Veterans Affairs News and Research

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First Edition: May 20, 2014

Today's headlines include the latest reports on various states' challenges related to expanding the Medicaid program.

20 May 2014

Obama 'madder than hell' over troubles with VA system

At the same time, lawmakers continue their push for answers over what happened, and a VA undersecretary resigns after allegations the VA health system kept secret lists to conceal long delays for care.

20 May 2014

Internet-based physical activity can improve health-related quality of life in patients with COPD

A pedometer-based walking program supported by Internet-based instruction and support can improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study presented at the 2014 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

20 May 2014

First Edition: May 19, 2014

Today's headlines include a report about federal health care subsidies and an update on states small business health exchanges.

19 May 2014

First Edition: May 16, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about the Indiana governor's alternative plan to expand Medicaid. Kaiser Health News staff writer Sarah Varney, working in collaboration with PBS Newshour, reports: "Men and women involved in the criminal justice system are more likely to be sicker than the general population, with higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, depression, mood disorders and alcohol and drug addiction.

16 May 2014

New intervention program may benefit chronically homeless, alcohol-dependent individuals

Chronically homeless, alcohol-dependent individuals might benefit from a new intervention that does not require them to stop or even reduce drinking, according to the results of a preliminary study in Seattle.

16 May 2014

Republicans seek end to health law tax on medical devices

Also, two Republicans want states with failed health insurance exchanges to pay back the money the federal government gave them to start the marketplaces. Elsewhere, abortion rights groups push against a proposed ban on the procedure, and the parties debate over the prevalence of canceled health plans.

15 May 2014

State highlights: Va. abortion clinic reg review; Calif. budget and Medi-Cal

A selection of health policy stories from Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas and Georgia.

14 May 2014

Delayed care for Veterans is a hot topic on Sunday news shows, in headlines

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said what is now a scandal should have been ex amined years ago. Meanwhile, USA Today and the Arizona Republic have more tales of delayed care.

13 May 2014

Viewpoints: House chairman calls for Shinseki resignation; Hagan's case for Obamacare

Since January of 2013, I've served as the chairman of the House Veterans' Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, which is tasked with the oversight responsibility of making sure that the VA meets all of our nation's obligations to our veterans.

12 May 2014

First Edition: May 12, 2014

Today's headlines include news about the inner-workings of some state-based health exchanges. Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with NPR, Richard Knox writes: "Previous drug treatments didn't clear the virus from Bianco's system. But it's almost certain that potent new drugs for hep-C could cure him.

12 May 2014

VA secretary Shinseki subpoenaed in VA wait list probe

The subpoena asks for all email and other correspondence to look into the alleged secret wait list that sought to make wait times at a Phoenix VA hospital seem shorter than they really were.

12 May 2014

Shorter men live longer, shows research

Short height and long life have a direct connection in Japanese men, according to new research based on the Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program (HHP) and the Kuakini Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HAAS).

12 May 2014

First Edition: May 9, 2014

Today's headlines include highlights from the first Senate confirmation hearing for Sylvia Mathews Burwell, President Barack Obama's pick for Health and Human Services Secretary.

9 May 2014

Psychologists and physicians help address barriers to improved primary health care

Primary care teams that include both psychologists and physicians would help address known barriers to improved primary health care, including missed diagnoses, a lack of attention to behavioral factors and limited patient access to needed care, according to health care experts writing in a special issue of American Psychologist, the flagship journal of the American Psychological Association.

9 May 2014

American Legion calls on VA secretary to resign over health system

Accusations that records were kept secret or falsified and over preventable deaths and mismanagement are part of a larger problems within the Veterans Affairs health system, some say.

9 May 2014

Study: Pravastatin slows down growth of kidney cysts in children, young adults with ADPKD

Results from a study by University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers show that pravastatin, a medicine widely used for treatment of high cholesterol, also slows down the growth of kidney cysts in children and young adults with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

9 May 2014

Highlights: High Colo. insurance rate changes; La. hospital plan rejected; VA delays in care

A selection of health policy stories from Colorado, Louisiana, Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan.

6 May 2014

Young blood can rejuvenate brains of old mice

Something - or some things - in the blood of young mice has the ability to restore mental capabilities in old mice, a new study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators has found.

6 May 2014

Alcohol consumption linked with increased risk of advanced liver fibrosis in HIV patients

Consumption of alcohol has long been associated with an increased risk of advanced liver fibrosis, but a new study published online in Clinical Infectious Diseases from researchers at Penn Medicine and other institutions shows that association is drastically heightened in people co-infected with both HIV and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

5 May 2014