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Questions about medical necessity for some surgeries, screenings

The Washington Post looks at the dramatic increase in spinal fusion surgeries and whether all are necessary, while Kaiser Health News examines screenings for stroke and heart disease, some of which are not recommended for healthy people.

29 Oct 2013

Tips to keep children safe on Halloween

On average, twice as many children are killed while walking on Halloween than on any other day of the year, according to Safe Kids, an organization dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. As children prepare for October's fun-filled night of trick-or-treating, a few precautionary measures could prevent vehicle-related deaths and other injuries.

29 Oct 2013

Lack of psychiatric beds puts hospital ERs under stress

There's a lack of psychiatric beds in Pennsylvania, and it's placing undue stress on hospital emergency departments, according to doctors across the state.

29 Oct 2013

Republicans eye health law opportunities to make midterm inroads

Republicans are set to pounce on the health law's rollout problems as a way to make inroads in 2014's midterm elections. Among the strategies they are considering is leaving the law out of budget negotiations but voting again in the House to delay the law.

29 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Sen. Sanders says don't cut entitlements before making corporations pay taxes; Rep. Smith argues that if entitlements are tamed, other priorities will suffer

Instead of talking about cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, we must end the absurdity of corporations not paying a nickel in federal income taxes. A 2008 report from the Government Accountability Office found that was the case with 1 in 4 large U.S. corporations. At a time when multinational corporations and the wealthy are avoiding an estimated $100 billion a year in taxes by stashing money in tax havens like the Cayman Islands, we need to make them pay taxes just as middle-class Americans do (Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., 10/28).

29 Oct 2013

Study finds high rate of lower back injuries in athletes under age 18

Lower back injuries are the third most common injuries suffered in athletes under age 18, according to a study presented by Loyola University Medical Center sports medicine physician Neeru Jayanthi, MD.

29 Oct 2013

Verizon data failure takes down health insurance websites

Computer servers hosting a key part of the health law's infrastructure relied upon by all 14 state-run health websites, as well as by the federal website that serves 36 states, failed Sunday.

29 Oct 2013

Study explores solutions to reduce firearm-related injuries in children

Firearm-related injuries in children and adolescents are an important cause of preventable injury and mortality. Recent national shooting tragedies involving children have resulted in new efforts to study the problem and find solutions to reduce this type of injury.

29 Oct 2013

New federal grant aims at improving physical access, transportation for people with disabilities

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, are collaborating on a five-year, $4.6 million federally funded project to advance physical access and public transportation for people with disabilities by bringing together computer science technology and the principles of universal design.

29 Oct 2013

Young athletes who play more hours per week more likely to be injured

Athletes ages 8 to 18 who spend twice as many hours per week in organized sports than in free play, and especially in a single sport, are more likely to be injured, according to an abstract presented Monday, Oct. 28 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando.

29 Oct 2013

New study looks at pediatricians promoting Checkpoints safe driving program to parents

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. A study presented Monday, Oct. 28, at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando evaluated a pediatric intervention that directed families to a new web-based Checkpoints- safe driving program for parents of teen drivers.

29 Oct 2013

Obama to talk health law importance in Boston as Sebelius testifies

President Obama will try to bolster the health law Wednesday when he travels to Boston to talk about the law while HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill about healthcare.gov's problems. In the meantime, the White House is busy trying to rally support for the law from congressional Democrats.

29 Oct 2013

Health law broadens coverage for millions with HIV, AIDS

Stateline reports how the health law will broaden benefits for many of the 1.1 million Americans infected with HIV, especially those who live in the 25 states that are expanding Medicaid. Meanwhile, the Obama administration stresses that information an individual submits to sign up for health coverage cannot be used to enforce immigration law.

29 Oct 2013

Research needed to better understand causes of gun violence from medical perspective

Gun violence is a significant public health problem, according to members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and research should be conducted to better understand its sources and causes from a medical perspective so that it can be properly addressed.

29 Oct 2013

So far, health law not hurting insurer stock prices

Health insurance stocks don't seem to be hurt by implementation of the health law. In fact, share prices for the top five publicly traded firms have risen faster than the larger market. Elsewhere, The New York Times examines options for buying insurance outside the federal or state marketplaces, and some coverage is getting pricier.

29 Oct 2013

Delaying coverage mandate not a simple idea

News outlets examine the political and policy issues involved in delaying the health law's requirement that almost everyone have health insurance.

29 Oct 2013

Nanomaterials database restructured to improve functionality, add scientific credibility

Nanomaterials are the heart of the smaller, better electronics developed during the last decade, as well as new materials, medical diagnostics and therapeutics, energy storage, and clean water. However, exposure to nanomaterials may have unintended consequences for human health and the environment.

29 Oct 2013

IRS offers preliminary glimpse of how many people were able to use Healthcare.gov

According to the Internal Revenue Service, the federal government has delivered 330,000 premium subsidy calculations to people who have gotten far enough to find out whether they qualify for health insurance subsidies. Meanwhile, CNN looks deeper into some of the numbers currently being quoted.

29 Oct 2013

UnitedHealthcare cuts doctors from Medicare Advantage plans

UnitedHealthcare is dropping 10 to 15 percent of its doctors from Medicare Advantage plans around the nation, a move that will force some seniors to find new doctors or change plans.

29 Oct 2013

Clemson, Dartmouth researchers launch Amulet project to develop mHealth technology

With a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Computer Systems Research program, researchers from Clemson University and Dartmouth College launched the Amulet project to develop computational jewelry to support mobile-health applications.

29 Oct 2013