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Montana Gov. seeks to buy state's prescription drugs from Canada; Settlement reached for ground zero workers

"Gov. Brian Schweitzer [D-Mont.] said Thursday that he is seeking federal permission to import cheaper drugs from Canada for use in state insurance programs," The Associated Press/The New York Times reports

15 Mar 2010

U.S. prescribing information for PLAVIX revised

Sanofi-aventis U.S. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced revisions to the U.S. prescribing information for PLAVIX® (clopidogrel bisulfate), which include a boxed warning. The boxed warning concerns the diminished effectiveness of PLAVIX in patients who have a genetic variation leading to reduced formation of the active metabolite.

15 Mar 2010

AARP opposes Health Conscience bill

A living will or advance directive for end of life care may soon be worthless documents in Idaho if state legislators have their way – and that's news that has older Idahoans outraged.

15 Mar 2010

Research roundup: Evaluating health bills, attitudes about uninsured, improving emergency rooms

The Cost Of Uncompensated Care With And Without Health Reform - This report analyzes various health bills. "The cost of uncompensated care will fall from $62.1 billion in 2009 to $46.6 billion in 2019 under the Senate bill, and to $36.5 billion in 2019 with the House bill. Without reform, the cost of uncompensated care will increase to between $107 and $141 billion in 2019, depending on growth in the economy and health care costs.

15 Mar 2010

Data shows increased risk of heart attack, stroke for patients having high blood pressure

For patients with diabetes and heart disease, less isn't always more - at least when it comes to blood pressure.

15 Mar 2010

Supplementing vitamin D in people with low levels may have different effects based on patient race

Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "go-to" remedy for treating a wide range of illnesses, from osteoporosis to atherosclerosis. However, new evidence from a Wake Forest University School of Medicine study suggests that supplementing vitamin D in those with low levels may have different effects based on patient race and, in black individuals, the supplement could actually do harm.

15 Mar 2010

Parliamentarian ruling complicates Democrats' plans

The Democrats' plan for passing the health overhaul has been waylaid by the Senate parliamentarian, who ruled President Obama must first sign into law the Senate-passed health bill before the senators could consider separate legislation that would alter it on behalf of House members, The Hill reports.

15 Mar 2010

Groups take to streets, airwaves for health overhaul endgame

"With the health care debate headed toward a showdown on Capitol Hill, the battle is being joined locally at street rallies, in television ads and through phone banks. Members of Congress, particularly Democratic moderates such as Rep. Bob Etheridge, are facing stepped-up lobbying efforts as President Barack Obama makes a final push for passage of a bill aimed to change the health care system. At the same time, conservative critics are waging a last effort to derail the bill" (Christensen, 3/12).

15 Mar 2010

CCIH study: Canadians are forced to choose between personal health and financial future

Canadians are increasingly being forced to choose between their personal health and their financial future, according to a study released today by the Canadian Council for Integrated Healthcare.

15 Mar 2010

Pelosi: A 'climactic health care vote' as early as next week

Politico: During a Friday meeting with Democratic members, Pelosi told lawmakers to "clear their schedules for next weekend." She also promised "to stay in session until the landmark vote, people present said afterwards."

15 Mar 2010

Combination therapy does not reduce cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes patients

Lowering blood pressure to normal levels - below currently recommended levels - did not significantly reduce the combined risk of fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease events in adults with type 2 diabetes who were at especially high risk for cardiovascular disease events, according to new results from the landmark Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) clinical trial.

15 Mar 2010

Health bill update: Pelosi counting votes, Scott Brown lambastes Dems

News outlets reported that Democrats seeking to pass a health bill next week got a boost from a Cabinet official, a key senator and the Catholic Health Association, while newly-elected Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., attacked the Democrats' plans.

15 Mar 2010

FDA warns patients and physicians about the efficacy of Plavix treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today added a boxed warning to the anti-blood clotting drug Plavix (clopidogrel), alerting patients and health care professionals that the drug can be less effective in people who cannot metabolize the drug to convert it to its active form.

15 Mar 2010

Confident Democrats predict House passes health bill this week

"Top aides to President Obama hit the Sunday talk shows to proclaim that by the time they air again, the U.S. House will have signed off on major health care legislation. 'I believe it is going to happen this week,' said White House political adviser David Axelrod, speaking on ABC's This Week. 'I think we're going to have a vote'" (Jackson, 3/14).

15 Mar 2010

Increased focus on role of nurses in health care

CNN reports that specialist nurses last year were paid higher average salaries than primary care doctors. "Primary care doctors were offered an average base salary of $173,000 in 2009 compared to an average base salary of $189,000 offered to certified nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs, according to the latest numbers from Merritt Hawkins & Associates, a physician recruiting and consulting firm."

12 Mar 2010

States face health spending cuts

President Obama's demand to delete 'special deals' in the health care package would eliminate $500 million in extra Medicaid cash for Massachusetts, but Bay State lawmakers say they are confident the state would recoup that and probably more once negotiations are complete.

12 Mar 2010

Louisiana ranks 46th on maternal mortality, records 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Louisiana is 46th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

Health reform is back from the dead. ... But reform still has to run a gantlet of misinformation and outright lies. So let me address three big myths about the proposed reform, myths that are believed by many people who consider themselves well-informed, but who have actually fallen for deceptive spin (Paul Krugman, 3/11).

12 Mar 2010

Democrats look for consensus on final health overhaul package

Democrats Thursday looked for a way forward on a health reform bill as colleagues in the House worried about abortion, other provisions and Senate passage of a reconciliation measure.

12 Mar 2010

Report shows District of Columbia stands 51st on maternal mortality ranking

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that the District of Columbia is 51st on a maternal mortality ranking, with 34.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010