Health and Human Services News and Research

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First Edition: March 18, 2011

Today's headlines include news about events planned to mark the health law's first anniversary as well as other developments related to the measure's implementatioin and the budget issues Congress continues to wrestle.

18 Mar 2011

Autism Speaks supports ICM-9-CM diagnostic code for ASD detection in children

With increasing frequency, parents of children with autism spectrum disorder report the terrible consequences that can occur when their children wander or unexpectedly run away.

18 Mar 2011

Senate Finance Committee hearing marked by detailed policy discussions

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified before the panel where she defended the health law waivers so far granted by the administration and other aspects of the overhaul that have been subject to scrutiny and criticism.

18 Mar 2011

At the one-year mark, implications of health law emerge

Media outlets report on a range of issues related to implementation of the health law and its one-year anniversary — among them, the unexpected importance taken on by waivers, the marketplace impact on health insurance brokers, the geography of the health care workforce issues likely to result from coverage expansions and the continuing problems faced by lawmakers who are trying to repeal the measure's 1099 reporting provision.

18 Mar 2011

Viewpoints: Houston's 'painful' E.R. decision; Arizona's 'war' on kids' health care; protecting elders from abuse

Women are the majority of public-sector employees at the state and local levels and have already lost 320,000 public-sector jobs in the past two years. In addition, the GOP majority is attempting to defund Title X services, which have connected millions of American women to health care since 1970.

18 Mar 2011

New IAF study identifies ten states as 'diabetes hot spots'

A new study conducted by the Institute for Alternative Futures identified California, Texas, Florida, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan as "diabetes hot spots," where the burden of diabetes will be greatest in the next 15 years.

18 Mar 2011

Increase in nurses' workload linked to high mortality risk in patients

Nurses are the front-line caregivers to hospital patients, coordinating and providing direct care and delivering it safely and reliably. The goal for any hospital is to ensure that each of its patient-care units has an adequate number of nurses during every shift.

18 Mar 2011

Humana offers new long-term care insurance plan

Humana Inc. today announced it has begun piloting a new long-term care insurance offering that provides an affordable alternative to traditional long-term care coverage.

18 Mar 2011

Roundup: Cuts in Calif. programs; Ga. seeks federal MLR waiver; N.J. lawmakers try to restore some health funding

State lawmakers Wednesday approved billions of dollars in cuts to welfare, medical programs for the poor and in-home care for the elderly and frail, among other services, moving forward key pieces of Gov. Jerry Brown's budget reduction package.

18 Mar 2011

Crowell Systems' Medformix XXV v3 earns Ambulatory Software Certification

Crowell Systems, Inc.'s Medformix XXV v3 received the Federal Government's "meaningful use" stamp of approval on March 8, 2011 by earning Ambulatory Software Certification.

17 Mar 2011

MedPAC recommends patients help pay home health care costs

The advisory panel also urged that payments for physicians and hospitals be increased and that the home health care payment formula be reworked. In related news, a Ways & Means subcommittee hearing on Medicare payment issues quickly turned into an exploration of a GOP proposal to replace the program's current structure with a voucher system.

17 Mar 2011

Nationwide observance raises awareness about HIV/AIDS spread in women

National Women and Girls AIDS Awareness Day, a nationwide observance that raises awareness and promotes action in the fight against HIV/AIDS, took place on March 10.

17 Mar 2011

Experts advise against taking unnecessary potassium iodide

There is a mad rush to the stores to pick up potassium iodide supplements to guard against radiation exposure wafting over to the U.S. from Japan, an unlikely event according to experts. This is despite health officials’ warnings that these supplements are pointless and could cause adverse side effects.

16 Mar 2011

It's the health law's birthday and not everyone is celebrating

The health overhaul's first anniversary — just about a week away — is already being marked on Capitol Hill with a number of hearings and other events related to exploring, complimenting and criticizing the law's implementation.

16 Mar 2011

Researchers discover 3-D structure of key biological receptor

Researchers have solved the three-dimensional structure of a key biological receptor. The finding has the potential to speed drug discovery in many areas, from arthritis to respiratory disorders to wound healing, because it enables chemists to better examine and design molecules for use in experimental drugs.

16 Mar 2011

A Medicare mistake: Paying for Viagra

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General concluded that the program paid more than $3 million in 2007 and 2008 for this drug, even though it is against the law for Medicare to pay for Viagra prescriptions.

16 Mar 2011

Trend rising for deaths of children in cars and trucks

Sadly, March 8th marked the first child vehicular tragedy of the year when a mother came out of work only to realize she left her 6 month year old in the car. This preventable, yet horrific accident occurs more often than one would think.

15 Mar 2011

Type 2 diabetes drug less likely to cause weight gain, raise cholesterol levels

An inexpensive type 2 diabetes drug that has been around for more than 15 years works just as well and has fewer side effects than a half-dozen other, mostly newer and more expensive classes of medication used to control the chronic disease, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

15 Mar 2011

Five medical centers receive CDC grant to help reduce healthcare-associated infections

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is awarding $10 million for new research to five academic medical centers as part of its Prevention Epicenter grant program, which supports efforts to develop and test innovative approaches to reducing infections in health care settings.

15 Mar 2011

Scientists show how E. coli strain causes infection in individuals

Scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, have shown how the O157:H7 strain of Escherichia coli causes infection and thrives by manipulating the host immune response.

15 Mar 2011