a whopping 87 percent of doctors say they will stop seeing or will restrict the number of Medicare patients they see, further shrinking the pool of providers and further restricting access to care.

3 Jun 2011

PQA honors Kaiser Permanente for outstanding performance in medication safety

Kaiser Permanente Colorado is one of only three health plans in the nation to receive a top honor for excellence in medication safety. The award, issued by the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, recognizes Kaiser Permanente's outstanding performance on medication safety measures included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new 5-star rating program.

3 Jun 2011

Opinion: Integrate NTD, HIV, TB and malaria programs

In a New England Journal of Medicine opinion piece, Peter Hotez of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and colleagues, including Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute of Columbia University, outline how integrating treatment of neglected tropical diseases (NTD) into HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria control efforts could speed up progress toward attaining the sixth Millennium Development Goal.

3 Jun 2011

U-M study shows decline in surgery mortality for eight different high-risk operations

Surgery death rates have dropped nationwide over the past decade, according to a University of Michigan Health System study that reveals cancer surgeries have seen the most dramatic improvement in safety.

3 Jun 2011

Editorial: Food security should be a priority

"Any system that produces enough food for the entire world and yet fails to feed one in seven people, which is subject to rampant speculation and land-grabbing, and where crops and land that could be used to feed people are instead turned into fuel for Hummers, is patently not working," a Guardian editorial says.

3 Jun 2011

Editorial: U.S. must provide ample funding for GAVI

"Considering its wealth, the U.S. spends relatively little on humanitarian aid that can make an enormous difference in the lives of millions of people - and in the perception of the U.S. around the world. Nothing this nation could do with $450 million would surpass the good accomplished with a vaccination pledge to GAVI,".

3 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 2, 2011

Today's health policy headlines cover a gamut of develoments, including reports about the latest Medicare dust up in the ongoing budget negotiations and about oral arguments in the latest round of appellate court action related to health law legal challenges.

2 Jun 2011

States and exchanges: A progress report

In today's Health on the Hill segment, Christine Vestal of Stateline joins KHN's Mary Agnes Carey and Jackie Judd to assess the progress - or lack thereof - states are making setting up insurance exchanges. They're required by the health law and they must be set up by 2014 to provide a online marketplace for people to buy insurance.

2 Jun 2011

HHS to reduce rates for high-risk insurance pools

The Obama administration on Tuesday took steps in the 18 states where the federal government runs high-risk insurance pools to make coverage more affordable to people with pre-existing conditions.

2 Jun 2011

People with individual health coverage have highest cancer costs

One of every seven cancer patients spends more than 20 percent of his income on health care and insurance, according to a new study from federal researchers.

2 Jun 2011

WHO warns of tobacco dangers on World No Tobacco Day

"Tobacco will kill nearly six million people this year, including 600,000 non-smokers, because governments are not doing enough to persuade people to quit or protect others from second-hand smoke, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday," which was observed as World No Tobacco Day, Reuters/Toronto Sun reports.

2 Jun 2011

Disappointment abounds regarding ACO regs

In this pair of articles, Modern Healthcare reports on the American Hospital Association's criticism of the antitrust approach included in the accountable care organization regulations recently released by the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as on the negative reaction expressed by a Cleveland Clinic executive.

2 Jun 2011

Relatives of women who died in childbirth in Uganda sue government

"Relatives of two woman who died in childbirth launched a landmark lawsuit against the Ugandan government Friday to highlight the failure to provide adequate maternal healthcare," Sapa/Agence France-Presse/IOL reports.

2 Jun 2011

WHO/IARC say mobile phone use may increase risk of certain brain cancers

Mobile phone use "may increase the risk of certain types of brain cancer in humans," therefore "consumers should consider ways of reducing their exposure," a WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) working group concluded on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

2 Jun 2011