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Obama administration releases rules for health exchanges, emphasizes flexibility for states

The regulations outline minimum standards that states must meet to set up and run these health insurance marketplaces by a Jan. 1, 2014, deadline.

14 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 14, 2012

Today's headlines feature coverage of the Congressional Budget Office's latest estimates regarding the health law's costs and the nation's deficit.

14 Mar 2012

Cooler hands may improve results of work out: Study

Researcher Stacy Sims, a research scientist and exercise physiologist at Stanford University School of Medicine presented her findings Tuesday at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism scientific sessions in San Diego. “If you think about adipose [fat] tissue, it's a great insulator,” Sims said. For people who are obese, that means they often get too hot while exercising. “It would be like Lance Armstrong wearing a wet suit for the entire Tour de France,” she said. “We're trying to address those barriers.”

14 Mar 2012

GOP fissures likely to emerge with efforts to revamp budget deal, Medicare

House Republicans appear divided over whether to push for deeper spending cuts in the 2013 budget plan than those agreed upon during last year's debt ceiling deal. Democrats and Republicans are also preparing for a Medicare fight. Meanwhile, some GOP senators have requested a hearing with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to discuss revised cost estimates for the health law.

14 Mar 2012

FDA clears Ventana PR (1E2) image analysis algorithm and digital read applications

Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the VENTANA Companion Algorithm Progesterone Receptor (PR) (1E2) image analysis application used with the VENTANA iScan Coreo Au scanner running VIRTUOSO software.

14 Mar 2012

Too much red meat in diet can shorten lifespan: Study

According to Harvard researchers, publishing this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the risk of dying at an early age - from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause, rises in step with red-meat consumption. Eating too much red meat, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, has long been seen as unhealthy, especially for the heart. The new study, however, is the first to estimate the effect of red meat in diet on a person's lifespan.

13 Mar 2012

Orra Health transcription software for physicians

One can now dictate patient observations on the way home from the clinic and view the transcripts the following morning. Calls for "Accessibility anywhere, anytime" have already started rending the air around healthcare, and here is an app that seeks to do just that!

13 Mar 2012

HHS releases exchange rules, highlights 'state flexibility'

The Department of Health and Human Services today released the final rule for health insurance exchanges, which reportedly includes specifics about state functions and responsibilities.

13 Mar 2012

Thermo Fisher Scientific introduces new ICP-MS system, iCAP Q

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today launched its new Thermo Scientific iCAP Q, an ICP-MS system that features world-class performance and increased throughput to help laboratories cut analysis times by up to 50 percent when compared to the XSERIES 2 ICP-MS, the model it replaces.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 12 Mar 2012

Santorum, others say Romney won't be able to campaign against Obama's health law

As Mitt Romney moves closer to locking up the Republican presidential nomination, the questions about his ability to attack President Obama on healthcare are only getting louder. Conservatives have long been uneasy with Romney's record on healthcare.

12 Mar 2012

LSD for alcohol addiction: Study

Hallucinogenic drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) could help alcoholics give up drinking, according to an analysis of studies performed in the 1960s. A study, presented in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, looked at data from six trials and more than 500 patients. It said there was a “significant beneficial effect” on alcohol abuse, which lasted several months after the drug was taken.

12 Mar 2012

Diaverum takes an active role in 2012 World Kidney day

Diaverum, one of the world's leading renal care service providers, is taking an active role in today's World Kidney day. Through activities such as open door days at dialysis clinics, free kidney screening and blood pressure tests, Diaverum is increasing awareness for renal diseases and informing about possible prevention measures.

8 Mar 2012

Tavenner: Final exchange rule release just weeks away

Modern Healthcare and CQ HealthBeat report that the final rule on health insurance exchanges will be out "very soon."

8 Mar 2012

Romney claims Ohio victory on Super Tuesday but Santorum continues to press health reform issues

Santorum uses election night speech to again assail the former governor's support of a Massachusetts health overhaul that some say was a template for the federal law.

8 Mar 2012

Study suggests how and why high fat diets are linked to colon cancer

Epidemiologists have long warned that, in addition to causing obesity, eating too much fat and sugar puts a person at greater risk for colon cancer. Now, researchers at Temple University have established a link that may explain why.

8 Mar 2012

New inexpensive medical sensor may simplify diagnosis of diseases

An inexpensive new medical sensor has the potential to simplify the diagnosis of diseases ranging from life-threatening immune deficiencies to the common cold, according to its inventors at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

8 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 7, 2012

Reporting for Kaiser Health News in collaboration with The Washington Post, Susan Jaffe writes: "In the latest effort to enlist seniors in the fight against Medicare fraud, federal officials have overhauled Medicare billing statements to make it easier to find bogus charges without a magnifying glass."

7 Mar 2012

HHS: 105 million people no longer face health insurance lifetime limits

A Department of Health and Human Services report released Monday quantified the number of Americans with health insurance who no longer face these benefit limits.

7 Mar 2012

Obama birth control rule draws calls for action in House of Representatives

CQ HealthBeat reports that at least one House lawmaker is pushing to move a bill that is considered the companion to the Blunt amendment, which would have expanded exemptions to the Obama administration rule and was defeated late last week by the full Senate.

6 Mar 2012

Male circumcision initiative in Kenya fails to meet target for first time, PlusNews reports

"Kenya's most recent male circumcision rapid results initiative failed to meet its target, and officials are stepping up efforts to identify and fix the problems that could foil the government's campaign to circumcise more than one million men by 2013," PlusNews reports.

6 Mar 2012