Health and Human Services News and Research

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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

State budgets improve but not enough to spare Medicaid; Calif. Gov. Brown pressing for co-pays

State budget shortfalls for the coming year total about $47 billion, the smallest aggregate deficit since the Great Recession, a report says. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found deficits in 29 states for the fiscal year ahead and another 10 states reported revenue for the current year fell $3.2 billion short of budget. ... A marked improvement from the $106 billion this year (so far) and $430 million the prior three years.

29 Feb 2012

Genome sequencing helps characterize S. aureus ST398-NM strain

Using genome sequencing and household surveillance, National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists and their colleagues from Columbia University Medical Center and St. George's University of London have pieced together how a newly emerging type of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria has adapted to transmit more easily among humans.

29 Feb 2012

Minn. Senate takes on anti-abortion bills; Texas to cut women's health programs; 'Personhood' initiatives advance

Across the nation, state legislatures are considering various bills to restrict access to abortion and contraception services.

29 Feb 2012

Actuarial value, health disparities draw attention as part of health law implementation

The Department of Health and Human Services offered a bulletin last week to provide guidance on how insurers should calculate actuarial value. Also, some health policy experts are beginning to question whether the health law's quality provisions might exacerbate the nation's health disparities.

28 Feb 2012

Health and Human Services News and Research

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

State budgets improve but not enough to spare Medicaid; Calif. Gov. Brown pressing for co-pays

Genome sequencing helps characterize S. aureus ST398-NM strain

Minn. Senate takes on anti-abortion bills; Texas to cut women's health programs; 'Personhood' initiatives advance

Actuarial value, health disparities draw attention as part of health law implementation

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

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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