Health and Human Services News and Research

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Verizon data failure takes down health insurance websites

Computer servers hosting a key part of the health law's infrastructure relied upon by all 14 state-run health websites, as well as by the federal website that serves 36 states, failed Sunday.

29 Oct 2013

Obama to talk health law importance in Boston as Sebelius testifies

President Obama will try to bolster the health law Wednesday when he travels to Boston to talk about the law while HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill about healthcare.gov's problems. In the meantime, the White House is busy trying to rally support for the law from congressional Democrats.

29 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 28, 2013

Today's headlines include coverage of the health law's federal online insurance marketplace -- healthcare.gov -- and its continuing challenges, troubles and the plans to get it fixed.

28 Oct 2013

GOP officials press for health law delay, Sebelius to resign; Democrats urge patience

The troubles with the health website took center stage on the Sunday news shows and in the Saturday weekly addresses from the president and the Republicans.

28 Oct 2013

International researchers identify 11 new genes linked to Alzheimer's disease

An international group of researchers has identified 11 new genes that offer important new insights into the disease pathways involved in Alzheimer's disease. The highly collaborative effort involved scanning the DNA of over 74,000 volunteers-the largest genetic analysis yet conducted in Alzheimer's research-to discover new genetic risk factors linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of the disorder.

28 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 25, 2013

Today's headlines include reports and analyses of yesterday's Capitol Hill hearing, which featured website contractors talking about the troubled rollout of healthcare.gov.

25 Oct 2013

A closer look at HHS Sec. Sebelius' health law role

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' role in the problems the health law's insurance marketplace is having, and the subsequent calls for her ouster, are examined. Sebelius' absence would mean a key post in implementing Obamacare would be vacant.

25 Oct 2013

Hill Panel seeking to put price tag on marketplace website, but some estimates may be too high

A tally from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform suggests HHS spent between $400 million and $600 million to build the troubled website, but The Washington Post Fact Checker and a government watchdog group say the true cost may be much lower.

25 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Republicans new-found interest in the workings of the health website; fixing the problem crucial to Obama's presidency

Republicans are apoplectic about Healthcare.gov, the official Web site for the Affordable Care Act. They are trying desperately to change the subject from their disastrous government shutdown by ranting about the failures of a government Web site that cost a tiny fraction of what was lost as a result of the shutdown. Republicans are pretending that they care about the problems encountered in signing up for a system that many of them are bent on destroying (Charles M. Blow, 10/23).

25 Oct 2013

NIH awards $2.4M to develop innovative robots to aid people with visual and physical impairment

Three projects have been awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health to develop innovative robots that work cooperatively with people and adapt to changing environments to improve human capabilities and enhance medical procedures. Funding for these projects totals approximately $2.4 million over the next five years, subject to the availability of funds.

25 Oct 2013

White House to give consumers extra time to buy coverage before facing penalty

The Wednesday announcement gave people an extra six weeks -- until March 31 -- to comply with the health law's requirement that they enroll in a health plan.

25 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 24, 2013

Today's headlines include reports that the Obama administration plans to tweak the tax-penalty deadline for signing up for health insurance as well as previews of what might happen when the contractors who built the health law's online insurance marketplace testify today on Capitol Hill.

24 Oct 2013

Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike are anxious for health law briefings

As a senior White House official heads to Capitol Hill to brief House Democrats on the health law's implementation -- especially the troubled rollout of healthcare.gov, Republicans want the same opportunity.

24 Oct 2013

FDA to phase out all inhaler medical products containing CFCs by Dec. 31

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will complete its phase-out of all inhaler medical products containing chlorofluorocarbons by Dec. 31, 2013. This effort is to comply with an international treaty to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the worldwide production of numerous substances, including CFCs, which contribute to ozone depletion.

24 Oct 2013

The White House names Zients to be Heatlhcare.gov fixer

Jeffrey D. Zients, who previously served as the Office of Management and Budget chief performance officer, is already a tested Administration troubleshooter.

24 Oct 2013

Defending health exchange's rollout puts Sebelius in the hot seat

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is being called to Capitol Hill by Republican lawmakers who want her to explain what went wrong with the Oct. 1 unveiling of healthcare.gov. She is also facing calls for her resignation. Still, according to Politico, her job is safe.

24 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 23, 2013

Today's headlines include continuing coverage about the problems with the healthcare.gov website, how Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is in the hot seat and how the White House has called in reinforcements -- a glitch czar.

23 Oct 2013

FDA alerts on voluntary recall of sterile use products from Specialty Compounding

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting hospitals, health care providers, veterinarians, and patients of a voluntary recall of certain human and veterinary products produced and distributed for sterile use by Specialty Medicine Compounding Pharmacy of South Lyon, Mich.

23 Oct 2013

FDA seeks permanent injunction against dietary supplement manufacturer James G. Cole

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking a permanent injunction against the dietary supplement manufacturer James G. Cole, Inc., its president, James G. Cole, and its general manager, Julie D. Graves, following the company's repeated distribution of unapproved drugs and adulterated dietary supplements in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

23 Oct 2013

Sebelius to testify on Healthcare.Gov problems

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is expected to answer lawmakers' questions about the troubled rollout of the health law's exchange website as early as next week. Her staff had declined a request to have her testify Thursday citing scheduling conflicts.

23 Oct 2013