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CBO says Senate reform bill to cost $849 billion and cut the deficit by $127 billion

Roll Call : "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) health care reform proposal will cost $849 billion over 10 years but cut the deficit by about $127 billion, leadership aides announced Wednesday afternoon.

18 Nov 2009

Also in Global Health news: Sleeping sickness; aid for Philippines; U.S., China in Africa; polio eradication in Afghanistan; Ethiopia famine

Lancet Infectious Diseases Newsdesk examines how despite evidence that a new therapy to treat sleeping sickness, called nifurtimox—eflornithine (NECT) is a step forward in treating the disease, it has yet to be implemented by countries "13 months after data from a successful trial was presented." The main issue at hand - "nifurtimox is not registered for use in sleeping sickness," the journal writes. The article also examines other factors complicating the implementation of the therapy (Morris, 12/09).

18 Nov 2009

Some small businesses are scaling back or ending health coverage

"Across the country, businesses already strapped by the economy to turn a profit are sacrificing or scaling back employee health insurance plans because of their escalating costs," The Associated Press reports. "The crunch has particularly socked smaller employers, who have become a centerpiece in the debate over how to overhaul the nation's health care system."

18 Nov 2009

$Poll shows fractured public opinion; Dems claim 'widespread' support for health bills$

Poll shows fractured public opinion; Dems claim 'widespread' support for health bills

Public opinion remains divided on one of health reform's most controversial issues, the proposal to create a new government health insurance plan, according to poll this week by The Associated Press.

18 Nov 2009

House vote on abortion amendment causes division among Democrats

The inclusion in the House health reform bill of an anti-abortion amendment sponsored by Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak is causing division and debate among Democrats. Politico reports: "House passage of a sweeping anti-abortion amendment has set off a wave of soul-searching and finger-pointing among abortion rights activists — many of whom thought they'd found a safe harbor when Democrats won the White House and big majorities in Congress last year."

18 Nov 2009

Senate approves budget for veterans programs

"The Senate on Tuesday adopted the latest in a continuing series of major budget increases to provide medical care for veterans. The move came as the Senate passed, by a rare 100-0 vote, a $134 billion spending bill for veterans programs and military construction projects" the Associated Press reports.

18 Nov 2009

Click4Care receives prestigious Healthcare IT Innovation Award

Click4Care, a leading provider of care management software for payors, today announced that its revolutionary software platform was voted Solution with the Greatest Market Potential in the insurer category by the hundreds of senior industry executives that attended the Healthcare IT Summit last week in La Quinta, Calif.

18 Nov 2009

Generic and brand-name drug makers face off

"Teva Pharmaceuticals, a leading manufacturer of generic drugs, has been aggressively lobbying Congress to scrap provisions in the health care bills it claims would shut it out of the biologic drug market for too long," Roll Call reports. Lobbyists for the biologics makers have charged, however, that Teva is hypocritical because it is fighting to restrict generic production of its own brand-name product.

18 Nov 2009

AARP tells GOP it won't reverse support for Democrats' House health bill

"House Republicans want the AARP to rescind its endorsement of comprehensive health reform legislation after a government report showed it could cause some providers to stop accepting Medicare patients," CongressDaily reports. The report, issued by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "warned some Medicare beneficiaries could lose access to providers if the House bill becomes law."

18 Nov 2009

Study says 43 percent of Americans could be obese by 2018 — costing $344 billion annually

A study has found that, if left unchecked, 43 percent of Americans will be obese by 2018, costing the health care system $344 billion annually.

18 Nov 2009

CLASS Act, individual mandate draw new attention to health bills

Some provisions in the health bills are attracting a new wave of analyses and some criticism of the health reform bills.

18 Nov 2009

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

Rather than work with us to find a true compromise, members who support abortion rights ignored our concerns (Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., 11/18).

