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St. Petersburg Times examines decline in antipsychotic drug prescriptions for Florida children

St. Petersburg Times recently examined how since the Florida Medicaid program last year began requiring physicians to receive approval before prescribing antipsychotic drugs to children younger than age six, the number of prescriptions for children in that age group has dropped by nearly 75%, according to new data from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

31 Mar 2009

California stimulus funding not enough to stave off cuts to some health care services

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Friday signed five bills into law that allow California to receive more than $17.5 billion in federal economic stimulus aid, but the funding will not be enough for the state to avoid $3 billion in tax increases and cuts to services to balance its budget, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

31 Mar 2009

U.S. Supreme Court denies request for emergency injunction to block healthy San Francisco employer contribution mandates

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Golden Gate Restaurant Association's request for a temporary order barring San Francisco from requiring restaurant owners to contribute toward workers' health care costs, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/31).

31 Mar 2009

Pennsylvania health system decreasing complications, costs with 'warranty' system emphasizing best practices

The Washington Post on Tuesday examined how Pennsylvania's Geisinger Health System has successfully improved outcomes for elective heart surgery patients through its 90-day warranty program, which charges a flat fee covering the cost of the procedure and any needed follow-up care. Geisinger operates its own insurance plan and has 41 clinics, three hospitals and 650 staff physicians.

31 Mar 2009

House subcommittee to conduct hearing to discuss strategies to end agreements between brand-name, generic drugmakers, limit number of plans

A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Tuesday is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the issue of ending agreements under which brand-name pharmaceutical companies pay generic drugmakers to delay the launch of less costly versions of top-selling medications, the Wall Street Journal reports.

31 Mar 2009

CMS announces new rules for Medicare Advantage plans that aim to protect sick beneficiaries from high out-of-pocket costs

CMS on Monday announced that insurers looking to offer Medicare Advantage plans this year must cap out-of-pocket charges and that the agency will eliminate MA plans that have 10 or fewer beneficiaries, the Wall Street Journal reports.

31 Mar 2009

Couples retiring this year need $240,000 to cover medical expenses

65-year-old retired couple this year would need $240,000 on average to cover medical expenses, according to a recent study by Fidelity Investments, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.

31 Mar 2009

HHS report says health reform vital to U.S. economy as costs rise, quality of care worsens

Comprehensive health care reform is necessary this year because of rising costs and the declining quality of care, according to an HHS report released on Monday, Reuters/Boston Globe reports.

31 Mar 2009

President Obama meets with house Democrats, links passage of budget with ability to move on health reform

President Obama on Monday met with House Democrats in closed-door sessions to discuss his fiscal year 2010 budget proposal, during which he linked the passage of his budget to the ability to act on major issues including health care reform, Politico reports.

31 Mar 2009

'Compassion,' 'sense of justice' could 'motivate' Washington, D.C., to 'do more' for HIV-positive people, opinion piece says

"[C]ompassion and a sense of justice can motivate" the Washington, D.C., community "to do more" for people living with HIV/AIDS in the district, Patricia Wudel -- executive director of Joseph's House, which provides hospice services for HIV-positive people -- writes in a Washington Post opinion piece in response to an earlier opinion piece by columnist Courtland Milloy (Wudel, Washington Post, 3/29).

31 Mar 2009

Teacher-student relationships in Kenyan province places girls at increased risk for HIV, education official says

An increasing number of sexual relationships between teachers and students in Kenya's Nyanza province is placing girls at increased risk of HIV/AIDS, Geoffrey Cherongis, Nyanza's provincial director of education, said recently, IRIN/Plus News reports. Cherongis said that some HIV-positive teachers engage in sexual relations with female students and spread the virus to "young girls who hardly know the kind of thing they are getting into."

