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Bill offered to undo HSA health law provision

Bipartisan legislation was introduced Thursday to remove restrictions on tax-exempt health spending accounts — a revenue-raising provision of the health law that was estimated to garner $5 billion over 10 years.

16 Jul 2011

Children with private insurance more likely to receive comprehensive primary care

Children with public insurance are 22 percent less likely to receive comprehensive primary care than those with private insurance, according to new research from the University of Michigan Medical School.

16 Jul 2011

Angst rises over proposed health cuts

News outlets report on efforts by health care players to make clear their concerns about proposed reductions in spending for Medicare, Medicaid and other safety net programs.

16 Jul 2011

Autism Speaks honors Scripps Research scientist with Weatherstone Fellowship

Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy group, has awarded a two-year Dennis Weatherstone Pre-Doctoral Fellowship to Kristopher Nazor of The Scripps Research Institute.

16 Jul 2011

Lancet issue dedicated to HIV/AIDS ahead of IAS conference

The current issue of the Lancet is dedicated to HIV/AIDS, a theme meant to coincide with the sixth International AIDS Society (IAS) conference on HIV pathogenesis, treatment and prevention taking place in Rome, Italy, July 17-20, according to a Lancet article.

16 Jul 2011

Guizhou Provincial Health Department issues 'Revised Plan' for blood collection stations

China Biologic Products, Inc., a leading plasma-based biopharmaceutical company in China, today announced that the Guizhou Provincial Health Department has issued the revised "Plan for Guizhou Provincial Blood Collection Institutional Setting."

16 Jul 2011

Governors to focus on health exchanges' big picture

During the National Governors Association meeting on Saturday, "broad-stroke policy decisions" will be discussed — in terms of what states need to know to set up an exchange in the face of tight budgets. Meanwhile, a new AARP report concludes that consumers will have an easier time in these marketplaces if they don't have too many options.

16 Jul 2011

New study confirms key risk factors for heavy drinking among adolescents

A low level of response (LR) to alcohol is one of several genetically influenced characteristics that may increase an individual's risk for heavy drinking and alcohol problems. A new study has confirmed key elements of a LR-based model of risk through examination of a large sample of adolescent boys and girls in the United Kingdom, moving beyond smaller U.S.-based samples and to younger subjects.

16 Jul 2011

Report criticizes Miami hospital's international marketing effort

The Miami-Dade inspector general finds fault with company that used to run Jackson Health System's international marketing program.

16 Jul 2011

Propranolol can block brain from retrieving cocaine-associated memories

New discoveries by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) offer potential for development of a first-ever pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction.

16 Jul 2011

WHO says it is better prepared for influenza pandemic

"More than 100 public health experts have wrapped up a three-day meeting in Geneva to review a Global Action Plan for Influenza Vaccines that was developed in 2006, and to develop a strategic plan of action for the next five years," VOA News reports, noting that the WHO "says the world is better prepared for the next influenza pandemic than it was in the past".

16 Jul 2011

Successful strategies for launching fixed dose combination products to market

The pharmaceutical industry is under constant pressure to produce new products and fixed dose combination therapies are one of the industry's strategies to offset lackluster pipelines and patent loss.

16 Jul 2011

What do proposed cuts mean for Medicare's future?

The LA Times examines whether recent proposals to raise Medicare's eligibility age might find traction in the future — maybe now, maybe after the 2012 election. Meanwhile, CQ HealthBeat offers an analysis about why cutting Medicare is so difficult.

16 Jul 2011

Six UC institutions to improve hospital care

A key component of health care reform involves the improvement of quality, access and value when delivering health services, particularly for patients admitted to a hospital. To help meet these needs, the University of California established the Center for Health Quality and Innovation, which provides financial support for health quality initiatives across the UC health system.

16 Jul 2011

Politics and personalities swirl around budget negotiations

The Wall Street Journal reports that House Democrats are gaining leverage — and, according to The Washington Post, Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., is a key liberal leader. Meanwhile, statements by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., a GOP presidential hopeful, highlight the GOP's rift.

16 Jul 2011

Lap Band surgery less expensive than other obesity-related treatments

By being safe, minimally invasive, and extremely effective, the Lap Band has become one of the most accessible means for obese individuals with a BMI of 35 or higher to shed their excess weight and lead healthier lives.

16 Jul 2011

Heavy rains, disease affecting drought refugees in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia

People who have fled the drought in Somalia to camps near the capital Mogadishu are being hit by cold, heavy rains, and at least five people have died of exposure, according to aid workers, BBC News reports.

16 Jul 2011

Yukon, Canadian Cancer Society announce Kordyban Lodge construction

The ground adjacent to the University Hospital of Northern B.C. is no longer a parking lot. Today, the Canadian Cancer Society B.C. and Yukon together with local government representatives and supporters celebrated the start of construction on the Kordyban Lodge by breaking ground.

16 Jul 2011

Capsules: Drug industry rebates: The sequel

Mary Agnes Carey writes that, "at a Friday news conference, President Barack Obama made it clear that drug industry rebates to Medicare are very much in the mix as negotiators try to find ways to reduce federal spending on entitlement programs.

16 Jul 2011

Teva, Amgen settle G-CSF patent litigation

Amgen announced today that the United States (U.S.) District Court in Pennsylvania has entered final judgment and a permanent injunction against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA prohibiting them from infringing Amgen's patents relating to human G-CSF and methods for its use.

16 Jul 2011