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Chemicals in everyday substances increase risk of allergies in children

The use of chemicals in our everyday lives entails increased risks of allergies in children, according to a study at Karlstad University in Sweden. The prevalence of PGEs, propylene glycol and glycol ethers, in bedroom air is associated with asthma, hay fever, and eczema, but also with antibodies against common allergens in children. The study shows a risk increase of up to 180 percent.

19 Oct 2010

New website provides access to hospice care

Hospice Care of South Carolina, the largest hospice care provider in South Carolina, recently launched a new website designed to help people facing an advanced illness and their loved ones gain earlier access to hospice care.

19 Oct 2010

NIH awards contract to CSC for BTRIS, CRIS programs

CSC announced today that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the company a contract to provide support services to the Biomedical Translational Research Information System (BTRIS) and Clinical Research Information System (CRIS) programs.

19 Oct 2010

Peer partner program helps diabetic patients to manage their conditions

Phone calls with a peer facing the same self-management challenges helped diabetes patients manage their conditions and improved their blood sugar levels better than those who used traditional nurse care management services alone, according to research from the University of Michigan Health System.

19 Oct 2010

Study: Half of Canadians with osteoporosis have insufficient levels of vitamin D

New data presented today at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2010 Annual Meeting held in Toronto, Ontario, demonstrated that approximately half of Canadians with osteoporosis have insufficient levels of vitamin D (less than 80 nmol/L), despite the fact that more than 40 per cent are prescribed at least 2800 IU of vitamin D per week.

19 Oct 2010

Purdue Pharma supports NASCSA with $200,000 grant for state prescription drug monitoring programs

The National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities (NASCSA) announced receipt of a $200,000 grant from Purdue Pharma L.P. today at the organization's 27th annual conference in Charleston, South Carolina. The grant is part of Purdue Pharma's ongoing efforts to support the operation, expansion and awareness of appropriately-designed state prescription drug monitoring programs, which can be an effective tool to address prescription drug abuse and diversion.

19 Oct 2010

Dengue cases in Western Pacific doubled in last 10 years; WHO says disease needs higher profile

The number of dengue cases has more than doubled in the last decade in the Western Pacific, according to the WHO, BBC reports.

19 Oct 2010

Changing Our World and TSIC announce strategic global health initiative

Changing Our World and The Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC) UK today announced a wide-ranging strategic initiative to serve the needs of global health and relief institutions worldwide. This exclusive alliance creates the most comprehensive set of services available to international fundraising and philanthropic organizations.

19 Oct 2010

PCE, NPF form partnership to provide education programs on psoriasis

Practicing Clinicians Exchange (PCE) has formed a partnership with the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) to provide continuing education programs to nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) throughout the United States.

19 Oct 2010

NCCN updates Clinical Practice Guidelines for Breast Cancer

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) recently updated the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™) for Breast Cancer to affirm the recommendation regarding the use of bevacizumab (Avastin®, Genentech/Roche) in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

19 Oct 2010

Federal judge says he'll rule on Virginia's health law challenge by year's end

Bloomberg: "A federal judge in Virginia said he'll rule by yearend whether President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is constitutional, adding that his decision will be a 'brief stop' in the case on its way to the Supreme Court." U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson heard arguments today in Richmond, Virginia, about whether the health law's requirement for individuals to buy health insurance is congressional overreaching.

19 Oct 2010

Revised guidelines for first aid

The American Red Cross and American Heart Association today announced changes to guidelines for administering first aid. Among the revisions are updated recommendations for the treatment of snake bites, anaphylaxis (shock), jellyfish stings and severe bleeding. The First Aid Guidelines are being published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

19 Oct 2010

Federal court to allow Calif. case on Medicare underpayments to move forward; LA county gets new health department head

A recent court decision gave a group of California counties another chance to challenge what they contend are severe Medicare underpayments that jeopardize access to care across the country.

19 Oct 2010

DOJ targets Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in anti-trust violation

The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires: "The U.S. Justice Department on Monday filed an antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, alleging that provisions of its agreements with hospitals are anticompetitive." The action, filed in a Michigan federal court, challenges the "insurer's use of provisions known as 'most favored nation clauses'" (Kendall, 10/18).

19 Oct 2010

Health on The Hill - October 18, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey talks with NPR's Julie Rovner and KFF's Jackie Judd about the latest health policy developments, including action on the campaign trail and in the courts.

19 Oct 2010

CMS could save billions by changing payment, delivery methods

Experts examine ways to change care delivery and payment at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services while seniors prepare for the Medicare open enrollment period.

18 Oct 2010

As health law kicks in, so do grants, subsidies and worries for insurance brokers

Federal spending on health care is proof that the industry can look forward to continuing growth, according to the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. "Along with the $2.7 billion increase that the state received to pay for Medicaid, at least $655 million in grants from stimulus funds and the health-reform law recently has been awarded.

18 Oct 2010

Higher Medicaid reimbursement rates could increase childhood vaccinations

Reuters: A new study in the journal Pediatrics suggests that raising Medicaid reimbursement rates could help more children from low-income families receive flu vaccinations. "Although the vaccine itself is provided free of charge to children covered by Medicaid, doctors are only reimbursed for about half the cost of administering it," and are losing money in the process, say researchers.

18 Oct 2010

Support for health law dips, GOP aims to seize opportunity

Politico reports that support among the public for the health overhaul dipped during the last month, even as the "percentage of Democrats who say they'll go to the polls to defend the law rose. … According to the Kaiser Family Foundation October Tracking Poll out Monday morning, overall support for the law has dropped to 42 percent — down seven points in a month (Kaiser Health News is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation).

18 Oct 2010

Legal challenge to 'individual mandate' sees day in court

The Washington Post:The legal challenges to the health law continue. "A federal judge in Virginia will hear arguments Monday on whether the new federal health care law is unconstitutional. Virginia Attorney Gen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R) will argue that Congress overstepped its constitutional authority by enacting a provision that requires individuals to purchase health insurance by 2014 or pay a fine.

18 Oct 2010