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Lawmaker questions regulators about preventive-care provisions in health law

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) has asked federal regulators to make sure new rules banning cost-sharing for preventive care don't inadvertently preclude employers from rewarding cost-effective care.

6 Aug 2010

GAO: Medicaid managed care contracts need better CMS oversight

The Government Accountability Office released a report Wednesday that says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services needs better oversight of Medicaid managed care contracts.

6 Aug 2010

Adversity-exposure may protect against psychiatric disturbances that occur with CBP: Study

A new study by researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of California, Irvine, to be published in the September issue of the journal Pain, reveals that, for people with chronic back pain, having a little adversity in your life can be protective and beneficial.

6 Aug 2010

Clinton, Shah discuss long-term help, disease monitoring in Pakistan after flooding

After flooding in northwest Pakistan killed more than 1,500 people and displaced an estimated 300,000, leaders of the State Department and USAID are "promising an extended mission to deal with the long-term effects," Foreign Policy's "The Cable" blog reports. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah briefed reporters Wednesday about the disaster and their agencies' efforts in the region (Rogin, 8/4).

6 Aug 2010

Electronic health records improve patient outcomes: FSMB

The Federation of State Medical Boards announced today that it recognizes widespread adoption of electronic health records could be used by doctors to both improve patient outcomes and assess ongoing clinical competence for purposes of medical licensure. The FSMB made the announcement at the "Advancing Electronic Health Records Adoption and Meaningful Use" forum hosted by the Health Industry Forum of Brandeis University and Health Affairs.

6 Aug 2010

Survey reveals need for nutrition education among African Americans for disease prevention, management

Researchers looking for differences in eating habits of African Americans based on whether or not they had Type 2 diabetes uncovered an unexpected result: No matter what the blood sugar level was, the dietary intakes were pretty much the same.African Americans are 1.8 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and 1.4 times more likely to be obese than are non-Hispanic whites, according to federal health agencies. Obesity is a leading risk factor for development of diabetes, a condition that results when the body cannot properly use insulin to transfer sugar from the blood to muscle and fat cells that use glucose for energy.

6 Aug 2010

HHS Secretary announces $159.1M in grants to health care workforce training programs

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today will announce $159.1 million in grants to health care workforce training programs. These grants build on the multimillion dollar investments made under the Affordable Care Act and Recovery Act to strengthen and grow our primary care workforce. The grants will target three types of programs: Nursing Workforce Development programs; interdisciplinary geriatric education and training programs; and Centers of Excellence programs for underrepresented minority students.

6 Aug 2010

Study identifies options for restoring knee cartilage lubrication to prevent OA

An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament is fairly common, especially among young athletes. While it can often be corrected through surgery, the injury can lead to increased risk of developing degenerative joint diseases, including osteoarthritis. The problem is that fluid in the knee joint, which lubricates the cartilage, is impacted by the trauma of the injury and begins to deteriorate.

6 Aug 2010

New York Attorney General investigating health care credit cards

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating health care credit cards peddled by doctors and dentists.

6 Aug 2010

States consider how likely Medicaid funding could affect budgets

States are considering how likely-to-be-extended federal money for their Medicaid programs will affect their state budgets.

6 Aug 2010

Senate passes Medicaid assistance bill; House to return for vote

The Senate approved the $26 billion state-aid package on Thursday afternoon that will provide funding for Medicaid and teachers pay and other public services, The Wall Street Journal reports.

6 Aug 2010

Penn. enrolls more than 1,000 in new state high-risk pool; Wisc. cuts $625M from Medicaid while increasing coverage

Pennsylvania begins enrolling residents in its new high-risk insurance program. Elsewhere, Wisconsin trims its Medicaid program and states regulate the use of medical marijuana.

6 Aug 2010

Miami Herald reports on Haiti aid 'frustrations'

"A simmering dispute with the World Bank and reconstruction leaders is threatening the pace of rebuilding efforts in Haiti," reports the Miami Herald. The paper reports that nearly seven months after the country's devastating earthquake, "only 18 percent" of the $5.3 billion pledged by international donors "has been disbursed."

6 Aug 2010

House to return after Senate approves extension of enhanced Medicaid funds

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring the House back from its recess next week to vote on an extension of enhanced state Medicaid funds the Senate is poised to approve as soon as Thursday afternoon, Politico reports.

6 Aug 2010

Akonni Biosystems receives patent for TruTip Extraction Kits

Akonni Biosystems, a developer of low-cost, multiplex molecular diagnostic testing systems, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on July 20, 2010 for its method for rapidly purifying nucleic acids. U.S. Patent No. 7,759,112 entitled, "Apparatus, system, and method for purifying nucleic acids" protects the Company's use of its pioneering nucleic acid binding matrix when inserted into a pipette tip, tubing or cartridge for nucleic acid purification. The patent is owned by Akonni Biosystems.

6 Aug 2010

EMRs bring new risks as national push ramps up

Two electronic medical record snafus in two weeks at a Midwestern hospital chain are raising questions about the safety of such health IT systems, The Huffington Post Investigative Fund reports.

6 Aug 2010

Free clinic in D.C. draws more than 1,000 patients

With a wounded economy and high unemployment, more than 1,000 people came to a one-day free health clinic in the nation's capital Wednesday to get the basic care they can't afford or are otherwise denied because they have no insurance. More than three-quarters of those attending don't have insurance because they are recently unemployed, work for small businesses, earn hourly wages, or must work multiple part-time jobs with no insurance, said the event's medical director Dr. Bobby Kapur.

6 Aug 2010

Medicare solvency still troubled, despite new health law

The annual trustees report on Medicare and Social Security found that the programs are "facing strains from an aging population and an economy that can't seem to get out of low gear," The Associated Press reports.

6 Aug 2010

Anti-vaccine group accused of unauthorized fundraising

The Australian Vaccination Network is involved in controversy yet again. The Bangalow-based anti-vaccination group has been given a timeline of 28 days to answer to claims that it breached charitable fundraising legislation on several occasions. It was only last month that the Health Care Complaints Commission had accused AVN of spreading misleading information about the dangers of immunization through its website.

5 Aug 2010

Sanofi-aventis receives FDA approval for new Taxotere Injection Concentrate formulation

Sanofi-aventis U.S. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new one-vial formulation of its chemotherapeutic agent Taxotere® (docetaxel) Injection Concentrate. The 1-vial Taxotere is anticipated to become available to cancer treatment clinics and hospitals nationwide in the fall in both 80 mg and 20 mg dosages.

5 Aug 2010