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State highlights: Mandatory treatment for mental illness working in NY, study finds; Ore. regulators lower insurance rates $69M

A year ago, Montana opened the nation's first clinic for free primary health care services to its state government employees. The Helena, Mont., clinic was pitched as a way to improve overall employee health, but the idea has faced its fair share of political opposition. A year later, the state says the clinic is already saving money (Boyce, 7/30).

31 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: Rove warns against government shutdown; 'despicable' GOP tactics; Medicare database a tool to control costs

President Obama would love nothing more than Republicans' providing him a bully pulpit and big stick with which he can beat them daily through the 2014 midterm elections. That's what the Republicans would give Mr. Obama if they shut down the government by trying to defund Obamacare in the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government after October 1. That's because the Continuing Resolution only affects discretionary spending. Virtually all of Obamacare costs are mandatory spending, unaffected by what's in the CR (Karl Rove, 7/26).

30 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 30, 2013

Today's headlines include a USA Today story reporting that personal health care costs rose in the 12 months ending in May at the slowest rate in the last 50 years -- a finding that makes the White House happy.

30 Jul 2013

U.S. bans new home health, ambulance providers in three high-fraud cities from Medicare, Medicaid

Federal officials are temporarily banning certain types of home health and ambulance providers in three major, high-fraud cities from enrolling in Medicare or Medicaid.

30 Jul 2013

Fewer doctors treating Medicare patients, CMS says

Amid payment rates and rules they dislike, more doctors are opting to not treat Medicare patients, say the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In the meantime, health care providers ready different models to change how Medicare pays doctors.

30 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 29, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the White House's strategy for building support for the health law.

29 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: Doctors' sway over Medicare pay; hospital rankings not all they seem; legal immigrants' health needs overlooked

Reporters Peter Whoriskey and Dan Keating have opened Post readers' eyes to the fact that Medicare pays for physician services - a $69.6 billion item in 2012 - according to an arcane and little-known price list, over which doctors themselves exercise considerable and less-than-totally-transparent influence (7/24).

26 Jul 2013

Study examines how socio-economic diversity affects racial interaction in colleges

The benefits of race-conscious college admissions are only fully realized under certain conditions, concludes new University of Maryland-led research. To stimulate meaningful cross-racial engagement, incoming freshman classes should reflect both racial and socio-economic diversity, the researchers report.

23 Jul 2013

Study upends common perception that urban areas are more dangerous than small towns

Large cities in the U.S. are significantly safer than their rural counterparts, with the risk of injury death more than 20 percent higher in the country. A study to be published online tomorrow in Annals of Emergency Medicine upends a common perception that urban areas are more dangerous than small towns ("Safety in Numbers: Are Major Cities the Safest Places in the U.S.?").

23 Jul 2013

IT issues pose challenges for health law

News outlets also report on how other changes are affecting small business owners, hospitals and students.

23 Jul 2013

Primer provides physicians with current approaches to diagnose and manage concussions in patients

Concussions, the most common traumatic brain injury, can have serious long-term health effects; therefore, diagnosis and management of these injuries are important. A primer published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) provides physicians with current approaches to diagnosing and managing concussions in patients.

23 Jul 2013

Study calls for more small and compassionate leadership teams to meet NHS challenges

The findings of a three-year study of the National Health Service supports the Francis Report in calling for more small and compassionate leadership teams of doctors, nurses and managers to meet the huge challenges the NHS faces.

22 Jul 2013

Research roundup: Eye care disparities; more complications for Medicaid patients after spine surgery; the cost to states opting against Medicaid expansion

After analyzing 2003-2004 data of patients who underwent spinal surgery at two medical institutions, they found that Medicaid beneficiaries were at much higher risk of experiencing any type of complication than patients who are privately insured. "The results of our study further support the growing body of literature that Medicaid patients have higher rates of complications," the authors write. When evaluating patients and considering the likelihood of complications, "Medicaid status should be considered as well," they concluded (Hacquebord et al., 7/15).

20 Jul 2013

Vitamin D-deficient older individuals are more likely to struggle with everyday tasks

Chevy Chase, MD-Vitamin D-deficient older individuals are more likely to struggle with everyday tasks such as dressing or climbing stairs, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

18 Jul 2013

Roundup: Ore. seniors get special medical deduction, but less generous than hoped; Six fired at Calif. hospital after patient data breaches

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and Democrats wanted to do away with it. Oregonian columnist Susan Nielsen opined against it. Even AARP was OK with its demise. But when the smoke cleared this week, the Oregon Legislature merely curtailed it. Beginning this tax year, only seniors age 62 or older can deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses, not their entire households (Hunsberger, 7/12).

16 Jul 2013

Reid defends Obamacare as McConnell goes on attack

On "Meet the Press," the leaders of the Senate disagreed sharply on the future of the president's signature legislation. Other news outlets covered the appearances.

15 Jul 2013

Three DACA-eligible students to participate in Summer Enrichment Program at SSOM

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine has welcomed three Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals eligible students into its Summer Enrichment Program.

15 Jul 2013

Study shows that people who reach their nineties have improved mental performance

People who reach their nineties today show improved mental performance compared to people in the same age group born a decade earlier, according to the results of a study conducted in Denmark and published in The Lancet.

12 Jul 2013

Restaurant owner welcomes delay on law’s insurance requirement

The New York Times profiles the challenges that one business owner faced with the health law. Other outlets offer news on the law, including the problems the administration faces in setting up the online marketplaces, concerns about scams targeting consumers and help for Medicare beneficiaries.

11 Jul 2013

Music can provide tangible health advantages to older adults

Music - as poets have noted - has the power to wash away the dust of everyday life, and medical experts believe it may also imbue physical and social benefits. Now a new UC San Francisco research project is exploring whether singing in a community choir can provide tangible health advantages to older adults.

10 Jul 2013

Seniors News and Research

State highlights: Mandatory treatment for mental illness working in NY, study finds; Ore. regulators lower insurance rates $69M

Viewpoints: Rove warns against government shutdown; 'despicable' GOP tactics; Medicare database a tool to control costs

First Edition: July 30, 2013

U.S. bans new home health, ambulance providers in three high-fraud cities from Medicare, Medicaid

Fewer doctors treating Medicare patients, CMS says

First Edition: July 29, 2013

Viewpoints: Doctors' sway over Medicare pay; hospital rankings not all they seem; legal immigrants' health needs overlooked

Study examines how socio-economic diversity affects racial interaction in colleges

Study upends common perception that urban areas are more dangerous than small towns

IT issues pose challenges for health law

Primer provides physicians with current approaches to diagnose and manage concussions in patients

Study calls for more small and compassionate leadership teams to meet NHS challenges

Research roundup: Eye care disparities; more complications for Medicaid patients after spine surgery; the cost to states opting against Medicaid expansion

Vitamin D-deficient older individuals are more likely to struggle with everyday tasks

Roundup: Ore. seniors get special medical deduction, but less generous than hoped; Six fired at Calif. hospital after patient data breaches

Reid defends Obamacare as McConnell goes on attack

Three DACA-eligible students to participate in Summer Enrichment Program at SSOM

Study shows that people who reach their nineties have improved mental performance

Restaurant owner welcomes delay on law’s insurance requirement

Music can provide tangible health advantages to older adults

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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