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Several Republican members of Congress urge Obama administration to deny North Korean food aid request

Several Republican lawmakers said Thursday that the Obama administration should "deny North Korea's request for food aid" because of concerns that it would support Kim Jong-Il's regime, Agence France-Presse reports.

14 Mar 2011

Home genetic tests need medical supervision: Expert panel

According to an advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, genetic tests sold directly to consumers that might help to predict health risks may need to be supplied through doctors. An official, Alberto Gutierrez, director of the FDA office that regulates diagnostic screening tools reported that the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Advisory Panel concluded two days of hearings on the increasingly popular tests and had come to this resolution.

14 Mar 2011

Sonitus Medical's SoundBite Hearing System receives CE Mark certification

Sonitus Medical, Inc., a medical device company that manufactures the world's first non-surgical and removable hearing prosthetic to transmit sound via the teeth, today announced that it has received CE Mark certification for its SoundBite Hearing System. The company has received its EC Certificate, which indicates Full Quality Assurance System Approval. This is the first European regulatory certification for the company and the product.

11 Mar 2011

House bill introduced to allow individuals to apply for health law waivers

The measure, introduced by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., would allow consumers the same exemption process being exercised by some employers and unions. Meanwhile, House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has raised questions about waivers granted to "mini-med" plans.

11 Mar 2011

Defunding strategy takes aim at health law's mandatory spending provisions

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing yesterday to begin the process of marking up legislation to remove certain parts of health law funding.

11 Mar 2011

New technologies open unique avenues to bone conduction hearing aids

Three decades after the introduction of the first bone-anchored hearing aids, the available systems have improved significantly and the field is expanding faster than ever.

10 Mar 2011

House Foreign Affairs Committee hears testimony on security, human rights, health in Democratic Republic of Congo

At a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on Tuesday, Ben Affleck, the actor, writer and director, and "other witnesses urged the Obama administration to immediately appoint a special envoy" for the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is due for a national election in November, CNN reports.

10 Mar 2011

PQC: Americans express rising concern about hospital acquired infections

Despite significant advances made during the last several years, most Americans view the care delivered in America today as merely adequate - with 20 percent rating care as poor compared to only 8 percent who rated care as excellent. Americans expressed rising concern about hospital acquired infections, sepsis and other preventable conditions, according to new research released today by the Partnership for Quality Care.

10 Mar 2011

Study: High volume music players can cause neurophysiological changes

Growing numbers of people enjoy listening to music on portable music players or cell phones, and many tend to turn up the volume, especially in noisy surroundings. In a study published March 2, 2011 in the open-access journal PLoS ONE, researchers explore the potential effects of this behavior on hearing.

10 Mar 2011

Roundup: Legislatures pressured on health cuts, malpractice laws; Mass. Blue Cross board salaries; pension costs

This week, the Assembly and Senate will debate the final package of budget reductions. Among the $6 billion in health-related cuts is the elimination of the Maddy Fund, a $55 million attempt to reimburse emergency departments for indigent care.

9 Mar 2011

Health law policy disputes central to congressional spending fight

As lawmakers tussle over how much spending should be cut in this year's budget, these key policy questions related to the health law and other regulatory issues are a flashpoint. In addition, House Republicans are stepping up their strategies to defund the overhaul.

9 Mar 2011

Sanfilippo syndrome compromises blood-brain barrier, leads to brain damage

A study into the effects of Sanfilippo Syndrome type B (MPS III B) has found that the barrier responsible for protecting the brain from the entry of harmful blood-borne substances is structurally and functionally damaged by the devastating disease. University of South Florida researchers identified damage in specific brain structures involved in the pathology of MPS III B, one of four Sanfilippo syndromes, all of which are inherited diseases of metabolism.

9 Mar 2011

Nursing professors to develop new device for older adults

For those of us living the frenetic modern lifestyle, sitting in one place for a long period might seem like a vacation. But for those who are retired, it can lead to health complications.

8 Mar 2011

AudioNova, Amplifon's hearing aid and audiology device drive European wholesale market

According to a new report by iData Research, the leading global authority in medical device and pharmaceutical market research, the retail European hearing aid and audiology device market was valued at over €3.8 billion in 2010, while the wholesale market was valued at almost €1.3 billion The retail market is expected to grow rapidly by 2017 due to aggressive growth strategies among local and international retail chains and the adoption of new technologies such as wireless Bluetooth hearing aids and receiver-in-canal models.

8 Mar 2011

Democrats may be giving up on medicare chief's confirmation

Senate Democrats have given up on confirming Don Berwick as CMS administrator in the wake of a letter from 42 Republican senators opposing the nomination, sources tell POLITICO. Citing the GOP letter, a person familiar with the situation said Senate Democrats and the White House "can do the arithmetic" and now see that there's no way for Berwick to get the 60 votes needed to clear the Senate.

8 Mar 2011

CPCHE launches multi-year project to promote healthier home energy retrofits

Home energy retrofits tackle climate change and when done right they should make homes healthier, while aiding families struggling with utility bills.

6 Mar 2011

Health care political battles tied to budget, insurance costs

"As Congress continues to debate the new health care law, health insurance costs are still rising, particularly for small businesses. Republicans are seizing on the trend as evidence that the new law includes expensive features that are driving up premiums. But the insurance industry says premiums are rising primarily because of the underlying cost of care and a growing demand for it. Across the country, premiums have more than doubled in the last decade, with smaller companies particularly hard hit in recent years, federal officials say".

6 Mar 2011

Two influential business groups back Crystal Lake hospital plan

Mercy Health System recently received the backing of two influential business groups that support the building of a new state-of-the-art hospital in Crystal Lake that will create jobs and spur economic growth.

5 Mar 2011

Sebelius, GOP face off at House hearing

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stuck to the usual talking points Wednesday as she appeared before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee in defense of implementation of the health law and the president's budget request for her agency. She also told Republicans that that there is no system by which Medicaid block grants can be created.

5 Mar 2011

Stakeholders say foreign aid cuts can damage global food security as FAO food price index reaches new high

Republicans' proposed foreign aid cuts could damage food security programs in the developing world and create social instability requiring U.S. military intervention, advocates and government officials said on Thursday at a Capitol Hill event addressing hunger and rising food prices, Agence France-Presse reports (Zeitvogel, 3/3).

5 Mar 2011