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House Republicans consider new Medicare limits

House Republicans are debating whether to propose new limits on the growth of Medicare and other entitlement programs, weighing a gamble that voters are more concerned about trimming the federal deficit than holding on to promised benefits (Hook, 2/3).

4 Feb 2011

Does trend toward consolidation risk health care cost controls?

Beyond the legal challenges, a major new hurdle is emerging for the health care reform law. Recent studies show that the major players in the health care marketplace - insurers, hospitals and physician practices - are consolidating, which increases the likelihood they will collude on prices charged to employers and to consumers and defeat cost control measures in the law.

3 Feb 2011

First Edition: February 3, 2011

Today's headlines detail the Senate GOP-led failed vote to repeal the health law and look to what steps will now follow.

3 Feb 2011

NeuroMetrix fourth quarter total revenues decrease to $3.1 million

NeuroMetrix, Inc., a science-based health care company transforming patient care through neurotechnology, today reported business and financial highlights for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2010.

3 Feb 2011

Consumer Reports Health unveils ratings of nine common screenings for heart disease

Consumer Reports Health unveils Ratings of nine common screenings for heart disease based on systematic review of evidence; some screenings work well while others deemed not worth the risk for healthy individuals

3 Feb 2011

CIGNA fourth quarter shareholders' net income increases to $461 million

CIGNA Corporation today reported shareholders' net income of $461 million, or $1.69 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2010 compared with shareholders' net income of $330 million, or $1.19 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2009.

3 Feb 2011

Chances of surviving cardiac arrests high in large public venues having AEDs

A study of more than 14,000 men and women whose hearts stopped suddenly suggests that the chances of survival are very high if such cardiac arrests are witnessed in large public venues, including airports, sports arenas or malls. The reasons, researchers say, are that almost four out of five such cases appear to be due to a survivable type of heart rhythm disruption and that big places with lots of people are more likely to have an automated external defibrillator, or AED device, handy, along with those who can apply it as well as CPR.

3 Feb 2011

Stockpiling flu drugs, vaccines reduces impact of pandemic, but option out of reach for most countries, study finds

"Stockpiling antiviral flu drugs and vaccines saves lives and reduces disease in a flu pandemic," but the cost to maintain such a stockpile and deploy interventions in the event of an outbreak "is too expensive for around two thirds of the world's population, scientists said on Wednesday," Reuters reports.

3 Feb 2011

PanCare Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Survivor Care and Follow-up Studies to kick off in Lund, Sweden

By learning more about these late effects of treatment, the health care services can, on the one hand, improve and reduce the intensity of the treatment, and, on the other hand, find appropriate ways to care for those suffering from side-effects of the treatment in adolescence and adulthood.

3 Feb 2011

Physicians should contribute some efforts to improve patient safety, outcomes

Efforts to keep hospital patients safe and continually improve the overall results of health care can't work unless medical centers figure out a way to get physicians more involved in the process.

3 Feb 2011

NHS awards £350,000 for study on physician assistants

Physician assistants are a new addition to medical teams in Britain, although well established in other developed countries including the United States, Netherlands and Australia. Now a team led by Kingston University and St George's, University of London, is aiming to find out more about their contribution to healthcare in England with the first full-scale evaluation of their role in general practice.

3 Feb 2011

Intermittent use of preventive malaria drugs in children found to help prevent malaria transmission, studies say

Three studies published on Tuesday in PLoS Medicine show that "intermittent use of preventive antimalarial drugs can be beneficial in curbing the spread of the disease in children," Agence France-Presse reports (2/1).

3 Feb 2011

Politico looks at how proposed budget cuts could affect U.S. foreign aid, including global health funding

Politico examines how Republicans' proposed budget cuts could affect foreign aid funding. The House Republican majority has recommended combining President Barack Obama's "State and foreign aid requests with 'nonsecurity' domestic spending and to cut appropriations to 2008 levels."

3 Feb 2011

Senate repeals small piece of health law, but Republican attempt at overall repeal fails

Senate Republicans failed to muster enough votes to repeal the health law. But a vote to delete a small, revenue-raising provision of the sweeping law did pass, in a bipartisan vote.

3 Feb 2011

Fidaxomicin demonstrates 45% reduction in recurrences vs. existing treatment for C. difficile infection

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant and growing problem in hospitals and other health care facilities, but no new drugs to treat the condition have been developed in several decades. However, a large-scale, phase 3 trial conducted by Canadian and U.S. researchers shows that the new antibiotic Fidaxomicin is superior to existing treatments, demonstrating a 45 percent reduction in recurrences vs. the existing licensed treatment.

3 Feb 2011

HMORN, iSAEC collaborate to enroll subjects in SAE research project using EMR database

The International Serious Adverse Events Consortium announced today a new collaboration with the HMO Research Network to enroll subjects in research to identify genetic markers that may help predict risk associated with a range of serious drug-related adverse events.

3 Feb 2011

New findings: For-profit hospices may choose cheaper-to-treat patients

Study results released Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association report that for-profit hospice services may be selecting patients who are less expensive to treat — leaving the pricier patients to nonprofit agencies (Brown, 2/1).

3 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: N.Y. Times slams Vinson ruling as WSJ, Wash post parse it; Violence in hospitals; Bending health cost curve

A ruling by a Federal District Court judge in Florida that the entire health care reform law is unconstitutional was a breathtaking example of judicial activism and overreach. It is hard not to believe this decision was driven at least in part by ideology.

3 Feb 2011

Many employers receive waivers from health law's requirements

The Wall Street Journal reports on the many exemptions granted by the federal government. Meanwhile, Politico reports on the Obama administration's pick to head the HHS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, an office that will be key to the "reform effort."

3 Feb 2011

Roundup: Fla., Texas, Minn., Ga., Conn., Mass. officials examine state health programs

Nullification - the legal theory that says a state can prevent enforcement of federal laws within its borders -- is the latest attempt to block Obama's health-care law at the state level. And brings with it new controversies and considerable confusion. For example, supporters and opponents of nullification reference the same language in the Constitution.

3 Feb 2011

Health Care News and Research

House Republicans consider new Medicare limits

Does trend toward consolidation risk health care cost controls?

First Edition: February 3, 2011

NeuroMetrix fourth quarter total revenues decrease to $3.1 million

Consumer Reports Health unveils ratings of nine common screenings for heart disease

CIGNA fourth quarter shareholders' net income increases to $461 million

Chances of surviving cardiac arrests high in large public venues having AEDs

Stockpiling flu drugs, vaccines reduces impact of pandemic, but option out of reach for most countries, study finds

PanCare Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Survivor Care and Follow-up Studies to kick off in Lund, Sweden

Physicians should contribute some efforts to improve patient safety, outcomes

NHS awards £350,000 for study on physician assistants

Intermittent use of preventive malaria drugs in children found to help prevent malaria transmission, studies say

Politico looks at how proposed budget cuts could affect U.S. foreign aid, including global health funding

Senate repeals small piece of health law, but Republican attempt at overall repeal fails

Fidaxomicin demonstrates 45% reduction in recurrences vs. existing treatment for C. difficile infection

HMORN, iSAEC collaborate to enroll subjects in SAE research project using EMR database

New findings: For-profit hospices may choose cheaper-to-treat patients

Viewpoints: N.Y. Times slams Vinson ruling as WSJ, Wash post parse it; Violence in hospitals; Bending health cost curve

Many employers receive waivers from health law's requirements

Roundup: Fla., Texas, Minn., Ga., Conn., Mass. officials examine state health programs

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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