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Obama urges Senators to seize 'historic opportunity'

In a meeting Sunday with Senate Democrats, President Obama urged "a fractious Democratic caucus to pull together to pass landmark health-care legislation," eschewing any policy particulars such as abortion or the public option, The Washington Post reports. A White House spokesman said Obama reminded senators of their "historic opportunity to provide stability and security for those who have insurance, affordable coverage for those who don't, and bring down the cost of health care for families, small businesses and the government" (Murray and Montgomery, 12/7).

7 Dec 2009

Last-ditch public option compromise looks to federal employees' plan

As the health care debate grinds forward, Majority Leader Harry Reid asked a group of ten Democratic senators - five liberals and five centrists - to forge a compromise on a government-operated health insurer, The New York Times reports. Even among Democrats, moderates and liberals differ on this thorny issue. "The push for a deal on the public option indicated the pressure Democrats were feeling to resolve their differences if they hope to pass the bill by their self-imposed deadline of Christmas" (Pear and Herszenhorn, 12/6).

7 Dec 2009

KHN column: The true costs of reform

In his latest column, a collaboration between Kaiser Health News and the New Republic, Jonathan Cohn writes about the ongoing discourse surrounding the cost of reform.

7 Dec 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

[I]t's virtually impossible to design a reform scheme that doesn't, in the early stages, involve at least some transfer of money away from the healthy and wealthy. The point of insurance is to pool risk, bringing in contributions from relatively healthy people, so that medical bills don't fall too heavily on the sick (Jonathan Cohn, 12/7).

7 Dec 2009

Gawande: A 'hodgepodge' of pilot programs may be the right approach to cut health costs

Legislation to overhaul the American health system lacks an overarching plan to curb the rising costs of medicine, according to Atul Gawande, the influential surgeon and writer, in an essay for the Dec. 14 issue of The New Yorker. "Does the bill end medicine's destructive piecemeal payment system? Does it replace paying for quantity with paying for quality? Does it institute nationwide structural changes that curb costs and raise quality? It does not," Gawande writes. "Instead, what it offers is . . . pilot programs."

7 Dec 2009

Demand for doctors in rural areas and primary care physicians increases

The Dallas Morning News reports that rural health providers "are keeping a wary eye on proposed health care changes under debate in Congress. ... Democrats and Republicans from rural areas in the South and Midwest succeeded in getting some relief for the rural health care system written into the Senate and House bills under debate.

7 Dec 2009

Deals on health reform in jeopardy as support from drugmakers, senior groups is tested

The pharmaceutical industry's support for a health care reform bill in the Senate is in jeopardy as Senate Democrats ponder squeezing more cost savings out of drug makers to help pay for the overhaul, The Associated Press reports.

7 Dec 2009

Some progress on health bill, Senators prepare for long December

"Senate Republicans and Democrats are digging in for a long December, vowing they have no objection to the possibility of a working Christmas to debate healthcare reform," The Hill reports. "From GOP rank-and-file to Democratic leaders, senators say they regret but recognize the need to put public duty ahead of their families and follow a schedule tentatively laid out by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Reid has said he may call the chamber back into session in between the Christmas and New Year's holidays" (Rushing, 12/6).

7 Dec 2009

Advocates worried about health insurance affordability push for more subsidies

The Boston Globe: "President Obama has promised that the nation's health care overhaul will make medical insurance available - and affordable - for everyone. But while bills in Congress would make insurance more accessible for millions of Americans, advocates worry that the Senate bill would impose significant financial burdens on some of the families who will now be required to buy coverage."

7 Dec 2009

Medicare fraud 'rampant' in Miami, spreads among different ethnic communities nationally

"Medicare fraud runs rampant in Miami-Dade" while federal experts examine how the crime spreads among different ethnic communities in different cities, The Associated Press/Miami Herald reports

7 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 7, 2009

President Obama took to the Hill this weekend to boost Senate Democrats' health reform efforts. Meanwhile, the negotiations on flashpoint issues such as the public option continue.

