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Colonoscopy is also safe, confirms German Cancer Research Center study

Colon cancer develops slowly. Precancerous lesions usually need many years to turn into a dangerous carcinoma. They are well detectable in an endoscopic examination of the colon called colonoscopy and can be removed during the same examination. Therefore, regular screening can prevent colon cancer much better than other types of cancer.

3 Mar 2013

Medicaid expansion in the states: Who's in? Who's out?

The tally continues to change regarding the governors who have said they will pursue the health law's Medicaid expansion. Most recently, Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell said he is opposed to it, while Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett appears to be on the verge of reversing his position against the expansion. And, in Ohio, Gov. John Kasich is looking for allies to convince Republicans in the state legislature to follow his lead.

3 Mar 2013

State lawmakers consider bills to establish health exchanges

Also in the news, data indicate the federal government will ultimately be running the insurance marketplaces for the states that have the highest rates of uninsured residents.

3 Mar 2013

Viewpoints: A failure to govern; Democrats 'moved the goal posts' in Va. deal on Medicaid panel; Hospitals 'squeeze' the uninsured

To govern is to choose. By missing Friday's deadline for averting $85 billion worth of across-the-board spending cuts to defense and domestic programs, Congress and President Obama have chosen not to govern. Instead, each side has concluded that its interest lies in letting the "sequester" proceed as scheduled - and then trying to win the political blame game.

2 Mar 2013

Chicago's poorest neighborhoods to experience demand for additional primary care doctors

Some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods are expected to see the greatest demand for additional primary care doctors in 2014, as the Affordable Care Act boosts the number of newly insured patients seeking medical services, a new study has found.

2 Mar 2013

First Edition: March 1, 2013

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey reports: "David P. Blom is one of thousands of hospital executives across the country who are bracing for a reduction in Medicare payments as part of a series of federal spending cuts that begin Friday. Blom, 58, is president and chief executive officer of OhioHealth, a Columbus, Ohio, based not-for-profit health care system that includes 18 hospitals, 23 health and surgery centers, home-health providers and other facilities."

1 Mar 2013

Arkansas, Michigan advance payment plans for health exchanges

Today's headlines include reports that Arkansas will use federal funds to pay for its state-based health exchange while action in Michigan suggests momentum might be building to pursue a partnership exchange that will be run by the federal government.

1 Mar 2013

State lawmakers' positions on Medicaid expansion key to plans' future

Even after governors -- both Republican and Democrat -- express their interest in opting for the health law's Medicaid expansion, the action that follows in state legislatures is important to watch. News reports follow from states including California, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Virginia.

1 Mar 2013

N.J.'s Christie joins ranks of GOP govs to opt to expand Medicaid

The decision by Gov. Chris Christie would provide health insurance to an estimated 104,000 of the poorest 1.3 million uninsured residents of the state. With this move, Christie follows other Republican governors who were staunch opponents of the health law, including Ohio's John Kasich and Florida's Rick Scott.

28 Feb 2013

Bipolar disorder associated with increased hypertension risk

Taiwanese individuals with bipolar disorder are at an increased risk for hypertension when compared with the general population, research shows.

28 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Former Sen. Gramm criticizes Obama on budget cuts; Debate on revamping Medicare needs less heat, more deliberation

While history shows that a divided government can enact significant spending cuts as an alternative to sequesters, that doesn't appear to be the path Mr. Obama intends to follow. Instead of protecting civilian defense workers, the president will continue to force the Pentagon to buy biofuels at $27 per gallon to promote his green agenda.

27 Feb 2013

Primary care practices discriminating on socioeconomic status

An audit of family physician and general practitioner offices in Canada reveals that patients with lower incomes are subject to discrimination when trying to access primary care.

27 Feb 2013

First Edition: February 27, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about N.J. Gov. Christie's decision to pursue the health law's Medicaid expansion.

27 Feb 2013

HCCI analysis suggests jump in spending on mental health-substance use admissions

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 increased access to mental health and substance use services in hospitals, yet consumers continued to pay more out-of-pocket for substance use admissions than for other types of hospital admissions, finds a new Health Care Cost Institute report.

27 Feb 2013

Heterosexual couples healthier than same-sex couples, study finds

Same-sex couples that live together report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a national study that could have implications for the gay marriage debate.

27 Feb 2013

Advanced breast cancer increasing among younger women, study finds

An analysis of breast cancer trends in the U.S. finds a small but statistically significant increase in the incidence of advanced breast cancer for women 25 to 39 years of age, without a corresponding increase in older women, according to a study appearing in the February 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Feb 2013

Study shows people of high socioeconomic status more likely to get access to primary care

People of high socioeconomic status are more likely to be able to access primary care than those of low socioeconomic status, even within a universal health care system in which physicians are reimbursed equally for each patient, found an article published in CMAJ.

27 Feb 2013