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Health IT roundup: Fears of hackers, efforts at fraud prevention

Some privacy advocates say the government is seeking to move too quickly to digitize health records, and may risk exposing sensitive information to identity thieves and hackers. These privacy advocates appear to favor slow progress is spreading electronic records because - they hope - consumer safeguards can keep up with that pace.

26 Mar 2010

Standard HCV therapy less effective in urban minority patients: Study

A recent study confirms that the standard hepatitis C therapy, pegylated interferon and ribavirin, is significantly less effective in urban minority patients treated in an ordinary clinical practice setting compared with results produced during clinical trials.

26 Mar 2010

Coverage for sick kids under question in new law

Kaiser Health News staff writers Phil Galewitz and Andrew Villegas write that while Democrats have said that the new health law "would immediately stop insurers from denying coverage to children with pre-existing medical conditions, ... health advocates and some insurers say the law does not clearly state that such protection starts this year.

26 Mar 2010

Independent DMC recommends continuance of enrollment in Eisai's Phase III ACCESS trial

Eisai Inc. announced today that the Phase III ACCESS (A Controlled Comparison of Eritoran and Placebo in Patients with Severe Sepsis) trial of the investigational compound eritoran (E5564) will continue enrolling to the preset goal of 2,000 patients. As part of a planned interim analysis, an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) has evaluated efficacy and safety data on the first 1,500 subjects to complete the 28-day follow-up in the Phase III ACCESS trial.

26 Mar 2010

GOP forces second house vote on health reconciliation bill

Senate Republicans found a way to force a second House vote on a health reform reconciliation bill after identifying parliamentary flaws, including one in the calculation of a student loan provision.

26 Mar 2010

Obama to pitch health care law in Iowa

President Obama Thursday will try to convince a wavering public that a new health care reform law will benefit their lives as he travels to Iowa City for a rally where he first called for health care legislation as a presidential candidate.

26 Mar 2010

Human rights organization calls for national action to combat rising pregnancy-related complications

Amnesty International today pointed to new government figures showing the highest-ever rate of Caesarean sections as more evidence the United States needs to adopt guidelines for the use of obstetric procedures to begin reversing rising pregnancy complications and maternal deaths.

26 Mar 2010

It's over: House passes last piece of landmark health reform, 220-207

Politico: "Congress completed its work Thursday night on the broadest social legislation in almost a half-century, as the House capped the year-long legislative saga over health reform by signing off on a package of fixes to the newly minted law. In the end, the titanic battle over remaking the American health care system drew to a close on a pair of votes drained of suspense - after the Senate approved the clean-up bill earlier Thursday. The House approved the clean-up bill, 220 to 207" (Budoff Brown, 3/25).

26 Mar 2010

Medicare Roundup: Changes from health reform, payments for HIV patients

USA Today: "Perhaps the biggest factor in whether your Medicare costs will rise or fall depends on your Medicare plan. There are two: a traditional Medicare plan run by the federal government and Medicare Advantage, which is run by private insurance companies. Medicare Advantage costs more than the traditional plan, but provides more generous benefits.

26 Mar 2010

Medicare pay cut for doctors still looms at end of month

"A health care overhaul may now be in place, but a pay cut for Medicare reimbursements to physicians looms again at the end of the month, and the president-elect of the American Medical Association said Wednesday that doctors are continuing to pursue a permanent fix for the system," CQ Health Beat reports.

26 Mar 2010

Sexual abuse in childhood triggers retraumatization during pregnancy

A new study carried out by Prof. Rachel Lev-Wiesel and Dr. Tzachi Ben Zion has found that women who were victims of sexual abuse in childhood reported higher levels of depression and symptoms of post-trauma during pregnancy.

26 Mar 2010

Comparative effectiveness research in reform legislation seeks to control health costs

Within the health bill is an element that "has generated far less attention and political heat than other parts of the White House's plan to expand medical coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans.

26 Mar 2010

Lack of good health care curtails academic performance: Study

"Educationally relevant health disparities" are key drivers of the achievement gap, "but they are largely overlooked," said Charles Basch, the Richard March Hoe Professor of Health Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

25 Mar 2010

Supporters, opponents plan new P.R. blitz

The health law is signed - though some changes are still pending - but the fight continues, The Washington Post reports. "Interest groups that spent the past year fighting over President Obama's health-care overhaul are quickly transforming themselves for battle in a new arena, working to sway the law to their benefit while helping the lawmakers who supported them during the bruising legislative debate. For instance, labor unions and industry lobbying groups will attempt to influence regulation writing. Progressives and unions will spend millions to sell the still-controversial plan to voters. Conservatives who opposed it are now retargeting their ire to vulnerable Democratic lawmakers who supported the legislation

25 Mar 2010

States begin legal challenge to new health law but experts raise doubts about their chances

Attorneys general from 13 states sued the federal government yesterday, arguing the landmark health care overhaul is unconstitutional just seven minutes after President Obama signed it into law.

25 Mar 2010

Senate starts debate clock on contentious health reform reconciliation bill

The Senate has begun debate, which Democrats hope to bring to a quick close, on a health care reform reconciliation bill that "fixes" parts of the law President Obama signed Tuesday.

25 Mar 2010

GOP forces reconciliation bill back to the House for another vote

With the Senate working through an all-night session on a package of changes to the Democrats' sweeping health care legislation, Republicans early Thursday morning identified parliamentary problems with at least two provisions that will require the measure to be sent back to the House for yet another vote, once the Senate adopts it.

25 Mar 2010

Obama signs historic health overhaul bill surrounded by supporters, lawmakers

In front of packed crowd of cheering, enthusiastic lawmakers and others, President Barack Obama signed the Senate health care bill into law yesterday.

25 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 25, 2010

Today's early morning highlights stories from major news organizations, including reports on the progress of the health reconciliation bill, threats against Democrats because of their votes on the new health overhaul law and questions about a highly touted reform.

25 Mar 2010

Texas and Arizona prepare for reform's effects on illegal immigrants and patients at community health centers

The Houston Chronicle: "Illegal immigrants likely would become the largest patient pool of the Harris County Hospital District as a result of health care reform unless the taxpayer-funded institution can attract more insured patients than it currently serves, according to public health experts.

25 Mar 2010