7 Dec 2009

New report shows U.S. citizens are ready to make hard choices on fiscal and economic priorities

Hoping to protect their children and grandchildren from a dismal economic future, concerned citizens across the country are prepared to make the difficult choices necessary to put government finances on a more responsible path.

7 Dec 2009

Cubicle Curtain Factory to increase awareness of its innovative hospital privacy curtains

The Cubicle Curtain Factory has retained TransMedia Group to publicize the first major innovation in hospital privacy curtains in decades, the Simply 66 Snap System, which is already saving hospitals millions in maintenance costs.

7 Dec 2009

NHS teams up with international staff engagement specialists to improve patient care

The National Health Service (NHS), which manages 500 hospitals and over 1.5 million people in the UK, understands the value of an engaged staff: healthier and happier patients.

7 Dec 2009

AHF hosts free rapid HIV testing in conjunction with Faithful Central Bible Church

In observation of World AIDS Day 2009, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS group which currently provides more than 15,000 free HIV and STD tests annually in California via its community-based testing programs, is hosting a day of free rapid HIV testing in conjunction with Faithful Central Bible Church this Sunday December 6th starting at 6:00am going until 4:00pm at the congregation’s church in Inglewood (321 Eucalyptus Street, Inglewood, 90301).

7 Dec 2009

Researchers explore optimal induction therapies for managing blood cancer

There have been significant scientific advances in the field of blood cancers, and leading experts continue to gain a better understanding of how certain diseases progress in order to discover new treatment options and provide patients with the best care.

7 Dec 2009

VELCADE based regimens are cost-effective for payers and patients, finds study

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company today announced that two studies presented at the 51st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting found that VELCADE based regimens are more cost-effective for payers and reduced out-of-pocket costs for patients than other commonly used multiple myeloma treatments.

7 Dec 2009

Norovirus-related illnesses linked to eating oysters, reveals report

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers to avoid eating oysters harvested from the San Antonio Bay on or after Nov. 16 due to reports of norovirus-associated illnesses in some people who had consumed oysters harvested from this area, which is located on the Gulf of Texas.

7 Dec 2009

Deal time? Key Senate Dems meet on public option in health bill

Politico: "President Barack Obama will meet Sunday with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill, as a group of moderate and liberal senators weighed a new public option compromise in hopes of striking a deal by early in the week.

6 Dec 2009

Combative health debate continues: Senate considers insurance executives' pay, cost controls

News coverage is focusing on Senate consideration of amendments to the massive health reform bill.

6 Dec 2009

Health Care News and Research

Obama urges Senators to seize 'historic opportunity'

Last-ditch public option compromise looks to federal employees' plan

KHN column: The true costs of reform

Today's opinions and editorials

Gawande: A 'hodgepodge' of pilot programs may be the right approach to cut health costs

Demand for doctors in rural areas and primary care physicians increases

Deals on health reform in jeopardy as support from drugmakers, senior groups is tested

Some progress on health bill, Senators prepare for long December

Advocates worried about health insurance affordability push for more subsidies

Medicare fraud 'rampant' in Miami, spreads among different ethnic communities nationally

First Edition: December 7, 2009

New report shows U.S. citizens are ready to make hard choices on fiscal and economic priorities

Cubicle Curtain Factory to increase awareness of its innovative hospital privacy curtains

NHS teams up with international staff engagement specialists to improve patient care

AHF hosts free rapid HIV testing in conjunction with Faithful Central Bible Church

Researchers explore optimal induction therapies for managing blood cancer

VELCADE based regimens are cost-effective for payers and patients, finds study

Norovirus-related illnesses linked to eating oysters, reveals report

Deal time? Key Senate Dems meet on public option in health bill

Combative health debate continues: Senate considers insurance executives' pay, cost controls

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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