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Warranties and reimbursements for family caregivers provide alternative payment methods

The New York Times reports on a proposal for a new health care reimbursement model that offers warranties to patients, a topic also examined in a piece by Francois de Brantes in the journal, Health Affairs.

29 Jun 2009

U.S. swine flu cases reach one million

The Associated Press/Washington Post reported that U.S. health officials on Thursday said they believe as many as 1 million Americans have been infected with H1N1 and "6 percent or more of some urban populations are infected." The estimates were based upon survey data collected by health officials and mathematical modeling.

29 Jun 2009

Critics escalate attacks on health care overhaul

Tensions are showing as health reform continues to be center stage on the President's and Congress' domestic policy agenda.

29 Jun 2009

Finance Committee Senators: Reform bill trimmed to less than $1 trillion

Some senators on the Finance Committee said Thursday they've moved closer to cutting their health reform bill's cost to under $1 trillion.

29 Jun 2009

Is President Obama fighting the last war?

Bill and Hillary Clinton are off saving the world, he through his global foundation and she via the State Department. But their presence looms over the health care debate as surely as if they were running the White House. Their epic failure to pass reform in 1994 has become the defining object lesson in how to botch health care legislation--a lesson President Obama has obviously taken to heart. Push for reform right away; let Congress hash out the details; and, above all, don't threaten people's current insurance arrangements. You can sum up Obama's strategy for health reform as "WWCD": What Wouldn't the Clintons Do.

29 Jun 2009

White House not ruling out taxing benefits, public plan compromise

Politico: "White House senior adviser David Axelrod says President Barack Obama would like to have a public option – or government-run insurance plan – as part of a health reform package, but will not insist on it.

29 Jun 2009

Obama, Democrats walking fine line on health overhaul

Various media outlets examined how negotiations for a bipartisan health care overhaul are facing challenges from Democrats as well as Republicans.

29 Jun 2009

VOA News examines malaria in southern Sudan

VOA News examines malaria in southern Sudan. In the region, malaria is "widespread" and accounts for "up to 30 percent of all diseases treated by health facilities." It is the "number one killer of children in southern Sudan," though there are "no reliable statistics on the number in southern Sudan who suffer, or die from, malaria," VOA News reports.

29 Jun 2009

Vitamin A supplements can reduce malaria cases in children by one-third, study finds

In malaria-endemic areas, vitamin A supplements - which cost about 2 U.S. cents each - can help reduce infections in children by one-third, according to a study published in the Malaria Journal, IRIN reports.

29 Jun 2009

Mexican, Chilean Presidents appeal for developing countries access to H1N1 vaccine

Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Thursday emphasized the importance of developing countries having access to a vaccine that offers protection against the H1N1 (swine flu), "that has killed over 200 people and infected tens of thousands worldwide," AFP/MSN Philippine News reports.

29 Jun 2009

USAID commits $1 million to help several African nations deal with natural disasters, disease spread

USAID announced on Thursday a $1 million commitment to a Red Cross project aimed at helping those "living along southern Africa's Zambezi River cope with worsening natural disasters because of climate change," the AP/Washington Post reports.

29 Jun 2009

Kenya seeks support from PEPFAR to expand blood transfusion centers

Kenya's Medical Services Permanent Secretary James Ole Kiyiapi announced Thursday that the government is in negotiations with PEPFAR for support in building additional blood transfusion centers in the country, Capital News reports.

29 Jun 2009

Rise in alcohol deaths worldwide down to women drinkers

Canadian researchers have found that as many as 1 in 25 deaths worldwide can be attributed to alcohol and this rise since 2000 is mainly due to increases in the number of women drinking.

28 Jun 2009

Healthcare outcome boost needs better studies

Evidence suggests that outcomes in many clinical settings leave a lot to be desired, which means that research into quality improvement (QI) in clinical care has the potential to greatly improve the lot of patients. Now a study in the journal Medical Care Research and Review published by SAGE suggests that both theoretical and practical improvements in QI effectiveness studies could make these into much more powerful tools for positive change.

25 Jun 2009

New media-led effort responds to AIDS crisis in black America

Today, leading U.S. media companies announced a new coordinated national campaign to mobilize Black Americans in response to AIDS and promote specific calls-to-action to prevent and reduce the further spread of HIV. Greater Than AIDS - a multi-faceted campaign presented under a common brand that includes targeted public service ads (PSAs) as well as integrated messages in news, entertainment and community content - seeks to strengthen a sense of community among Black Americans in response to HIV/AIDS.

25 Jun 2009

Requirements for using e-health begin to emerge; public input needed, experts say

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a.k.a. The Stimulus) set aside billions of dollars for hospitals to acquire electronic medical record systems, but one requirement for hospitals hoping to receive the money will be to share patient records with other facilities, the Dallas Morning News reports.

25 Jun 2009

Sources: Hospitals may strike deal to save $200 billion

Hospitals could sign on to an agreement with Senate health reform leader Max Baucus, D-Mont., and the White House to help save up to $200 billion as part of the overhaul plan, lobbyist and health industry sources tell Roll Call.

25 Jun 2009

Poll: Most want health reform but fear its side effects

"A majority of Americans see government action as critical to controlling runaway health-care costs, but there is broad public anxiety about the potential impact of reform legislation and conflicting views about the types of fixes being proposed on Capitol Hill, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll," The Washington Post reports.

25 Jun 2009