Health and Human Services News and Research

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"Hotline" report on finasteride for prevention of prostate cancer

In response to a recent New York Times article that questions why currently available medications designed to treat and prevent some cancers are being ignored, ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit organization, is offering a roadmap to the evidence on Finasteride for Prevention of Prostate Cancer for free download.

20 Nov 2009

Guidelines on cancer screenings spark debate

New guidelines on mammograms and pap smears set off a fierce debate.

20 Nov 2009

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

These bills will provide a bedrock sense of security and stability for Americans who have health insurance, and quality, affordable options for Americans without it (Peter R. Orszag, 11/20).

20 Nov 2009

NHLBI-supported research shares new strategies on hypertension, heart defect and air pollution

New education strategies for better controlling hypertension and research suggesting a possible link between short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution and increased risk of constricted blood vessels are among the research highlights from studies supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the American Heart Association's 2009 Scientific Sessions in Orlando held Nov. 14-18.

20 Nov 2009

HHS Secretary commended for her statement on government medical panel

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is to be commended for publicly stating the government panel opposing mammograms is "an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who ... do not set federal policy and ... don't determine what services are covered by the federal government."

20 Nov 2009

Harry Reid unveils health care bill, which includes pro-abortion language

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last night unveiled a health care bill which includes pro-abortion language. The bill's language mirrors the Capps Amendment from the House debate -- it allows the public option to include abortion coverage and provides federal subsidies for private plans which cover abortion.

20 Nov 2009

Discoveries on anti-HIV antibodies may help researchers create an effective HIV vaccine

New discoveries about anti-HIV antibodies may bring researchers a step closer to creating an effective HIV vaccine, according to a new paper co-authored by scientists at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

20 Nov 2009

Emphasizing racial disparities increases health news coverage, says new study

Effective communication of health news is needed to raise awareness and encourage behavior changes in populations who experience health disparities, or inequalities in health status, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

20 Nov 2009

78% of physicians do not agree with government recommendations for mammography: HCD study

Results from a new media study among 600 physicians revealed that the majority (78%) reported that they do not agree with the new guidelines released by the Preventive Services Task Force of the Department of Health and Human Services recommending against regular mammography tests for women under 50 years old.

20 Nov 2009

NIEHS grants $13 million for engineered nanomaterials research

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, is increasing its investment in understanding the potential health, safety and environmental issues related to tiny particles that are used in many everyday products such as sunscreens, cosmetics and electronics. The NIEHS will award about $13 million over a two-year period, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to bolster the NIEHS's ongoing research portfolio in the area of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs).

20 Nov 2009

Senate health bill released, another step toward Democratic-backed reforms

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the stage for a climactic debate in the Senate over health care by unveiling a 10-year, $848 billion bill that would extend insurance to 31 million Americans without coverage," The Wall Street Journal reports.

19 Nov 2009

Insurers say they won't alter mammogram coverage despite new guidelines

Insurance companies say mammogram coverage is unlikely to change despite the debate over the effectiveness of breast cancer screenings for women in their forties.

19 Nov 2009

Southern District of Florida Health Care Fraud Team receives the 2009 Excellence in Public Awareness Award

The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA) is pleased to announce that the Southern District of Florida Health Care Fraud Team--comprised of individuals representing the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida; the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Division; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Miami Regional Office--is the recipient of the 2009 Excellence in Public Awareness Award.

19 Nov 2009

'Model' tobacco cessation program reduces smoking rate by 26%

A "model" tobacco cessation benefit offered to Massachusetts' Medicaid participants has produced an astounding 26% drop in smoking rates in only two and a half years, and has already been linked to decreases in heart attacks, hospitalizations for asthma and COPD, and a significant decrease in birth complications.

19 Nov 2009

Medicare fraud: New Jersey hospital to pay over $3.02M to resolve allegations

The United States has entered into a settlement with a New Jersey hospital and filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit against a New York hospital involving allegations that the hospitals defrauded Medicare, the Justice Department announced today.

19 Nov 2009

Seniors struggle with drug costs while Congress debates Medicare 'doughnut hole'

Minnesota Public Radio reports: "Since 2006, senior citizens have been able to choose plans for Medicare prescription drug coverage, but that coverage contains a gap known as the 'doughnut hole,' a gap that health care reform plans being debated in Congress would address."

18 Nov 2009

White House reports billions lost in improper payments for Medicare, other government programs

The White House announced Tuesday that billions of federal dollars were spent in improper payments in 2009 and that spending in the Medicare and Medicaid programs accounted for more than half of that total. President Barack Obama will issue an executive order to crack down on the problem, officials said.

18 Nov 2009

CDC awards two separate Blanket Purchase Agreements to Emtec Federal

Emtec Federal, a systems integrator, today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded the company two separate Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) for Information Technology (IT) products and services, each with an estimated value of $10 million per year.

18 Nov 2009

Quest Diagnostics' Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) test receives CE mark

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced that the Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) test developed by its Focus Diagnostics business has been CE marked and is now available as a test kit for distribution to approximately 35 countries in Europe.

From Quest Diagnostics 18 Nov 2009

CTSA institutions receive NIH grants to study drug safety and efficacy in children

Studying drugs in pediatric populations is challenging because drugs often affect children differently than they do adults. The scarcity of pediatric studies limits the ability of doctors and scientists to predict drug dosing, safety and efficacy in children. To address this gap, the National Institutes of Health announced today 18 grants to help determine outcome measures and increase the likelihood of success of future trials of treatments for children.

18 Nov 2009

Health and Human Services News and Research

"Hotline" report on finasteride for prevention of prostate cancer

Guidelines on cancer screenings spark debate

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

NHLBI-supported research shares new strategies on hypertension, heart defect and air pollution

HHS Secretary commended for her statement on government medical panel

Harry Reid unveils health care bill, which includes pro-abortion language

Discoveries on anti-HIV antibodies may help researchers create an effective HIV vaccine

Emphasizing racial disparities increases health news coverage, says new study

78% of physicians do not agree with government recommendations for mammography: HCD study

NIEHS grants $13 million for engineered nanomaterials research

Senate health bill released, another step toward Democratic-backed reforms

Insurers say they won't alter mammogram coverage despite new guidelines

Southern District of Florida Health Care Fraud Team receives the 2009 Excellence in Public Awareness Award

'Model' tobacco cessation program reduces smoking rate by 26%

Medicare fraud: New Jersey hospital to pay over $3.02M to resolve allegations

Seniors struggle with drug costs while Congress debates Medicare 'doughnut hole'

White House reports billions lost in improper payments for Medicare, other government programs

CDC awards two separate Blanket Purchase Agreements to Emtec Federal

Quest Diagnostics' Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) test receives CE mark

CTSA institutions receive NIH grants to study drug safety and efficacy in children

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