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First Edition: July 18, 2011

Today's health policy headlines include the latest news on the debt-ceiling talks as well as reports on IPAB and health exchanges.

18 Jul 2011

Debt-ceiling debate's effect on Medicare, Medicaid likely to have election consequences

Heading into another week of debt-ceiling negotiations, Democrats and Republicans continue to tussle over Medicare and Medicaid. News outlets covered the Sunday talk shows, where the arguments for the next few days were laid out.

18 Jul 2011

Children's Hospital Los Angeles successfully moves inpatients into new $636 million hospital building

A new era in pediatric and adolescent healthcare began today at Children's Hospital Los Angeles when 191 inpatients were carefully moved into its new 317-bed, $636 million state-of-the-art hospital building.

18 Jul 2011

Information about hazards of unsafe volume levels need to be included with packaging of headphones

Concerned about the potential risk of noise-induced hearing loss that can occur from listening to headphones at high volumes for extended periods of time, members of the American Osteopathic Association's (AOA) House of Delegates voted today that the AOA should advocate for manufacturers to include information about the hazards of unsafe volume levels on or within the product packaging.

18 Jul 2011

FDA warns consumers not to drink raw milk from Tucker Adkins Dairy

The FDA is working with officials in North Carolina and South Carolina to investigate an outbreak of campylobacteriosis in three people who consumed raw milk from Tucker Adkins Dairy in York, S.C. The three confirmed cases and another five probable cases are from three different households and each case reports that prior to becoming ill they consumed raw milk that was obtained from Tucker Adkins Dairy on June 14, 2011.

18 Jul 2011

AOA supports efforts to prevent traumatic brain injury in athletes

Hoping that amateur and professional sports leagues will follow a path similar to that of the National Football League with its recent tightening of rules surrounding head injuries, members of the American Osteopathic Association's (AOA) House of Delegates voted today to support efforts to prevent traumatic brain injury (TBI) in athletes at the school, sports club, and professional levels.

18 Jul 2011

Free, drop-in childcare service centers launched at three VA medical centers

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the launch of free, drop-in childcare service centers at three VA medical centers to an audience of more than 700 participants attending the Fifth National Summit on Women Veterans' Issues July 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

18 Jul 2011

Efforts to solve debt crisis may affect Medicaid funding

If the federal debt limit is not raised, several governors said as they gathered here on Friday for the semiannual meeting of the National Governors Association, the ensuing default will harm the economy, make it difficult for states to borrow money and delay some of the vital federal payments that states count on for everything from Medicaid to unemployment benefits.

18 Jul 2011

Precautionary safety measures against extreme summer heat

With Minnesota's extreme heat, the Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA) would like to remind the public to take extra precautionary measures to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer.

18 Jul 2011

Record number of abortion restrictions enacted

A report by the Guttmacher Institute identifies 162 new laws passed by states this year. Meanwhile, conservatives are pointing to another report by an anti-abortion group that alleges misconduct by Planned Parenthood.

16 Jul 2011

World's largest conference on addiction, mental health and criminal justice system

About 3,500 attendees are expected to convene at the world's largest conference on addiction, mental health and the criminal justice system July 17-20, when the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) hosts the 17th Annual Drug Court Training Conference at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.

16 Jul 2011

U.S. will strengthen health work in Haiti

In a post on the AIDS.gov blog, Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. global AIDS coordinator, writes about a recent visit to Haiti and gives an update on U.S. work with Haiti.

16 Jul 2011

Shah congratulates researchers on PrEP findings

In statement released Thursday, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said, "I congratulate the Partners PrEP and CDC TDF2 teams on their study findings demonstrating that PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) - and HIV medication when taken orally, once a day - is highly effective in preventing HIV in heterosexual men and women.

16 Jul 2011

AHRQ: Employees with family coverage pay 27% of health insurance premium

Nationwide, private-sector employees with single coverage contributed 21 percent of the cost of their health insurance and employees with family coverage paid 27 percent, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

16 Jul 2011

Plan B gaining traction in debt-ceiling strategy

A proposal offered earlier this week by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is emerging as a means to resolve the current stalemate in negotiations to raise the nation's debt limit. But even as this approach continues to gain momentum, it will face considerable political and procedural hurdles.

16 Jul 2011

DRC facing cholera, measles outbreaks, U.N. says

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recorded more than 3,000 cases and 192 deaths from cholera since March, according to a U.N. report on the outbreak, VOA News reports.

16 Jul 2011

Global MDR-TB response has been slow, report says

A report released recently and compiled by the Treatment Action Group, Medecins Sans Frontieres and Partners In Health says that international efforts aimed at scaling up treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have been slow due to weak government action, low funding and a "sluggish response by international support mechanisms," BMJ News reports.

16 Jul 2011