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State roundup: Genetic testing on campus, Texas docs in Mass., and more

"A plan by the University of California, Berkeley to voluntarily test the DNA of incoming freshman has come under fire from critics who said the school was pushing an unproven technology on impressionable students. The university has said it will send test kits to 5,500 new students to analyze genes that help control the body's responses to alcohol, dairy products and folic acid" (Wohlsen, 5/21).

24 May 2010

New Mexico meets all requirements for operational planning as part of ARRA state HIE program: ONC

New Mexico is the first state to meet all requirements for strategic and operational planning as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act state health information exchange cooperative agreement program, according to the United States Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

24 May 2010

Research roundup: Lessons from Medicare Part D; Evaluating medical homes; Insuring young adults

Lessons Learned: Who Didn't Enroll In Medicare Drug Coverage In 2006, And Why? - With data from the 2005 and 2006 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, this study examines enrollment of those who were previously without either public or private sources of prescription drug coverage. The authors report "63 percent of all eligible seniors and 69 percent of low-income beneficiaries were enrolled in Part D in 2006.

24 May 2010

House poised to consider COBRA subsidy extension, Medicare payment 'fix'

Caught up in the congressional politics swirling around a pending tax bill are two proposals to extend — once again — subsidies for COBRA health insurance and a 'fix' of Medicare payments to doctors.

24 May 2010

New findings on INTUNIV Extended Release Tablets presented at major psychiatric meeting

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced new findings on once-daily INTUNIV (guanfacine) Extended Release Tablets, the first selective alpha-2A agonist approved for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, at a major psychiatric meeting.

24 May 2010

Delegates at the World Health Assembly adopt resolutions on variety of global health issues

The 63rd World Health Assembly, which brought together Health Ministers and senior health officials from the World Health Organization's Member States, concluded business and closed Friday evening.

24 May 2010

New therapies can turn cancer into chronic disease

Two new studies suggest that the prolonged use of cancer drugs helped stunt the progress of the disease, a shift from the scheduled courses of treatment typically delivered to patients, The Wall Street Journal reports.

24 May 2010

Medical groups sue for exemption from new FTC credit rules

Some speciality publications are covering the dispute over possible impact on dentists, doctors and other medical professionals.

24 May 2010

At-home blood pressure monitors help patients manage their high blood pressure: Research

The use of at-home blood pressure monitors and web-based reporting tools that connect clinicians and patients via the Internet appears to significantly improve patients' ability to manage their high blood pressure to healthy levels, according to research from Kaiser Permanente.

24 May 2010

Democrats moving to extend COBRA subsidy expansion through end of year

Tucked into a $190 billion jobs and tax bill the House plans to take up next week is an extension of the subsidy to help laid-off workers pay for COBRA health insurance benefits.

24 May 2010

Opinions: Family planning; U.S. food aid

In his latest New York Times column, Nicholas Kristof writes about the "unavailability of birth control in many poor countries," noting some experiences from a recent trip to Africa.

24 May 2010

Poor survival rates in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients attributed to lifestyle factors

A new study led by researchers from Mayo Clinic in collaboration with six other U.S. institutions has found that patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who smoked, consumed alcohol or were obese before their cancer diagnosis had poorer overall survival, compared to patients who did not have these risk factors.

24 May 2010

Health leaders discuss polio, alcohol, childhood obesity at WHA

From the 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, the Associated Press reports on what some "describe as a new strategy to get rid of" polio that focuses on developing solutions to "problems in each country, provides more WHO monitoring, like more teleconferences, and holds governments more accountable." The plans also provide "[n]ew [polio] outbreak response plans," according to the AP.

24 May 2010

KHN column: The prevention dilemma

In this Kaiser Health News column, Partnership for Prevention President and CEO Robert Gould writes: "If given the choice to spread prevention money around or to concentrate it to make a profound, historic and measurable impact, what would you do?

24 May 2010

Lancet examines efforts to reform USAID

A Lancet World Report article examines the decision to restore USAID's policy department as part of broader reform efforts at the agency.

24 May 2010

Economist features special report on water

In a special report on water the Economist examines the causes of and growing concerns over increasing scarcity around the world.

24 May 2010

Baucus: No guarantee of Berwick confirmation hearing by July 4

Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee "said Thursday he hopes to have a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Donald Berwick to become administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services before the Fourth of July recess.

24 May 2010

Feed the Future Guide for Obama administration's food security plan released

The "full details of how the money will be spent" has not yet been released, but the guide said the initiative would aim to increase "access to products such as fertilisers and new technology, including agriculture biotechnology," the Financial Times reports.

24 May 2010

Medicaid news: Early expansion unlikely in Ohio, Florida disputes managed care

"A tight state budget will make an expansion of health care coverage for the poor and disabled unlikely in Ohio this year, an option given to states under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, the state's Medicaid chief said Thursday. ... it's unclear how many will use Medicaid to fill coverage gaps before 2014, when most of the health care provisions take effect. So far, only Connecticut and the District of Columbia submitted such proposals to the federal government."

21 May 2010

Today's OpEds: Wyden on bipartisanship health reform; How to spend prevention funds; CLASS Act

I still think I had a pretty good idea for health reform — despite its rejection by significant Democratic and Republican leaders — but so did Bob Bennett. I was on the Senate floor three years ago when Bob walked across the center aisle to tell me he was willing to work with me on health reform (Sen. Ron Wyden, 5/21).

21 May 2010

Health Care News and Research

State roundup: Genetic testing on campus, Texas docs in Mass., and more

New Mexico meets all requirements for operational planning as part of ARRA state HIE program: ONC

Research roundup: Lessons from Medicare Part D; Evaluating medical homes; Insuring young adults

House poised to consider COBRA subsidy extension, Medicare payment 'fix'

New findings on INTUNIV Extended Release Tablets presented at major psychiatric meeting

Delegates at the World Health Assembly adopt resolutions on variety of global health issues

New therapies can turn cancer into chronic disease

Medical groups sue for exemption from new FTC credit rules

At-home blood pressure monitors help patients manage their high blood pressure: Research

Democrats moving to extend COBRA subsidy expansion through end of year

Opinions: Family planning; U.S. food aid

Poor survival rates in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients attributed to lifestyle factors

Health leaders discuss polio, alcohol, childhood obesity at WHA

KHN column: The prevention dilemma

Lancet examines efforts to reform USAID

Economist features special report on water

Baucus: No guarantee of Berwick confirmation hearing by July 4

Feed the Future Guide for Obama administration's food security plan released

Medicaid news: Early expansion unlikely in Ohio, Florida disputes managed care

Today's OpEds: Wyden on bipartisanship health reform; How to spend prevention funds; CLASS Act

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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