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Antiretroviral drug efavirenz associated with better outcomes in HIV-infected adults

A study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that HIV-infected patients taking the antiretroviral drug efavirenz were more likely to adhere to treatment and less likely to experience virologic failure and death compared to patients taking nevirapine.

14 Oct 2008

Newspapers examine efforts, reaction to easing ban on HIV-positive visitors to U.S.

Some HIV/AIDS advocates are "being cautious with their optimism" regarding new immigration rules for HIV-positive visitors as well as HHS efforts to remove HIV from the list of diseases barring entry into the U.S., the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Fulbright, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/2).

5 Oct 2008

Senate Finance Committee leaders raise concerns about problems in Medicare appeals office

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in a letter recently sent to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt raised concerns about alleged problems in the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, CQ HealthBeat reports.

5 Oct 2008

MedPAC hearing panelists call for residency programs to move away from hospital-centered care, toward treatment of chronic illnesses

Residency programs should place greater emphasis on the treatment of chronic diseases and on incorporating health information technology because current graduate medical education focuses too heavily on hospital-centered care, panelists told the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission on Thursday, CQ HealthBeat reports.

5 Oct 2008

HHS should act quickly to end travel restrictions for HIV-positive people, editorial says

HHS should take action "soon to end a de facto form of discrimination" by rewriting its rules prohibiting HIV-positive people from visiting the U.S., a Washington Post editorial says, adding that the continuation of the policy "puts the United States in the company of countries such as Libya, Saudi Arabia and Sudan."

29 Sep 2008

Obama releases new ad criticizing McCain on health insurance regulation

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) on Monday released an advertisement that criticized Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) for his views on health care and an article in which he discusses regulation of the health insurance market, the Boston Globe's "Political Intelligence" reports (Rhee, "Political Intelligence," Boston Globe, 9/22).

24 Sep 2008

Funding dispute affects plans to develop office of minority health in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday examined a dispute over funding to establish a local Office of Minority Health. In March, City Manager Milton Dohoney recommended that the Cincinnati City Council approve an ordinance that would have allowed the City of Cincinnati Health Department to apply for and accept a $69,023 grant from HHS to establish the center. He said the city would supply $17,489 in matching funds.

24 Sep 2008

House Democrats send letter to President Bush urging 'swift action' on reversal of rule banning HIV-positive foreigners from entering U.S.

Lawmakers and HIV advocates are urging the Bush administration to take action on reversing the current ban HIV-positive foreigners from entering the U.S., the AP/Los Angeles Times reports (Abrams, AP/Los Angeles Times, 9/20).

22 Sep 2008

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss positions on reimportation, generics, biotechnology medications

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) have begun "reviewing their support" for prescription drug reimportation in response to recent cases of contaminated medications and other products from other nations, advisers to the candidates said on Thursday during the annual conference of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association in Washington, D.C., Reuters/Boston Globe reports.

22 Sep 2008

Genetic screening effective for initial HIV treatment

A major study from a team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College and Massachusetts General Hospital has found that a recent change to HIV-treatment guidelines recommending genetic screening is cost-effective under certain conditions. The new recommendation suggests conducting a genetic screening test prior to prescribing the drug abacavir, one of the preferred first-line drugs for the treatment for HIV-infected adults.

17 Sep 2008

Minnesota lawmakers seek suspension of proposed Medicaid rule that would reduce Federal funding for MinnesotaCare

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) have introduced bills to suspend a proposed federal Medicaid rule that would reduce funding for the state's MinnesotaCare program and that potentially could cut up to 18,000 low- and middle-income beneficiaries from the program, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

16 Sep 2008

Lawmakers warn federal officials to fix problems with Medicare information phone line

CMS has improved 1-800-Medicare, a toll-free telephone line that beneficiaries can call for information on the prescription drug benefit, but the agency needs to address some serious problems that remain before the next annual enrollment period begins on Nov. 15, advocates for seniors and lawmakers said on Thursday during a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, CQ HealthBeat reports. CMS has five call centers nationwide for the telephone line, which served about 30 million callers in 2007.

