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House hearing to address concerns over Medicare durable medical equipment competitive bidding program

The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee on Tuesday plans to hold a hearing on a Medicare competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 5/5).

6 May 2008

Russia should increase HIV prevention efforts targeted at IDUs, UNAIDS Executive Director Piot says

Russia should increase efforts to address HIV/AIDS among injection drug users to slow the spread of the disease, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said on Saturday during a conference on HIV/AIDS in the former Soviet Union, Reuters reports. According to Reuters, the former Soviet Union has the third-highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

6 May 2008

Texas AG Abbott issues opinion allowing prosecution of people involved in Bexar County needle-exchange program

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) on Monday issued an opinion saying that three advocates involved in an effort to launch a needle-exchange program in Bexar County, Texas, "appear to be subject to prosecution" for possession of drug paraphernalia, the Austin American-Statesman reports (MacLaggan, Austin American-Statesman, 5/6).

6 May 2008

Biosimilar protein cooperation

A biosimilar protein that can be used to treat neutropenia (a side effect of cancer chemotherapy) is to be developed by Apotex Inc. of Canada in collaboration with Intas Biopharmaceuticals Limited (IBPL).

6 May 2008

Senate action on Medicare MD Pay Bill might be delayed due to Medicaid, war funding efforts, AARP lobbyist says

Senate action on legislation to delay a 10.6% Medicare physician fee cut might take a back seat to a supplemental spending bill for the Iraq war and a measure to delay new Medicaid regulations, AARP's lead lobbyist said on Friday, CQ HealthBeat reports. Kirsten Sloan, head of AARP's health legislative team, said efforts on the other two bills might delay the Medicare package until late May or early June.

6 May 2008

Michigan Senate passes bill that would expand, reduce cost of private health insurance

The Michigan Senate on Thursday voted 23-13 to approve compromise legislation that would expand access to individual health insurance policies and make them more affordable, the Detroit News reports.

6 May 2008

CQ's Carey looks at genetic anti-discrimination approval, debate over Medicaid regulations, lLegislation to treat substance abuse among veterans

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, examines the House's approval of genetic nondiscrimination legislation, debate over a measure to place a moratorium on proposed Medicaid regulations by the Bush administration and House-passed legislation concerning veterans' substance abuse treatment in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

6 May 2008

Rate of voluntary HIV testing unchanged in Singapore despite expanded access to rapid HIV tests

The number of people who voluntarily took HIV tests in Singapore in 2007 did not improve despite increased access of rapid HIV testing kits to more than 60 clinics, Singapore's Today reports.

5 May 2008

New York lawmakers, HIV/AIDS advocates working to address HIV/AIDS funds for counties

New York state lawmakers and HIV/AIDS advocates are working to address federal HIV/AIDS funding for Nassau and Suffolk counties following a recent ruling that HHS should restore more than $1 million in Ryan White Program funding, the New York Times reports (Saslow, New York Times, 5/4).

5 May 2008

Uninsured kids in middle class have same unmet needs as poor

Nationwide, uninsured children in families earning between $38,000 and $77,000 a year are just as likely to go without any health care as uninsured children in poorer families. More than 40 percent of children in those income brackets who are uninsured all year see no physicians and have no prescriptions all year, according to new research from the University of Rochester Medical Center.

5 May 2008

New SCHIP enrollees have unmet health care needs

Even with prior private health insurance, patients enrolling in the state children's health insurance program (SCHIP) had unmet health care needs. Instituting a waiting period would further prolong these children's need to address asthma and other chronic health conditions.

5 May 2008

TV injury coverage lacking, study finds

Nearly every night, on nearly every TV station in the country, the local newscast features news of the day's car crashes, fires and other injury-causing events.

1 May 2008

U.S. Congress passes genetic nondiscrimination act

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) today by a vote of 414-1, building on the momentum of last week's unanimous Senate vote.

1 May 2008

HHS Secretary Leavitt urges lawmakers, public to 'start now' to make changes to Medicare

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said Tuesday that it is "simply unreasonable" to think Medicare can maintain its solvency without changes to the program and that if "we start now, the change can be made over time and with genuine fairness," CQ HealthBeat reports.

30 Apr 2008

PBS' 'NewsHour' examines effects of Massachusetts health insurance law two years after enactment

PBS' "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" on Monday reported on how the Massachusetts health insurance law has affected the state's fiscal situation and uninsurance rates.

30 Apr 2008

Schwarzenegger to attempt second health care proposal

In an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said that he would try again to pass legislation to overhaul the state's health care system and that he would not reduce the scale of his plan to get it approved, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports.

30 Apr 2008

FDA needs additional $225 million, new authority to inspect foreign facilities to protect U.S. residents from unsafe prescription drug imports, agency officials say

FDA officials on Tuesday said the agency would need at least $225 million in additional funding annually, along with other authoritative powers, to adequately inspect the safety of imported drug products, the Baltimore Sun reports.

30 Apr 2008

HHS Secretary Leavitt says Bush administration would accept short-term moratorium on two new Medicaid regulations, while five others would take effect

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Tuesday said that the Bush administration would accept a short-term moratorium on two of seven proposed Medicaid regulations to give lawmakers time to reach an agreement on the changes, CongressDaily reports (Johnson, CongressDaily, 4/29).

30 Apr 2008

Salt Lake Tribune examines enforcement of Utah law requiring mandatory HIV tests for convicted sex workers, solicitors

A review of Utah court records and procedures has found inconsistencies in the enforcement of a state law that requires convicted commercial sex workers and solicitors of commercial sex to be tested for HIV, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

30 Apr 2008

Arsenic in baby rice puts children at risk

In what will be of great concern to many parents, scientists who have carried out a survey of arsenic levels in three common brands of rice-based baby foods say they have found that arsenic levels in the foods are too high.

30 Apr 2008

Medical Legislation News and Research

House hearing to address concerns over Medicare durable medical equipment competitive bidding program

Russia should increase HIV prevention efforts targeted at IDUs, UNAIDS Executive Director Piot says

Texas AG Abbott issues opinion allowing prosecution of people involved in Bexar County needle-exchange program

Biosimilar protein cooperation

Senate action on Medicare MD Pay Bill might be delayed due to Medicaid, war funding efforts, AARP lobbyist says

Michigan Senate passes bill that would expand, reduce cost of private health insurance

CQ's Carey looks at genetic anti-discrimination approval, debate over Medicaid regulations, lLegislation to treat substance abuse among veterans

Rate of voluntary HIV testing unchanged in Singapore despite expanded access to rapid HIV tests

New York lawmakers, HIV/AIDS advocates working to address HIV/AIDS funds for counties

Uninsured kids in middle class have same unmet needs as poor

New SCHIP enrollees have unmet health care needs

TV injury coverage lacking, study finds

U.S. Congress passes genetic nondiscrimination act

HHS Secretary Leavitt urges lawmakers, public to 'start now' to make changes to Medicare

PBS' 'NewsHour' examines effects of Massachusetts health insurance law two years after enactment

Schwarzenegger to attempt second health care proposal

FDA needs additional $225 million, new authority to inspect foreign facilities to protect U.S. residents from unsafe prescription drug imports, agency officials say

HHS Secretary Leavitt says Bush administration would accept short-term moratorium on two new Medicaid regulations, while five others would take effect

Salt Lake Tribune examines enforcement of Utah law requiring mandatory HIV tests for convicted sex workers, solicitors

Arsenic in baby rice puts children at risk

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