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Congressional negotiators begin talks on payroll tax cut, 'doc fix'

Although Demcratic and Republican lawmakers differ on how to pay for it, they seem to agree there needs to be a deal in order to prevent a deep, scheduled cut in Medicare physician payments.

25 Jan 2012

PMI-supported study aims to measure malaria among pregnant women in Rwanda

This post in the Malaria Free Future blog reports on a study underway in Rwanda that aims to measure the prevalence of malaria in pregnancy (MIP).

25 Jan 2012

States continue to wrestle with politics surrounding the development of health exchanges

Iowa should debate a key health-reform program in public so the program doesn't get twisted in favor of the insurance industry, consumer-group advocates said today. Legislators last year failed to reach agreement on how to set up a state health-insurance exchange.

25 Jan 2012

High Court's review of health law's Medicaid expansion 'very serious' issue

One of the top lawyers representing those challenging the health care law said Monday that even opponents were surprised that the Supreme Court ordered arguments on the measure's Medicaid expansion. And a second plaintiff attorney characterized it as a "very serious issue" that goes to the heart of the question of the overhaul's constitutionality.

25 Jan 2012

GOP says survey showing increase in uninsured numbers is proof of health law's failure

Some House Republicans circulated this new Gallup data yesterday, before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address.

25 Jan 2012

First Edition: January 25, 2012

Kaiser Health News listened to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address with an ear out for health policy references. He made just one explicit mention of the 2010 health law, and KHN has a transcript of the few parts of his speech that mentioned health care issues.

25 Jan 2012

Comprehensive policy package based on research needed to stem abortion figures

"The astounding thing about the global abortion debate is not that some people have deeply held views about what a pregnancy is and when a human existence begins" but that "policymakers continue to ignore carefully amassed information about the actual outcome of programs and laws related to sexuality and reproduction," Marianne Møllmann, senior policy adviser with Amnesty International's International Secretariat, writes in this Guardian opinion piece.

25 Jan 2012

U.K. government to increase NTD spending fivefold between 2011 and 2015

"The U.K. government has announced a fivefold increase in spending on combating neglected tropical diseases [NTDs] as part of an international effort to help rid the world of a group of infectious diseases that currently affect one billion people and kill more than half a million every year," BMJ reports.

25 Jan 2012

Tonight's SOTU address could offer preview of Obama's re-election strategy

Politico Pro reports that the Tuesday night speech will be full of political challenges for President Obama - not the least of which is health policy.

25 Jan 2012

Universal access to HIV treatment can be achieved

"Thirty years after AIDS made its deadly debut, a future without the disease is finally within reach," a Boston Globe editorial states, adding, "But just as science is on the verge of winning the battle, financial resources and political will are flagging."

25 Jan 2012

Society for Endocrinology BES conference to take place March 19-22

The annual Society for Endocrinology BES conference is taking place in Harrogate, UK from 19-22 March 2012.

25 Jan 2012

South Africa's population would be 4.4M more if not for AIDS, data show

"There would be more than 4.4 million more people in South Africa if it were not for the AIDS pandemic, according to a survey released on Monday" by the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR), SAPA/News 24 reports.

25 Jan 2012

Panel releases draft priorities for comparative effectiveness research

The draft, which offered insight into the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute's priorities and research agenda, did not single out any specific diseases or treatments. The Institute did seek public comment.

25 Jan 2012

Tracking news on universal health coverage worldwide

The Results for Development Institute has launched a new website on universal health coverage, UHC Forward, "that features news, events, and publications related to the global UHC movement," an institute press release states.

25 Jan 2012

New report examines link between school obesity programs and eating disorders in children

A new report from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health examines the possible association between school-based childhood obesity prevention programs and an increase in eating disorders among young children and adolescents.

25 Jan 2012

Medicare Part D: A flashpoint in Florida GOP primary debate

Medicare is a testy subject in Florida, home to 3.3 million seniors. Romney charged that Gingrich lobbied lawmakers to approve legislation creating a new prescription drug benefit under Medicare. Gingrich denied lobbying, but - aware of his audience - Gingrich expressed pride in having supported Medicare Part D. "It has saved lives," Gingrich said. "It's run on a free enterprise model."

25 Jan 2012

Society of Toxicology 51st Annual Meeting and ToxExpo to be held March 11-15

More than 7,000 toxicologists from every corner of the globe are expected to attend the Society of Toxicology (SOT) 51st Annual Meeting and ToxExpo-, which will highlight toxicology's crucial role in creating a safer and healthier world. The five-day meeting will take place at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco from March 11-15, 2012.

25 Jan 2012

Abortion foes take aggressive position in 2012 debate

As part of their election-year strategy, some anti-abortion groups plan to force President Obama and congressional Democrats into a corner on an abortion-related issue.

25 Jan 2012

Targeted repeal votes part of House GOP health agenda

Some specific provisions the Republican leadership plans to hold repeal votes on include the Medicare advisory panel and the CLASS Act. Meanwhile, the AMA is pointing to "war savings" as a possible way to pay for the fix to the Medicare physician payment formula.

25 Jan 2012

Public-private partnerships can help poor access health care, reach economic potential

In this Washington Post "Davos Diary" blog entry, Kate Roberts, vice president of corporate marketing, communications and advocacy at PSI, writes about what to expect at the World Economic Forum, beginning on January 25 in Davos, Switzerland.

25 Jan 2012