15 Sep 2008

About 85% of insurers' marketing materials for prescription drug plans do not meet Medicare guidelines, audit finds

Nearly 85% of the marketing materials used by private prescription drug plans to reach Medicare beneficiaries do not fully meet CMS guidelines, according to a report released Thursday by the HHS Office of Inspector General, CQ HealthBeat reports.

7 Sep 2008

CMS adds children's health care information to Hospital Compare web site

CMS on Wednesday announced that it has updated its Hospital Compare Web site to include information on 30-day mortality rates for the pneumonia and inpatient asthma treatment for children, CQ HealthBeat reports.

5 Sep 2008

U.S. residents increasingly adopting HIV-positive children from abroad

U.S. residents increasingly are adopting HIV-positive children from abroad, according to figures from the U.S.-based Adoption Advocates International, the AP/Google.com reports.

4 Sep 2008

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS outreach efforts aimed at African immigrants

The Washington Post on Tuesday examined HIV/AIDS outreach efforts aimed at African immigrants in the U.S. According to the Post, some health researchers say that the "message" that HIV/AIDS also affects Africans in the U.S. is "growing in importance as they become increasingly concerned that the AIDS epidemic ravaging sub-Saharan Africa is following migrants from that continent to America."

2 Sep 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report highlights recent Medicaid news in six states

Three insurance companies that cover 60% of people enrolled in Florida "Medicaid Reform" plans have said they will leave the project and have asked to be assigned no new members, a move suspected to be a result of reductions in Medicaid payments to the plans, Florida Health News reports.

1 Sep 2008

Medicare overpaid for prescription drugs with new generic versions because of delay in incorporating new prices into payment calculations

Medicare overpaid for irinotecan, a cancer drug sold by Pfizer under the name Campostar, by $6.5 million in March because of a delay in updating its pricing formula, according to a report released on Tuesday by the HHS Office of Inspector General, Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times reports.

29 Aug 2008

HIV/AIDS groups express concern about potential for new antiretroviral advertising to 'scare off' patients

The Wall Street Journal on Monday examined a new trend for drugmakers marketing HIV/AIDS treatments to release ads that "tak[e] aim at rival HIV drugs, hinting at side effects and other drawbacks."

26 Aug 2008

CMS official expresses concerns with timeline, scope of Texas Medicaid overhaul plan

In an Aug. 7 letter to Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins, CMS official Dianne Heffron questioned whether the state's plan to overhaul Medicaid by providing subsidized health coverage to 2.1 million uninsured residents would move quickly enough and be broad enough to justify relaxing federal rules, the Dallas Morning News reports. Heffron wrote, "It appears that significant, comprehensive reform would not begin until September 2010."

26 Aug 2008

Health and Human Services News and Research

Antiretroviral drug efavirenz associated with better outcomes in HIV-infected adults

Newspapers examine efforts, reaction to easing ban on HIV-positive visitors to U.S.

Senate Finance Committee leaders raise concerns about problems in Medicare appeals office

MedPAC hearing panelists call for residency programs to move away from hospital-centered care, toward treatment of chronic illnesses

HHS should act quickly to end travel restrictions for HIV-positive people, editorial says

Obama releases new ad criticizing McCain on health insurance regulation

Funding dispute affects plans to develop office of minority health in Cincinnati

House Democrats send letter to President Bush urging 'swift action' on reversal of rule banning HIV-positive foreigners from entering U.S.

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss positions on reimportation, generics, biotechnology medications

Genetic screening effective for initial HIV treatment

Minnesota lawmakers seek suspension of proposed Medicaid rule that would reduce Federal funding for MinnesotaCare

Lawmakers warn federal officials to fix problems with Medicare information phone line

About 85% of insurers' marketing materials for prescription drug plans do not meet Medicare guidelines, audit finds

CMS adds children's health care information to Hospital Compare web site

U.S. residents increasingly adopting HIV-positive children from abroad

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS outreach efforts aimed at African immigrants

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report highlights recent Medicaid news in six states

Medicare overpaid for prescription drugs with new generic versions because of delay in incorporating new prices into payment calculations

HIV/AIDS groups express concern about potential for new antiretroviral advertising to 'scare off' patients

CMS official expresses concerns with timeline, scope of Texas Medicaid overhaul plan

Achieving and maintaining ISO 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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