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Health care costs, other economic concerns prompt baby boomers to delay retirement

USA Today on Wednesday, as part of an ongoing series about retirement issues in the 21st century, examined how many of the 1.6 million baby boomers at age 62 who will become eligible for Social Security this year "have postponed plans to retire" because of health care costs and other economic concerns.

28 Aug 2008

Sen. Clinton expresses support for Presidential nominee Obama, discusses health care in convention speech

Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) on Tuesday spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and his proposals on health care and other issues, Dow Jones reports. According to Dow Jones, in "making the case for Obama," Clinton cited their joint support for "renewing the middle class, ending the war in Iraq, creating a universal health care system and boosting clean energy."

28 Aug 2008

Some hospitals require insured patients to make larger upfront payments for elective procedures, surgeries

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Tuesday examined how across the U.S., "some insured patients are being asked by hospitals to pay larger portions of their bills upfront -- and sometimes hospitals will not do the procedures until they get their copayments."

28 Aug 2008

Number, percentage of uninsured U.S. residents decreased in 2007, according to U.S. Census Bureau

The number and percentage of uninsured U.S. residents declined in 2007 to 45.7 million people, or 15.3% of the population, according to an annual U.S. Census Bureau report released Tuesday, USA Today reports (Cauchon/Appleby, USA Today, 8/27).

28 Aug 2008

Uganda's Makerere University receives AMANET grant for malaria vaccine trial

The College of Health Sciences at Uganda's Makerere University will receive a grant from the African Malaria Network Trust to begin trials of the malaria vaccine candidate GMZ2 in Uganda's Iganga and Mayuge districts, Wen Kilama, managing trustee of AMANET, said Monday at the opening of the sixth Basic Research Ethics Workshop for African Ethics Committees, the New Vision reports.

28 Aug 2008

Malawi reduces AIDS-related deaths with increased access to no-cost antiretrovirals

Increased access to no-cost antiretroviral drugs has contributed to a 75% decrease in AIDS-related deaths in Malawi in the last four years, a senior government official said Monday, Reuters reports.

28 Aug 2008

Increasing number of HIV cases recorded in Philippines

The number of HIV/AIDS cases recorded in the Philippines is increasing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said on Tuesday, adding that the prevalence of the disease in the country remains low, AFP/Yahoo! News reports.

28 Aug 2008

Human rights should be focus of efforts to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide, editorial says

The U.S. should shift its policy on fighting HIV/AIDS to a "fight for basic human equality, providing a basis for more realistic outreach," a Daytona Beach News Journal editorial says.

28 Aug 2008

Exclusive breastfeeding increases child's risk for vitamin D deficiency; black, darker-skinned children already have increased risk

Exclusive breastfeeding can increase a child's risk of developing rickets because breast milk alone does not provide adequate levels of vitamin D, a critical ingredient that helps to absorb calcium and build strong bones, the New York Times reports. Rickets develops when a child's vitamin D levels are too low and is characterized by the curving of a child's legs and the softening of other bones. Some children are asymptomatic.

28 Aug 2008

Coalition calls on Presidential candidates to develop national HIV/AIDS strategy

A coalition of more than 30 HIV/AIDS advocacy groups representing minority communities in the U.S. has called on presidential candidates Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to develop a comprehensive national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS, VOA News reports.

28 Aug 2008

Health risk behaviors such as smoking and obesity associated with lower prostate specific antigen awareness

According to a study conducted at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, health risk behaviors such as smoking and obesity are associated with lower awareness of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), which could lead to a lower likelihood of undergoing actual prostate cancer screening.

27 Aug 2008

Researchers partner with moms to overcome breastfeeding obstacles

The message, "breast is best" may be familiar and powerful, but it's not enough to get some women to breastfeed. A new University of Rochester Medical Center project creates a partnership with mothers who are not likely to breastfeed exclusively, and tries to improve the rates by first understanding their perspective and obstacles.

