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State leaders wrangle over approaches to health insurance marketplaces

Officials and business leaders in Wyoming, Kansas and Michigan are considering their next moves among the myriad options of how to approach federally or state-based health insurance marketplaces.

7 Sep 2012

State news: Fla. hospitals fight over trauma center rules

She has been at the center of at least three public firestorms -- for removing consumer protections in health insurance rules approved by her predecessor, for attending a campaign fund-raiser held by an insurance company and for suggesting that the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association raise premium rates.

7 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Obama's 'talk of tough choices'; Championing personal responsibility

And he clearly laid out a vision for governing squarely at odds with the one that Mr. Romney has, but was hidden from view at last week's Republican convention in Tampa, Fla. He promised deficit reduction "without sticking it to the middle class"; to enact a reformed tax code that raises rates on income above $250,000 to where it was under Mr. Clinton; to preserve middle-class deductions; to "never turn Medicare into a voucher."

7 Sep 2012

Researchers, policymakers to gather at AIDS Vaccine 2012 conference in Boston

"With a completed trial in Thailand that offered evidence a vaccine could be developed to protect people from HIV, emerging science identifying antibodies against HIV, and a current trial testing a novel vaccine combination against the virus potentially producing more information in the next year, this is an exciting time to hold a conference, organizers of AIDS Vaccine 2012 say," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog reports.

7 Sep 2012

FDA warns dietary supplement firms in Colorado and Texas

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued warning letters to PruTect Rx, of Highlands Ranch, Colo., and Trinity Sports Group Inc., of Plano, Texas, for promoting products labeled as dietary supplements with claims to treat concussions and prevent or treat post-concussion syndrome and other neurological disorders.

7 Sep 2012

NPR blog examines 'test and treat' approach as HIV/AIDS prevention tactic

NPR's "Shots" blog examines the "test and treat" approach to HIV care and prevention, which "relies on the fact that taking HIV drugs dramatically reduces a person's risk of transmitting the virus to others," and, "[a]s more and more people are put on medication, the epidemic theoretically should fizzle out." The blog continues, "Test and treat sounds good on paper, but some doctors and policymakers have doubts about its feasibility on a large scale."

7 Sep 2012

Health law among Obama's accomplishments as he makes case for second term

During the final night of the Democratic convention, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden pledged to protect Medicare from GOP proposals to turn it into what they called a voucher program and extolled the benefits of the health law.

7 Sep 2012

DOJ joins whistle-blower case against Fla. hospice

The Department of Justice is joining a case against a hospice provider in Orlando accused by a former executive of admitting Medicare patients who did not qualify for care to collect the payments. Meanwhile, state officials announce Medicaid fraud settlements, with GlaxoSmithKline in North Carolina, and Planned Parenthood in Illinois.

7 Sep 2012

Private sector plays important role in agribusiness success, feeding billions

"Severe droughts, rising grain prices and food shortages -- the latest headlines are an urgent call for action," and "it is time to step up our response," Suma Chakrabarti, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Jose Graziano da Silva, director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), write in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

7 Sep 2012

Research roundup: Reducing risk in shared savings programs

The Design And Application Of Shared Savings Programs: Lessons From Early Adopters --"Shared savings programs reward providers for holding spending below specific targets, thus introducing a level of financial accountability not present in strictly volume-based payment models, such as fee-for-service," researchers write.

7 Sep 2012

Doctors as delegates and health reform activists

In this pair of stories, Medpage Today offers the view seen from the Democratic convention floor by two physician delegates as well as a look at a doctors' group dedicated to supporting the health law.

7 Sep 2012

New e-book on mistakes that companies make with ergonomics

Five Mistakes Companies Make with Ergonomics is a new e-book released by Humantech, Inc. This 16-page free publication, written by Ergonomics Engineer and Vice President Walt Rostykus, boils down the top five lessons learned from companies of all sizes, industries, and locations and identifies what has made them successful, or not so successful, in managing workplace ergonomics.

7 Sep 2012

GlobalPost examines maternal, child health in Afghanistan

"A report on Afghanistan backed by UNICEF shows the country still has leaps and bounds to go in the areas of maternal and child health and education," GlobalPost reports.

7 Sep 2012

IOM report: Estimated $750B wasted annually in health care system

The Institute of Medicine offers an analysis of how the money is misspent and some steps that might address these trouble spots.

7 Sep 2012

Global Fund must resolve leadership, governance issues by end of 2012

"Good news about the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been sorely lacking these past few years as the organization has faced corruption allegations, financial woes, and internal reform," a Lancet editorial states.

7 Sep 2012

Gates foundation blog examines challenges to global TB response

"[O]ver the past month, [tuberculosis (TB)] has captured high-profile attention from the Washington Post, the New York Times, TIME, NPR, [Agence France-Presse] and other major media, generating big headlines about the rising challenge we face in tackling one of humanity's oldest and most resilient infectious diseases," Jan Gheuens, interim director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's TB Program, writes in the foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

7 Sep 2012

Strategic roadmap to help cope with impending Alzheimer's disease public health crisis

This week, a strategic roadmap to help to the nation's health care system cope with the impending public health crisis caused Alzheimer's disease and related dementia will be published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

7 Sep 2012

Paul Ryan sticks to Medicare stump speech, even after Clinton critique

Headlines offer a range of developments from the Romney-Ryan campaign, including reports about its advertising strategy, Ryan's response -- or lack of one -- to former President Bill Clinton's criticism and a fact check regarding their Medicare policy.

7 Sep 2012