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Smokers and the obese banned from UK hospitals

Certain hospitals in the UK who have imposed a ban on smokers and the obese from receiving particular treatments have been defended for their action by the Health Secretary.

2 May 2007

Millions wasted each year in Britain on asthma

An asthma charity in Britain says more than £40 million a year could be saved if asthma sufferers were given better advice on how to manage their condition.

2 May 2007

Asset transfers that would allow elderly to qualify for Medicaid rare

Most nursing home residents are unlikely to have sold off assets below market value to qualify for long-term care coverage from Medicaid, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Thursday, CongressDaily reports.

1 May 2007

Community leaders engage lawmakers on the value Medicare Advantage

More than three dozen community leaders from across the country have come together to actively engage lawmakers on the value Medicare Advantage provides to vulnerable seniors in their communities.

1 May 2007

AARP launches campaign for health care reform

AARP's national CEO William (Bill) Novelli was joined by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this morning at the Pasadena Convention Center for the first of a series of AARP forums on California health care reform.

1 May 2007

Florida Democrats ask CMS to explain overcharging of Medicare beneficiaries

Florida Democratic Reps. Robert Wexler, Alcee Hastings, Ron Klein and Debbie Wasserman Schultz last week sent a letter to CMS acting Administrator Leslie Norwalk requesting information regarding a computer glitch that withdrew money from some Medicare beneficiaries' Social Security checks, The Hill reports (Young, The Hill , 4/26).

30 Apr 2007

AARP launches campaign to encourage Presidential candidates to focus on health care, financial security

AARP on Wednesday in Nevada launched a campaign that seeks to focus the 2008 presidential election on health care and financial security issues, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

30 Apr 2007

House subcommittee debates rural veterans' access to care

House Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee members on Thursday discussed several bills to improve veterans' access to health care, particularly in rural areas, CQ HealthBeat reports.

30 Apr 2007

Antiquated plumbing causes six premmies to die

The deaths of six premature babies at a hospital in Canada three years ago has been attributed to bacteria found in the building's aging water pipes.

29 Apr 2007

Outdated policies are impediment for Americans with disabilities

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has helped increase awareness of barriers faced by people with disabilities, and advances in science and engineering have led to better assistive technologies that make it easier for individuals to lead productive, independent lives, outdated regulations too often impede access to health care coverage and assistive devices for many who need them, says a new report by the Institute of Medicine.

27 Apr 2007

Better risk management could cut MRSA infection rates

The larger and busier, an NHS hospital is, the higher the MRSA infection rate, research from the Nottingham University Business School has revealed.

27 Apr 2007

New mathematical modeling system for organ allocation

The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) announces evaluation of a new mathematical modeling system for lung allocation in the United States and the ethical issues surrounding organ allocation facing patients awaiting transplants.

26 Apr 2007

How will digitisation of health information impact health care?

In a survey of 200 patients and their representatives, clinicians and other healthcare professionals (librarians and IT staff) from across eight NHS trusts, Professor Ann Blandford and Professor Peter Lunt have looked at the growing need to understand how digitisation of health information will impact upon patients, staff and managers across the health service.

26 Apr 2007

NHS together now?

Health minister Andy Burnham got a mixed reception when he spoke to UNISON's health conference in Brighton.

25 Apr 2007

1.2 million hospitalized patients experienced an adverse drug event

In 2004, 1.2 million hospitalized patients experienced an adverse drug event, 90 percent of which were due to a side effect from a medication that was properly administered, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

25 Apr 2007

Costs of treating heart disease and cancer have increased substantially

The costs of treating heart disease and cancer rose markedly between 2000 and 2004, from $62 billion to $90 billion and $42 billion to $62 billion, respectively, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

25 Apr 2007

UNISON vows to step up fight against privatisation

Health workers will not sit idly by and watch their health service being dismantled, 'marketised' and sold off to become a pale reflections of the US health system, where the balance sheet matters more than patients' needs.

24 Apr 2007

Medicare reimbursements at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to continue

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that reimbursements for Medicare heart transplant cases performed at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will continue uninterrupted.

24 Apr 2007

Cross-border electronic health services across Europe

EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway have adopted a common declaration on their commitment to pursue structured cooperation on cross-border electronic health services across Europe.

24 Apr 2007

Leaked paper shows need for government action on training posts

Commenting on reports that NHS employers is looking at options for thousands of doctors who are at risk of not getting a training post through the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS), Dr Jo Hilborne, chairman of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, says...

24 Apr 2007