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Pivotal health law challenge heads to 11th Circuit Court of Appeals

A three-judge panel in Atlanta will hear oral arguments in the lawsuit brought by 26 states. At issue is whether a Florida judge's ruling to strike down large portions of the sweeping overhaul should be reversed.

6 Jun 2011

Several drug makers plan to lower prices of vaccines for GAVI purchase

Several pharmaceutical companies have pledged to lower the prices of vaccines against childhood illnesses ahead of the GAVI Alliance conference in London next week, the Guardian reports (Quinn, 6/6).

6 Jun 2011

Medicare, Medicaid continue to play central role in budget debate

As the standoff over raising the nation's debt ceiling continues, congressional efforts to cut entitlement programs appear increasingly likely to be pushed off until after the next election. In the background, though, both parties are focusing on Medicare and Medicaid as key to their future prospects.

6 Jun 2011

Flaws identified in U.S. Haiti quake death toll report, USAID official says

Flaws have been found in a recent U.S. report suggesting the death toll from Haiti's January 2010 earthquake was significantly lower than official estimates, Mark Feierstein, USAID's assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, said on Friday, the Associated Press reports. The news service said Feierstein's words were "the strongest statement yet" on the report by a U.S. government official.

6 Jun 2011

Commentary on 30th anniversary of AIDS

"Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, we are faced with a choice. Are we content to tinker at the fringes of the epidemic, spending untold billions to treat a fraction of those in need for decades into the future? Or can we summon the political will to effectively deploy the prevention interventions that are already available to us and to make the necessary investments in research that could end this epidemic in our lifetime?"

6 Jun 2011

AP/Seattle Times examines health care costs in India

The Associated Press/Seattle Times examines the challenges associated with extending affordable health care to people in India. "Each year, the cost of health care pushes some 39 million people back into poverty, according to a study published in the Lancet medical journal. Patients shoulder up to 80 percent of India's medical costs.

6 Jun 2011

Investigation finds 'disarray' in institutions for housing developmentally disabled

O. D. Heck is one of nine large institutions in New York that house the developmentally disabled, those with cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and other conditions.

6 Jun 2011

Attorneys head to court today over Indiana ban on funding for Planned Parenthood

The reproductive health organization is seeking a preliminary injunction against a new state law that would cut Medicaid funds.

6 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Reps. on Medicare politics, policies, community pharmacies; Reflections on AIDS

The [Ryan] privatization proposal overlooks the fact that when it comes to rising health costs, Medicare is part of the solution, not the problem. ... Together with health care reform, Medicare can be the driver of innovation due to its sheer market share.

6 Jun 2011

Health law waivers: Political benefit or policy safety valve?

Media outlets report on the varying views on the waivers granted so far by the Obama administration to ease requirements of the health law. Meanwhile, specific regulations — such as those relating to the "broker rule" and accountable care organizations — continue to be hot topics.

6 Jun 2011

An anniversary — AIDS turns 30

Three decades after the first cases of AIDS were recorded, more than 60 million people have been infected worldwide. Scientists agree that the epidemic is far from over and, even with major treatment advances and improvement in understanding the illness, hurdles remain in the effort to eradicate the disease.

6 Jun 2011

VHA honors Medical Action with 2011 service excellence award

Medical Action Industries Inc., a leading supplier of medical and disposable surgical products today announced that VHA Inc., the national health care network, honored Medical Action Industries as the Non-Pharmacy Supplier of the Year at its Annual Leadership Conference, May 15-17, in San Diego, Calif. Medical Action is a long-time supplier of Novation, VHA's health care supply contracting company.

6 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 6, 2011

Kaiser Health News staff writer Christopher Weaver reports: "Short on cash and time, officials in California and at least a dozen other states have turned to philanthropies to help pay for the extra work required under the federal health law".

6 Jun 2011

Avantra announces Rapid Assay Prototyping Service for researchers and clinicians

Avantra Biosciences, a leading innovator in protein diagnostics, announces a Rapid Assay Prototyping Service. Avantra's new service allows researchers to cost effectively accelerate their research efforts using custom designed biomarker assays developed on Avantra's proven QPDx BioChip platform.

6 Jun 2011

Study examines disparities in physical fitness levels between two groups

An Indiana University study examining disparities in physical fitness levels between older adults who are patients of safety net community health centers (CHC) and those who are members of a medically affiliated fitness center is producing stunning results.

6 Jun 2011

Women with ovarian cancer do not benefit from CA-125 and transvaginal ultrasound

In a clinical trial that included nearly 80,000 women, those who received ovarian cancer screening did not have a reduced risk of death from ovarian cancer compared to women who received usual care, but did have an increase in invasive medical procedures and associated harms as a result of being screened, according to a study in the June 8 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on cancer.

6 Jun 2011

$Bariatric weight-loss surgery may increase risk of fractures$

Bariatric weight-loss surgery may increase risk of fractures

People who have had gastric bypass surgery or other bariatric weight-loss surgery have an even higher increased risk of breaking bones than previously found. These study findings will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.

6 Jun 2011

Medicare debate highlights competing views among young and old

The future of Medicare continues to be a hot topic in politics. The New York Times examines how the current debate over revamping the program is playing out among different age groups. And on Capitol Hill Friday, two Democratic senators urged that Medicare spending be debated independently from the current negotiations on raising the federal debt ceiling. Republicans quickly challenged that view.

6 Jun 2011

GOP presidential hopefuls take aim at different health reform targets

Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney continues to aim criticism at the health law signed by President Barack Obama while former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has not yet announced an intent to seek the GOP nomination, slammed the state law that Romney backed.

4 Jun 2011

U.S. foreign aid recipients own billions in Treasury securities, CRS report says

"The Congressional Research Service released a report last month, a copy of which Fox News exclusively obtained, showing that in fiscal year 2010, the latest year that data was available, the U.S. handed out a total of $1.4 billion to 16 foreign countries that held at least $10 billion in Treasury securities," FoxNews.com reports.

4 Jun 2011