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New finding reveals that majority of Americans feel that recession is not over

An overwhelming majority of Americans appear to disagree with Fed Chairman Bernanke's statement that the recession is 'likely over' as 78% say it isn't, according to the latest American Pulse Survey of 6,976 Americans. 76% of Democrats, 84% of Republicans and 75.6% of Independents concur, making this one subject that all parties can agree upon.

23 Sep 2009

For some families, 'Cadillac' health insurance is priceless

Also part of the special series, "Are You Covered?" Kaiser Health News and NPR report that "for two families, 'gold-plated' health insurance has made a huge difference in the health care they receive. But it's not always the rich who get these benefits, and they worry about what a possible tax on plans would do to their health coverage (Gold, 9/22).

23 Sep 2009

Pelosi says House health bill will have public option

'No bill can pass the House of Representatives without a public option in it,' Pelosi, D-Calif., said at a press conference after a private tour of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with a group of physicians and local Congressional Democrats.

23 Sep 2009

Women lag behind men in protecting their wages: Study

Women have made gains in the job market, now holding half of our nation’s 132 million jobs, according to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, a gap remains in their understanding and use of benefits that protect their income, according to research by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG).

23 Sep 2009

CIGNA announces initial results of its multi-year strategy to improve customer's experience

CIGNA (NYSE:CI) today announced the initial results of its multi-year strategy that places an entirely new focus on improving customers’ experience. The effort has led to an improvement in customer understanding of their benefits in excess of 100 percent, a 50 percent reduction in the number of printed materials customers receive, and the use of simpler language that doesn’t rely on insurance jargon. It also led CIGNA to become the first in its industry to offer 24 hour-a-day, seven day-a-week customer service.

23 Sep 2009

Distress and fatigue among medical residents can lead to significant risk of medical error: Study

Mayo Clinic researchers report that distress and fatigue among medical residents are independent contributors to self-perceived medical errors. The findings appear today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

23 Sep 2009

UNAIDS, NGOs partner to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Africa

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe in New York on Monday signed a partnership agreement with several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) pledging to work towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Africa, Agence France-Presse reports. Presidents Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda attended the signing ceremony.

23 Sep 2009

Snowe: Baucus Bill is 'solid starting point' but process should slow down

"Republican Senator Olympia Snowe says the Finance Committee's health care bill is a 'solid starting point' but needs to be improved," The Associated Press reports. "The Maine senator is seen as the only Republican on the panel who could end up voting for the bill, so her comments are closely watched." In her opening statement at the Finance Committee mark-up today, "Snowe praised the bill for holding down costs and taking a stab at medical malpractice reform.

23 Sep 2009

Casa Herbalife program launched in Croatia

The Herbalife Family Foundation has established a Casa Herbalife program at the Dom Tuskanac charity (Children and Youth Home) in Zagreb, Croatia, to help support the center to provide good nutrition to children.

23 Sep 2009

Many amendments already introduced to Senate Finance bill

The Salt Lake Tribune: "Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has 51 ways he wants to change the latest health reform proposal including one amendment that would ease a tax on high-end insurance plans for 'any state with a name that begins with the letter 'U.'

23 Sep 2009

Amnesty International report highlights maternal mortality 'emergency' in Sierra Leone

"One in eight women in Sierra Leone risks dying of pregnancy and childbirth complications exacerbated by a combination of poverty, discrimination, inequality and government mismanagement," according to an Amnesty International report, released Tuesday, Reuters AlertNet reports (Fominyen, 9/22).

23 Sep 2009

Clinton Global Initiative meeting begins, will address investment in women, girls

The Clinton Global Initiative's (CGI) 2009 meeting, which begins Tuesday in New York, has added a new theme to its agenda - "investing in women and girls to narrow the gender gap," Bloomberg reports in an article examining the conference.

23 Sep 2009

British Prime Minister to unveil $1b effort to improve health systems in developing countries

During the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday is scheduled to announce that Britain is teaming up with Norway, the Netherlands and Australia to invest $1 billion to strengthen the health systems in developing countries, the Financial Times/NineMSN reports (Jack, 9/21).

23 Sep 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

Political intimidation has always been part of the current Congress's health-care strategy: "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu" is tattooed on every lobbyist and industry rep in Washington. But Max Baucus's latest bullying tactics are hard to believe by even these standards, as the Senate Finance Chairman has sicced federal regulators on the insurer Humana Inc. for daring to criticize one part of his health bill (9/22).

23 Sep 2009

Baucus: Several changes to make health bill affordable for middle class

"Under pressure from fellow Democrats, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee endorsed additional measures to defray the cost of insurance for working class families on Tuesday as the panel opened debate on sweeping health care legislation,"

23 Sep 2009

After criticisms, Baucus expects big changes to health bill

The Senate Finance Committee is meeting beginning today to consider chairman Max Baucus' health proposal and is very likely to make substantial changes.

23 Sep 2009

Search for a Super Community program launched by BC Children's Hospital

BC Children's Hospital Foundation is calling on BC communities of all shapes, sizes and definitions to participate in its Search for a Super Community. The program, launched on September 21 on Global BC TV, gives communities across the province an opportunity to raise their profile while helping raise awareness of the need for a new BC Children's Hospital.

23 Sep 2009

HealthRock to promote health education

The $1 trillion cost and massive government role envisioned by the Obama Administration’s health care reform plan (The Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009) continue to create controversy in Congress and throughout the nation.

23 Sep 2009

New research poll reveals that Canadians rate physicians and pharmacists highest in honesty and ethics

According to a new Nanos Research poll, Canadians rate physicians and pharmacists highest among 18 professions, when it comes to honesty and ethics. Seventy-seven per cent of respondents call medical doctors' standards of honesty and ethics "high" or "very high", while the figure was 73 per cent for community pharmacists.

22 Sep 2009

Astellas partners with NSTA to sponsor a year-long program for science educators

Astellas Pharma US, Inc. ("Astellas"), in partnership with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), is pleased to welcome its second-year class of Chicago-area science teachers to participate in the 2009 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy.

22 Sep 2009