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Today's Opinions: Broken promises, Boehner's Plan B and implementing reform

My sister's cancer sent me into the medical literature with an insatiable hunger for information. It's this search for answers and 20 years of experience caring for women many of whom bore physical or emotional scars acquired in the aftermath of suspicious or inconclusive mammograms that led me to decide that I could no longer endorse the tests as routine screening measures for me or any other woman

13 Oct 2010

Cancer patients getting unnecessary tests: Study

US researchers revealed that many cancer patients with only a few years to live often continue to get routine mammograms or blood tests for prostate cancer even though they are not likely to live long enough to benefit from them. This not only wastes money but also exposes patients to unnecessary worry and distress.

12 Oct 2010

Open insurance season may bring sticker shock

In this Kaiser Health News consumer health column, Michelle Andrews explores what workers will find when their health insurance comes up for renewal this fall.

12 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 12, 2010

Today's early morning highlights from major news organizations look at a probe of a California hospital chain, the effect that the governors' races around the country will have on the federal health law and a review of prescription purchases that shows more Americans are foregoing their medicines.

12 Oct 2010

Older people who do not get vaccinated rely on indigenous health practices

Eating steamed pears, having a soothing massage or bathing in a herbal mixture are just some of indigenous health practices used by older people to ward off or treat influenza, according to research published in the October issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

12 Oct 2010

Racial disparities in breast cancer care persist despite health insurance and socioeconomic status

Racial disparities in the receipt of breast cancer care persist despite accounting for patients' insurance and social and economic status. That is the conclusion of a study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The findings suggest that greater efforts are needed to better understand disparities in breast cancer care and to ensure that all affected women receive equal and effective treatments.

12 Oct 2010

HHS awards $727 million to community health centers as part of new law

The Obama administration late last week announced it is awarding $727 million to community health centers around the nation to help them build new clinics and improve the safety net, The Washington Post reports.

12 Oct 2010

Health premiums climb

Buffalo (N.Y.) News: "Two of the region's three dominant health insurers intend to raise premiums on average by double digits for next year, and the third wants a double-digit increase for plans not structured as health maintenance organizations. The premium for one insurance plan could rise almost 36 percent. The insurers cite rising costs of medical care and federal health care reforms." The increases must be approved by the state (Epstein, 10/10).

12 Oct 2010

Pelosi issues statement on HHS announcement of $727 million in grants

Speaker Pelosi issued the following statement today after Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced $727 million in grants to community health centers across the nation, including more than $4 million to San Francisco's South of Market Health Center and $91.5 million for California, as part of the Affordable Care Act.

11 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 11, 2010

Today's early morning highlights include articles on new options for open season, concerns among retirees about the provisions of the federal health law and the latest campaign arguments over that new overhaul.

11 Oct 2010

Health insurance: Coverage expands for children, young adults; not necessarily for retirees

Glenn Franco, a retired community-college instructor in Michigan, tried to get his 24-year-old daughter on his health plan—and was turned away. Many large employers are telling retirees the same thing.

11 Oct 2010

Charges and counter-charges on health law infiltrate political debates

CNN: "The two candidates vying for President Barack Obama's old Senate seat sat side-by-side and calmly accused each other of lying and other improprieties in a televised debate Sunday," on NBC's Meet the Press (Cohen, 10/10).

11 Oct 2010

Federal judge in Michigan rules health law constitutional

His decision rejected the "argument that Congress lacked the power to create the legislation's 'individual mandate,' which requires virtually all Americans to purchase health insurance," The Washington Post reports. "Other federal courts have already dismissed some challenges to the law on technical grounds — ruling, for instance, that the plaintiffs lacked standing.

11 Oct 2010

Research roundup: Examining comparative effectiveness research and changes in Medicare Part D

Health Affairs: The Potential Impact Of Comparative Effectiveness Research On The Health Of Minority Populations -- This is part of a collection of reports this month on comparative effectiveness research. Studies that compare how different treatments work is a focus of the new health law because advocates believe it could help hold down costs.

11 Oct 2010

Democrats still wonder: Run on health reform or against it?

The Fiscal Times reports that some Democrats are trying to decide whether they should run for re-election on health reform or against it. "A new poll suggests it's not so clear-cut, and some Democrats seem to agree.

11 Oct 2010

Young adults continue to represent Americans without health insurance

Young adults continue to represent one of the largest groups of Americans without health insurance, with nearly 15 million people aged 19-29 uninsured in 2009-an increase of more than 1 million over 2008, according to a Commonwealth Fund report released today. However, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is poised to make a significant difference for this population, as up to 12.1 million could gain subsidized insurance once all of the law's provisions go into effect in 2014.

8 Oct 2010

AFA quarterly magazine features President Obama as guest columnist

President Obama is featured as a guest columnist in the latest issue of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America's (AFA) quarterly magazine for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related illnesses, care ADvantage. In his column, he outlines important provisions in the Affordable Care Act that are relevant to the Alzheimer's community, such as health insurance, drug coverage and long-term care.

8 Oct 2010

Progress made with enactment of ADA, but people still face challenges: Disability and Health Journal

In recognition of the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the October issue of Disability and Health Journal has brought together a series of articles to examine whether the ADA has in fact improved the health of people with disabilities. Areas of progress are identified, most notably acknowledging physical barriers and need for better staff training and communication about and with people with disabilities.

8 Oct 2010

US continues to lag behind other nations when it comes to gains in life expectancy: Study

America continues to lag behind other nations when it comes to gains in life expectancy, and commonly cited causes for our poor performance-obesity, smoking, traffic fatalities and homicide-are not to blame, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

8 Oct 2010

Opeds: Editorials weigh in on success -- or not -- of 'Obama's' health reform

Six months after the passage of health care reform, it is easy to forget how far we have come in such a short time. It will take years to make the law's most important changes.

8 Oct 2010