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Severe state budget shortfalls trigger Medicaid program cuts

As states face severe budget shortfalls, many have cut home-care services for the elderly or the disabled, programs that have been shown to save states money in the long run because they keep people out of nursing homes. Since the start of the recession, at least 25 states and the District of Columbia have curtailed programs that include meal deliveries, housekeeping aid and assistance for family caregivers, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research organization.

22 Jul 2010

'Meaningful use' guidelines under fire from Republicans

NextGov: Recently released requirements for physicians and hospitals to earn cash rewards for the "meaningful use" of electronic medical records are not tough enough to justify an investment of billions of dollars, House Republicans said Tuesday. "In a hearing of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, officials from the Health and Human Services Department defended the recently released standards.

22 Jul 2010

IQPC presents summit for better implementation of PAT & QbD initiatives

IQPC presents the 4th PAT Summit: Implementing PAT & QbD for Improved Quality and Cost Savings, taking place September 13 - 15 in Philadelphia. In today's marketplace manufacturers are challenged to improve quality while simultaneously reducing development and production cost.

From IQPC Ltd 22 Jul 2010

Review shows how music training primes nervous system, boosts learning

Those ubiquitous wires connecting listeners to you-name-the-sounds from invisible MP3 players -- whether of Bach, Miles Davis or, more likely today, Lady Gaga -- only hint at music's effect on the soul throughout the ages.

21 Jul 2010

Obama resubmits Berwick nomination to Senate, Kagan responds to health law concerns

President Obama on Monday submitted his nomination of Dr. Donald Berwick to head Medicare and Medicaid — "a move that comes two weeks after Obama bypassed Congress to put his stalled nominee in the post until the end of 2011," Roll Call reports. If Berwick is approved, he would have the job indefinitely instead of merely through 2011, a rule that is imposed when a recess appointment is used.

21 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 20, 2010

Today's headlines reflect more analysis and debate regarding continuing health reform implementation efforts.

20 Jul 2010

Ivy nanoparticles protect skin from UV radiation better than metal-based sunblocks: Study

When Mingjun Zhang was watching his son play in the yard, he was hit with a burning question: "What makes the ivy in his backyard cling to the fence so tightly?" That simple question has led to a pioneering discovery that the tiny particles secreted from ivy rootlets can be used in many breakthrough applications in items such as military technologies, medical adhesives and drug delivery, and, most recently, sun-block.

20 Jul 2010

Sen. Roberts lashes out at recess appointment of Berwick

"Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts is taking aim at President Barack Obama for making a recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick as the new head of the federal agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid," CNN reported.

19 Jul 2010

Capitol Hill hearing examines health, social consequences of child marriage

VOA News covered a hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, which addressed child marriage in the developing world and its impact on girls and communities (Presto, 7/15).

17 Jul 2010

Capitol Hill Watch: Obama agenda under scrutiny as lawmakers talk Medicare, budgets

President Obama's agenda, which includes a sweeping overhaul of the health care system, is coming under increased political scrutiny as lawmakers struggle with health budget challenges, and consider issues such as medical bankruptcy and improper Medicare payments.

17 Jul 2010

Republicans demand hearing on CMS head Berwick, block other nominees

Senate Republicans are still angry over President Obama's recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to head the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

16 Jul 2010

Meningiomas account for about 25% of primary brain tumors: Mayo Clinic Health Letter

Meningiomas, the most common type of brain tumors, are rarely cancerous and may not require treatment. The July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers an overview of this brain tumor that is usually benign.

16 Jul 2010

Insurers will pick up preventive care costs under new rules

The recommendations of a federal task force on preventive care - once just suggestions for doctors - will soon become coverage requirements for private insurers under regulations unveiled Wednesday by the Obama administration, according to Kaiser Health News and The Washington Post. "Under the new health care overhaul law, insurers will be required to pay fully for services that get an "A" or "B" recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a volunteer group made up of primary care and public health experts."

16 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 15, 2010

Headlines topping today's news include reports about the White House release of new coverage rules for certain screening tests and other types of preventive care, and calls from the GOP for hearings on Berwick's recess appointment to run Medicare and Medicaid top today's news.

15 Jul 2010

NUHW files for union election, but refuses to sign agreement

Two weeks after filing for a union election among 46,000 Kaiser workers in California, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) refused to sign an agreement that would allow the election to go forward in the next 60 days.

15 Jul 2010

Media outlets focus on audiences towards Alzheimer's disease: Intellect Neurosciences

Intellect Neurosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of disease-modifying therapeutic agents for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, today announced that it is pleased with the recent press coverage the Company and Dr. Daniel G. Chain, Ph.D., the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, recently has received.

14 Jul 2010

IFH delivers summer package of new software features to Expresso bikes worldwide

Interactive Fitness Holdings, announced that it has delivered a summer package of new software features to all networked Expresso bikes worldwide.

14 Jul 2010

InfoLogix granted extension of time to regain compliance with NASDAQ listing requirements

InfoLogix, Inc., a leading technology provider of enterprise mobility solutions for the healthcare and commercial industries, today announced that it received a letter from NASDAQ on July 8, 2010, stating that a NASDAQ Hearings Panel granted the Company's request for an extension of time, as permitted under NASDAQ's Listing Rules, to regain compliance with the $2.5 million minimum stockholders' equity requirement for continued listing on the NASDAQ Stock Market.

14 Jul 2010

Medicaid stalemate, pay-for-delay ban among health care items under debate

"Several states are preparing to make deep cuts to Medicaid as a federal stalemate over funding for the poor drags on—even as states face mandates to expand the program under the new health-care law." Efforts to extend provisions of the stimulus programs that provided extra federal money to state Medicaid programs remain in limbo; the enhanced funding is set to expire at the end of the year.

14 Jul 2010

FDA opens two-day hearing to examine safety of diabetes drug Avandia

The Fiscal Times: "There will be more at stake than just one drug's future when the Food and Drug Administration opens a two-day hearing Tuesday on the safety of the diabetes drug Avandia. The 30-member panel of outside experts will also be rendering judgment on research methods that are frequently used to compare effectiveness and are slated to become a pillar of the nation's drug safety monitoring system.

14 Jul 2010