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Democrats look to Medicare to help finance reform

The Associated Press: "Medicare is looking like a big fat piggy bank for health care overhaul. President Barack Obama and the Democrats want to pay for much of their plan to cover the uninsured by cutting hundreds of billions from the Medicare budget over the next 10 years. From its inception, the health plan for seniors has been kept afloat by taxes out of workers' paychecks. Now, Medicare savings would count toward helping uninsured working-age children and grandchildren afford their own coverage."

29 Sep 2009

Solos to supply MammoView surgical endoscopy instruments for Beth Israel Medical Center

Solos Endoscopy, Inc. (Pink Sheets: SNDY) is pleased to announce that the Company has received purchase orders for the MammoView(TM) line of surgical endoscopy instruments from Beth Israel Medical Center, one of the five Continuum Health Partners health care facilities that play a vital role in providing quality medical care for millions of New Yorkers.

29 Sep 2009

90-day supply program to improve overall healthcare

Walgreens (NYSE:WAG) today launched a broad initiative for 90-day prescriptions that promotes delivery of maintenance and chronic care medication through its national network of more than 7,000 community pharmacies and employer worksite centers.

29 Sep 2009

Local officials address long-term costs associated with employee and retiree health care

About 49 percent of the nations’ cities, counties and townships expect less revenue in 2010, and 21 percent expect fewer employees, according to a new survey.

29 Sep 2009

First edition: September 29, 2009

The Finance Committee will resume work today on its mark up of its health bill -- with some fireworks likely on the public plan and other wild cards.

29 Sep 2009

Campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience to end insurance abuse

Citizens and health care providers who are fed up with the state of our health care system will risk arrest at a New York Aetna health insurance office on Tuesday morning. The sit-in is the first action in part of a larger mobilization to end insurance abuse and build support for real reform – Medicare for All, a single payer plan.

29 Sep 2009

Research finds novel chemical that targets drug-resistant bacteria

Eric Brown, a professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, and a team of researchers from the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research have identified a novel chemical compound that targets drug-resistant bacteria in a different way from existing antibiotics. The discovery could lead to new treatments to overcome antibiotic resistance in certain types of microorganisms.

29 Sep 2009

Also in Global Health news: News outlets explore AIDS vaccine research; chloroquine resistance unraveled; authorities contest maternal mortality report

The Associated Press examines the role of the Thai participants in the recent clinical trial of an experimental HIV vaccine which showed modest potential for preventing infection. "Nearly 16,000 Thais ignored the false rumors that they were being infected by the AIDS virus, and overcame their fears of becoming social outcasts to participate in trials of the first vaccine found to prevent infection with the deadly virus," the news service writes (Ahuja/Casey, 9/27).

29 Sep 2009

Baucus target of ad favoring a public option

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is the target of an advertising campaign by two progressive groups advocating for the inclusion of a public option in legislation to overhaul the health care systeml, according to Capitol Briefing, a Washington Post blog.

29 Sep 2009

Statistical modeling used to estimate benefits and risks of PSA screening

Men largely make decisions about prostate cancer screening based on conversations with their clinicians, but these discussions often do not include information about the risks of testing in addition to the benefits, according to a report in the September 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29 Sep 2009

State round up: California E.R. traffic up while Massachusettes plan proves popular

Newspapers report on the rising number of emergency patients in California's state capital and the popularity of Massachusetts' health system.

29 Sep 2009

Underinsured struggle to keep up with bills; uninsured seek clinic care or play the odds

The underinsured are continuing their struggle to keep up with piling medical bills, and are seeking care at federally funded clinics in greater-than-ever numbers, but some choose to remain uninsured.

29 Sep 2009

Republicans switch tact on Medicare for current health debate

Republicans, have switched sides, and now accuse Democrats of trying to cut Medicare. Meanwhile, Dems are vexed by the affordability issue.

29 Sep 2009

New York hospital system invests in digital patient records

The New York Times reports: "The nation's drive toward computerized medical records is getting a push from big hospitals, which hope not only to improve patient care but to gain an edge on competitors. And an effort to be announced on Monday by a big New York regional hospital group may be the most ambitious effort of this type yet — a sizable investment intended as a linchpin in the group's $400 million commitment to digitize patient records throughout its system, including 13 hospitals."

29 Sep 2009

Sen. Lincoln, who once won election on support for health care reform, feeling political pressures

"Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln has run two successful Senate campaigns on pledges to expand and improve health insurance coverage. Now, as Congress works to deliver on that promise, it threatens to become an issue that could end her career."

29 Sep 2009

Not enough insurance and swimming in medical bills

As part of the series, "Are You Covered?" Kaiser Health News and NPR report that "more than 25 million Americans have Swiss-cheese health insurance: it's full of holes. Experts call them the 'under-insured'" (Knox, 9/28).

29 Sep 2009

Health care reform: Detailing women's stake in the debate

The Times reports: "Women need more health care than men because of the combined demands of pregnancy and family planning. ... Partly as a result, young women typically must pay more than young men for individual health insurance, unless they live in one of 10 states where 'gender rating' is illegal.

29 Sep 2009

Researchers recommend hormone therapy prior to mammogram screenings

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are recommending that menopausal women on hormone therapy (HT) continue their treatment prior to having their annual mammogram screenings. These recommendations appear as an editorial in the current on-line issue of Journal of the North American Menopause Society.

29 Sep 2009

Public option issue likely to face Tuesday Senate Finance vote

The Senate Finance Committee is likely to vote when it reconvenes Tuesday on inclusion of a government-run public option for health insurance.

29 Sep 2009

CIGNA encourages people to prioritize their health care plans

How much time does the average person spend reviewing their health care insurance when it’s time to enroll or reenroll in a plan? A recent survey conducted for CIGNA shows that although 78 percent said they give it a lot or some consideration, almost half (46%) of those who say they’re responsible for the review spend less than 30 minutes on the task.

29 Sep 2009