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Retail clinics offer more treatments for chronic diseases

Retail health clinics are reevaluating their offerings. The Wall Street Journal reports: "Retail health clinics are adding treatments for chronic diseases such as asthma to their repertoire, hoping to find steadier revenue, but putting the clinics into greater competition with doctors' groups and hospitals."

10 Sep 2009

Number of uninsured may jump to 50 million

"The number of people in the U.S. lacking health insurance may have grown as much as 9 percent to 50 million people last year, adding fuel to President Barack Obama's push for overhauling the system," Bloomberg reports. "The likely increase was driven by a jump in U.S. unemployment, said Ana Gupte, a Sanford Bernstein & Co. Inc. analyst in New York who follows UnitedHealth Group Inc. and WellPoint Inc., the top two U.S. health insurers.

10 Sep 2009

Harkin moves to Health Committee chair after Dodd opts against it

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., wrestled hard with the question of whether to take the Senate Health Committee chair once held by his good friend, the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. But when he passed on it, Sen. Tom Harkin got the job in an arrangement that gives the Iowa Democrat a huge say in government health policy.

10 Sep 2009

U.S. public health officials recommend early flu vaccination

With increased influenza activity anticipated this fall, U.S. public health officials and other leading medical experts today urged Americans to be vigilant and get immunized early for protection against seasonal influenza - a threat to Americans' health each and every year.

10 Sep 2009

Electronic health records: A focus for big tech companies

"On one proposal for health care reform at least, there is a rare bipartisan consensus: the push to computerize patient records," The New York Times reports. The federal recovery package sets aside $19 billion "to encourage doctors and hospitals to install and use electronic health records. So even as the Obama administration and Congress struggle with broad health policy legislation, the technology industry is pursuing the opportunity in digital health records as never before." The money will not be available until next year, but General Electric, I.B.M. and Verizon are all "hoping to get their share."

10 Sep 2009

Baucus readies reform move, with or without Republicans

Sen. Max Baucus is readying his Senate Finance Committee to move a health care reform bill to the full Senate, with or without the support of Republicans negotiating their position.

10 Sep 2009

Comparative effectiveness may not produce hoped-for savings, Study finds

One component of Democrats' health reform plan, comparative effectiveness research, would seek to improve quality and lower medical costs by identifying the most clinically and cost-effective treatments available, but a new study by the Rand Corp. finds the impact of the research may be slow to arrive, BusinessWeek reports.

10 Sep 2009

Speaker Pelosi comments on President Obama's health reform address

"Tonight, President Obama made a forceful case to the Congress and the country for long-overdue health insurance reform. We are closer than ever before in history to real progress on this issue that touches the lives of every American and impacts our economy: ensuring stability and security for Americans with health insurance, and affordable coverage for those currently without.

10 Sep 2009

Research on the impact of anti-smoking law in public places reveals that 5% of waiters have stopped smoking

Researchers from the Catalan Institute of Oncology have studied the impact of the law banning smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants on those working in these places. The results are positive - 5% of waiters have stopped smoking, and the number of cigarettes smoked by those who still smoke has fallen by almost 9%.

10 Sep 2009

First edition: September 10, 2009

In response to President Obama's joint address to Congress last night, the headlines are chock full of news, analysis, fact-checkers and inventories of cheers and jeers.

10 Sep 2009

Amedisys in negotiations with Hackensack University Medical Center to acquire its home health operations

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED), one of America's leading home health and hospice nursing companies, today announced that it is in discussions to acquire the home health operations of Hackensack University Medical Center.

10 Sep 2009

Health care reform should tackle food safety

Linda Rivera’s excruciating case of food poisoning (Severe Case Gives Context to Issue of Food Safety Washington Post 9/1/09) should shine some light on a crucial reality that is missing from most health care reform plans: you can’t fix America’s health care unless you provide Americans with a safe food supply.

10 Sep 2009

CBO reports cash shortfall for Social Security; seniors could face benefit cuts

Social Security will face a cash shortfall for the first time in decades next year, according to a little noticed report released late last month by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

10 Sep 2009

The Center for Justice & Democracy opposes President Obama's medical malpractice proposal

The Center for Justice & Democracy strongly opposes President Obama's plan to implement Bush Administration measures to limit the legal rights of severely injured patients, which has become part of the health care discussion apparently as a bargaining chip to reduce Republican opposition to much needed health care reform.

10 Sep 2009

New brief explains how state and local governments are addressing their OPEB obligations

A new issue brief from the Center for State and Local Government Excellence takes a hard look at the options state and local governments are pursuing to reduce their unfunded liabilities for retiree health care.

10 Sep 2009

International conference to discuss health tourism and rising costs of funding health care in the EU

Health tourism and the rising costs of funding health care and providing 'free at the point of delivery' healthcare are among the issues to be addressed at an international conference on Health Care in the EU.

10 Sep 2009

High cost of health care not justified

A policy paper that identifies and analyzes the key drivers of health care costs was released today by the American College of Physicians (ACP). Controlling Health Care Costs While Promoting the Best Possible Health Outcomes provides nearly four dozen recommendations to achieve better quality care to more people.

10 Sep 2009

Cord Blood America to complete its new Las Vegas laboratory on schedule

Cord Blood America, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CBAI), the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company (http://www.cordblood-america.com ) focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells, a biological insurance policy for families nationwide and internationally, said today that it is on schedule to complete the construction of its new Las Vegas laboratory by the first week of October.

10 Sep 2009

Results of the survey after President Obama's speech to a Joint Session of Congress released

Immediately after President Obama's speech to a Joint Session of Congress last night, Clarus Research Group surveyed 44 of the nation's top political, legislative and communications strategists -- representing a broad array of expertise in politics, government, media consulting, lobbying, and public relations.

10 Sep 2009

Medical liability reforms will hold down defensive medicine costs

President Obama, in his address to a joint session of Congress tonight, stated that “defensive medicine” does contribute to unnecessary costs in healthcare and will now explore options for medical liability reform. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) applaud the President’s inclusion of this key element as lawmakers move forward with an overall healthcare reform plan.

10 Sep 2009