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Battle over health law brings gov't to brink of shutdown

A stopgap bill to fund the government when the fiscal year ends Oct. 1 continues to be caught up in Republican efforts to defund, delay or derail the health law. Federal agencies have contingency plans in place.

1 Oct 2013

Concerns about technical snags on marketplace opening day

Advocates and foes of health law acknowledge that technical glitches could create some problems.

1 Oct 2013

Tips for shopping on new Obamacare exchanges

Media outlets offer guides to the uninsured and to those who buy their own coverage on the eve of the startup of new online marketplaces under the federal health law.

1 Oct 2013

Study shows that emergency visits for kids with sports-related TBI increased 92%

Researchers report a skyrocketing increase in the number of visits to the emergency department for kids with sports-related traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions.

30 Sep 2013

New AARP survey takes harder look at issues facing caregivers in NYC

Across New York state, over 4 million people are providing unpaid care for a relative or spouse who is ill, frail or elderly. The value of this care is over $32 billion dollars. In New York City the group is at a breaking point, stressed out and financially strained with a looming demographic shift adding another problem, today's caregivers may not have someone to care for them.

30 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 30, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the readiness of the health law's online marketplaces and other key provisions the day before their Oct. 1 launch date even as the looming government shutdown becomes more of a reality.

30 Sep 2013

In campaign-style speech, Obama defended the health law, refused to back down in the face of GOP efforts to roll it back

In his Thursday appearance at a suburban Maryland community college, President Barack Obama dismissed as "crazy" the arguments being advanced by the overhaul's opponents and accused some GOP lawmakers of attempting "blackmail" to stop its implementation.

30 Sep 2013

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals submits Zalviso NDA to FDA

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of acute and breakthrough pain, today announced that it submitted a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Zalviso (sufentanil sublingual microtablet system).

30 Sep 2013

Research roundup: Managed care for dementia patients; bundled payments after the hospital; disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Dementia is a leading cause of death in the United States; however, patients dying with this disease may not receive optimal end-of-life care. ... many of these [nursing home] residents commonly experience burdensome and costly interventions, such as hospital transfers, tube-feeding, and intravenous antibiotics. ... Nursing home reimbursement policies are among the factors that incentivize more aggressive care. ... This study linked unique prospective clinical data with Medicare claims to describe and compare patterns of care between nursing home residents with advanced dementia enrolled in a Medicare managed-care insurance plan and those with fee-for-service Medicare.

30 Sep 2013

Technical glitches delay online signups for small business and Spanish speakers

The Obama administration acknowledged glitches Thursday that will delay online enrollment for small businesses and Spanish-language speakers in the 34 states that elected to not set up their own insurance marketplaces. The postponements amount to a few weeks in the six-month open enrollment period and will not affect the Jan. 1 start date for coverage.

30 Sep 2013

Sunshine Health to participate as Qualified Health Plan in Florida Health Insurance Marketplace

Sunshine State Health Plan announced today that it has received approval from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to participate as a Qualified Health Plan in the Florida Health Insurance Marketplace in three South Florida counties, where it will offer a line of products branded as Ambetter from Sunshine Health.

30 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: Gerson says no compromises make for 'bad politics;' Democrats are getting a pass; Manchin signals a break in Democratic ranks

We are seeing that an anti-compromise ideology can make for bad politics. In our system, Obamacare will not be overturned by one house of Congress. A tea-party shutdown strategy - if implemented - would make securing the other house and the presidency less likely for Republicans. And the political energy consumed by Cruz and crew has not been available to promote incremental limits on Obamacare that might have aided GOP political prospects (Michael Gerson, 9/26).

30 Sep 2013

Government shutdown increasingly likely; health law continues to be flashpoint

The Senate is expected to approve on Friday a continuing resolution that provides funding to keep the federal government operating but strips out language passed by the House that would defund the health law. This move will set up heightened conflict with the House, where some conservative Republicans are standing firm in their pledge to oppose any measure that does not further their goal of dismantling Obamacare. In the background, the countdown to a government shutdown continues.

30 Sep 2013

GW SPHHS awarded three grants to research on critical public health problems

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services has been awarded three large grants for projects that will look for innovative solutions to some of the nation's most pressing public health challenges.

30 Sep 2013

Manchin may back Democrats on individual mandate delay

News outlets are reporting that Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said Thursday he'd be willing to support a year-long delay in the health law's individual mandate if it came before the Senate -- and then walked those comments back. Some other Democrats support modest tweaks to the law, The Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Sep 2013

Health law confusion, division among American public persists

USA Today examines how the health law is viewed in Colorado as a case study of the confusion that surrounds it. As further evidence of that confusion, one new poll finds that people without insurance are divided on how much the overhaul will impact them just as another concludes that half of Americans say Republicans should stop their effort to derail the measure as part of the current budget battle.

30 Sep 2013

Diabetes puts you at increased risk of flu-related complications

There are certain groups of people who are at risk of serious flu complications each year, including those with diabetes.

30 Sep 2013

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore named one of 50 Greenest Hospitals in America

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore has been named one of the 50 Greenest Hospitals in America by Becker's Hospital Review, a publication featuring business and legal news relating to hospitals.

30 Sep 2013

House votes to delay health law, repeal medical device tax

Senate Democrats say they cannot accept the provisions in House GOP's newest bill to fund the government. Without agreement between Senate and House, the government could shut down Tuesday.

30 Sep 2013

Health expenditure link to cancer survival in Europe

The more an EU national government spends on health, the fewer the deaths after a cancer diagnosis in that country, according to new research to be presented to the 2013 European Cancer Congress today (Sunday) and published simultaneously in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology.

30 Sep 2013