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Some doctors refuse to purchase cervical cancer vaccine because of low reimbursements

Some physicians are refusing to purchase Merck's cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil or are restricting who receives it because they say insurance reimbursements for the vaccine are too low, the Washington Post reports.

2 May 2007

Senate begins debate on prescription drug user fee act reauthorization bill

The Senate on Monday began debate on a bill (S 1082) that would reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, which will expire on Sept. 30, with senators expected to propose a number of amendments to the legislation, the AP/Dallas Morning News reports ( AP/Dallas Morning News , 4/30).

2 May 2007

Illinois House considers bill to remove written consent requirement for HIV tests

The Illinois House is considering a bill (HB 980) that would remove a state requirement that people receiving HIV tests provide written consent prior to undergoing the test, the Chicago Tribune reports.

2 May 2007

Racial disparities in treatment of patients with cirrhosis and complications of portal hypertension

African-American and Hispanic patients hospitalized for complications of portal hypertension were less likely to undergo a palliative shunt, prompt endoscopy, or liver transplantation compared to white patients, according to a new study in the May issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

2 May 2007

Ohioans spend $62.2 billion on non-institutional health care each year

...while the Ohio economy loses between $2.1 and $5.8 billion due to lost productivity and other indirect costs of having 1.3 million Ohio residents without health insurance, according to research released today by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO).

2 May 2007

Adverse health outcomes after Hurricane Katrina among children and adolescents with chronic conditions

Children and teenagers in New Orleans with chronic medical conditions at the time of Hurricane Katrina were more likely than other children to have worsening of physical and psychological symptoms, develop new symptoms, miss doctor appointments and run out of medications in the wake of the disaster.

2 May 2007

Distrust played a role in residents' response to Hurricane Katrina warnings and advice

While investigating the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans evacuees, a group of UCLA researchers stumbled across something they had not been looking for the deep level of distrust the largely minority victims felt toward public health authorities.

2 May 2007

Gender, ethnic differences may hamper eating disorder diagnosis

Eating disorders may be overlooked in some groups - boys and some ethnicities - by physicians accustomed to diagnosing the condition in white teenage girls, say researchers at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

2 May 2007

FDA advisory committee supports Advair 500/50 in reducing COPD exacerbations

An Advisory Committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unanimously agreed that GlaxoSmithKline's Advair Diskus 500/50 (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

2 May 2007

Doctors ill equipped to confront parent smoking

With the growing concerns of children's exposure to secondhand smoke, it has become more critical than ever to involve health care providers such as pediatricians in educating parents about the potential hazardous health consequences.

2 May 2007

Top 10 diseases by cost

Bladder, prostate and other urinary tract diseases cost Americans nearly $11 billion a year, according to a new report from the National Institutes of Health.

2 May 2007

A mobile medical care approach targeting underserved populations in post-hurricane Katrina Mississippi

They packed what they needed for a disaster - equipment for trauma treatment and IV fluids - and headed south to Mississippi.

2 May 2007

AARP says "enough is enough" in Illinois health care reform

With health care costs soaring and the number of uninsured people in Illinois climbing to nearly 1.5 million, AARP says enough is enough, things have to change.

2 May 2007

CBO report examines proposed changes to prescription drug user fee act

Cost Estimate: S 1082, Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments of 2007," Congressional Budget Office: The CBO report details proposed changes to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and outlines spending and costs to federal and state governments.

1 May 2007

Oregon children's insurance expansion fails to obtain three-fifths majority in legislature

The Oregon House on Thursday voted 32-24 in favor of a plan to expand health coverage to all children in the state by increasing the state cigarette tax by 84.5 cents per pack, but the proposal failed to win approval because a three-fifths majority is required to pass a tax increase, the Oregonian reports.

1 May 2007

Actions taken on abortion-related legislation in Kansas, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas

The following highlights recent news of state actions on abortion-related legislation.

1 May 2007

Komen study profiles eight communities nationwide 'most affected' by breast cancer

Susan G. Komen for the Cure on Thursday released a report that profiles eight communities "most affected" by breast cancer and launched a campaign that aims to curb disparities and remove gaps in breast cancer-related care, the Washington Post reports.

1 May 2007

PEPFAR 'on track' to meet goals when authorization expires, Dybul says

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is "dead on track" to meet its goal of providing antiretroviral drugs to two million people when it's five-year authorization expires in 2008, Ambassador Mark Dybul, who serves as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator and administers PEPFAR, said Thursday in an interview during a visit to San Francisco, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

1 May 2007

Lawmakers have proposed 'witch's brew' of biotech bills

Lawmakers in recent months "have stirred up a witch's brew of initiatives that is cause for some concern -- not only for the biotech industry, but for all Americans," James Mullen, president and CEO of Biogen and chair of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

1 May 2007

Court should strike campaign finance law provisions challenged by antiabortion group, uphold other requirements

Although a Supreme Court ruling in favor of a Wisconsin antiabortion group's constitutional challenge to the McCain-Feingold federal campaign finance law would be "good news for those ... who believe that Americans have a constitutional right to petition and criticize public officials," the court should uphold "reasonable provisions" of the law, a Los Angeles Times editorial says ( Los Angeles Times , 4/27).

1 May 2007

Health Care News and Research

Some doctors refuse to purchase cervical cancer vaccine because of low reimbursements

Senate begins debate on prescription drug user fee act reauthorization bill

Illinois House considers bill to remove written consent requirement for HIV tests

Racial disparities in treatment of patients with cirrhosis and complications of portal hypertension

Ohioans spend $62.2 billion on non-institutional health care each year

Adverse health outcomes after Hurricane Katrina among children and adolescents with chronic conditions

Distrust played a role in residents' response to Hurricane Katrina warnings and advice

Gender, ethnic differences may hamper eating disorder diagnosis

FDA advisory committee supports Advair 500/50 in reducing COPD exacerbations

Doctors ill equipped to confront parent smoking

Top 10 diseases by cost

A mobile medical care approach targeting underserved populations in post-hurricane Katrina Mississippi

AARP says "enough is enough" in Illinois health care reform

CBO report examines proposed changes to prescription drug user fee act

Oregon children's insurance expansion fails to obtain three-fifths majority in legislature

Actions taken on abortion-related legislation in Kansas, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas

Komen study profiles eight communities nationwide 'most affected' by breast cancer

PEPFAR 'on track' to meet goals when authorization expires, Dybul says

Lawmakers have proposed 'witch's brew' of biotech bills

Court should strike campaign finance law provisions challenged by antiabortion group, uphold other requirements

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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