Health and Human Services News and Research

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UT faculty members, students working together to improve disaster preparedness in Clay County

In Clay County, Kentucky, clean water is hard to come by. If a tornado hit the area, shelter and medical treatment also would be hard to find. A group of faculty members and students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is trying to change this situation.

4 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: Shortages of drugs persist; number of Medicare doctors is growing; Obamacare undermines health savings accounts

As was the case during the last debt-ceiling debacle, in 2011, playing politics with the nation's creditworthiness is irresponsible and unnecessary. Leave aside the ObamaCare obsession, because Republicans have zero chance of persuading the president to kill one of his defining achievements.

4 Sep 2013

NIH-funded study finds zebrafish model may help identify treatments for childhood epilepsy

According to new research on epilepsy, zebrafish have certainly earned their stripes. Results of a study in Nature Communications suggest that zebrafish carrying a specific mutation may help researchers discover treatments for Dravet syndrome (DS), a severe form of pediatric epilepsy that results in drug-resistant seizures and developmental delays.

4 Sep 2013

Health law spurs concerns from administration allies, as well as enemies

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, continues his battle to undo the health law, while a House Democrat from the deep South angers both sides of the political aisle. In other news, labor unions are frustrated the administration hasn't responded to their Obamacare concerns, while Republicans in tough re-election fights are wary of accepting big premium support to buy insurance in the exchanges.

4 Sep 2013

Capsules: IRS ruling on same-sex couples has implications for health law; HHS will allow ‘unbanked’ people to use prepaid debit cards on exchanges; Americans have low health insurance literacy; covered California launches $80 million ad campaign

"The decision from the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service means that the income of legally married same-sex couples will be considered in determining eligibility for enrollment in the health law's Medicaid expansion and for subsidies to purchase coverage in the law's online marketplaces, or exchanges" (Carey, 8/30).

31 Aug 2013

Those in gay marriages set to receive new federal benefits

The federal government on Thursday issued rules on the federal benefits that gay Americans and their same-sex spouses can expect to receive. HHS said Medicare will allow all beneficiaries access to care in a nursing home where their spouse lives.

31 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 30, 2013

Today's headlines include the latest news on congressional efforts to avert a financial crisis as well as coverage of the news from the Internal Revenue Service, Treasury Department and Department of Health and Human Services about how same-sex marriage will be recognized.

30 Aug 2013

Report sheds light on adolescents using illegal substances on an average day

On an average day, 881,684 teenagers aged 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report also says that on an average day 646,707 adolescents smoked marijuana and 457,672 drank alcohol.

30 Aug 2013

HHS releases first rule about health benefits for same-sex couples; IRS issues guidance on tax filing

In what the department described as its "first guidance" in the wake of the Supreme Court striking down the Defense of Marriage Act, HHS said that all Medicare Advantage enrollees, including same-sex couples, will have equal access to coverage in a nursing home.

30 Aug 2013

New health law rules aimed at protecting insurance marketplace funds, consumers

The regulations are designed to safeguard how federal funds will be used in online insurance marketplaces and to provide protections to consumers. News outlets also detail a number of health law implementation issues, including a study about how rate shock warnings might be "overblown."

30 Aug 2013

Engaging in physical activity not going to put at greater risk of knee osteoarthritis

Adults age 45 and older who engaged in moderate physical activity up to two and a half hours a week did not increase their risk of developing knee osteoarthritis over a 6-year follow-up period, a new study finds.

29 Aug 2013

Synar program made remarkable strides in lowering levels of illegal tobacco sales to minors

A new report on the Synar Amendment program - a federal and state partnership aimed at ending illegal tobacco sales to minors - shows that all the states and the District of Columbia have continued to meet their goals of curtailing sales of tobacco to underage youth (those under 18).

29 Aug 2013

Deadline reportedly delayed for finalizing details with insurance plans on federal exchanges

Reuters reports these agreements are not likely to be signed until mid-September. Also in the news, the race is on to train navigators while, in Washington state, Group Health makes a decision about abortion coverage in exchange plans. And Republicans on Capitol Hill offer a new plan for insuring government officials.

29 Aug 2013

Obama administration releases final rules for individual mandate

The rules codify the penalties under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, as well as who will be exempt from them.

29 Aug 2013

Research findings may help scientists develop anthrax treatments for humans

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, both part of the National Institutes of Health, have identified the cells in two distinct areas of the body that are simultaneously targeted for damage by anthrax toxins, eventually causing illness and sometimes death. Their findings, which appeared online today in Nature, are based on testing in mice.

29 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 28, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the vote by Michigan lawmakers to expand Medicaid.

28 Aug 2013

Fluoride added to water supplies reduces tooth decay in children

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral in water and many foods. In addition, fluoride is intentionally added to the public water supplies, because it has been demonstrated that communities with fluoride added to their water supplies have significantly reduced incidence of tooth decay in children.

28 Aug 2013

Obama administration ties health law to civil rights

When President Barack Obama met with African-American religious leaders just before the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, he asked for their help in the final push to carry out the health law. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius also noted the connection between access to health care and other opportunities.

28 Aug 2013

Even with access to health care, racial variances in HPV vaccine initiation still exist

Even with access to health care, African-American women are less likely to receive the vaccine for human papillomavirus, which reduces the risk for cervical cancer, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

28 Aug 2013

State highlights: Iowa asks for federal waiver for state health coverage plan

Gov. Terry Branstad filed a waiver request with federal officials on Friday, seeking expedited approval for a statewide program to expand access to health care for thousands of lower-income Iowans.

27 Aug 2013

Health and Human Services News and Research

UT faculty members, students working together to improve disaster preparedness in Clay County

Viewpoints: Shortages of drugs persist; number of Medicare doctors is growing; Obamacare undermines health savings accounts

NIH-funded study finds zebrafish model may help identify treatments for childhood epilepsy

Health law spurs concerns from administration allies, as well as enemies

Capsules: IRS ruling on same-sex couples has implications for health law; HHS will allow ‘unbanked’ people to use prepaid debit cards on exchanges; Americans have low health insurance literacy; covered California launches $80 million ad campaign

Those in gay marriages set to receive new federal benefits

First Edition: August 30, 2013

Report sheds light on adolescents using illegal substances on an average day

HHS releases first rule about health benefits for same-sex couples; IRS issues guidance on tax filing

New health law rules aimed at protecting insurance marketplace funds, consumers

Engaging in physical activity not going to put at greater risk of knee osteoarthritis

Synar program made remarkable strides in lowering levels of illegal tobacco sales to minors

Deadline reportedly delayed for finalizing details with insurance plans on federal exchanges

Obama administration releases final rules for individual mandate

Research findings may help scientists develop anthrax treatments for humans

First Edition: August 28, 2013

Fluoride added to water supplies reduces tooth decay in children

Obama administration ties health law to civil rights

Even with access to health care, racial variances in HPV vaccine initiation still exist

State highlights: Iowa asks for federal waiver for state health coverage plan

Event guide: 6th Operationalize Expanded Access Programs Summit East eBook

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