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Obama adds benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers

The Washington Post: "President Obama extended Wednesday a wider range of benefits to the same-sex partners of eligible federal workers, including access to medical treatment, relocation assistance, credit unions and fitness centers. The move goes beyond a memo Obama signed last June, which permitted same-sex partners to use the government's long-term-care insurance and other fringe benefits." The benefits do not, however, "cover uniformed members of the military" (O'Keefe, 6/3).

4 Jun 2010

Federal jury convicts Houston-area physician, residents over multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme

Houston-area physician Dr. Howard Grant and Houston residents Clinton Lee and Obisike Nwankwo were convicted late Wednesday by a federal jury in connection with their roles in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS).

4 Jun 2010

Quality of life improves treatment of children with velocardiofacial syndrome: Research

Research about quality of life is improving the treatment of children with velocardiofacial syndrome, a chronic, genetic condition with a wide range of symptoms, including congenital heart disease, palatal abnormalities (e.g. cleft palate), and learning difficulties.

4 Jun 2010

Haiti donor conference calls for aid pledge delivery, focuses on need for political stability

At a donor summit in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, Haitian President Rene Preval called on donors to follow through on their aid pledges, Al Jazeera reports.

4 Jun 2010

COBRA subsidy stall could raise premiums for millions while battle rages over 'doc fix'

The (Delaware County, Pa.) Daily Times reports that health care premiums for millions of Americans could "triple with the expiration of government subsidies to the COBRA program."

4 Jun 2010

Financial Times examines needs of smallholder farmers in developing countries

Reflecting on USAID's plans to reduce reliance on food aid to fight global hunger by investing in agricultural development through microloans, the Financial Times examines the needs of smallholder farmers throughout the world. The piece looks at the role that lenders and large suppliers can play in assisting smallholder farmers and ways to maximize the relationships between farmers and these groups.

4 Jun 2010

American Cancer Society and NPCRC award $1.8M for palliative care research

The American Cancer Society and the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) are awarding $1.8 million in research grants to researchers at 12 institutions for studies aimed at reducing suffering for seriously ill patients and their family caregivers. The studies will be conducted over the next two years. Since 2007, a collaborative effort by the organizations has awarded 51 grants totaling almost $7 million.

4 Jun 2010

State roundup: Health law could be critical for Miss.'s poor; Colorado passes end-of-life care laws, Penn. details plan for high risk pool

The health care overhaul, which "provides hundreds of billions of dollars to help states expand medical insurance for the poor," could prove critical for Mississippi, which "has the highest poverty rate in the nation and some of the sickest people, with the country's highest rate of heart disease and the second-highest rate of diabetes.

4 Jun 2010

States face budget scramble as chances for federal Medicaid assistance extension get slim

States are worrying that enhanced federal payments to help cover Medicaid expenses during the recession will soon end after the House opted not to include an extension of the funds in its recent jobs bill.

4 Jun 2010

Administration claims about Dartmouth Medicare analyses questioned

The New York Times, in a front page story, reports: "In selling the health care overhaul to Congress, the Obama administration cited a once obscure research group at Dartmouth College to claim that it could not only cut billions in wasteful health care spending but make people healthier by doing so.

4 Jun 2010

United Health, Cigna differ on how plans will change after exchanges begin

United Health's CEO Stephen Hemsley said he expects companies to keep offering benefits instead of pushing people to health exchanges created in 2014 by the federal government, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

4 Jun 2010

YM BioSciences raises $3.2M through non-brokered private placement of common shares

YM BioSciences Inc., announced today that it has raised approximately US$3.2 million through a non-brokered private placement of 2,500,000 common shares to be issued at US$1.27. The sale price is at no discount to the closing price of the shares on the NYSE Amex on June 1, 2010.

4 Jun 2010

WHO says H1N1 remains pandemic

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan on Thursday announced the WHO still considers H1N1 (swine) flu a pandemic, despite the fact "its most intense activity has passed in many parts of the world," Reuters reports (Lynn, 6/3).

