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SSA to add early-onset Alzheimer's disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative

In its effort to improve and expedite the disability determination process, the Social Security Administration has announced that it will add early-onset Alzheimer's disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative. The initiative identifies debilitating diseases and medical conditions that meet the SSA's disability standards for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

12 Feb 2010

Mass. Gov. seeks greater authority to attack health costs

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick asked the state legislature to grant his administration broad new authority to "review and reject" excessive rates charged by medical providers in hopes of curbing costs and making health care more affordable, The Boston Globe reports. Under a bill filed Wednesday by Patrick, the rates that "hospitals and other health providers charge insurers would be 'presumptively disapproved as excessive' if they increased faster than the level of medical inflation, and they could be rejected after a public hearing."

12 Feb 2010

First FDA-approved umbilical cord blood stem cells infusion trial in children with cerebral palsy

Medical College of Georgia researchers are conducting the first FDA-approved clinical trial to determine whether an infusion of stem cells from umbilical cord blood can improve the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy.

12 Feb 2010

WellPoint defends 39% premium hike in letter to Sebelius

The Associated Press/Washington Post: WellPoint, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross "is blaming the Great Recession and rising medical costs for its planned 39 percent rate increase for some California customers of its Anthem Blue Cross plan. But Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius isn't buying the explanation proffered in a letter delivered to her" today.

11 Feb 2010

Nurse files anonymous complaint with medical board against doctor: Jury hears evidence over misuse of complaint process

Today a jury in West Texas is hearing evidence that a nurse, acting in bad faith, tried to run a doctor out of town by filing an anonymous complaint with the Texas Medical Board. The case is Texas v. Mitchell, No. 5612 (Andrews County, Texas, presiding Judge Jim Rex).

11 Feb 2010

Medica Foundation awards grants totaling $604,940 in second cycle of funding

The Medica Foundation wrapped up its 2009 giving with 17 program grants totaling $473,690 in its second cycle of funding in 2009. The Medica Foundation also awarded 19 General Health Improvement Grants totaling $131,250. Funding by the Medica Foundation totaled $604,940 in its second cycle; for all of 2009, its total funding was $1,353,000.

11 Feb 2010

Sears Hearing Centres joins Hearing Mission to Toluca, Mexico

Sears Hearing Centres founder, Rhonda Martin, announced today that she will be volunteering on an eight-day Hearing Mission to Toluca, Mexico from February 21st to the 28th. The Mission, which is preparing to fit more than 2,000 adults and children with over 4,000 hearing devices, has been organized by the Starkey Hearing Foundation, as part of its commitment to "Help the World Hear."

11 Feb 2010

DPC lauds passage of S.B. 316 dialysis care legislation

Dialysis Patient Citizens today praised the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee for unanimously passing legislation – S.B. 316 – which will increase patient access to life-saving dialysis care or transplant medications. Dialysis patients attending yesterday’s hearing encouraged lawmakers to support the bill which, if enacted, would greatly help approximately 2,000 Georgians suffering from kidney failure who are having difficulty accessing health insurance. Twenty-nine states across the country have enacted this popular legislation that is widely embraced by patients, family members and taxpayers.

11 Feb 2010

Findings could lead to new targeted therapies for speech and learning disabilities

A team of University of Oregon researchers have isolated an independent processing channel of synapses inside the brain's auditory cortex that deals specifically with shutting off sound processing at appropriate times.

11 Feb 2010

Current research underway to prevent preterm births

Family history, infection and stress all may play a role in raising a woman's risk of having a premature baby - but they don't fully explain why some women give birth too soon and others don't, according to a review article published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

11 Feb 2010

Medicaid and budget issues: California, Nevada officials outline dire scenarios for health services

"California is going to have to pay a $51.8 billion bill for health and dental benefits for state retirees, says state Controller John Chiang in a report to the Legislature Tuesday. 'Even as we try to claw our way out of the recession and provide needed cash to the state's coffers, we cannot ignore the promise that we made to pay health and dental benefits for current state employees and retirees,' says Mr. Chiang" (2/9).

11 Feb 2010

Congress to investigate 39 percent premium hike by California's Anthem Blue Cross

San Francisco Chronicle: "Angry lawmakers turned up the heat on Anthem Blue Cross on Tuesday, calling for federal and state investigations into the California health insurer's decision to increase rates by as much as 39 percent for thousands of policyholders statewide."

