Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Santorum, others say Romney won't be able to campaign against Obama's health law

As Mitt Romney moves closer to locking up the Republican presidential nomination, the questions about his ability to attack President Obama on healthcare are only getting louder. Conservatives have long been uneasy with Romney's record on healthcare.

12 Mar 2012

TGen to present new research about multiple myeloma at AzMN conference

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) will present new research about the blood-cell cancer known as multiple myeloma at a free public conference hosted by the Arizona Myeloma Network.

12 Mar 2012

AMGA honors Abbott with Distinguished Corporate Partner Award

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) announced today that it will present the AMGA Distinguished Corporate Partner Award on March 10 to Abbott Laboratories at its 2012 Annual Conference, March 8-10 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

12 Mar 2012

Researchers develop Bluetooth-enabled medical monitoring device

Researchers in New Zealand have developed a prototype Bluetooth-enabled medical monitoring device that can be connected wirelessly to your smart phone and keep track of various physiological parameters, such as body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and movements.

12 Mar 2012

Researchers to create and test novel interventions for older adult care

One in every eight Americans is aged 65 years or older and, by 2030, it is expected to be one in five. As the number of older Americans increases, healthcare providers and researchers must understand and address the needs of this growing population.

12 Mar 2012

Overweight, aging do not appear to impact mental well-being

Growing older and being overweight are not necessarily associated with a decrease in mental well-being, according to a cross-cultural study looking at quality of life and health status in the US and the UK.

12 Mar 2012

New survey shows women trying to get pregnant worry about fertility

For many women, the decision to get pregnant can take on a life of its own. In fact, according to a survey conducted for SpermCheck- Fertility, 42% of those who conceived say they became obsessed with getting pregnant once they started trying. Yet just 10% say their partner shared this obsession.

12 Mar 2012

FDA may allow many chronic ailment drugs to be available over-the-counter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is deciding on a proposal to waive prescription requirements for commonly used drugs that treat conditions like diabetes, asthma, and migraines.

11 Mar 2012

Farzad Mostashari: Focusing on moving doctors into the digital age

New York hookers spreading HIV. Killer mosquitos. An anthrax-toting terrorist. An urban-scape rife with the sick and poor. These are just some of the challenges tackled by Farzad Mostashari, a Yale-educated physician, epidemiologist and self-confessed computer nerd. His current mission: moving doctors from the Age of Gutenberg into the 21st century. For starters, he'd like them to use e-mail at the office.

11 Mar 2012

The soon-to-be-released GOP budget plan: What will become of traditional Medicare?

How this question is answered could have big implications for the GOP's presidential and congressional candidates. Meanwhile, Politico Pro reports the plan being prepared by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R- Wis., is likely to include a reserve fund to deal with Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula.

11 Mar 2012

White House views Supreme Court health law arguments as teachable moments

The New York Times reports that the Obama administration has begun an effort to use these arguments as an opportunity to educate the public and build support for the overhaul. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports that one of the lead plaintiffs in a challenge to the law has gone bankrupt with outstanding medical bills, leading some to question whether this transforms her from a "symbol of proud independence into an example of exactly the problem the healthcare law was intended to address."

10 Mar 2012

State legislatures split on forming health insurance exchanges

Oregon and California are moving forward with creating health insurance exchanges called for in the health reform law while lawmakers in New Hampshire pass legislation barring the state from creating an exchange.

10 Mar 2012

IPAB repeal progresses in the House

On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation that would eliminate the health law's Independent Payment Advisory Board. The bill could be considered by the full House as early as the week of March 19, and it could attract some Democratic support.

10 Mar 2012

Health care politics: Contraception issues shift women to Dems, GOP contenders on Medicare's future

News outlets covered a poll on the health law and also analyzed Republican positions on abortion, contraception and Medicare.

10 Mar 2012

Calif. audit finds hospital did business with firms tied to CEO; Michigan hospital to become private

Reports on the business of healthcare also look at an Illinois ACO that is showing some progress and at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's call for greater transparency in how insurers and providers bill consumers for out-of-network medical costs.

10 Mar 2012

Empowering women, promoting women's health strengthens international community

"As we honor the enormous impact women have on their families and communities worldwide, we also call on lawmakers to do more for global maternal and newborn health," Former White House Press Secretaries Mike McCurry and Dana Perino write in a post in The Hill's "Congress Blog," marking International Women's Day, which was celebrated on Thursday.

10 Mar 2012

Exchanges, high risk pools grab headlines

News outlets also continue to explore issues related to the development of state-based health exchanges as well as the costs and enrollment numbers associated with high-risk insurance.

10 Mar 2012

Report: Alzheimer's care to cost $200 billion this year

The report issued by the Alzheimer's Association also estimates that as many as 800,000 Americans have this illness and live alone. As many as half of these people don't have specific arrangements to help them get care.

9 Mar 2012

Obama administration: Mandate is respectful of individual rights

The Department of Justice argues that the individual mandate is more protective of individual choices than programs such as Medicare. In other news related to the health law, the clashes between consumer and business groups over the measure's required benefit summaries don't appear to be over.

9 Mar 2012

New study finds significant variation in head CT use

Imaging has been identified as one of the key drivers of increased healthcare costs. A new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School has found significant variation in the use of head computed tomography (CT), even within a single emergency department.

9 Mar 2012