4 Jun 2010

Report ranks best children's hospitals

U.S. News & World Report reports on the nation's best children's hospitals: "Out of all of the roughly 5,000 U.S. hospitals, only about 1 in 30 has deep expertise in caring for children with serious problems. For youngsters who need that quality of care, the Best Children's Hospitals rankings showcase the medical centers that see kids every day who have cancer, cystic fibrosis, defective hearts, and countless other life-threatening or rare conditions beyond the capabilities of most hospitals, even those with sizable pediatric departments.

4 Jun 2010

Sebelius to highlight geographic differences in Medicare hospital payments

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visits Rochester's Mayo Clinic Thursday morning. ... The visit comes after a recent report that Minnesota will receive money earmarked for states which provide low-cost, high-value health care. But just how much money Minnesota will receive is far from certain. Sebelius is expected to get a first-hand look at the clinic's technology for tracking health care information.

4 Jun 2010

Vermont regulator demands $3 million payback from insurer

Burlington Free Press: "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont overpaid its former chief executive officer by $3 million over an eight-year period and has been ordered to pay the money back to its subscribers by 2012 in the form of reduced premiums, a top state regulator said Wednesday. The action by the state Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration Department follows last year's disclosure that William Milnes, the nonprofit firm's former CEO, received a $7.2 million payout when he stepped down in 2008."

4 Jun 2010

Latest version of LOINC for electronic health information exchange to be released

As the practice, regulation and reimbursement of health care become more complicated, and as the demand for electronic medical records and health information exchange grows, a universal method of identifying test results and other clinical measurement is essential.

4 Jun 2010

WisTa Laboratories announces collaborative R&D agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma

WisTa Laboratories Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of TauRx Pharmaceuticals, announced today that they have entered a collaborative R&D agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, which could redefine the way Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders are currently being diagnosed and treated.

4 Jun 2010

Poll says more than half of Californians support health overhaul

Half of Californian voters support the new health care law, but many say "it's only a first of many necessary changes," The Associated Press/San Jose Mercury News reports. "In 1,522 telephone surveys of registered voters conducted in April, Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo says 30 percent strongly support the nation's new health care law, and another 22 percent somewhat support it. Compared to previous national polls, the new law is more popular in California than the rest of the country."

4 Jun 2010

SERCA2a gene therapy proves effective in people with advanced heart failure: Researchers

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a new gene therapy that is safe and effective in reversing advanced heart failure. SERCA2a (produced as MYDICAR-) is a gene therapy designed to stimulate production of an enzyme that enables the failing heart to pump more effectively.

4 Jun 2010

Health Care News and Research

Obama adds benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers

Federal jury convicts Houston-area physician, residents over multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme

Quality of life improves treatment of children with velocardiofacial syndrome: Research

Haiti donor conference calls for aid pledge delivery, focuses on need for political stability

COBRA subsidy stall could raise premiums for millions while battle rages over 'doc fix'

Financial Times examines needs of smallholder farmers in developing countries

American Cancer Society and NPCRC award $1.8M for palliative care research

State roundup: Health law could be critical for Miss.'s poor; Colorado passes end-of-life care laws, Penn. details plan for high risk pool

States face budget scramble as chances for federal Medicaid assistance extension get slim

Administration claims about Dartmouth Medicare analyses questioned

United Health, Cigna differ on how plans will change after exchanges begin

YM BioSciences raises $3.2M through non-brokered private placement of common shares

WHO says H1N1 remains pandemic

Report ranks best children's hospitals

Sebelius to highlight geographic differences in Medicare hospital payments

Vermont regulator demands $3 million payback from insurer

Latest version of LOINC for electronic health information exchange to be released

WisTa Laboratories announces collaborative R&D agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma

Poll says more than half of Californians support health overhaul

SERCA2a gene therapy proves effective in people with advanced heart failure: Researchers

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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