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On health exchanges, states may get a second chance to create their own

So far, 11 states have accepted federal money to set up their own state-run insurance exchange. Meanwhile, the Basic Health Program, another health law initiative, is drawing attention.

25 Aug 2011

Hearing dietary advice twice is enough for patients to get benefits of lower cholesterol

Hearing dietary advice twice is enough for patients to get the significant benefits of lower cholesterol, according to a new study led by doctors at St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto.

25 Aug 2011

HHS sponsors contest to develop public health emergency Facebook application

The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response is trying to harness the power of social media to respond to public health emergencies through a contest, titled "Lifeline Facebook Application Challenge," that asks application developers to "provide actionable steps for Facebook users to increase their own personal preparedness and strengthen connections within their social networks for the sake of personal preparedness and community resilience," Kaiser Health News reports.

25 Aug 2011

Crime and violence overshadowing malnutrition in Guatemalan presidential campaign

"Malnutrition, one of the leading killers of children under five in the Central American nation of Guatemala, is receiving scant attention on the campaign trail" ahead of the country's presidential elections scheduled for September, AlertNet reports.

25 Aug 2011

Scented air wafting from laundry vents emits hazardous chemicals

The same University of Washington researcher who used chemical sleuthing to deduce what's in fragranced consumer products now has turned her attention to the scented air wafting from household laundry vents.

25 Aug 2011

Support for Dems' health law draws early attacks in Wisc. Senate race

In other news related to health reform politics, a coalition of health insurers and small businesses is launching a new assault on the law.

25 Aug 2011

Some fear industry interests are stalling negotiations on U.N. NCD summit, BMJ reports

"In the run up to the U.N. summit on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), there are fears that industry interests might be trumping evidence-based public health interventions," BMJ reports.

25 Aug 2011

Implementation of maternal and child health innovations important

In a Huffington Post opinion piece, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah writes about the Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge in Development competition, which "called for groundbreaking prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant mothers and newborns around the time of birth in rural settings."

25 Aug 2011

Medicare tests bundled payment structure in hopes of saving money

Ultimately, Medicare officials hope that bundling payments to hospitals, doctors and even post-hospital caregivers will lead to increases in cost-effective care.

25 Aug 2011

HHS selects Mayo Clinic physician to chair advisory council on Alzheimer's

Ronald Petersen, M.D., Cadieux Director of the Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, was selected to chair the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services. The group was announced by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

25 Aug 2011

Commonwealth study: Unemployed skipping important medical services, highlighting importance of COBRA coverage

The Commonwealth Fund is out Wednesday with a report that shows the unemployed are skipping out on important medical services and recommends Congress extend COBRA subsidies through 2014. The study found that 72 percent of people who have lost their employer health insurance didn't fill prescriptions, get recommended tests or see a doctor because of the high cost barrier.

25 Aug 2011

NNU Director named one of the '100 Most Influential People in Healthcare'

For the tenth straight year, National Nurses United Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro has won national recognition from a major healthcare industry publication as one of the "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare" which was announced this week.

25 Aug 2011

IRIN reports on HIV-positive Kenyans' struggle to reach food aid

IRIN reports on the difficulties some people living with HIV in Kenya face in accessing food. "Partly because of a prolonged dry spell, some 3.6 million Kenyans need emergency food assistance," and, while there is food aid available in Kenya, poor roads prevent the aid from reaching some villages, according to IRIN.

25 Aug 2011

Insurer continues challenge to its exclusion from La. Medicaid program

A major insurance firm is continuing to protest its exclusion from the state's planned $2.2 billion privatization of coverage for more than 800,000 of the state 1.2 million Medicaid enrollees.

25 Aug 2011

ADA's 2011 food and nutrition conference to be held in San Diego

The world's largest annual meeting of food and nutrition professionals, the American Dietetic Association's 2011 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, will be held September 24 to 27 in San Diego, Calif.

25 Aug 2011

Health law legal challenges: Date set for oral arguments in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals

Missouri's health reform lawsuit is heading for oral arguments in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. The 8th Circuit on Tuesday said oral arguments in the lawsuit, which challenges the individual mandate and the Medicaid expansion, will take place in St. Paul, Minn., during the week of Oct. 17.

25 Aug 2011

BESLER Consulting expands Care Coordination and Compliance practice

BESLER Consulting, a leading financial and operational consultancy to healthcare providers, is pleased to announce the expansion of their Care Coordination and Compliance practice, with the integration of Dr. Frank L. Urbano's expertise and experience.

25 Aug 2011

Northwestern Mutual Foundation donates $47,110 to Easter Seals' kids initiative

Easter Seals, the nation's leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs, today announced that it received a grant totaling $47,110 through the Northwestern Mutual Foundation's Click for Kids program, a Facebook-driven campaign that launched earlier this summer.

25 Aug 2011

Medicare may begin covering STD screenings for beneficiaries

Medicare may soon be paying for sexually transmitted disease screening for the elderly. Though the final decision won't be made until November, the federal health care agency that covers about 40 million seniors will announce a draft recommendation Wednesday.

25 Aug 2011

Free Alzheimer's disease conference to take place on Sept. 17

University of Louisville faculty researchers and clinicians with expertise in polypharmacy, caregiving and more will join with a Washington-based geriatric researcher at a free conference examining Alzheimer's disease.

25 Aug 2011