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State news: New York Governor wants regulation on Rx gifts to doctors and other state news

The Associated Press/CNBC reports that New York Gov. David Paterson is "proposing new, tougher prohibitions on pharmaceutical companies, restricting them from dispensing gifts and misleading production information to doctors while promoting the use of specific drugs."

27 Jan 2010

State of the Union address: Obama to squeeze in health reform around jobs, economy issues

President Barack Obama's upcoming State of the Union address will focus on jobs and the economy, but in addition to those issues, the president will likely continue his push for health care reform, The Boston Globe reports. Administration officials said Sunday that the president would "continue pressing Congress to complete its yearlong effort to enact health care legislation.

27 Jan 2010

Study finds regional hospitals often are better at preventing medical errors than academic centers

Some regional hospitals perform better than academic medical centers at preventing complications and infections that can lead to hospital deaths, Forbes reports. The article looks at the results of an annual study by HealthGrades, a hospital rating company, of Medicare data which found 269 hospitals around the country "with unusually low mortality and complications rates for 26 different procedures and diagnoses."

27 Jan 2010

White House mulling limits on scope of proposed health overhaul

The Wall Street Journal: "The White House, with its health-care initiative in doubt, on Sunday zeroed in on several elements it hoped would survive, including measures to extend the life of Medicare, lower prescription drug costs for seniors and cap consumers' out-of-pocket medical expenses."

27 Jan 2010

Researching treatments shows paths to health savings

An orthopedic surgeon in Sacramento became suspicious of a new therapy that helps tendons heal by injecting platelet-rich plasma into joints, The Sacramento Bee reports. So, he decided to do a test. It turned out, his patients outcomes were no different when he used the platelet-rich plasma therapy as when he didn't. The plasma treatment costs hundreds of dollars more per patient.

27 Jan 2010

Blue Foundation announces grants to improve Florida’s healthcare system

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, the philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF), is announcing grants to 11 Florida nonprofits that improve the health of in-need Floridians across the state. The grants are part of The Blue Foundation's biannual IMPACT Health Care (Improving Access to Health Care) grants program.

27 Jan 2010

WHO Director-General highlights global health gains, challenges at executive board meeting

During the WHO's recent executive board meeting, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan reflected on public health gains over the past decade and the challenges that lie ahead, Nigeria's Guardian reports. Chan commended the international community's response to H1N1 and global efforts to reduce child mortality, fight malaria and tuberculosis.

27 Jan 2010

Study shows high-volume hospitals offer similar outcomes as high-quality hospitals

New research published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons finds that while popular hospital rating systems can help identify high-quality hospitals for cardiovascular operations, patients can achieve similar outcomes by seeking care at high-volume hospitals closer to home.

27 Jan 2010

Many still hope for insurance reform

Kaiser Health News staff writers Julie Appleby and Jenny Gold write, "With a major health overhaul in deep trouble, some lawmakers want a scaled-back approach that targets the indisputably unpopular insurance industry.

27 Jan 2010

Innovative Alaska Health Plan outperforms many others in lower 48

Kaiser Health News reports on Alaska's Southcentral Foundation.

27 Jan 2010

Lawmakers sound off on health bill: Pascrell, Mccain, Durbin, Hatch and Murphy

Rep. Bill Pascrell [D-N.J.] has called fellow Democrats 'arrogant' and referred to a key party talking point as 'BS.' He slammed deals cut by leadership and special interests and said, 'We're not going to accept that any longer.' Agitated and unfiltered, Pascrell has become the guy who's not afraid to go public with what many rank-and-file House Democrats have been saying behind closed doors.

27 Jan 2010

Book highlights causes and remedies for bad breath

So, you've bought the candy, the diamond necklace, made the reservations at her favorite restaurant and had your suit cleaned and pressed. Still, even if you earn that special Valentine's Day kiss, it won't make a difference if your breath is so bad that it could motivate the dog to leave the room.

27 Jan 2010

Report highlights challenges facing Obama in Africa

A new report highlights challenges facing the Obama administration in Africa, including HIV/AIDS, poverty and climate change, VOA News reports.

27 Jan 2010

Budget realities are rippling through states' health institutions

The (Raleigh, N.C.) News-Observer: "The state's drug assistance program for HIV patients has been capped at its current enrollment, with budget cuts hitting at the same time more people need help, state officials said Monday." Because patients with HIV are more likely to spread the virus when not on medications, public health officials are worried about denying medications (Avery, 1/26).

27 Jan 2010

Donors agree to 10-Year Haitian rebuilding effort amid concerns; no firm financial commitments

At a meeting in Montreal, Canada, on Monday, international donors noted concerns, but agreed to a 10-year reconstruction plan to rebuild Haiti, the New York Times reports. "Given Haiti's long history of mismanagement of funds, international donors were hesitant to write a blank check. And foreign governments had concerns as well about the government's ability to direct a large reconstruction project after most government buildings were flattened or severely damaged in the Jan. 12 quake," the newspaper writes (Lacey/Thompson, 1/25).

27 Jan 2010

GOP lawmaker set to release health care 'declaration'

Republicans are seeking consensus on health care now that Democrats can no longer go it alone, having lost their filibuster-proof 60-vote Senate majority, NPR reports. Senior Republicans are "shopping around" policy ideas they say everyone could agree with "off the bat," including a cap on certain malpractice damages and allowing insurers to sell plans across state lines. But, some observers note that even when they were in the majority, Republicans failed to agree even on those issues (Rovner, 1/26).

27 Jan 2010

Doctors accepting medicare patients decline in rural Arizona

Doctors Accepting Medicare Patients Decline In Rural Arizona

27 Jan 2010

Health companies adapt to diminished likelihood of health reform

Some health executives are still calling for reform in the wake of Scott Brown's upset in the Massachusetts Senate race last week that undermined Democratic efforts to advance health reform, The (Richmond) Virginian-Pilot reports.

27 Jan 2010

Insurance companies increased lobbying by 24 percent in 2009

The Hill reports on insurer lobbying spending in 2009: "America's largest insurance companies spent millions more on lobbying last year as lawmakers debated healthcare reform, lobbying disclosure records show.

27 Jan 2010

Obama acknowledges mistakes in health overhaul politics and processes

President Barack Obama acknowledged Monday in an interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer that mistakes were made in the health reform debate, among the biggest "was the confusing way in which the health bill was shaped." Obama said: "'I think the healthcare debate as it unfolded legitimately raised concerns not just among my opponents, but also amongst reporters that we just don't know what's going on,' and that some 'stray cats' got in the bill." Obama also said he "didn't make a bunch of deals" and "I am happy to own up to the fact that I have not changed Congress and how it operates the way I would have liked" (Mooney, 1/25).

27 Jan 2010