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Viewpoints: Health care opponent's legal strategy; the challenge for this open enrollment

In 2011 after the first appeals circuit struck down the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, the White House asked the Supreme Court to take the case as soon as possible and "put these challenges to rest."

21 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Health law undercuts labor markets; the surprising foes on Calif. Prop 45

A report out today from the Republican staff of the Senate Budget Committee highlights a critical point about Obamacare: The law's negative effect on labor markets helps explain why it will increase deficits by $131 billion over the next 10 years. This finding stands in stark contrast to Democrats' repeated assertions that the law will reduce the deficit. The public dialogue on Obamacare has thus far largely focused on how the law affects premiums and limits access to certain health insurance plans or doctors.

16 Oct 2014

Epidural and spinal anesthesia safe for relieving pain during childbirth

Women seeking pain relief during childbirth should be comforted to know that epidural and spinal anesthesia are extremely safe, suggests a study of more than 80,000 women that reviewed anesthesia complications during obstetrical care.

16 Oct 2014

Pregnant women with low vitamin D levels experience more pain during labor

Pregnant women with low vitamin D levels experience an increased amount of pain during labor, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2014 annual meeting. Vitamin D deficiency has long been associated with depression and pain, but this is the first study to demonstrate its association with increased consumption of pain medication during childbirth.

15 Oct 2014

Finesse Solutions announces launch of SmartVessel for cell culture applications

Finesse Solutions, Inc, Santa Clara, CA, a manufacturer of measurement and control solutions for life sciences process applications, announced the launch of beta testing of SmartVessel, a single-use 3 liter bioreactor vessel with integrated single-use sensors for cell culture applications of mammalian cells, stem cells, insect cells, and plant cells.

15 Oct 2014

CSL Plasma chooses OrSense's NBM200 Hb testing device for screening Hb levels in plasma donors

OrSense Ltd., developer of solutions for non-invasive measurements of hemoglobin, today announced that CSL Plasma, Germany, has completed the transition to OrSense's NBM200 Hb testing device for screening of Hb levels in plasma donors.

14 Oct 2014

Issues on coverage: Steep Rx costs; federal plan eliminates 'transgender exclusion'

Even patients with insurance are finding that specialty drugs can quickly eat a hole in their wallets because insurers are often putting them in a special tier and demanding high consumer co-payments. Also, the State Department is getting rid of the "transgender exclusion" in it largest health plan, and some consumer advocates are suggesting that people getting coverage on the health marketplaces be allowed to get "wrap-around" plans through their employers.

14 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Walmart and Obamacare; negative views continue of health law; Ebola preparedness

Walmart announced today that as of the beginning of next year it will be dropping health insurance for 30,000 employees who work less than 30 hours per week. Many liberals will react to the news by saying that it's just a profit-hungry corporation once again screwing over its employees. Conservatives are likely to say that this just shows what a mess Obamacare has created and why it should be repealed (Paul Waldman, 10/8).

10 Oct 2014

Obama administration delays home-care worker minimum-wage, overtime protections

In a Tuesday announcement, the administration said it won't enforce this rule, which involves an estimated 2 million home-care workers, for the first six months after its Jan. 1, 2015, effective date.

9 Oct 2014

As U.S. bolsters defenses against Ebola, price tag grows

President Barack Obama vows national defense against the disease but reminds Americans that the human toll in Africa is also worthy of their support. Administration weighs tighter screening for international travelers.

8 Oct 2014

New version of Belmont Rapid Infuser to be introduced at ASA 2014

Belmont Instrument Corporation, the widely recognized provider of blood and fluid infusers, will be introducing the new version of The Belmont Rapid Infuser, the RI-2 at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Meeting this week in New Orleans, LA.

8 Oct 2014

Genesis Rehab Services, St. Catherine University to create online occupational therapy assistant program

Genesis Rehab Services and St. Catherine University (St. Paul-Minneapolis, Minn.) announced today their partnership to create the first online occupational therapy assistant program to address the rising need for professional occupational therapy assistants throughout the country.

7 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Health costs and income inequality; vital matters when approaching life's end

Government data show that health costs are the biggest driver of income inequality in America today. Most employers pay workers a combination of wages and benefits, the most important of which is health coverage. Economic theory says that when employers' costs for benefits like health coverage rise, they will hold back on salary increases to keep total compensation costs in check. That's exactly what seems to have happened: Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that from June 2004 to June 2014 compensation increased by 28 percent while employer health-insurance costs rose by 51 percent. Consequently, average wages grew by just 24 percent (Mark J. Warshawsky and Andrew G. Biggs, 10/6).

7 Oct 2014

Study uncovers new pathway for treating high blood pressure, heart failure

New research by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Ottawa Heart Institute has uncovered a new pathway by which the brain uses an unusual steroid to control blood pressure.

3 Oct 2014

State highlights: New Calif. health laws signed; Mass. judge considers partners deal

A selection of health policy stories from California, Massachusetts, New York, the District of Columbia, Minnesota and Kansas.

1 Oct 2014

Specific nurse-to-patient staffing standards lower job-related injuries, illnesses for nurses

A 2004 California law mandating specific nurse-to-patient staffing standards in acute care hospitals significantly lowered job-related injuries and illnesses for both registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, according to UC Davis research published online in the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health.

30 Sep 2014

Viewpoints: Hospitals helped by Medicaid expansion; why GOP candidates back OTC contraceptives

Now the Department of Health and Human Services has issued a report showing that ... thanks to the Affordable Care Act, hospitals across the country will save $5.7 billion in uncompensated care costs in 2014.

29 Sep 2014

Viewpoints: New insurers suggest health law success; slow response on Ebola

Before Obamacare launched, conservative outlets warned that the law would collapse as insurers shunned the overpriced, overregulated insurance exchanges.

26 Sep 2014

Obese teenage boys could grow up to earn 18% less than normal weight peers

Men who are already obese as teenagers could grow up to earn up to 18 percent less than their peers of normal weight. So says Petter Lundborg of Lund University, Paul Nystedt of J-nk-ping University and Dan-olof Rooth of Linneas University and Lund University, all in Sweden.

24 Sep 2014

Epidurals and reduced postpartum depression: an interview with Dr. Zakowski

The “maternity blues”, which resolve within 10 days of giving birth, occurs in up to 80% of new moms. A major depressive episode, by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria, is defined as having at least a 2-week period of persistent depressed mood ...

23 Sep 2014