10 Feb 2010

Enrollment for SCAN Health Plan Arizona exceeds projections in Maricopa County

More than 6,300 Maricopa County residents selected SCAN Health Plan Arizona as their Medicare Advantage Plan (MAPD) for 2010, far exceeding SCAN's enrollment projections. Eligible individuals may continue to join SCAN until March 31, 2010.

10 Feb 2010

Report shows 3.4% of adult Minnesotans suffer from COPD

The nation's fourth leading cause of death, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is now being measured by the Minnesota Department of Health's Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. The program focuses on three major causes of hospitalizations in Minnesota that can be triggered or made worse by environmental factors such as secondhand smoke or outdoor air pollution — asthma, heart attacks and COPD.

10 Feb 2010

Mutation in alpha tectorin gene causes progressive childhood deafness

Deafness is the most common disorder of the senses. Tragically, it commonly strikes in early childhood, severely damaging an affected child's ability to learn speech and language. In many cases, children gradually lose their hearing to become profoundly deaf over a long period of months to years, but scientists know very little about how this progressive loss happens, making prospects for prevention and cure very slim.

8 Feb 2010

Health reform big week ahead: Insurance antitrust exemption, COBRA, Obama's bipartisan meeting

While the talk in the Senate will largely be about jobs, both houses of Congress are expected to take some action on health reform.

7 Feb 2010

AFGE provides solutions to tackle VA claims backlog

John McCray, a Rating Veterans Service Representative (RVSR) at the Veterans Benefits Administration, (VBA) in the Los Angeles Regional Office, testified on behalf of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) at a hearing held before the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The hearing was aimed at updating Congress on the implementation on the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act, P.L. 110-389.

5 Feb 2010

Low frequency therapy for temporary tinnitus: Student research project evolves into web-based company

In 2009 a student research project investigating a low frequency therapy for temporary tinnitus was joint runner-up in the 2009 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, held in Dublin, Ireland. The student research project which has now evolved into a web-based company, Restored Hearing (www.restoredhearing.ie) was one of the companies which showcased recently at the 2010 exhibition.

5 Feb 2010

AUL files brief in 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirming state's interest in safeguarding women

Attorneys with Americans United for Life filed a brief in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals arguing that Arizona's 2009 informed consent law is a constitutionally-appropriate expression of the state's legitimate interest in safeguarding the health of women considering abortions.

5 Feb 2010

U.N. taps Bill Clinton to lead Haiti rebuilding; 200,000 people died in quake, Haitian PM says

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday asked former President Bill Clinton, currently the U.N. special envoy for Haiti, to oversee aid and rebuilding efforts in Haiti, CNN reports (2/3).

5 Feb 2010

Hearing News and Research

SSA to add early-onset Alzheimer's disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative

Mass. Gov. seeks greater authority to attack health costs

First FDA-approved umbilical cord blood stem cells infusion trial in children with cerebral palsy

WellPoint defends 39% premium hike in letter to Sebelius

Nurse files anonymous complaint with medical board against doctor: Jury hears evidence over misuse of complaint process

Medica Foundation awards grants totaling $604,940 in second cycle of funding

Sears Hearing Centres joins Hearing Mission to Toluca, Mexico

DPC lauds passage of S.B. 316 dialysis care legislation

Findings could lead to new targeted therapies for speech and learning disabilities

Current research underway to prevent preterm births

Medicaid and budget issues: California, Nevada officials outline dire scenarios for health services

Congress to investigate 39 percent premium hike by California's Anthem Blue Cross

Enrollment for SCAN Health Plan Arizona exceeds projections in Maricopa County

Report shows 3.4% of adult Minnesotans suffer from COPD

Mutation in alpha tectorin gene causes progressive childhood deafness

Health reform big week ahead: Insurance antitrust exemption, COBRA, Obama's bipartisan meeting

AFGE provides solutions to tackle VA claims backlog

Low frequency therapy for temporary tinnitus: Student research project evolves into web-based company

AUL files brief in 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirming state's interest in safeguarding women

U.N. taps Bill Clinton to lead Haiti rebuilding; 200,000 people died in quake, Haitian PM says

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

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