Medical Legislation News and Research

RSS

Sen. Grassley says he is confident President Obama wants bipartisan agreement on health reform

Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Wednesday said that President Obama during a lunch meeting to discuss plans to proceed with health care reform legislation indicated that he favors a bipartisan solution, the Des Moines Register reports.

7 May 2009

2010 budget for FDA invests substantially in food and medical product safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is requesting a budget of $3.2 billion to protect and promote the public health as part of the President's fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget - a 19 percent increase over the current FDA fiscal year budget.

7 May 2009

President Obama discusses health reform prospects with House Democrats

President Obama on Tuesday met with Democrats from the House Energy and Commerce Committee to discuss a climate change bill and health care, the Washington Times reports.

6 May 2009

AHIP President, CEO says health insurance industry would accept stronger federal regulation, stop charging women higher premiums than men

During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Tuesday, America's Health Insurance Plans President and CEO Karen Ignagni said members would concede to greater government regulation, as the industry works to prevent the creation of a government health plan that could threaten their business, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports.

6 May 2009

Teenage girl who wants to be a boy wins right to have breasts removed

Reports than a teenage Australian girl has won the right in court to have both breasts surgically removed, have made the headlines around the world and evoked some very strong criticism.

6 May 2009

Off-label uses of drugs should be approved for very ill patients, opinion piece states

FDA and Congress "should protect physicians' and patients' right" to use FDA-approved drugs for off-label uses "and for the first time allow drugmakers to promote off-label uses that prove beneficial," Richard Epstein, a law professor at the University of Chicago and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. He continues, "Right now these drugs provide immense lifesaving opportunities for many sick patients, particularly those threatened by cancer."

5 May 2009

AP/Miami Herald examines potential use of H1N1 vaccine

A strain-specific vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus, also known as the swine flu, that potentially could be developed by researchers might not be as beneficial as some might hope because uninsured U.S. residents are unlikely to purchase the vaccine, the AP/Miami Herald reports.

5 May 2009

High health care costs affecting insured U.S. residents

Across the country, 64 million people younger than age 65 are part of families spending more than 10% of their pretax income on health care, according to a Families USA study, the Boston Globe reports.

5 May 2009

Congress not likely to pass permanent Medicare physician payment fix this year

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Monday said that comprehensive health reform legislation likely will not include a permanent solution to the Medicare physician payment system, CQ Today reports.

5 May 2009

Sen. Schumer proposes holding public health insurance option to same standards, rules as private insurers

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday proposed that any public health insurance option developed as part of comprehensive health care reform legislation be subject to the same rules and standards as private insurance, the New York Times reports.

5 May 2009

Eliminating Rhode Island's HIV test signature requirement would boost prevention, treatment efforts

Rhode Island's legislature currently is considering a bill (H.B. 5415) that would eliminate a requirement that a person sign his or her name before undergoing an HIV test, which "would essentially make getting an HIV test more like getting any other medical test," Brian Alverson, assistant pediatrics professor at Brown University's Alpert Medical School and head of the Section of Pediatric Hospitalists at Hasbro Children's Hospital, writes in a Providence Journal opinion piece.

5 May 2009

Advocates express concern over Brazilian State's proposed law requiring identification of HIV-positive people

Recent draft legislation that would require the state government in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to publish an online list of HIV-positive people has spurred concern among some HIV/AIDS advocates in the country, who contend that such action could be detrimental and discriminatory, London's Guardian reports.

5 May 2009

Social security benefits likely will not increase in 2010, would have 'major implications' on Medicare Parts B, D

The Obama administration and the Congressional Budget Office have indicated that Social Security beneficiaries will not receive a cost-of-living increase in 2010 or 2011, which would have "major implications for Medicare," the New York Times reports.

5 May 2009

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer examines proposal that would allow people ages 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday examined a plan being touted by Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that would allow people ages 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare. The plan would target people who purchase insurance on the individual market or have no insurance because of unemployment.

5 May 2009

Advocates express concern over Brazilian state's proposed law requiring identification of HIV-positive people

5 May 2009

Young people want tobacco put out of sight in shops

Young people overwhelmingly support putting tobacco products out of sight in shops according to new research released today (Monday) by Cancer Research UK.

3 May 2009

Sen. Baucus proposes Medicare changes he says could drive 'transformation of the health care delivery system'

The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday during a six-hour meeting discussed proposed changes to the Medicare system from committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 4/30).

30 Apr 2009

Congress approves $3.5 trillion budget resolution that includes reconciliation language

Congress on Wednesday -- President Obama's 100th day in office -- passed a $3.5 trillion fiscal year 2010 budget resolution (S Con Res 13) that includes budget reconciliation as an option for passing health reform legislation, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Apr 2009

Canadian Court to determine constitutionality of law preventing supervised drug-injection sites

The British Columbia Court of Appeals this week is hearing a case to decide whether certain sections of Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that prevent injection drug users from accessing services at the supervised drug-injection facility Insite in Vancouver, British Columbia, are constitutional, Toronto's Globe and Mail reports (Stueck, Globe and Mail, 4/28).

30 Apr 2009

Burundian HIV/AIDS advocates express concern over new law outlawing homosexuality

Some HIV/AIDS advocates in Burundi and international human rights groups have expressed concern about a new law that criminalizes homosexuality in the country, IRIN/PlusNews reports.

30 Apr 2009

Medical Legislation News and Research

Sen. Grassley says he is confident President Obama wants bipartisan agreement on health reform

2010 budget for FDA invests substantially in food and medical product safety

President Obama discusses health reform prospects with House Democrats

AHIP President, CEO says health insurance industry would accept stronger federal regulation, stop charging women higher premiums than men

Teenage girl who wants to be a boy wins right to have breasts removed

Off-label uses of drugs should be approved for very ill patients, opinion piece states

AP/Miami Herald examines potential use of H1N1 vaccine

High health care costs affecting insured U.S. residents

Congress not likely to pass permanent Medicare physician payment fix this year

Sen. Schumer proposes holding public health insurance option to same standards, rules as private insurers

Eliminating Rhode Island's HIV test signature requirement would boost prevention, treatment efforts

Advocates express concern over Brazilian State's proposed law requiring identification of HIV-positive people

Social security benefits likely will not increase in 2010, would have 'major implications' on Medicare Parts B, D

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer examines proposal that would allow people ages 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare

Advocates express concern over Brazilian state's proposed law requiring identification of HIV-positive people

Young people want tobacco put out of sight in shops

Sen. Baucus proposes Medicare changes he says could drive 'transformation of the health care delivery system'

Congress approves $3.5 trillion budget resolution that includes reconciliation language

Canadian Court to determine constitutionality of law preventing supervised drug-injection sites

Burundian HIV/AIDS advocates express concern over new law outlawing homosexuality

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

Latest News