OCT News and Research

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No deal yet, but GOP offer on debt limit raises hopes

Speaker John Boehner's offer represented give on the part of Republicans, who had been insisting on cuts to the federal health care law as the price for reopening government and extending the debt limit. While Boehner proposed moving only to raise the debt limit, discussions broadened to include efforts to reopen the government in exchange for entitlement cuts. In the past, President Barack Obama has refused to consider those unless Republicans agree to raise revenues.

12 Oct 2013

Gov't. shutdown creates difficult issues at NIH

The National Institutes of Health is trying to cope with the effects of the government shutdown on patients and medical research.

12 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 11, 2013

Today's headlines include news about what experts are diagnosing as the trouble spots in the federal online health insurance exchange and how to fix them.

11 Oct 2013

State highlights: Calif. gov. signs bill allowing some non-physicians to perform early abortions; audit questions facts around N.C. Medicaid managed care

Giving California women more access to abortion, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Wednesday that allows nurse practitioners and certain other non-physicians to perform the procedure during the first trimester of pregnancy.

11 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: 'Death throes' of health law opponents; Ryan's plan on entitlements may offer way out of budget crisis

Politically, the biggest challenges facing the ACA are behind us. By my count, the law has already survived three near-death experiences: the Democrats' loss of a filibuster-proof Senate majority with the election of Scott Brown in Jan. 2010, the Supreme Court's June 2012 decision upholding (with one exception) the law's constitutionality, and President Obama's re-election last Nov. Much of what we see going on in Washington now is the death throes of the opposition, especially now that Americans are beginning to sign up for coverage (John McDonough, 10/9).

11 Oct 2013

Specialized cells in the stomach more often revert to stem cells

New research has shown that the stomach naturally produces more stem cells than previously realized, likely for repair of injuries from infections, digestive fluids and the foods we eat.

11 Oct 2013

Health exchange issues? There are many, say experts and consumers

The reviews may not be good, but people are visiting the new health care web sites, according to the new AP-GfK poll. In addition, experts offer possible reasons for the problems that continue to plague the federal health insurance web site. Meanwhile, various news outlets examine how certain states are faring with the federal and state exchanges.

11 Oct 2013

Research delves deeply into genomics of glioblastoma multiforme cases to better target disease

When The Cancer Genome Atlas launched its massively collaborative approach to organ-by-organ genomic analysis of cancers, the brain had both the benefit, and the challenge, of going first.

11 Oct 2013

Intravenous feeding can cause liver damage, say researchers

Researchers know that feeding some patients intravenously can save their lives - but also can cause liver damage. Now scientists at the University of Colorado and Children's Hospital Colorado have figured out the likely culprit, one of the ingredients in intravenous food, behind the liver problems.

10 Oct 2013

Research points to causes, potential treatment approaches for systemic sclerosis

Using mice, lab-grown cells and clues from a related disorder, Johns Hopkins researchers have greatly increased understanding of the causes of systemic sclerosis, showing that a critical culprit is a defect in the way certain cells communicate with their structural scaffolding

10 Oct 2013

State health exchanges running more smoothly than federal marketplace

The New York Times reports that, while difficulties continue for consumers in the 30 states that are using the federal government's online health insurance marketplace, those who live in states that have chosen to operate their own are faring better.

10 Oct 2013

Shoppers on fed's insurance website still face problems

News outlets report on the glitches still plaguing the website, healthcare.gov., in its second week of operation. White House officials say fixes are being made, although they have been unable to say how many consumers have enrolled in plans through the website.

10 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Rep. Ryan says entitlements hold the key to an agreement; health law's impact on smokers; WSJ on Medicaid expansion

Once those threats are removed, however, there is plenty to discuss: how to replace the sequester cuts, which are already devastating domestic programs and are about to get much worse for defense spending; how to use fiscal policy to stimulate the creation of jobs and fix the nation's infrastructure; how to repair a broken tax system, reduce long-term debt, and ensure that social welfare programs remain healthy (10/8).

10 Oct 2013

First Edition: September 9, 2013

Today's headlines include reports on how some state health online insurance marketplaces are working as well as the latest from Capitol Hill on the budget standoff.

9 Oct 2013

Experts offer tips for preventing and coping with osteoarthritis

Most everyone is bound to get osteoarthritis -- if they live long enough. That old saying among arthritis experts is backed up by the numbers. The painful and often debilitating joint condition is the most common form of arthritis.

9 Oct 2013

Most mobile apps lack behavioral weight-loss strategies

In a new study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, UMass Medical School behavioral psychologist and weight loss expert Sherry Pagoto, PhD, and colleagues find that mobile apps to help people lose weight are lacking when it comes to strategies for changing behaviors.

9 Oct 2013

State highlights: Mass. law shines light on health care prices; Conn. focuses on health care delivery

A selection of health policy stories from California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and North Carolina.

9 Oct 2013

California's exchange undergoes a weekend tune-up; Maryland officials say site is improving, but challenges remain

In addition, news outlets offer progress reports on state-based health exchanges in Minnesota, Washington and Michigan as well as how the federal exchange is working for other states that opted not to run their own online insurance marketplace.

9 Oct 2013

Two gene mutations associated with increased risk of developing eating disorders

Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia often run in families, but identifying specific genes that increase a person's risk for these complex disorders has proved difficult.

9 Oct 2013

Software crash in first days viewed as root cause of exchange delays

The New York Times reports that a major software component crashed under the pressure posed by millions of visitors last week to the federal online insurance marketplace. Still, other technical issues beyond traffic also are at work, and some insurers say they are getting faulty and incomplete data from the new U.S.-run health exchange.

9 Oct 2013

OCT News and Research

No deal yet, but GOP offer on debt limit raises hopes

Gov't. shutdown creates difficult issues at NIH

First Edition: October 11, 2013

State highlights: Calif. gov. signs bill allowing some non-physicians to perform early abortions; audit questions facts around N.C. Medicaid managed care

Viewpoints: 'Death throes' of health law opponents; Ryan's plan on entitlements may offer way out of budget crisis

Specialized cells in the stomach more often revert to stem cells

Health exchange issues? There are many, say experts and consumers

Research delves deeply into genomics of glioblastoma multiforme cases to better target disease

Intravenous feeding can cause liver damage, say researchers

Research points to causes, potential treatment approaches for systemic sclerosis

State health exchanges running more smoothly than federal marketplace

Shoppers on fed's insurance website still face problems

Viewpoints: Rep. Ryan says entitlements hold the key to an agreement; health law's impact on smokers; WSJ on Medicaid expansion

First Edition: September 9, 2013

Experts offer tips for preventing and coping with osteoarthritis

Most mobile apps lack behavioral weight-loss strategies

State highlights: Mass. law shines light on health care prices; Conn. focuses on health care delivery

California's exchange undergoes a weekend tune-up; Maryland officials say site is improving, but challenges remain

Two gene mutations associated with increased risk of developing eating disorders

Software crash in first days viewed as root cause of exchange delays

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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