18 Nov 2009

Seniors struggle with drug costs while Congress debates Medicare 'doughnut hole'

Minnesota Public Radio reports: "Since 2006, senior citizens have been able to choose plans for Medicare prescription drug coverage, but that coverage contains a gap known as the 'doughnut hole,' a gap that health care reform plans being debated in Congress would address."

18 Nov 2009

White House reports billions lost in improper payments for Medicare, other government programs

The White House announced Tuesday that billions of federal dollars were spent in improper payments in 2009 and that spending in the Medicare and Medicaid programs accounted for more than half of that total. President Barack Obama will issue an executive order to crack down on the problem, officials said.

18 Nov 2009

States mull how Medicaid expansion might affect budgets

States consider how health legislation on Capitol Hill might affect their Medicaid programs and budgets.

18 Nov 2009

Tempest over new mammography guidelines affect health legislation, insurance guidelines

Newspapers across the country featured front-page follow-up stories on new mammogram recommendations today.

18 Nov 2009

House Medicare 'doc fix' vote likely Thursday amidst disputes about cost, role in health reform

"On Thursday, the House is expected to pass a $210 billion measure — known as the 'doc fix' — that will adjust Medicare payment rates to avoid a 21 percent cut in January and continuing cuts in the years ahead," The New York Times reports, adding: "The House originally included the provision in its big health care bill. But it was dropped because its steep cost would have meant the bill would add to future federal deficits, violating one of President Obama's central requirements for the health legislation."

18 Nov 2009

Medworxx Policy & Procedure Management System implemented at Premier Health Partners

Medworxx Inc., provider of healthcare solutions for patient flow, compliance and education, is pleased to announce that Premier Health Partners has implemented the Medworxx Policy & Procedure Management System.

18 Nov 2009

First proclamation in support of Mental Health initiative in the state of Tennessee issued

On November 9, 2009, Honorable Speaker of the Senate Ron Ramsey, and Honorable Senator Mark Norris issued the first proclamation in support of a Mental Health initiative in the state of Tennessee. This is a major breakthrough to benefit people living with bipolar disorder in the State of Tennessee, and support The Brilliance in Bipolar Initiative.

18 Nov 2009

MU occupational therapy professor says recovery from brain injuries can last a lifetime

Until recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to compensate for the lost function by focusing on their remaining abilities. Although this belief has been refuted, a University of Missouri occupational therapy professor believes that the current health system is still not giving patients enough time to recover and underestimating what the human brain can do given the right conditions.

18 Nov 2009

Healthcare News

CBO says Senate reform bill to cost $849 billion and cut the deficit by $127 billion

Also in Global Health news: Sleeping sickness; aid for Philippines; U.S., China in Africa; polio eradication in Afghanistan; Ethiopia famine

Some small businesses are scaling back or ending health coverage

Poll shows fractured public opinion; Dems claim 'widespread' support for health bills

House vote on abortion amendment causes division among Democrats

Senate approves budget for veterans programs

Click4Care receives prestigious Healthcare IT Innovation Award

Generic and brand-name drug makers face off

AARP tells GOP it won't reverse support for Democrats' House health bill

Study says 43 percent of Americans could be obese by 2018 — costing $344 billion annually

CLASS Act, individual mandate draw new attention to health bills

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

Seniors struggle with drug costs while Congress debates Medicare 'doughnut hole'

White House reports billions lost in improper payments for Medicare, other government programs

States mull how Medicaid expansion might affect budgets

Tempest over new mammography guidelines affect health legislation, insurance guidelines

House Medicare 'doc fix' vote likely Thursday amidst disputes about cost, role in health reform

Medworxx Policy & Procedure Management System implemented at Premier Health Partners

First proclamation in support of Mental Health initiative in the state of Tennessee issued

MU occupational therapy professor says recovery from brain injuries can last a lifetime

Leveraging the Radian ASAP in standard casework

A journey through science, software, and innovation: Insights from the Bruker software team

CellVoyant's AI-Powered Vision for the Future of Cell Therapy

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