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AAPA commends the passage of Affordable Health Care for America Act

The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), representing more than 75,000 clinically practicing physician assistants (PAs) practicing in the United States, applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing Saturday its health care reform bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

10 Nov 2009

Tailwind Capital announces the completion of investment in SDI Health

Tailwind Capital, a private equity firm focused on growing companies in the healthcare, business services, and media/communications sectors of the middle market, announced today that it has completed an investment in SDI Health (“SDI”). SDI is a leading healthcare analytics provider based in Plymouth Meeting, PA. Tailwind joins founder Andrew Kress and Philadelphia-based LLR Partners as investors in the Company.

10 Nov 2009

House-passed abortion restrictions could stir up Senate's health reform debate

The Washington Post: "The abortion issue had been rumbling within the House Democratic caucus for weeks, but Saturday's votes revealed the depths of the fault lines. The amendment passed with the support of 64 Democrats, roughly a quarter of the party caucus." And with an eye on the Senate and eventual conference committee negotiations, abortion-rights supporters are now pledging to strip the amendment out of the underlying health bill.

10 Nov 2009

Narrow House vote is prologue to Senate health reform battle

The 220-215 pencil-thin margin of victory for the House Democrats' health reform bill foreshadows a potentially tougher fight in the Senate, The Wall Street Journal reports.

10 Nov 2009

Obama applauds House health bill passage, urges quick Senate action

President Obama is pressing the Senate to pass health care legislation as soon as possible. "The White House, growing concerned that the Congressional timetable for passing a health care overhaul could slip into next year, is stepping up pressure on the Senate for quick action, with President Obama appearing Sunday in the Rose Garden to call on senators to 'take up the baton and bring this effort to the finish line,'" The New York Times reports.

10 Nov 2009

Health policy experts review the House vote

Health policy experts hold different views on Saturday's House overhaul vote. Kaiser Health News collected some of their responses.

10 Nov 2009

Washington insurance program may be a national model, Massachusetts may expand autism services

News outlets report on health issues at the state level including a health insurance program in Washington State and a bill to increase coverage for autism services in Massachusetts.

10 Nov 2009

Obesity among other issues debated in health reform

Among other issues making news in the health care reform debate are people's weight, benefits for homosexual partners, the debate over interstate insurance and the timeline for implementing any changes.

10 Nov 2009

Needle exchanges could be limited under Congressional bill

The New York Times reports on federal legislation that could limit needle exchanges. "A bill working its way through Congress would lift a ban of more than 20 years on using federal money for needle exchange programs.

10 Nov 2009

Military and VA struggle with mental health and other health care issues

The events at Fort Hood highlight the military's struggle to provide mental health care for soldiers, veterans and the therapists who treat them.

10 Nov 2009

House bill abortion deal creates a new set of reform challenges

The New York Times reports that a "restriction on abortion coverage, added late Saturday to the health care bill passed by the House, has energized abortion opponents with their biggest victory in years — emboldening them for a pitched battle in the Senate." The Times notes that "the provision would block the use of federal subsidies for insurance that covers elective abortions" and is a major win -- "the biggest turning point in the battle over the procedure since the ban on so-called partial birth abortions six years ago."

10 Nov 2009

Health bill triggers some complaints from industry, though some will benefit

Health care companies stand to gain from legislation that would expand their market to millions of new consumers, but many are also complaining about specific provisions of the House health care overhaul bill, the New York Times reports.

10 Nov 2009

European Union funds a three-year project to establish a research network for complementary medicine study

A three-year project called CAMbrella will receive nearly 1.5 million euros of European Union funding to establish a research network for the study of complementary medicine. The Center for Naturopathic Research at "Rechts der Isar," the university hospital of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen will coordinate the project for the winning applicant group, which includes 16 scientific organizations from 12 European countries.

10 Nov 2009

H1N1 cases increase in China, Japan; Afghanistan attempts to contain virus

The WHO on Friday reported on a rising number of H1N1 (swine flu) cases in China and Japan, Reuters/Washington Post reports. "In China, after an earlier wave of mixed influenza activity (seasonal H3N2 and pandemic H1N1), pandemic H1N1 influenza activity now predominates and is increasing," the agency said. "Sharp increases in pandemic flu infections continue to be reported throughout Japan, particularly on the northern island," the news service writes (Nebehay, 11/6).

10 Nov 2009

Employees face rising health care costs during open enrollment season

Employees are facing rising health care costs during this open enrollment season.

10 Nov 2009

VOA News examines conculsion of MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference

The 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference ended Friday in Nairobi, Kenya, " with scientists expressing optimism about several developments in the works to prevent, treat, and possibly eradicate a disease that kills nearly one million people in Africa each year," VOA News reports.

10 Nov 2009

WHO report calls for improved health care for women, girls

A new WHO report, released Monday, said women tend to "receive poorer quality care throughout their lives, particularly as teenagers and elderly people" even though they live six to eight years longer than men, Reuters reports. The WHO said women worldwide are "'denied a chance to develop their full human potential' because many of their critical medical needs are ignored" (MacInnis, 11/9).

10 Nov 2009

House healthcare bill is radically off the mark: Cinergy Health

Cinergy Health, a nationwide provider of guaranteed issue health insurance benefit programs for the consumer market, expressed its concern for the house healthcare bill that passed Saturday, November 7th.

9 Nov 2009

Costly ER bills raise questions, concerns

McClatchy/The Sacramento Bee reports on a the experience of Scott Hawkins, a 23-year old student who received five minutes of ER care at the UC Davis Medical Center before being pronounced dead. McClatchy reports: "Few question the extent to which doctors tried to save the student's life on Oct. 21, but the amount billed for his emergency care has provoked outrage - a further example, critics said, of what is wrong in a health care system that is roundly maligned for its escalating costs."

9 Nov 2009

China seeks its own health reforms

The Chinese are also trying to change their health care system, but as the United States tries to extend insurance to all, "China is simply attempting to provide a modicum of coverage for its people," Reuters reports.

9 Nov 2009