27 Aug 2008

Time is right to make cancer control a development priority

For public health, the complexity of cancer control has increased enormously following the shift of the disease burden from wealthy to less affluent countries. Cancer causes around 7.9 million deaths worldwide each year. Of these deaths, more than 72% are now occurring in low- and middle-income countries. This is a shocking statistic, with huge implications for human suffering, health systems, health budgets, and the drive to reduce poverty.

27 Aug 2008

Changes to California health insurance programs might result in loss of coverage for thousands of children

Efforts by California to expand health insurance to all children have "stalled," and "thousands of kids are in danger of losing insurance" as a result of recent changes to state programs, the Los Angeles Times reports.

26 Aug 2008

Alabama board approves plan to charge state employees for obesity, health problems

The Alabama State Employees' Insurance Board last week approved a plan that will require state employees who are obese or have health problems to make progress to address those issues or pay a monthly charge for health insurance, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

26 Aug 2008

Democratic National Committee approves platform with health care language; Obama campaigns in Iowa

The Democratic National Committee on Monday during the Democratic National Convention voted to adopt a non-binding party platform that includes language about health care, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports. According to the AP/Newsday, the platform in large part follows recommendations from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) but moves "beyond his proposals in calling for guaranteed health care for all" (Woodward, AP/Long Island Newsday, 8/26).

26 Aug 2008

Stanford University to limit pharmaceutical industry financing of CME

Stanford University officials on Tuesday plan to announce a new policy under which pharmaceutical and medical device companies no longer will have the ability to select continuing medical education courses that they seek to finance for physicians at the university's School of Medicine, the New York Times reports.

26 Aug 2008

Blue Cross Blue Shield plans consider consolidation amid tightening managed-care market

Some Blue Cross Blue Shield not-for-profit organizations are considering either merging or converting to for-profit status to help them compete with larger insurers in an "increasingly concentrated managed-care industry," the Wall Street Journal reports.

26 Aug 2008

Uninsured U.S. residents will spend $30 billion out-of-pocket on health care this year, while receiving $56 billion in uncompensated care

Uninsured U.S. residents will spend about $30 billion out-of-pocket on health care this year, while other parties -- mainly the government -- will spend about $56 billion on uncompensated care for the uninsured, according to a study published online Monday in the journal Health Affairs, the Wall Street Journal reports.

26 Aug 2008

New York Health Department to decide soon whether Medicaid beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS should be moved into managed care plans

The New York State Department of Health in the next few weeks is expected to issue a final decision on whether to switch Medicaid beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS from fee-for-service plans to managed care plans, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports (AP/Long Island Newsday, 8/24).

26 Aug 2008

Health Care News and Research

Health care costs, other economic concerns prompt baby boomers to delay retirement

Sen. Clinton expresses support for Presidential nominee Obama, discusses health care in convention speech

Some hospitals require insured patients to make larger upfront payments for elective procedures, surgeries

Number, percentage of uninsured U.S. residents decreased in 2007, according to U.S. Census Bureau

Uganda's Makerere University receives AMANET grant for malaria vaccine trial

Malawi reduces AIDS-related deaths with increased access to no-cost antiretrovirals

Increasing number of HIV cases recorded in Philippines

Human rights should be focus of efforts to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide, editorial says

Exclusive breastfeeding increases child's risk for vitamin D deficiency; black, darker-skinned children already have increased risk

Coalition calls on Presidential candidates to develop national HIV/AIDS strategy

Health risk behaviors such as smoking and obesity associated with lower prostate specific antigen awareness

Researchers partner with moms to overcome breastfeeding obstacles

Time is right to make cancer control a development priority

Changes to California health insurance programs might result in loss of coverage for thousands of children

Alabama board approves plan to charge state employees for obesity, health problems

Democratic National Committee approves platform with health care language; Obama campaigns in Iowa

Stanford University to limit pharmaceutical industry financing of CME

Blue Cross Blue Shield plans consider consolidation amid tightening managed-care market

Uninsured U.S. residents will spend $30 billion out-of-pocket on health care this year, while receiving $56 billion in uncompensated care

New York Health Department to decide soon whether Medicaid beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS should be moved into managed care plans

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