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New Senate version of health care reform with government funding for elective abortion introduced

Last night, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the Senate Democrats introduced a new Senate version of health care reform that includes government funding for elective abortion. The "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" authorizes the Secretary to include elective abortion in the public option and subsidize health plans in the government run exchange that cover elective abortion.

20 Nov 2009

Global initiative battles online supply of dangerous and illegal medicines

In response to an ever-increasing number of websites supplying dangerous and illegal medicines, Operation Pangea II, involving 24 countries, was coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Health Organization's International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) to highlight the dangers of buying medicines online.

20 Nov 2009

Health care reform will not impact America's pharmaceutical research industry

A recent Reuters article reported that America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies don't expect an industry increase as a result of broader insurance coverage proposed in health care reform.

20 Nov 2009

Purchasing prescription drugs in a three-month supply reduce cost of drugs for patients

Purchasing prescription drugs in a three-month supply rather than a one-month supply has long been regarded as a way to reduce the cost of drugs for patients and third-party payers. New research from the University of Chicago quantifies the savings for the first time.

20 Nov 2009

Restricting access to flexible spending accounts is a disappointment: Save Flexible Spending Plans

"It is disappointing that the Senate is determined to fund health care reform by restricting access to flexible spending accounts (FSAs), a valuable benefit relied upon by more than 35 million Americans to help hold down health care costs. Severely curtailing the use of FSAs will not only force participants to pay more in health care costs, it flies in the face of President Obama's pledge to not raise taxes on the middle class.

20 Nov 2009

H1N1: Bridging the knowledge gap

A commentary in the December issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases brings to light the gaps in knowledge on the transmission of a common pathogen - the influenza virus - and its impact on decisions about how best to protect health care workers. Infectious diseases specialist Leonard Mermel, DO, medical director of infection control for Rhode Island Hospital, looks at the ongoing debate in light of the H1N1 pandemic, what past research tells us about the spread of influenza, and what is missing in the debate. His commentary is currently available in an online first edition.

20 Nov 2009

NORD letter conveys support for passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

On behalf of the 150 member organizations of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) representing nearly 30 million patients and families afflicted with one of the 7,000 known rare diseases, we are writing to convey our strong support for passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

20 Nov 2009

Individualized decision between woman and her provider is the best choice for mammograms

The controversy around mammography emphasizes that the best decision on screening is made by a woman and her health care provider. Balancing a woman's individual medical history, risks, and concern level about breast cancer is a decision at the individual level using guidelines as a guide and not as something fixed in concrete," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the nation's leading Hispanic health advocacy group.

20 Nov 2009

Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Eating Recovery Center

By demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety, Eating Recovery Center (http://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com), a behavioral hospital providing comprehensive treatment and sustainable recovery for eating disorders, has earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval.

19 Nov 2009

Tax on cosmetic surgery opposed by AACS

As negotiators on Capitol Hill try to find ways to fund a health care overhaul, a 5% tax on cosmetic surgery has been introduced on Nov. 18 as part of the Senate's proposed health reform bill, introduced by US Senator Harry Reid (D-NV).

19 Nov 2009

American Diabetes Association launches redesigned diabetes website

To meet the changing needs of people affected by this growing epidemic, the American Diabetes Association has launched a completely redesigned www.diabetes.org in English and Spanish. Even though diabetes is a growing epidemic, a recent survey conducted by the Association showed that Americans received a failing grade in diabetes awareness.

19 Nov 2009

New technology to investigate sleep disorders developed

Virtanen has developed a method for analysing snoring sounds by using a PC with a microphone connection and a wireless microphone. The objective was to create an application that could be used at home to monitor snoring. By utilizing this technology, researchers from Tampere University of Technology and the University of Helsinki have investigated sleep disorders and further refined related screening technologies.

19 Nov 2009

Health care spending in Canada expected to reach $183.1 billion in 2009: CIHI

Health care spending in Canada is expected to reach $183.1 billion in 2009, an estimated increase of $9.5 billion, or 5.5%, since 2008, according to new figures released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

19 Nov 2009

Reid says Senate will hold first health bill vote on Saturday

Reuters reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday the Senate will vote Saturday on a procedural move to begin debate on the Senate's health care reform bill. "'The finish line is in sight,' ... Reid said.

19 Nov 2009

$10 million grant to help enroll uninsured, eligible American Indian and Alaska Native children in CHIP

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $10 million in grants to help reach American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children who qualify for, but are not yet enrolled, in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

19 Nov 2009

Senate health bill's abortion language triggers mixed reactions

The Hill reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "prefers abortion language in the Senate healthcare legislation to the House approach." Pelosi said she was pleased with the Senate bill's treatment of abortion, saying "'I think it's pretty clear no federal funds would be used to pay for abortion.'" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid left out Rep. Bart Stupak's abortion amendment from his merged Senate health care reform bill, opting instead to "maintain current law where that is applicable and extend it to new programs created by the legislation."

19 Nov 2009

UnitedHealthcare receives Business Insurance magazine’s Readers Choice Award

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, has been named the “Best Health Plan Provider” by the readers of Business Insurance in the magazine’s fifth annual Readers Choice Awards.

19 Nov 2009

Senate health bill released, another step toward Democratic-backed reforms

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the stage for a climactic debate in the Senate over health care by unveiling a 10-year, $848 billion bill that would extend insurance to 31 million Americans without coverage," The Wall Street Journal reports.

19 Nov 2009

CBO: Senate health bill would reduce deficit $130 billion over a decade

Democratic leaders were jubilant that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office determined that the Senate bill would cut federal deficits by $130 billion over the next decade. That projection, released shortly before midnight Wednesday, represents the biggest cost savings of any legislation to come before the House or Senate this year, but the measure's effective date also was pushed back by one year, to 2014.

19 Nov 2009

Insurers say they won't alter mammogram coverage despite new guidelines

Insurance companies say mammogram coverage is unlikely to change despite the debate over the effectiveness of breast cancer screenings for women in their forties.

19 Nov 2009