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NY health care advocates: Medicaid managed care shuns the most disabled users

Managed-care companies in New York have come under fire for signing up vigorous older adults referred to them by social day care centers, customers whose health needs are relatively small. But on Tuesday, legal advocates for the disabled told the state's Medicaid director that the most seriously impaired people were getting the opposite treatment (Bernstein, 4/30).

2 May 2013

Tips for prevention and early detection of skin cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 82,770 Americans will be diagnosed this year with skin cancer, including melanoma. When left untreated, melanoma is the most dangerous and aggressive form of skin cancer, accounting for more than 9,000 of the 12,000-plus skin cancer deaths each year.

2 May 2013

AMGA, AMGF unveil two major resources to improve high blood pressure control

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2 May 2013

New consumer conundrum: To buy insurance or pay the penalty

Media outlets report on a range of health law implementation issues -- including how medical homes might be helpful in treating the newly insured as well as an analysis of the whether the health law's penalties for not buying insurance have enough bite.

2 May 2013

Hypothalamus controls aging throughout the body, scientists report

While the search continues for the Fountain of Youth, researchers may have found the body's "fountain of aging": the brain region known as the hypothalamus.

2 May 2013

Obama aims to tamp down fears about health law

During a Tuesday news conference, President Barack Obama acknowledged likely "bumps and glitches" as key provisions of the health law take effect, but said that many elements of the measure are already in place and "working fine."

2 May 2013

Study discusses how mind-body class helps medical students better manage stress

A Boston University School of Medicine study shows a mind-body class elective for medical students helps increase their self-compassion and ability to manage thoughts and tasks more effectively.

2 May 2013

New official clinical practice guidelines on diagnosis, management of EIB

The American Thoracic Society has released new official clinical practice guidelines on the diagnosis and management of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, the acute airway narrowing that occurs as a result of exercise.

2 May 2013

Insurers face key health exchange deadline

Modern Healthcare reports that May 1 is the deadline for insurers to apply to offer heatlh plans for sale on state-run exchanges. However, the deadline for participation in states that have opted for federally run exchanges has been extended until Friday.

2 May 2013

At the Florida State House, Medicaid expansion drama continues

News outlets also detail the latest expansion news from Oklahoma, Iowa, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine and Arizona.

2 May 2013

Aetna cuts projections for policies it will sell in new marketplaces

Aetna said it expects to sell fewer health insurance policies than initially projected in the health law's online marketplaces, which are slated to open in October. The insurer also said its 1st-quarter profit slipped 4 percent but raised its 2013 forecast.

2 May 2013

New collaboration provides access, allows users to make decisions based on data

Archimedes, Inc., a healthcare modeling and analytics company, announced today that it has begun collaborating with the United States Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide unprecedented access to synthetic CMS claims data.

2 May 2013

42 percent of Americans unsure if health law stands

One poll about the health law highlights a continued lack of understanding about the measure and a second shows voters are still split in their support.

2 May 2013

Receiving general anesthesia not associated with dementia in elderly patients, research finds

Elderly patients who receive anesthesia are no more likely to develop long-term dementia or Alzheimer's disease than other seniors, according to new Mayo Clinic research.

2 May 2013

First Edition: April 30, 2013

Today's headlines include reports that the Obama administration has simplified the application for health insurance benefits under the health law.

30 Apr 2013

Congress should maintain support of global health programs 'despite fiscal challenges'

"U.S. support for global health has had a major impact around the world, particularly our contributions to fighting malaria through the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria," Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, and Steve Davis, CEO of PATH, write in a Washington Times opinion piece.

30 Apr 2013

Somalia launches pentavalent vaccine with support from GAVI, UNICEF, WHO

"Coinciding with World Immunization Week, the Somali government announced on 24 April its intention to vaccinate all children under the age of one with a new five-in-one vaccine, known as a pentavalent vaccine, funded by the GAVI Alliance, with [UNICEF] and the [WHO] as implementing partners," IRIN reports.

30 Apr 2013

PBS blog features stories looking at mobile technology and health in Africa

PBS's "Rundown" blog features two stories as part of the "Cheers Report," a "series of reports on the impact of mobile technology and health in 10 African countries."

30 Apr 2013

IPS examines work of U.N. High-Level Task Force on population, development to eliminate stigma surrounding reproductive health

Inter Press Service examines efforts by the U.N. High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development to overcome stigma surrounding sexual and reproductive health in global discussions about population growth and development.

30 Apr 2013

Lowering door-to-balloon times helps benefit STEMI patients, study finds

While all heart attacks have the potential to be deadly, one type is referred to as the "widow maker" because of its high risk of death. A ST segment elevation myocardial infarction is a severe type of heart attack that occurs when a blockage in a coronary artery causes heart muscle to die; without prompt treatment risk of fatality increases dramatically. Coronary angioplasty, or percutaneous coronary intervention, is the most common emergency treatment for STEMI.

30 Apr 2013