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State highlights: Hearing Friday on battle over Texas woman on life support

The case of the Texas woman, 22-weeks pregnant and being kept on life-support machines at a Forth Worth hospital against her husband's wishes, goes before a judge in North Texas on Friday.

25 Jan 2014

DESIs helps patients make better decisions and reduce health care spending

Publicity surrounding the implementation of patient decision support interventions (DESIs) traditionally focuses on two areas of improvement: helping patients make better decisions AND lowering health care spending.

25 Jan 2014

Supreme Court gives nuns temporary reprieve on health law's contraceptive mandate

The Supreme Court on Friday afternoon gave an order of Roman Catholic nuns some added protection against the enforcement of a part of the Affordable Care Act, and spared them - for now - from having to file a government form in order to be exempt.

25 Jan 2014

Huckabee takes aim at health law's birth control requirement

The former Arkansas governor's comments, offered as part of a speech to the Republican National Committee's winter meeting, drew harsh responses from Planned Parenthood and Democratic Party committees.

25 Jan 2014

Specialists identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary first cesarean deliveries

A recently published article, based on a workshop, Preventing the First Cesarean Delivery: Summary of a Joint Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Workshop, outlines a collaboration of specialists providing obstetrical care in helping to identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary first cesarean deliveries.

25 Jan 2014

Covered California gets federal grant to improve customer service, boost enrollment

Also in the news, reports about state exchange challenges and difficulties in Nevada, Texas, Maryland, Hawaii and Minnesota.

25 Jan 2014

Beverly Hills Physicians offer free informational seminars to adults interested in surgical weight loss

Many of the patients seen by the board-certified bariatric surgeons at Beverly Hills Physicians come to an initial consultation feeling as though they've reached the end of their rope trying to lose weight.

25 Jan 2014

BIDMC aims to improve family engagement and reduce overall risk of harm in ICU

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is embarking on a new phase of its mission to eliminate preventable harm, using information technology and system science together with patient and family engagement to head off harm before it happens.

25 Jan 2014

Judge bars Missouri's limits on health law navigators

A federal district judge ruled Thursday that Missouri officials were illegally obstructing the activities of insurance guides funded by the federal government to help consumers enroll in coverage under the health law. More than a dozen Republican-led states have imposed additional requirements on the guides, also known as navigators.

25 Jan 2014

Increased inflammation following infection impairs brain's ability to form spatial memories

Increased inflammation following an infection impairs the brain's ability to form spatial memories - according to new research. The impairment results from a decrease in glucose metabolism in the brain's memory centre, disrupting the neural circuits involved in learning and memory.

25 Jan 2014

Looking at electronic health records diverts doctors' attention from patients during office visits

When physicians spend too much time looking at the computer screen in the exam room, nonverbal cues may get overlooked and affect doctors' ability to pay attention and communicate with patients, according to a Northwestern Medicine- study.

24 Jan 2014

Mayors also have a stake in the Medicaid expansion's 'promise and pitfalls'

This health law topic is high on the agenda of this week's U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington. Meanwhile, Utah's Gov. Gary Herbert said he will pursue some form of the expansion. Also in the news, related developments in Montana and Missouri.

24 Jan 2014

FDA to make recommendations on safety of oral tablets used to treat ragweed allergy symptoms

There is more to seasonal allergies than a little congestion and sneezing. If you notice eating watermelon, cantaloupe or avocado make you cough and itch, it may be a symptom of ragweed allergy. But more help might be on the way for some of the 23 million hay fever sufferers.

24 Jan 2014

Moody's downgrades outlook for health insurers

The credit-rating firm downgraded the outlook for health insurers from stable to negative, citing the health law's troubled rollout. Meanwhile, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini predicted that companies would soon spend billions on consumer advertising. And The New York Times explores allegations that Health Management Associates, a for-profit hospital chain based in Naples, Fla., pursued strategies to increase admissions, regardless of whether a patient needed hospital care.

24 Jan 2014

NJHA honors several individuals and organizations for commitment to healthcare

Several individuals and organizations were honored today at the 95th Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Hospital Association at the Hyatt Regency Princeton.

24 Jan 2014

Medicaid 'death debt' causes some to step away from coverage

A little-known aspect of Medicaid allows states, in certain cases, to recoup medical costs by claiming deceased people's homes, which is causing some people to avoid coverage, even those who are newly eligible under the health law's expanded eligibility.

24 Jan 2014

Political cartoon: 'Friends With Benefits?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Friends With Benefits?" by Mike Lester.

24 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 24, 2014

Today's headlines include reports that a federal district court judge in Missouri has blocked state officials from restricting groups efforts to help people sign up for coverage as part of the federal health law.

24 Jan 2014

Big jump in Medicaid signups reported

More than 6.3 million people were found eligible for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program since October, but it is unclear how many are newly insured since recipients must re-enroll each year. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius urges mayors to push their states to expand the program. News outlets also look at developments in Virginia and Florida.

24 Jan 2014

Comprehensive supplement released on Thomas L. Petty Aspen Lung Conference

The Annals of the American Thoracic Society has released a comprehensive supplement on the 56th annual Thomas L. Petty Aspen Lung Conference entitled "The Lung Microbiome: A New Frontier in Pulmonary Medicine."

24 Jan 2014