Medical Legislation News and Research

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Bike helmet legislation could make cycling safer

Legislation that requires people to wear bicycle helmets appears to increase use and decreases injury rates, according to the results of a Cochrane Review.

19 Apr 2007

AARP to track Senate vote on Medicare Rx bargaining bill

Today, AARP will be sending the following letter from CEO Bill Novelli to every member of the U.S. Senate alerting them that the association will be recording the upcoming Senate vote on a bill to allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.

17 Apr 2007

British look at detaining dangerous mental patients

Government ministers in Britain are in the midst of discussing controversial plans to allow mentally ill people to be detained against their will, even if they have not committed a crime.

16 Apr 2007

Eye contact helps police calm hysterical citizens

Holding eye contact, or "gaze," with hysterical citizens is one of the most effective methods police officers can use to calm them down, according to new research conducted by the University of New Hampshire that relies on footage of the FOX TV show "COPS."

15 Apr 2007

Health insurers in California need to justify rates

Consumers enduring triple-digit health insurance increases will join Assemblyman Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) and consumer advocates to support Jones' legislation (AB 1554) requiring HMOs and health insurers to justify their rates and get approval for increases.

15 Apr 2007

Gender and ethnicity of judges, defendants and victims effect court rulings

New research in the Department of Sociology at the University of Haifa found that the gender and ethnicity of judges, defendants and victims effect court rulings and prison terms.

15 Apr 2007

Coley Pharmaceutical licenses VaxImmune to Merck

Coley Pharmaceutical Group has announced that Merck & Co has licensed Coley's VaxImmune vaccine adjuvant for incorporation into vaccines being developed by Merck for certain infectious diseases and Alzheimer's disease.

15 Apr 2007

The passing of 'honest sex education policy' applauded

Yesterday, the Washington State House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 5297 by a vote of 63-34, paving the way for comprehensive sex education -- education that includes scientifically accurate information on abstinence and the health benefits of birth control and condoms -- to be taught in the state's schools.

15 Apr 2007

Groundbreaking Yogyakarta principles released

Groundbreaking international legal principles on sexual orientation, gender identity, and international law have been released by 29 international human rights experts, led by University of Nottingham academic, Professor Michael O'Flaherty.

14 Apr 2007

Embryonic stem cell bill is dead

Today the United States Senate voted to pass S. 5, the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act." Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, issued the following statement:

12 Apr 2007

Juries found to sympathize more with doctors in malpractice cases

There's a common belief that juries frequently side with patients in lawsuits involving medical malpractice.

12 Apr 2007

American Diabetes Association lauds Senate for passage of Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

The American Diabetes Association today issued the following statement in response to the passage by the Senate of the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act" (S.5), which will accelerate stem cell research by easing existing funding restrictions and supporting research that uses embryonic stem cells, while maintaining strict ethical guidelines.

12 Apr 2007

CAMR calls on U.S. Senate to pass stem cell research act

At an event on Capitol Hill today with Senators Specter (R-PA), Harkin (D-IA), Hatch (R-UT), Kennedy (D-MA) and Feinstein (D-CA), the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR) called on the U.S. Senate to pass the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

11 Apr 2007

AIDS Healthcare Foundation commends the passing of HIV testing bill

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the US' largest provider of HIV/AIDS healthcare, prevention and education, and operator of the largest non-government HIV testing program in California which conducts more than 15,000 HIV tests annually, today lauded the California Assembly Health Committee for its unanimous vote (12/0) in favor of Assembly Bill 682, California's Routine HIV Screening Bill, which will now move on to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

11 Apr 2007

Babe on life support granted a reprieve

A judge in Texas has granted a family's request to keep their critically ill baby alive and ruled against the hospital's wishes, that his life support should not be switched off.

11 Apr 2007

$1.1 billion funding to low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS in U.S.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has announced more than $1.1 billion in funding to help states and territories provide care, medications and services for low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

7 Apr 2007

Market study into the distribution of medicines in the UK

The OFT has launched a market study into the distribution of medicines in the UK. This decision follows recent and proposed distribution changes by leading UK medicine suppliers.

5 Apr 2007

AARP asks U.S. Senator Coleman to stand up to big pharma

AARP State President Skip Humphrey stood with a group of red-shirted AARP members and representatives of the Minnesota Senior Federation and the Elder Care Rights Alliance to urge U.S. Senator Norm Coleman to support legislation to give Medicare the authority to negotiate with drug companies for lower prescription drug prices.

5 Apr 2007

Safeguarding patient services, maintaining cost-effectivenes

GPs struggling to balance their books in the face of rising expenses and a zero percent increase in funding will have to take tough, business-minded decisions to minimise the effect on both their practices and patient services, advises the BMA's General Practitioners Committee (GPC).

5 Apr 2007

Bayh calls for tripling of breast cancer research funds

U.S. Senator Evan Bayh called for a dramatic increase in breast cancer research funding at a reception for recipients of the Marvella Bayh Memorial Scholarship at Indiana University's Cancer Research Institute on IUPUI's campus today.

5 Apr 2007