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Medicaid: Maine cuts scrutinized, lawmakers ask Kansas Gov. to wait on 'ambitious' changes

Last month, he signed a budget that fills a $120 million shortfall in the current fiscal year partly with contentious cuts to Maine's Medicaid program, which is among the most generous in the country. And at his direction, lawmakers in coming weeks will begin debating $80 million more in Medicaid cuts for the next fiscal year.

7 Mar 2012

States cut birth control subsidies; Impact of abortion laws hard to ascertain

Reuters reports that states are cutting birth control subsidies while The Associated Press writes that it's difficult to gauge what impact anti-abortion laws have on reducing the procedure. The Arizona House gave initial approval to blocking abortion providers from getting federal funding for family planning services through the state. A similar move in Texas, which is now in effect, reverberates.

6 Mar 2012

Administration officials press forward on implementing health law, shoring up support

But in the midst of all the uncertainty, administration officials are moving steadily ahead in their efforts to shore up political support for the law while implementing as many of the substantive policy changes as they can. Those dual missions are sometimes in conflict. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services face pressure to cement the foundation of the law in ways that would be difficult to reverse.

6 Mar 2012

Cost estimates for health law's subsidies boosted by $111 billion

The new estimate, which represents an estimated 30 percent jump for an eight-year period, triggered calls during hearings last week by key House Republicans for the Obama administration to explain the number.

6 Mar 2012

The Contraception Mandate is the end of individual liberty

In March 2010, the Democrat-controlled Congress forced the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (now known as ObamaCare) over the strong objections of the majority of Americans, most of whom were either already receiving taxpayer-funded health insurance or were satisfied with their private coverage.

5 Mar 2012

FUJIFILM Synapse RIS v6.1 receives modular EHR certification for Meaningful Use for radiology

FUJIFILM Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc. today announced that Synapse RIS Version 6.1 has received modular electronic health record (EHR) certification for Meaningful Use for radiology.

5 Mar 2012

IDS, AADA disappointed in postponement of vote by Idaho on indoor tanning bed legislation

The Idaho Dermatology Society (IDS) and the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) are disappointed in the postponement of the vote by the Idaho House of Representatives on House Bill 486, which would ban the use of indoor tanning beds by minors under the age of 18.

5 Mar 2012

Consensus across studies promises to enhance NIH-supported asthma clinical research

A consortium of federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations has published a report proposing a set of common measures and data-collection methods for use in asthma clinical research.

3 Mar 2012

Sebelius hints at contraception 'accomodation' during House testimony

Lawmakers questioned Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about a range of issues, including the president's proposed 2013 budget.

3 Mar 2012

States consider their own legislation limiting contraception coverage, abortion

Lawmakers in Mississippi, Arizona, Georgia, Texas and Florida are considering bills to limit contraception coverage or abortion.

3 Mar 2012

Research roundup: The push for hospital quality and concerns about disparities; Rating physicians online

Researchers wondered if pay-for-performance (P4P) programs, which reward hospitals for meeting quality targets, have unintentional effects on racial and/or ethnic disparities. Using federal patient-level quality data, researchers found that "many hospitals treat Whites and minorities equitably" but they noted that since many minorities tend to seek care at hospitals that "perform poorly on common quality score composites, the pay for performance efforts could unintentionally penalize hospitals serving high numbers of minorities.

3 Mar 2012

ER docs Medicaid complaint: Some patients denied coverage if diagnosis doesn't merit their care

Some states are not considering the symptoms that brought the patients to the hospital, the doctors charge. In other Medicaid news, Texas is looking at several options for Medicaid reform, Pennsylvania looks at human service program cuts, Wisconsin Democrats seek to stop reductions there and Minnesota officials respond to criticism from Sen. Charles Grassley.

2 Mar 2012

Treatment with vitamin D reduces size of uterine fibroids

Treatment with vitamin D reduced the size of uterine fibroids in laboratory rats predisposed to developing the benign tumors, reported researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.

2 Mar 2012

Detailing efforts to implement the health law - an insider's view

After leaving ACA's Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight this year, Jay Angoff has remained a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. ... Q: How did politics make it difficult for you to implement ACA? Angoff: The hard part had nothing to do with politics.

1 Mar 2012

Sebelius testifies before House Ways and Means Committee

The Health and Human Services secretary said the administration was vetting candidates for the the Independent Payment Advisory Board and defended President Barack Obama's 2013 budget.

1 Mar 2012

Va. lawmakers approve scaled-back abortion ultrasound bill

Lawmakers in Virginia have passed a scaled-back version of a contentious ultrasound proposal that would force women to get a "non-invasive" ultrasound before having an abortion.

1 Mar 2012

States should consider highest-cost patients when developing essential benefits package

That recommendation comes from a report issued Tuesday by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, which concluded that those under age 65 have very different health spending habits than Medicare beneficiaries. Meanwhile, experts offer advice to states regarding development of essential benefits packages.

1 Mar 2012

Texas doctor caught in a $375 million fraud

A Texas doctor has been accused of running a massive health fraud care scheme with thousands of fraudulent patients and intermediaries allegedly offering cash, food stamps or free groceries, to cheat the Medicare and Medicaid of nearly $375 million.

29 Feb 2012

On health exchange, Neb. makes progress, Wis. and Texas mull next steps

A roundup of reports on what's happening on the ground in several states, where Republican governors have been opposed to implementing the health law's insurance exchanges.

29 Feb 2012

Minimally invasive treatments to be showcased at SIR's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting

The Society of Interventional Radiology will feature minimally invasive scientific advances and new discoveries that may change the way dozens of diseases are treated at its 37th Annual Scientific Meeting March 24-29 at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

29 Feb 2012

Health and Human Services News and Research

Medicaid: Maine cuts scrutinized, lawmakers ask Kansas Gov. to wait on 'ambitious' changes

States cut birth control subsidies; Impact of abortion laws hard to ascertain

Administration officials press forward on implementing health law, shoring up support

Cost estimates for health law's subsidies boosted by $111 billion

The Contraception Mandate is the end of individual liberty

FUJIFILM Synapse RIS v6.1 receives modular EHR certification for Meaningful Use for radiology

IDS, AADA disappointed in postponement of vote by Idaho on indoor tanning bed legislation

Consensus across studies promises to enhance NIH-supported asthma clinical research

Sebelius hints at contraception 'accomodation' during House testimony

States consider their own legislation limiting contraception coverage, abortion

Research roundup: The push for hospital quality and concerns about disparities; Rating physicians online

ER docs Medicaid complaint: Some patients denied coverage if diagnosis doesn't merit their care

Treatment with vitamin D reduces size of uterine fibroids

Detailing efforts to implement the health law - an insider's view

Sebelius testifies before House Ways and Means Committee

Va. lawmakers approve scaled-back abortion ultrasound bill

States should consider highest-cost patients when developing essential benefits package

Texas doctor caught in a $375 million fraud

On health exchange, Neb. makes progress, Wis. and Texas mull next steps

Minimally invasive treatments to be showcased at SIR's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting

Event guide: 6th Operationalize Expanded Access Programs Summit East eBook

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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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