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PlastiPure, ReliaBrand partner to produce EA-Free plastic consumer products

PlastiPure, a safer-plastics technology company, has announced a partnership with ReliaBrand to license infant feeding, sports bottle, food packaging, and medical products free of harmful chemicals that cause estrogenic activity (EA). Chemicals with EA have been strongly linked to adverse health effects such as birth defects, reproductive cancers, and behavioral and learning disorders. The widely known chemicals BPA and phthalates are only a few of thousands of chemicals suspected to have EA.

11 Oct 2010

The age wave could bust government budgets, rating agency says

The ratings agency Standard & Poor's has joined the chorus of concern about how the looming age wave will affect governments that must pay for escalating entitlement programs, The Wall Street Journal reports.

11 Oct 2010

More than 2 hours of screen viewing associated with psychological difficulties in children

Children who spend longer than two hours in front of a computer or television screen are more likely to suffer psychological difficulties, regardless of how physically active they are.

11 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 11, 2010

Today's early morning highlights include articles on new options for open season, concerns among retirees about the provisions of the federal health law and the latest campaign arguments over that new overhaul.

11 Oct 2010

ESMO and Thomson Reuters launch unique portal for oncologists

A unique portal, offering oncologists access to the latest information in the field of cancer research, will be launched in 2011 by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in association with Thomson Reuters. The announcement was made today at the 35th ESMO Congress taking place from 8 to 12 October, in Milan, Italy.

11 Oct 2010

CCHIT certifies Health Care Systems' eMR Version 4

Health Care Systems, Inc. (HCS) announced today that HCS eMR, Version 4, is 2011/2012 compliant and was certified as an EHR Module on 9/30/2010 by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®), an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable HOSPITAL certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The 2011/2012 criteria support the Stage 1 meaningful use measures required to qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

11 Oct 2010

Financing HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment could cost $400B-$700B over 20 years

A new report published by the Results for Development Institute in the Lancet "has offered governments and donors a glimpse into the future of HIV epidemics - and what it will cost to prevent and treat them. Researchers warn of hard choices ahead and a need for some countries to take more responsibility for their national programmes," IRIN/PlusNews reports. Study authors present their "cheapest" and "ideal" scenarios for HIV/AIDS funding in the future, according to IRIN/PlusNews.

11 Oct 2010

Health insurance: Coverage expands for children, young adults; not necessarily for retirees

Glenn Franco, a retired community-college instructor in Michigan, tried to get his 24-year-old daughter on his health plan—and was turned away. Many large employers are telling retirees the same thing.

11 Oct 2010

Childcare centers address food allergies of ethnically diverse population

Attention to children's food allergies at childcare centers can be a life-or-death issue. As these centers wrestle with the problem, some also have unique needs to address, such as an ethnically diverse child population.

11 Oct 2010

Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco addresses developing country smoking

American Public Media's "Marketplace" reports on the Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health, where experts from 41 countries discussed how the tobacco industry has "been been targeting developing countries more and more" (10/7).

11 Oct 2010

Senate leaders eye temporary, one-month 'doc fix' for Medicare reimbursement

Congress Daily: "Senate leaders are eyeing a temporary, one-month patch for a looming Medicare physician pay cut, hoping to buy time to work out a longer-term fix despite pushing deadlines for a number of other provider reimbursement issues.

11 Oct 2010

Charges and counter-charges on health law infiltrate political debates

CNN: "The two candidates vying for President Barack Obama's old Senate seat sat side-by-side and calmly accused each other of lying and other improprieties in a televised debate Sunday," on NBC's Meet the Press (Cohen, 10/10).

11 Oct 2010

Federal judge in Michigan rules health law constitutional

His decision rejected the "argument that Congress lacked the power to create the legislation's 'individual mandate,' which requires virtually all Americans to purchase health insurance," The Washington Post reports. "Other federal courts have already dismissed some challenges to the law on technical grounds — ruling, for instance, that the plaintiffs lacked standing.

11 Oct 2010

Research-based tip sheets provide details on breast cancer

Throughout October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, experts from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and its clinical care partner, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, are offering a series of weekly research-based tip sheets regarding a variety of topics related to breast cancer, including breast cancer prevention, screening and early detection, treatment, and survivorship.

11 Oct 2010

Philadelphia paramedics plan to sue over health coverage; healthcare merger seeks to lower costs in wash

The city's paramedics are planning to sue over Mayor Nutter's efforts to keep them out of the firefighters union. The dispute goes back to a ruling by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board last month that gave the city the right to shift paramedics out of the firefighters union.

11 Oct 2010

Minn. medical groups resist as Pawlenty shuts out Obama health plan

Minnesota medical groups have asked federal officials to review their comments and those of state officials about the health overhaul's implementation directly after Gov. Tim Pawlenty refused to send the suggestions on behalf of the state, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The groups include associations representing the state's health plans, hospitals and doctors.

11 Oct 2010

United Recovery Systems donates to Texas Children's Hospital

Employees of United Recovery Systems, LP, a leading account receivables management company, made a charitable contribution to Texas Children's Hospital, one of the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the country.

11 Oct 2010

US Health and Human Services administration announces $320 million grants to strengthen healthcare workforce in America

The US Health and Human Services administration announced $320 million in new grants under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to strengthen the healthcare workforce in America. Florida alone will receive more than $11 million in grant funding.

11 Oct 2010

Researchers pinpoint more obesity costs in workplace

One hidden cost of obesity is lost productivity in the workplace a problem with a price tag as high as $73.1 billion, according to a new study, Agence France-Presse reports.

11 Oct 2010

FDA warns of harmful stimulant in Slimming Beauty capsules

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today advised consumers who have Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules not to use the product. FDA warns that Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine, a prescription-only drug which is a stimulant. Sibutramine is not listed on the product label and could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions.

11 Oct 2010