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Liberal Dems line up against raising Medicare's eligibility age

Proposals to raise the eligibility age continue to get traction in the fiscal negotiations between the White House and Congress. But liberal Democrats oppose it and express concern that President Barack Obama has not ruled out.

14 Dec 2012

Philippines passes Reproductive Health Bill on second reading

"After fourteen years of being stuck in Congress, legislators in the Philippines finally put to a historic vote and passed the Reproductive Health Bill before dawn Thursday," Inquirer.net reports.

14 Dec 2012

Will private sector investment in food aid promote dependency?

Olivier De Schutter, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food, writes in a Guardian opinion piece, "In order to support investment in agriculture, governments have ... come to rely on private sector investment and development aid -- and increasingly a partnership of the two," and he notes "the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, proposed by U.S. President Barack Obama and the U.S. Agency for International Development and launched in May 2012, will draw more than $3 billion of private sector investment into food security plans in Africa."

14 Dec 2012

GOP govs seek White House meeting to discuss Medicaid expansion

The governors hope to discuss ways to make the health law's Medicaid expansion -- as well as the challenge of setting up health exchanges -- more affordable.

14 Dec 2012

Kentucky REC representatives receive top honors in Washington for health IT implementation

Representatives from the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (Kentucky REC), housed at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE), part of the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services, received top honors in Washington, D.C. for exemplary work in health IT implementation.

14 Dec 2012

Sides wage fights over new or proposed abortion laws in Wis., Mich.

Wisconsin Planned Parenthood is challenging a state law in court that could expose doctors who give medically induced abortions to criminal charges. In the meantime, Michigan bills limiting abortion move closer to becoming law.

14 Dec 2012

Continue support of GAVI Alliance and childhood disease prevention

"Last week a global health event took place in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to foster greater political will and explore ways to accelerate results, innovation, sustainability, and equity in the field of immunization," Baroness Hollins, emeritus professor of psychiatry of disability at St George's University of London, writes in the BMJ Group Blog about the GAVI Partners Forum.

14 Dec 2012

New global disease burden data should inform global health spending

"On Dec. 14, the Lancet together with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation [IHME] will release their study on global burden of disease, injuries and risk factors in 2010," Karl Hofmann, president and CEO of Population Services International, writes in a Devex opinion piece, adding, "These 'gold standard' data will quantify the world's health problems by examining statistics for 291 diseases and injuries and 67 different risk factors for 21 regions across three time periods -- 1990, 2005 and 2010."

14 Dec 2012

Gender inequality must be addressed to 'get to zero' in AIDS epidemic

"What does it take to get to zero? While reflecting on the theme of this past World AIDS Day (Getting to zero, Zero new infections, Zero discrimination, Zero deaths), I asked myself this question," Lisa MacDonald, project manager at HealthBridge Foundation of Canada, writes in a Huffington Post Canada opinion piece.

14 Dec 2012

Experts discuss feeding world's growing population at London roundtable

IRIN summarizes a discussion among "agriculturalists, scientists, businessmen, lobbyists, and policymakers convened in London's Chatham House this week to debate how to feed the planet's growing population without degrading the earth's resources -- if such a thing is even possible."

14 Dec 2012

Study examines Medicare out-of-pocket expenses in the last 5 years of life

Should your 82-year-old dad, who has been declining after a stroke, get hip surgery after a fall? Would your 43-year-old sister, fighting late-stage cancer, benefit from an experimental drug that could have serious side effects? These are wrenching decisions.

14 Dec 2012

In shadow of fiscal cliff, other congressional activity on health care goes on

On Capitol Hill, various members and committees are writing letters to the administration or proposing legislation.

14 Dec 2012

Question for physicians, politicians: Is 'doc fix' part of Capitol Hill negotiations?

Medical providers are hoping that part of the fiscal cliff negotiations includes adjusting the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for Medicare.

14 Dec 2012

AMSSM statement on ‘Concussion in Sport’

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine releases its latest position statement, "Concussion in Sport," which recommends healthcare professionals apply a more individualized approach in the diagnosis and care management of sports concussion, a traumatic head injury with a reported 3.8 million occurrences per year.

14 Dec 2012

Outgoing Rep. Berman introduces bill to reform foreign aid with emphasis on partnerships

"California Rep. Howard Berman, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, unveiled a 923-page bill on Wednesday that would replace the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with a framework for providing developmental and economic U.S. aid," the Associated Press/Huffington Post reports, noting, "Berman's Global Partnerships Act of 2012 would change the aid system to focus on mutually agreed goals instead of the emphasis on donor-recipient ties, increase accountability and oversight, and eliminate duplication."

14 Dec 2012

U.N. General Assembly votes in favor of draft resolution supporting universal health coverage

The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday "voted in favor of a draft resolution supporting universal health coverage, signaling the importance of universal health care to the international development agenda," the Washington Post's "World Views" blog reports.

14 Dec 2012

At-home exercise regimen sufficient to increase cancer patients' mobility and reduce fatigue

It has been known for some time that exercise is important for cancer patients, but few studies have looked at the practicality of exercise programs and whether even a minimal workout can help.

14 Dec 2012

John Wiley & Sons, TPS and APS partner to publish Physiological Reports

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., The Physiological Society (TPS), and The American Physiological Society (APS) announced today their partnership to publish the new open access peer-reviewed journal, Physiological Reports, which will launch early next year.

14 Dec 2012

Healthland, Jardogs partner to provide FollowMyHealth solution

Jardogs, a leading provider of patient engagement and health management solutions, has partnered with Healthland, the nation's largest provider of fully integrated solutions to rural community and critical access hospitals, to make their FollowMyHealth Universal Health Record solution available as Healthland's exclusive patient engagement portal.

14 Dec 2012

Longer looks: 'Reckless' drug prescriptions lead to patient deaths; The struggles to reopen NY hospitals

Dr. Carlos Estiandan was up to no good, and the medical board of California was on to him. He prescribed powerful painkillers to addicts who had no medical need for them, conducted sham examinations and appeared to be a key supplier for drug dealers, according to court records. He wrote more prescriptions than the entire staffs of some hospitals and took in more than $1 million a year.

14 Dec 2012