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Cruz says immigration plan would affect workers' benefits under health law; Senate panel hears concerns about Medicare audits

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticizes the pending immigration bill and health law while Medicare observation care and audits are hot topics during a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Also in the news, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, talks about hospital CEO pay. In addition, he and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., push to open the Medicare claims payment database.

27 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 26, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the latest developments in the health care marketplace.

26 Jun 2013

Sebelius ramps up enrollment push

The Obama administration unveiled a revamped HealthCare.gov website, the centerpiece of its campaign in more than 30 states to enroll people in health coverage, as well as a 24-hour consumer call center. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius aims to enroll 7 million people by late March with help from major sports franchises and moms.

26 Jun 2013

FDA authorizes marketing of two new tobacco products

or the first time since the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products, the agency has authorized the marketing of two new tobacco products and denied the marketing of four others through the substantial equivalence pathway.

26 Jun 2013

Government to bargain with insurers over exchange plans

Hoping to get consumers the best prices, the Obama administration is negotiating with insurers looking to sell policies in online health insurance marketplaces this fall, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday (Galewitz, 6/24).

26 Jun 2013

Study finds PTSD as risk factor for heart disease among Vietnam vets

Male twin Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder were more than twice as likely as those without PTSD to develop heart disease during a 13-year period, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

26 Jun 2013

BioFire Diagnostics' FilmArray Blood Culture Identification Panel receives FDA clearance

BioFire Diagnostics, Inc., announced today the FDA clearance of its FilmArray Blood Culture Identification Panel. To date, the 27-target panel is the most comprehensive test to be approved by the FDA.

26 Jun 2013

HHS inspector general details prescription-writing abuses

The new report finds that health providers such as massage therapists, chiropractors and athletic trainers often wrote prescriptions -- and Medicare paid for them.

25 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 25, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the Obama administraiton's plans for getting the word about the health law's online marketplaces.

25 Jun 2013

Viewpoints: Mich. gov. says Medicaid expansion would save money, lives; CMS on making medical devices affordable

The people of Michigan elected the members of the state Senate to be leaders, not vacationers. Unfortunately, the Senate forgot that Thursday and adjourned for its summer vacation. It left Lansing without voting on a bill that would provide health care coverage to nearly half a million working Michiganders. Ensuring access to affordable, quality health care is one of the most significant challenges facing Michigan. The Healthy Michigan plan developed over the past several months is a plan that addresses many of the state's needs and reflects the state's values (Gov. Rick Snyder, 6/23).

25 Jun 2013

Linagliptin significantly reduces blood glucose levels in T2D patients with moderate to severe renal impairment

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company today announced results from a new study in which linagliptin demonstrated statistically significant reductions in blood glucose levels (HbA1c) after 12 weeks (the study's primary endpoint) in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with moderate to severe renal impairment, compared with placebo. Most patients had T2D for more than ten years (76 percent) and were on insulin (86 percent).

24 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 21, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the rebates some insurers will provide to consumers as a result of a health law provision.

21 Jun 2013

Reviews highlight harmful prescriptions and unnecessary surgeries

ProPublica takes a look at a Medicare drug program report detailing the prescription writing practices of some physicians while USA Today reports on its findings regarding unnecessary surgeries based on a review of government records and medical databases.

21 Jun 2013

FDA approves use of Plan B One-Step pill for all women with child-bearing potential

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has approved the use of Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) as a nonprescription product for all women of child-bearing potential.

21 Jun 2013

Abbott RealTime HCV Genotype II assay receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a test that identifies the genotype of hepatitis C virus that a patient is carrying. The Abbott RealTime HCV Genotype II, which can differentiate genotypes 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4, and 5,using a sample of an infected patient's blood plasma or serum, will aid health care professionals in determining the appropriate approach to treatment.

21 Jun 2013

Research: Stroke patients may be more likely to develop problems with memory and thinking

People who experience any stroke symptoms—but do not have a stroke—may also be more likely to develop problems with memory and thinking, according to new research published in the June 19, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 20, 2013

Today's headlines include a variety of reports about the health law's implementation as well as related developments from Capitol Hill.

20 Jun 2013

State highlights: Ark. AG asks state Supreme Court to uphold J&J fine; N.Y. abortion measure to get separate vote

Arkansas' attorney general filed a brief Tuesday backed by his counterparts in 35 other states asking the Arkansas Supreme Court to uphold a $1.2 billion fine levied against Johnson & Johnson and a subsidiary over the marketing of the antipsychotics drug Risperdal (6/18).

20 Jun 2013

NIH awards $12.7M to research groups to explore new treatments for patients in eight disease areas

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $12.7 million to match nine academic research groups with a selection of pharmaceutical industry compounds to explore new treatments for patients in eight disease areas, including Alzheimer's disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and schizophrenia.

19 Jun 2013

Political battles congeal around IRS scandals, implementation questions

The Associated Press reports that the funding sought by the Obama administration for the Internal Revenue Service's health law activities could be in jeopardy as a result of recent scandals. Meanwhile, The Hill reports that GOP lawmakers are developing plans for handling constituents' questions about the health law.

18 Jun 2013

Health and Human Services News and Research

Cruz says immigration plan would affect workers' benefits under health law; Senate panel hears concerns about Medicare audits

First Edition: June 26, 2013

Sebelius ramps up enrollment push

FDA authorizes marketing of two new tobacco products

Government to bargain with insurers over exchange plans

Study finds PTSD as risk factor for heart disease among Vietnam vets

BioFire Diagnostics' FilmArray Blood Culture Identification Panel receives FDA clearance

HHS inspector general details prescription-writing abuses

First Edition: June 25, 2013

Viewpoints: Mich. gov. says Medicaid expansion would save money, lives; CMS on making medical devices affordable

Linagliptin significantly reduces blood glucose levels in T2D patients with moderate to severe renal impairment

First Edition: June 21, 2013

Reviews highlight harmful prescriptions and unnecessary surgeries

FDA approves use of Plan B One-Step pill for all women with child-bearing potential

Abbott RealTime HCV Genotype II assay receives FDA approval

Research: Stroke patients may be more likely to develop problems with memory and thinking

First Edition: June 20, 2013

State highlights: Ark. AG asks state Supreme Court to uphold J&J fine; N.Y. abortion measure to get separate vote

NIH awards $12.7M to research groups to explore new treatments for patients in eight disease areas

Political battles congeal around IRS scandals, implementation questions

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

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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