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Issa slams HHS for 'obstructing' investigation of HealthCare.gov

House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., says the Department of Health and Human Services is illegally interfering with his panel.

13 Dec 2013

Boys who grow up in two-parent homes less likely to have high blood pressure as adults

In a study of African-American men, researchers from the National Institutes of Health found that boys who grew up in two-parent homes were less likely to have high blood pressure as adults compared to those raised by a single parent. Reported in the Dec. 12, 2013, issue of the journal Hypertension, this is the first study of an African-American population to document an association between childhood family living arrangements and blood pressure.

13 Dec 2013

First Edition: December 12, 2013

Today's headlines include ongoing coverage of the health law's implementation -- from details of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' Wednesday Capitol Hill appearance and more information about the most recent enrollment numbers to analysis of policy issues related to the overhaul.

12 Dec 2013

LSUHSC's Peggy A. Honoré receives 2013 Excellence in Health Administration Award

Peggy A. Honor-, DHA, the AmeriHealth Mercy - General Russel Honor- Endowed Professor at the LSUHSC School of Public Health's Health Policy & System Management Program, has been awarded the 2013 Excellence in Health Administration Award by the Health Administration Section of the American Public Health Association.

12 Dec 2013

Findings help inform ongoing discussions regarding potential changes to US' lung allocation policy

A new analysis has found no evidence that children aged 6 to 11 years seeking a deceased donor lung transplant are disadvantaged in the current US lung allocation system. The findings, which are published in the American Journal of Transplantation, help inform ongoing discussions regarding potential changes to the nation's lung allocation policy.

12 Dec 2013

Sebelius orders probe of botched website rollout

As Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius headed to Capitol Hill to testify, she announced several steps to address the healthcare.gov disaster, including asking the department's inspector general to review the management decisions behind the rollout and pledging to implement his recommendations.

12 Dec 2013

Study resolves 50-year 'chlamydial anomaly' using novel method

Researchers studying Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria, which cause the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia as well as infectious blindness, have confirmed that the bacteria contain-and, in fact, cannot function without-the common molecule peptidoglycan, a structural component found in the cell wall of many bacteria. This finding puts an end to years of uncertainty about whether Chlamydia bacteria, like almost all bacterial species, rely on peptidoglycan to reproduce and to maintain their shape and structure. In addition, the novel method the investigators used may be adapted to further examine the molecule's role in the structure and function of other bacteria.

12 Dec 2013

Group says Obamacare plans discourage HIV patients from enrolling

A coalition of AIDS organizations is asking the Obama administration to investigate whether some insurers are trying to discourage HIV-infected patients from enrolling in their policies by failing to cover some AIDS drugs or through what it called "egregious cost-sharing designs." Other stories explore the law's impact on African-Americans and small businesses.

12 Dec 2013

NIH data-sharing may advance genetic and translational research, therapeutic target discovery

For the first time, large-scale information on the biochemical makeup of small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules is available publicly. These molecules are used in research to help scientists better understand how genes function in disease.

12 Dec 2013

Filling in the big picture: Enrollment numbers and goals

News outlets examine the goals, numbers and challenges that continue to surround efforts to enroll new beneficiaries in health coverage either through the health law's new insurance marketplaces or Medicaid.

12 Dec 2013

Enrollment in federal and state health marketplaces rises to 365,000

The figures announced by federal officials show a sharp rise in the number of people signing up for insurance in November.

11 Dec 2013

MAXIMUS Foundation Chairman wins 2013 Ripple of Hope Award for contributions in health care programs

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced today that Dr. John F. Boyer, Chairman of the MAXIMUS Foundation and Chairman of MAXIMUS Federal Services, will receive a 2013 Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, tonight, December 11, at the New York Hilton in Manhattan.

11 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: Health law problems plague Calif. too; Obamacare redistribution is from lucky to unlucky; FDA crackdown on genetic testing

While politicians in Washington are hailing California's exchange as proof of the law's success, voters in California don't seem to agree - and it's not hard to understand why. Policies for about 900,000 Californians are being cancelled because they don't meet the law's benefit mandates.

11 Dec 2013

New study aims to determine prevalence of pediatric chronic fatigue syndrome in Chicago area youth

The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in children and the significant impairment it causes to their physical functioning, school attendance and performance, and extracurricular activities, are at the root of a new Chicago-based study led by DePaul University psychologist Leonard A. Jason.

11 Dec 2013

CUSP project aims to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in hospitals

UHC announced its selection as a coordinating entity for a 3-year, $7.3 million contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that has been awarded to the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in hospitals.

10 Dec 2013

Lung cancer screening using low-dose CT reduces mortality in high-risk smokers

Previous evidence, including published National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST) results, shows that computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening significantly reduces lung cancer deaths in high risk patients*, and is appropriate, with careful patient selection and follow-up.

9 Dec 2013

State highlights: N.C. panel finds Medicaid costs may not stabilize until 2020; Va. readies new mental health changes

State health policy stories from North Carolina and Virginia.

9 Dec 2013

High frequency cell phone users have lower GPA, higher anxiety, and lower happiness in life

Today, smartphones are central to college students' lives, keeping them constantly connected with friends, family and the Internet. Students' cell phones are rarely out of reach whether the setting is a college classroom, library, recreational center, cafeteria or dorm room.

9 Dec 2013

NIH scientists film early concussion damage and describe brain's response to injury

There is more than meets the eye following even a mild traumatic brain injury. While the brain may appear to be intact, new findings reported in Nature suggest that the brain's protective coverings may feel the brunt of the impact.

9 Dec 2013

Consumers are not insured until they pay 1st premium

CNN cautions that it's not enough to sign up for a health law policy -- you need to make that first payment to your insurer. Elsewhere, ProPublica looks at healthcare.gov's back-end system to provide your sign-up information to insurers, and the Obama administration awards $55 million in grants to bolster the health care workforce.

6 Dec 2013

Health and Human Services News and Research

Issa slams HHS for 'obstructing' investigation of HealthCare.gov

Boys who grow up in two-parent homes less likely to have high blood pressure as adults

First Edition: December 12, 2013

LSUHSC's Peggy A. Honoré receives 2013 Excellence in Health Administration Award

Findings help inform ongoing discussions regarding potential changes to US' lung allocation policy

Sebelius orders probe of botched website rollout

Study resolves 50-year 'chlamydial anomaly' using novel method

Group says Obamacare plans discourage HIV patients from enrolling

NIH data-sharing may advance genetic and translational research, therapeutic target discovery

Filling in the big picture: Enrollment numbers and goals

Enrollment in federal and state health marketplaces rises to 365,000

MAXIMUS Foundation Chairman wins 2013 Ripple of Hope Award for contributions in health care programs

Viewpoints: Health law problems plague Calif. too; Obamacare redistribution is from lucky to unlucky; FDA crackdown on genetic testing

New study aims to determine prevalence of pediatric chronic fatigue syndrome in Chicago area youth

CUSP project aims to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in hospitals

Lung cancer screening using low-dose CT reduces mortality in high-risk smokers

State highlights: N.C. panel finds Medicaid costs may not stabilize until 2020; Va. readies new mental health changes

High frequency cell phone users have lower GPA, higher anxiety, and lower happiness in life

NIH scientists film early concussion damage and describe brain's response to injury

Consumers are not insured until they pay 1st premium

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