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House Republicans use Ag spending bill to push back against certain health measures

The Republicans have used an agriculture appropriations bill to send several messages: They don't want the government to require school meals that are more nutritional but also more expensive, they don't want the government to prod food companies to restrain marketing to children, and they don't want the Food and Drug Administration to regulate any substance based on anything but "hard science".

3 Jun 2011

$White House budget meeting leads to Medicare fracas$

White House budget meeting leads to Medicare fracas

The White House meeting on Wednesday was expected to focus on the debt limit fight, but instead got caught up in the dispute over Medicare. Following the session, Representative Paul D. Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who is chairman of the Budget Committee, said he asked Mr. Obama to not engage in demagogy about the Republicans' Medicare plan, which was under fierce attack from Democrats as essentially being a voucher program for older Americans.

3 Jun 2011

HHS says Indiana cannot cut Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood

The Obama administration prohibited the State of Indiana on Wednesday from carrying out a new state law that cuts off money for Planned Parenthood clinics providing health care to low-income women on Medicaid. The state law penalized Planned Parenthood because some of its clinics also perform abortions.

3 Jun 2011

HHS Secretary joins St. Paul’s Regions Hospital to highlight Partnership for Patients

On Thursday, June 2, 2011, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will join hospital officials, doctors, patients, and other key health care advocates at Regions Hospital to highlight the Partnership for Patients.

3 Jun 2011

David Lloyd Leisure to open new health and fitness facility in Farnham

David Lloyd Leisure, the health, fitness and leisure group of clubs, has announced it will open a new, 6,000-plus sqm facility in Farnham -- creating about 60 jobs.

3 Jun 2011

AHRQ data show quality improving but disparities remain

The latest data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality brought more of the usual news: modest gains in health care quality but persistent racial and income disparities.

3 Jun 2011

Transitional care can improve health outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions

Currently, one in five elderly patients discharged from a hospital is readmitted within a month. Seeking to address the human and substantial financial burden of revolving door hospital readmissions, the Affordable Care Act proposes a number of initiatives to improve care and health outcomes and reduce costs for the growing population of chronically ill people in the U.S.

3 Jun 2011

Angiotensin receptor blockers do not increase risk of cancer: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that a group of medications used to control high blood pressure, called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), do not increase the risk of developing cancer in patients using the medications.

3 Jun 2011

State roundup: Texas special session highlights health issues

States are slashing funding, and more cuts are expected. But in places like Reno, where police have teamed up with counselors to aid the mentally ill, the services don't seem expendable.

3 Jun 2011

Safer sex communication in transgender adults is more complicated: Study

A new study from North Carolina State University shows that talking about safer sex is a complicated process for individuals in the transgender community. The finding may help efforts to promote safer sex practices in a community facing high HIV rates - and also sheds light on broader questions related to safer sex for everyone.

3 Jun 2011

Climate change can harm indigenous peoples' health

The Canadian Arctic. The Amazonian jungle. The fringes of an African rainforest. These lands are home to some of the most isolated and vulnerable people in the world - the indigenous populations of Canada, Peru and Uganda. Because of their dependence on the land for food and water, indigenous peoples' health is particularly affected by climatic changes. Indeed, they are already seeing dramatic effects due to changing temperatures.

3 Jun 2011

Viewpoints raise questions: Can free market fix Medicare? Should military families pay more for health care?

If even a fraction of [the president's Medicare cuts] take place, a whopping 87 percent of doctors say they will stop seeing or will restrict the number of Medicare patients they see, further shrinking the pool of providers and further restricting access to care.

3 Jun 2011

PQA honors Kaiser Permanente for outstanding performance in medication safety

Kaiser Permanente Colorado is one of only three health plans in the nation to receive a top honor for excellence in medication safety. The award, issued by the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, recognizes Kaiser Permanente's outstanding performance on medication safety measures included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new 5-star rating program.

3 Jun 2011

Opinion: Integrate NTD, HIV, TB and malaria programs

In a New England Journal of Medicine opinion piece, Peter Hotez of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and colleagues, including Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute of Columbia University, outline how integrating treatment of neglected tropical diseases (NTD) into HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria control efforts could speed up progress toward attaining the sixth Millennium Development Goal.

3 Jun 2011

U-M study shows decline in surgery mortality for eight different high-risk operations

Surgery death rates have dropped nationwide over the past decade, according to a University of Michigan Health System study that reveals cancer surgeries have seen the most dramatic improvement in safety.

3 Jun 2011

Editorial: U.S. must provide ample funding for GAVI

"Considering its wealth, the U.S. spends relatively little on humanitarian aid that can make an enormous difference in the lives of millions of people - and in the perception of the U.S. around the world. Nothing this nation could do with $450 million would surpass the good accomplished with a vaccination pledge to GAVI,".

3 Jun 2011

RACGP committed to supporting telehealth in general practice

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) recognises that telehealth provides considerable opportunities to improve health outcomes for patients in outer metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities and is committed to supporting the profession during the telehealth rollout.

2 Jun 2011

Medicomp releases Quippe, browser-based clinical documentation software development kit

Medicomp Systems announces the release of Quippe, its latest innovation to support usability of clinical systems at the point of care. It is a browser-based clinical documentation software development kit available for licensing by electronic medical record system developers.

2 Jun 2011

MedeAnalytics introduces Value-Based Purchasing Resource Center for healthcare industry

MedeAnalytics, a leading provider of healthcare performance management solutions, announced today the launch of its Value-Based Purchasing Resource Center. As a service to the healthcare industry, the resource center provides objective educational information on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' value-based purchasing program.

2 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 2, 2011

Today's health policy headlines cover a gamut of develoments, including reports about the latest Medicare dust up in the ongoing budget negotiations and about oral arguments in the latest round of appellate court action related to health law legal challenges.

2 Jun 2011