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Denver-based dialysis operator is target of federal probe

DaVita Inc., which is the biggest operator of dialysis clinics in the nation, announced that it is the subject of a government probe into payments for drugs it used in the N.Y. Medicaid program.

27 Oct 2011

Drug-resistant infections may not contribute to higher surgical ICU death rates

The rates of antibiotic-resistant infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) have increased over the last decade. But new research from the University of Virginia suggests that surgical ICU death rates may, in fact, be declining and that drug-resistant infections are not likely to be a significant factor in overall mortality rates.

27 Oct 2011

Gardasil vaccine safe and effective against anal cancer

A large, international clinical trial led by doctors at the University of California, San Francisco indicates that a vaccine to prevent anal cancer is safe and effective, according to a study reported in the Oct. 27, 2011 issue of New England Journal of Medicine.

27 Oct 2011

Parent behavior training can effectively treat ADHD in young children

Formal training in parenting strategies is a low-risk, effective method for improving behavior in preschool-age children at risk for developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), while there is less evidence supporting the use of medications for children younger than 6 years old, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

27 Oct 2011

Your medical privacy – Another Obamacare casualty

It was a sad day recently when a married menopausal woman learned that her recent Pap test was positive for human papilloma virus (HPV). “How could this happen?” she asked. “I have not had relations with anyone but my husband since we married 30 years ago.”

24 Oct 2011

Though declared over, CLASS Act still draws attention

A group of House and Senate Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius last week reiterating earlier criticisms of the long-term care insurance program and noting that ending the program did not completely address their concerns.

24 Oct 2011

ACOs: Docs, hospitals A-OK on revisions to final rule

The regulations, which were released Thursday, relaxed requirements for doctors and hospitals to participate in the program. Some insurers and employers, however, complained that the changes will increase the chances that providers will consolidate, which could reduce competition and drive up costs.

22 Oct 2011

NIH stops triple-drug therapy clinical trial for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has stopped one arm of a three arm multi-center, clinical trial studying treatments for the lung-scarring disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) for safety concerns.

22 Oct 2011

Study presents state-level data concerning suicidal thoughts and behavior among U.S. adults

Every 15 minutes, someone in the United States dies by suicide. And for every person who dies, there are many more who think about, plan or attempt suicide, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

21 Oct 2011

Final ACO rule relaxes requirements for doctors, hospitals

The Obama administration today released much-awaited final rules on Medicare accountable care organizations that make it easier for doctors and hospitals to participate.

21 Oct 2011

No unique link between first-trimester ACE inhibitor use and birth defects

Women who take angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to treat high blood pressure in the first trimester of their pregnancies are at no greater risk of having babies with birth defects than are women who take other types of high blood pressure medication or who take no blood pressure drugs, according to a new study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

21 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: If not CLASS, then what?; House GOP abortion bill; MLK's legacy in health care

Less than 3% of Americans have private long-term care policies. As Baby Boomers age, the problem will only get worse, which was a driving force behind a provision in the new health reform law that would have created a long-term care insurance program called the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act.

21 Oct 2011

HHS issues regs to reduce red tape for hospitals, providers

The Obama administration moved Tuesday to roll back numerous rules that apply to hospitals and other health care providers after concluding that the standards were obsolete or overly burdensome to the industry. Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said the proposed changes, which would apply to more than 6,000 hospitals, would save providers nearly $1.1 billion a year without creating any "consequential risks for patients."

20 Oct 2011

SAIC receives NIAID contract to develop biopharmaceutical products for infectious diseases

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced today it was awarded a contract by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to provide preclinical services for the development of biopharmaceutical products for infectious diseases.

19 Oct 2011

First Edition: October 19, 2011

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Capsules, Marilyn Werber Serafini reports: "Medicare might fare better than other health care programs if the congressional super committee fails to agree on a deficit-reduction package and automatic cuts kick in, but even 2 percent is a big problem when it comes on top of other recent hits, warn Rick Pollack, executive vice president of the American Hospital Association, and Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans."

19 Oct 2011

ACP policy paper examines fears about re-uses of personal and research data

Fears about re-uses of personal data as well as re-uses of research data and samples are the focus of a policy paper released today by the American College of Physicians.

19 Oct 2011

Women more likely to develop lupus at earlier ages

Debilitating. Destructive. Life-altering. These are just a few words used to describe autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases affect women 8 times more often than men, with lupus being one of the most disruptive. Lupus is a disease that occurs when a person's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs instead of attacking foreign invaders such as common viruses and bacteria. Lupus often results in wide-spread inflammation, pain, swelling and organ/tissue damage throughout the body.

19 Oct 2011

HHS begins 'Innovation Advisors' program

The Health and Human Services Department on Monday launched a new component of its effort to make health care better and more efficient. HHS announced its "Innovation Advisors" program, through which it will select as many as 200 experts to work with doctors and other providers on ways to improve the health care delivery system.

19 Oct 2011

Confusion reigns after Obama administration suspends CLASS program

Even though the White House signaled that the long-term insurance program will not be implemented, President Barack Obama made clear yesterday that he is opposed to the measure's repeal. Meanwhile, the decision to suspend the plan from going forward has left many experts to ask what's next in the effort to address the nation's long-term care issues.

19 Oct 2011

CLASS Act demise triggers political barbs, debate about long-term care policy

The Obama administration announced Friday afternoon that it won't proceed with the implementation of the controversial CLASS program. GOP lawmakers immediately began to question why it took so long for this decision to be made. Meanwhile, more questions emerged about how to address the nation's long-term care challenge.

18 Oct 2011