31 Mar 2009

Somali religious leaders increase efforts to reduce stigma, discrimination for people living with HIV/AIDS

Islamic religious leaders in Somalia are increasing efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people in the country, IRIN/Plus News reports. Religious leaders in the predominantly Muslim country are encouraging people to treat HIV-positive people with respect and are becoming involved in HIV prevention efforts, according to IRIN/Plus News.

31 Mar 2009

Health officials in Canadian province develop communications strategy to address increase in HIV cases

Health experts are developing plans to increase HIV/AIDS awareness in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in response to the virus' rising incidence in the province, Moira McKinnon, Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, said recently, the Regina Leader-Post reports.

31 Mar 2009

Funding HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria 'smart investment,' U.N. Secretary General Ban says

Funding programs aimed at fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria is a "smart investment," United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday in a video message to a meeting in Cacares, Spain, to call on donors to fund United Nations-supported efforts against the three diseases, Xinhuanet reports.

31 Mar 2009

The use of native African plants in veterinary medicine studied by K-State researchers

When animals in southern Africa are sick, often the first place their caretakers look for help is from native plants.

30 Mar 2009

Low-income families with sick children often enrolled in high-deductible health care plans

High-deductible health plans are increasingly used by healthy people who are unlikely to incur high medical expenses.

30 Mar 2009

Retention is part of the answer to the nursing shortage

A new research study, published in the March/April issue of the journal Nursing Economics, has determined what factors can help keep new nurses from leaving their jobs and - in doing so - save health systems money.

30 Mar 2009

Intercell receives FDA approval of IXIARO, novel vaccine for Japanese encephalitis

Intercell AG (VSE: ICLL) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved IXIARO(R), a new vaccine for the prevention of Japanese Encephalitis (JE).

30 Mar 2009

Minority participation critical to health care development, opinion piece says

"There is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic approaches for diseases that disproportionately impact" blacks, Hispanics and other groups, Nancy Bennett, professor of medicine and director of the University of Rochester Medical Center for Community Health, and Ann Dozier, associate professor in the department of community and preventive medicine, write in a Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opinion piece.

30 Mar 2009

New York Times examines challenges faced by a Minneapolis hospital that treats many Somali, Hispanic patients

The New York Times on Sunday profiled the Hennepin County Medical Center, a Minneapolis-based hospital that "offers an extraordinary vantage point on the ways immigrants are testing the American medical establishment."

30 Mar 2009

Health Care News and Research

St. Petersburg Times examines decline in antipsychotic drug prescriptions for Florida children

California stimulus funding not enough to stave off cuts to some health care services

U.S. Supreme Court denies request for emergency injunction to block healthy San Francisco employer contribution mandates

Pennsylvania health system decreasing complications, costs with 'warranty' system emphasizing best practices

House subcommittee to conduct hearing to discuss strategies to end agreements between brand-name, generic drugmakers, limit number of plans

CMS announces new rules for Medicare Advantage plans that aim to protect sick beneficiaries from high out-of-pocket costs

Couples retiring this year need $240,000 to cover medical expenses

HHS report says health reform vital to U.S. economy as costs rise, quality of care worsens

President Obama meets with house Democrats, links passage of budget with ability to move on health reform

'Compassion,' 'sense of justice' could 'motivate' Washington, D.C., to 'do more' for HIV-positive people, opinion piece says

Teacher-student relationships in Kenyan province places girls at increased risk for HIV, education official says

Somali religious leaders increase efforts to reduce stigma, discrimination for people living with HIV/AIDS

Health officials in Canadian province develop communications strategy to address increase in HIV cases

Funding HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria 'smart investment,' U.N. Secretary General Ban says

The use of native African plants in veterinary medicine studied by K-State researchers

Low-income families with sick children often enrolled in high-deductible health care plans

Retention is part of the answer to the nursing shortage

Intercell receives FDA approval of IXIARO, novel vaccine for Japanese encephalitis

Minority participation critical to health care development, opinion piece says

New York Times examines challenges faced by a Minneapolis hospital that treats many Somali, Hispanic patients

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