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Senate 'Gang of Six' develops deficit reduction framework

A bipartisan group of senators is considering legislation that would trigger new taxes and budget cuts if Congress fails to meet a set of mandatory spending targets and other fiscal goals aimed at reducing federal deficits. The plan would break the task of deficit reduction into four pieces: a tax code overhaul; discretionary spending cuts; changes to Medicare, Medicaid and other entitlements; and changes to Social Security, aides said.

17 Feb 2011

Health law, budget plans examined, defended during Capitol Hill hearings

Across the Hill, oversight hearings were held to review specific provisions of the new health law and related waivers. In addition, administration officials took questions about some specifics within the president's budget blueprint. And the House Judiciary Committee approved a medical malpractice reform bill.

17 Feb 2011

Children with chronic health conditions may face increased risk of physical abuse

Children with chronic health conditions are 88% more likely to suffer physical abuse than healthy children, according to research in the March issue of Acta Paediatrica. They are also 154% more likely to suffer a combination of physical abuse and exposure to intimate partner violence than their healthy school friends.

17 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: NY Times on high-risk pools; GOP on Medicaid 'flexibility;' health workers' rights

As part of the new health care reform, the federal government and 27 state governments are establishing temporary high-risk pools to offer coverage for people with pre-existing conditions until the law takes full effect in 2014.

17 Feb 2011

Senate finance leaders push for permanent Medicare 'doc fix'

Both Committee Chair Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Ranking Member Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, are pushing for an overhaul of Medicare's physician payment formula. Meanwhile, Baucus is not "ready to commit" to hold confirmation hearings for the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services who has been re-nominated.

17 Feb 2011

States grapple with new ways to cut state Medicaid costs

Among the strategies being used are efforts to change rules, revise definitions, tighten anti-fraud efforts and cut services.

17 Feb 2011

Hearing loss linked to dementia & Alzheimer’s: Study

New research suggests that adults with hearing loss may face a higher risk of dementia and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease than those who do not suffer hearing loss. The risk of dementia rises with greater loss of hearing say researchers. The study appears in the February issue of the journal Archives of Neurology.

15 Feb 2011

'Real world' guidelines may effectively prevent cardiovascular disease in women

Practical medical advice that works in the "real world" may more effectively prevent cardiovascular disease in women than recommendations based only on findings in clinical research settings, according to the 2011 update to the American Heart Association's cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines for women.

15 Feb 2011

Seniors with hearing loss more likely to develop dementia: Study

Seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing, a study by Johns Hopkins and National Institute on Aging researchers suggests. The findings, the researchers say, could lead to new ways to combat dementia, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide and carries heavy societal burdens.

14 Feb 2011

BioTime to merge Glycosan with OrthoCyte

BioTime, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to merge Utah-based Glycosan BioSystems, Inc. (Glycosan) with BioTime's wholly-owned subsidiary, OrthoCyte Corporation. The acquisition is expected to close by March 18, 2011.

14 Feb 2011

Study explores levels of burden and depression in caregivers with sensory impairment

When a person experiences impairment or declining health, caregiving typically falls to a family member, most often a spouse. This increased burden can cause burnout, stress, and illness in the caregiver. The health care system focuses first on the client and provides little support for the caregiver.

14 Feb 2011

Day after Berwick hearing, Mitch Daniels talks about 'limitations' on health care spending

Potential GOP presidential contender Mitch Daniels edged into the debate over rationing health care Friday, saying there will "never be enough money" for every American to have access to all modern life-saving technology.

14 Feb 2011

New poll: 64% of Rep. Bass' constituents oppose bill to dismantle EPA's ability to reduce pollutions

Sixty-four percent of Rep. Charlie Bass' constituents in the New Hampshire 2nd Congressional District oppose a controversial bill to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to reduce carbon dioxide and other pollutants, a new poll reveals. As a key member of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Bass will have to vote on the bill in the near future.

14 Feb 2011

CMS chief testifies at Ways and Means Committee, stays cool despite grilling

The tense, heated hearing was the first opportunity for the House to question Berwick since July, when he was recess-appointed to his post as head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Haberkorn and Coughlin, 2/10).

11 Feb 2011

CBO: Health law could result in 800,000 fewer workers

The statistics first surfaced in projections made last summer, but were brought back to the debate Thursday during a House Budget Committee hearing.

11 Feb 2011

First Edition: February 11, 2011

Today's health policy headlines highlight various aspects of the policies and politics involved in the health law mix.

11 Feb 2011

GOP Reps. grill CMS Chief Berwick about health reform law, earlier remarks on British system

Republicans on the US House Committee on Ways and Means this morning pounded Donald Berwick, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, on the effects of the new health care law on seniors, and Berwick's past statements in praise of the publicly-funded British health care system.

11 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on empowering states; NY Times on insurance mandate; WSJ on 'next repeal target'

As governor of Kansas, I saw up close the urgent need for health-care reform. I heard it when factory owners told me their biggest concern was not manufacturing costs but rising insurance premiums, and when families said they felt like hostages to insurance companies that could deny or cancel coverage with little accountability.

11 Feb 2011

Patients with sensorineural hearing loss can benefit from mucosa-derived stem cell transplant

Stem Cell scientists in Australia have found that patients suffering from hearing problems which began during infancy and childhood could benefit from a transplant of stem cells from their nose. The research, published today in STEM CELLS, reveals that mucosa-derived stem cells can help preserve hearing function during the early-onset of sensorineural hearing loss.

10 Feb 2011

State progress on health law implementation follows varying paths; Meanwhile, ACOs, waiver processes grab headlines

Media outlets report on a variety of implementation issues, including anti-trust concerns related to accountable care organizations as well as questions about the reform waiver process and a House committee chairman's efforts to reverse Medicare advantage cuts.

10 Feb 2011

Hearing News and Research

Senate 'Gang of Six' develops deficit reduction framework

Health law, budget plans examined, defended during Capitol Hill hearings

Children with chronic health conditions may face increased risk of physical abuse

Viewpoints: NY Times on high-risk pools; GOP on Medicaid 'flexibility;' health workers' rights

Senate finance leaders push for permanent Medicare 'doc fix'

States grapple with new ways to cut state Medicaid costs

Hearing loss linked to dementia & Alzheimer’s: Study

'Real world' guidelines may effectively prevent cardiovascular disease in women

Seniors with hearing loss more likely to develop dementia: Study

BioTime to merge Glycosan with OrthoCyte

Study explores levels of burden and depression in caregivers with sensory impairment

Day after Berwick hearing, Mitch Daniels talks about 'limitations' on health care spending

New poll: 64% of Rep. Bass' constituents oppose bill to dismantle EPA's ability to reduce pollutions

CMS chief testifies at Ways and Means Committee, stays cool despite grilling

CBO: Health law could result in 800,000 fewer workers

First Edition: February 11, 2011

GOP Reps. grill CMS Chief Berwick about health reform law, earlier remarks on British system

Viewpoints: Sebelius on empowering states; NY Times on insurance mandate; WSJ on 'next repeal target'

Patients with sensorineural hearing loss can benefit from mucosa-derived stem cell transplant

State progress on health law implementation follows varying paths; Meanwhile, ACOs, waiver processes grab headlines

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

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