Health Care News and Research

RSS

IQWiG: Not all forms of massage therapy proven to help against low back pain

Most people have experienced back pain - and many hope that massage will relieve it. But not all forms of massage have been scientifically proven to help against low back pain. That is what the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care pointed out in information published on informedhealthonline.org today.

27 Mar 2010

Enrollment ceremony held to sign revised Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Leaders, Committee Chairs and newer Members of Congress held an enrollment ceremony in the Rayburn Room of the Capitol this morning to sign the revised Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act and send it to President Obama for his signature into law.

27 Mar 2010

New web site launched to support workers at Ascension Genesys Medical Center

Today, the Interfaith Coalition to Stop Abuses at Ascension, a coalition that includes the Teamsters and workers' rights, religious, social justice and community organizations, launched a new web site, www.StopAscensionAbuses.com.

27 Mar 2010

Federal agencies' complicated task: Implementing health reform provisions

NPR: "The health care bill President Barack Obama signed this week is more than 2,400 pages long. Still, it doesn't contain many of the details about how it will work and how it will be enforced. The responsibility for explaining the bill falls to workers in the trenches at government agencies. Some of the nitty-gritty details that are missing include defining many of the terms used in the measure, and spelling out exactly how individuals would prove they have health insurance."

27 Mar 2010

Oral Health America announces support for dental care benefits in health care reform bill

The health care reform bill passed by Congress, and now signed into law by President Obama, includes many provisions that will improve the nation's oral health. Most significantly, the bill does guarantee oral health coverage for children and allows for resources to extend oral disease prevention measures in every state. Over time, the bill's provisions can help to increase access to care for all ages.

27 Mar 2010

Republicans prepare political health reform attack on defiant Obama

President Barack Obama told Republicans seeking a repeal of the health overhaul law to "go for it" Thursday as Republicans vowed to keep up their attacks through the November elections and beyond.

27 Mar 2010

It's over: Congress completes work on health overhaul with approval of 'fixes'

After more than a year of political wrangling, Congress finished its work on health care reform Thursday night when the House passed a Senate-changed bill of fixes to the new law.

27 Mar 2010

Emerging Healthcare Solutions completes acquisition of “Dreams” telemedicine technology

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. announced the Closing of its acquisition of the “Dreams” telemedicine technology today. The Company agreed to pay $800,000 to acquire the rights to this exciting medical communications technology.

27 Mar 2010

IHCIA made permanent as part of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the cornerstone legal authority for the provision of health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives, was made permanent when President Obama signed the bill on March 23, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

27 Mar 2010

Hospitals face cuts, restructuring to cope with flagging economy

"The nation's largest public hospital system plans to slash its work force—including doctors and nurses—by about 10% over two years as government aid drops and the number of uninsured patients jumps," The Wall Street Journal reports.

27 Mar 2010

CHF applauds Congress and the President for introducing universal health care coverage

Children's Health Fund strongly supports the reconciliation bill signed by President Barack Obama implementing positive changes and fixes to the health reform bill he signed earlier this week. This second piece of health reform legislation marks an unprecedented effort to make real and positive change for the health and well-being of children in this country.

27 Mar 2010

The first test of new health law: Covering hard-to-insure people

Kaiser Health News writer Mary Agnes Carey writes about the challenge of getting coverage for some of the people who are the hardest to insure.

27 Mar 2010

Health reform brings significant changes to Medicare, Medicare Advantage

As part of a series, "The Five Keys To Health Reform's Success Or Failure," Time writes: "Fiddling with Medicare is not for the faint of heart. ... But if there are to be far-reaching changes in the way medicine is practiced in this country, Medicare will have to drive them. ... 'Medicare has to go first,' says Len Nichols, director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University.

27 Mar 2010

Pelosi signs final health bill, sends to President Obama

On her 70th birthday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed the health care reform reconciliation bill and sent it to President Obama for his signature.

27 Mar 2010

Businesses – small and large – prepare for health reform impact

USA Today columnist Rhonda Abrams outlines how the new health law affects small businesses. "The good news: For the first time, there's real help for entrepreneurs. If you can't afford or can't qualify for insurance, you'll have new options starting in 2014. If you're struggling financially - as many self-employed do - you may qualify for a government subsidy or Medicaid.

27 Mar 2010

Young doctors shifting away from private practice, primary care shortage persists

News outlets report on changes in the practice of medicine and what health reform means for primary care doctors.

27 Mar 2010

Administration officials' key health reform roles

The Hill: "Passing major healthcare reform legislation into law was worth taking a political beating, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Thursday… 'As [President Obama] said repeatedly, which is a sign, he was willing to spend, quote, unquote, 'the political capital' to get something done that was materially and politically, policy wise, important for the American people,' Emanuel told CNN in an interview, his first since the law passed, to air Thursday evening. 'And if you asked them, today, even -- or a week ago, pre- the bill, was it worth the political capital spent, he would say, yes'" (Fabian, 3/25).

27 Mar 2010

Today's opinions and editorials

Making the most out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will also depend on something a little less exciting: putting the existing plan into action (Jonathan Cohn, 3/25).

27 Mar 2010

GOP responds to threats, vandalism over health care legislation

Politico: "Lawmakers are accusing one another of using threats of violence for political gain, turning a serious law enforcement issue into a political battleground. As the threats against members of Congress and incidents of vandalism mounted, charges of bigotry, lying, hypocrisy and incitement coursed Thursday through the Capitol and around the political universe."

26 Mar 2010

ARCA biopharma granted patent for methods of treating heart failure patients with bucindolol based on genetic testing

ARCA biopharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing genetically targeted therapies for heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a patent on methods of treating heart failure patients with bucindolol based on genetic testing.

26 Mar 2010