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Employer health costs rise 4.1% -- slowest growth in 15 years

Employer health costs rose just 4.1 percent nationally in 2012 -- the slowest rate of growth in 15 years -- as employers offer more high-deductible plans and increase employee cost-sharing, a new report from consulting firm Mercer has found.

16 Nov 2012

Global Fund board terminates employment of Inspector General

"The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said in a statement Thursday that its board had terminated the employment of Inspector General John Parsons 'after a careful review of his performance, which was found to be unsatisfactory,'" the Associated Press reports.

16 Nov 2012

Progress report on health exchanges: Will states, feds be ready?

States face a Friday deadline to indicate whether they plan to establish their own online health insurance markets, or allow the federal government to do it. Meanwhile, debate continues about whether delays in updating essential software and other glitches could delay the start of enrollment in the markets beyond the Oct. 1, 2013 target specified in the health law.

16 Nov 2012

Family planning is 'global priority' to be recognized as human right

Improving access to family planning for the 222 million women who lack such services would bring many benefits, including helping to reduce maternal mortality and improve infant survival, UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin says in the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog, citing the recently released State of the World Population 2012 report.

16 Nov 2012

Sebelius subpoenaed to answer questions on health law promotion

The GOP-controlled House Ways and Means Committee has subpoenaed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to answer questions over how the administration is promoting the health law.

16 Nov 2012

New AAN book for people with primary and metastatic brain tumors

It is estimated that every 30 minutes, someone is diagnosed with brain cancer. Published in conjunction with the American Academy of Neurology as part of the Neurology Now Books series, NAVIGATING LIFE WITH A BRAIN TUMOR provides readily accessible information and encouragement for the thousands of people living with primary and metastatic brain tumors.

16 Nov 2012

The latest fraud target: Medicaid personal-care programs

Lax requirements for both caregivers and patients, along with poor state and federal oversight, have made the rapidly growing Medicaid personal-care programs an increasingly lucrative target for fraud, according to a federal report scheduled for release Thursday.

16 Nov 2012

FCTC funding cuts could leave world's poorest countries vulnerable to smoking-related diseases

Proposed funding cuts within the international body responsible for tobacco control will leave the world's poorest countries more vulnerable to smoking-related diseases, a study suggests.

16 Nov 2012

Obama pledges 'substantive changes' to Medicare as part of budget deal

President Barack Obama told the nation's top CEOs Wednesday that he was committed to "substantive changes" to Medicare and other entitlement programs, but Senate Democrats are warning him not to cave on entitlements as negotiations with congressional leaders move forward. Also in the mix, health care providers lobby to counter possible Medicare cuts.

16 Nov 2012

Global Fund uncovers 'financial wrongdoing' in some grants to Cambodia

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Wednesday said an investigation by the group's Inspector General into grants in Cambodia "uncovered credible and substantive evidence of serious financial wrongdoing, on procurement and other issues," Agence France-Presse reports.

16 Nov 2012

Meningitis vaccine declared usable without refrigeration for up to four days

"In a breakthrough for the fight against meningitis in poor countries, researchers say the WHO has ruled that a key vaccine can be transported or stored for up to four days without refrigeration," Agence France-Presse reports.

16 Nov 2012

Examining private sector, foreign government involvement in Haiti's health system

With recent suggestions "of privatizing the [U.S.] government's emergency response capability for natural and human-caused disasters and infectious diseases," Henry (Chip) Carey, an associate professor of political science at Georgia State University in Atlanta, writes in the World Policy Blog, "One might want to look at Haiti for a case study in the effects of bypassing the government health sector for private organizations."

16 Nov 2012

Penn Medicine sponsors Joining Forces in recognition of Veteran's Day

In recognition of Veteran's Day this November Penn Medicine proudly sponsors Joining Forces - a national initiative to heighten awareness about the health needs of our nation's veterans, service members and families, and elevate the role that medical schools, nursing schools and teaching hospitals play in serving their community.

16 Nov 2012

Health technology assessment can assist in determining effective funding allocation

In the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Global Health Policy" blog, Amanda Glassman, director of global health policy at CGD, and Denizhan Duran, a CGD research assistant in global health, examine a new report by the IMS Institute, which focuses on how countries can advance the responsible use of medicines.

16 Nov 2012

Bono says spending cuts to U.S. development aid would harm global health efforts

Speaking at the World Bank on Wednesday, "Irish rock star and anti-poverty activist Bono said thousands of people could die from AIDS if the United States cuts development assistance to reduce the budget deficit," Reuters reports.

16 Nov 2012

New 'people-centered investment approach' could lead to end of global AIDS pandemic

Writing in Huffington Post's "The Big Push" blog, Lucy Chesire, executive director and secretary to the board of the TB ACTION Group, notes "countries from north and south, U.N. organizations, private sector companies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are meeting in Geneva [this week] at the Board meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to discuss how best to invest available resources against the three killer diseases."

16 Nov 2012

FDA chief's call for greater oversight of drug compounders triggers Republican skepticism

Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Wednesday questioned Food and Drug Administration head Margaret Hamburg and the co-owner of a compounding pharmacy linked with a deadly meningitis outbreak. Hamburg called for Congress to give the FDA greater oversight of compounding pharmacies, which was met with skepticism by Republican lawmakers.

16 Nov 2012

Pelosi opts to stay House Democratic leader; GOP selects woman to House leadership team

In 2007, she became speaker - and the first Californian to head the House - overseeing passage of the most far-reaching healthcare overhaul since the creation of Medicare, an economic stimulus program, and the revamping of financial regulations, often with little or no Republican support. But while she - and her Democratic majority - ruled the House, she became a favorite Republican campaign target as evidence of what's wrong with Washington.

16 Nov 2012

Who's in? Who’s out? Who’s yet to decide?

With the deadline looming, news outlets report on the positions states are taking regarding the establishment of state-based health exchanges.

16 Nov 2012

Study provides first picture of college enrollment and STEM participation for young adults with ASD

It's a popularly held belief that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) gravitate toward STEM majors in college (science, technology, engineering mathematics).

16 Nov 2012

Healthcare News

Employer health costs rise 4.1% -- slowest growth in 15 years

Global Fund board terminates employment of Inspector General

Progress report on health exchanges: Will states, feds be ready?

Family planning is 'global priority' to be recognized as human right

Sebelius subpoenaed to answer questions on health law promotion

New AAN book for people with primary and metastatic brain tumors

The latest fraud target: Medicaid personal-care programs

FCTC funding cuts could leave world's poorest countries vulnerable to smoking-related diseases

Obama pledges 'substantive changes' to Medicare as part of budget deal

Global Fund uncovers 'financial wrongdoing' in some grants to Cambodia

Meningitis vaccine declared usable without refrigeration for up to four days

Examining private sector, foreign government involvement in Haiti's health system

Penn Medicine sponsors Joining Forces in recognition of Veteran's Day

Health technology assessment can assist in determining effective funding allocation

Bono says spending cuts to U.S. development aid would harm global health efforts

New 'people-centered investment approach' could lead to end of global AIDS pandemic

FDA chief's call for greater oversight of drug compounders triggers Republican skepticism

Pelosi opts to stay House Democratic leader; GOP selects woman to House leadership team

Who's in? Who’s out? Who’s yet to decide?

Study provides first picture of college enrollment and STEM participation for young adults with ASD

Building quality into drug development for safer, faster medicines

How Pulp Fixin Is Turning Paper into High-Performance Sustainable Labware

A new method to measure intracellular water in biological systems

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