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Trouble spot in fiscal talks: The down payment

Although there appears to be general agreement about tax code and entitlement changes that would begin next year and tally more than $1 trillion over 10 years, the initial installment of deficit reduction has become a sticking point between the White House and GOP leaders. Meanwhile, the Washington Post checks the facts on entitlement "spending cuts."

5 Dec 2012

Reflecting on global health challenges, opportunities

Writing in the BMJ Blog, George Alleyne, director emeritus of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), reflects on global health challenges and opportunities, writing, "There have been massive changes not only in the basic health problems, but also in how we have addressed them."

5 Dec 2012

Senior adviser to President reflects on World AIDS Day

"This week, as we gathered in the White House with key scientists, policymakers, and community stakeholders to commemorate World AIDS Day, I was so proud to help highlight the progress we've made in the fight against HIV/AIDS," Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to the President, writes in the AIDS.gov blog.

5 Dec 2012

USAID introduces 'first-ever' guidance on building resiliency

On Monday, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah "announced the launch of the agency's first-ever policy and program guidance on Building Resilience to Recurrent Crisis during an event in Washington, D.C.," according to an USAID press release.

5 Dec 2012

Patient-centered relationship increases pain tolerance: Study

A doctor-patient relationship built on trust and empathy doesn't just put patients at ease - it actually changes the brain's response to stress and increases pain tolerance, according to new findings from a Michigan State University research team.

5 Dec 2012

Report examines international funding for neglected diseases

"International financial support aimed at counteracting the world's 'neglected diseases' increased by nearly a half-billion dollars over the past five years, according to new research released Monday, but changing funding dynamics could already be having a negative impact on the development of cures for diseases that affect a substantial proportion of the world's poor," Inter Press Service reports.

5 Dec 2012

Tennessee nursing-care company charged with Medicare fraud

A Tennessee-based nursing-care company systematically defrauded Medicare of millions of dollars by pressuring therapists to perform expensive, unnecessary treatments, according to a recently unsealed federal complaint.

5 Dec 2012

GOP counteroffer includes raising Medicare's eligibility age to 67

The Republican marker, which was almost immediately rebuffed by the White House, includes cuts to federal safety net programs, but does not meet the president's "test of balance" because it rejects tax increases for the wealthy.

5 Dec 2012

Stakeholders focus on addressing Medicare physician payment issues

Stakeholders worry that, although a "doc fix" is likely to be included in a broad deficit-reduction deal, steps also need to be taken immediately to prevent scheduled Medicare physician payment cuts from kicking in.

5 Dec 2012

Converting 'moral entitlements' into life-long AIDS treatment commitments

"Many currently believe that U.S. domestic entitlements are too large, but disregard the fact that the PEPFAR program has created a new class of moral entitlements overseas -- in the form of four million and counting people receiving U.S.-supported life-sustaining AIDS treatment in low- and middle-income countries around the world," Mead Over, a senior fellow at the CGD, writes in the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Global Health Policy" blog.

5 Dec 2012

PRI's 'The World' features weeklong series on cancer in developing nations

PRI's "The World" this week features a series examining the challenges of addressing cancer in the developing world. The series, produced in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, includes radio stories, multimedia features, an interactive map, and infographics, according to the main page.

5 Dec 2012

Affected countries, communities should conduct global health priority-setting

"Global health is changing -- both in policy and practice," Alanna Shaikh, a development consultant and blogger currently working on a USAID-funded health project, writes in an opinion piece in the Guardian's "Global Development Professionals Network" blog, adding the field is getting "far more attention in the past decade than in the years before," which "also creates challenges."

5 Dec 2012

HHS says health law changes to Medicare drug program saved seniors $5 billion

The administration announces that almost 2.8 million people have saved an average $677, because the law is closing the prescription drug doughnut hole.

5 Dec 2012

Roundup: Building more Texas medical schools; Calif. mental health care for children

Recommendations in a new draft report on Texas undergraduate medical education caution against rushing to build any new medical schools, which may irk those that are pushing to do exactly that. The report was prepared by the staff of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and posted on the agency's website on Monday in preparation for an upcoming meeting of their Task Force on Graduate Health Professions.

5 Dec 2012

Lawmakers consider health coverage for illegal immigrants' children, bed rail safety

Members of Congress spotlight the health risks associated with bed rails and demand that federal health care programs cover the children of illegal immigrants who are able to stay in the U.S. under the administration's deferred-action immigration policy.

5 Dec 2012

Appeals court reverses conviction of drug sales rep who talked about off-label uses

In a case that could have broad ramifications for the pharmaceutical industry, a federal appeals court on Monday threw out the conviction of a sales representative who sold a drug for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The judges said that the ban on so-called off-label marketing violated the representative's freedom of speech.

5 Dec 2012

Study: Medicare pay may cause hospices to discourage enrollment of high-cost patients

Many hospices may be discouraging enrollment for the highest cost treatments, and Medicare's way of paying them may be part of the problem, a new study finds.

5 Dec 2012

Five EyeSmart toy-buying tips from American Academy of Ophthalmology

With the holiday season upon us, children are busy making their wish lists and checking them twice. But, parents may need to check them yet again to ensure toy safety. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 250,000 toy-related injuries are treated in emergency rooms each year.

5 Dec 2012

European Vaccine Initiative to celebrate one-day symposium in Heidelberg

The European Vaccine Initiative (EVI) will celebrate a one-day symposium in Heidelberg surrounding global health and diseases of poverty on occasion of the 15th anniversary of EVI.

5 Dec 2012

Arkansas Autism Partnership selects ATS to provide online training program

Arkansas Autism Partnership (AAP) has selected Autism Training Solutions (ATS) to provide online autism training to direct line staff, lead therapists and parents participating in Arkansas' Autism Medicaid Waiver Program.

5 Dec 2012