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Several states consider tobacco tax increases to fund health care programs, address budget deficits

Several states have sought to increase their tobacco taxes to fund health care programs and address budget deficits, but efforts to increase tobacco taxes in some cases have prevented the passage of health care proposals, the New York Times reports.

21 Apr 2008

HHS appeals decision that requires release of Medicare physician claims data

HHS last week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia filed an appeal of an August 2007 court decision that requires the department to release Medicare claims data on more than 40 million beneficiaries and 700,000 physicians, the Los Angeles Times reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, 4/19).

21 Apr 2008

Maine Gov. Baldacci signs legislation that will increase taxes to fund health program

Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) on Wednesday signed into law a bill that increases taxes and fees on beer, wine and soda manufacturers to fund the Dirigo Health program, the Blethen Maine News Service/Portland Press Herald reports.

21 Apr 2008

Number of general surgeons in the U.S. declines

The number of general surgeons per 100,000 Americans has declined by more than 25 percent during the past 25 years, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Surgery.

21 Apr 2008

Patients arriving at hospitals in daytime hours get faster, better care compared to off hours

Patients hospitalized with heart attacks tend to get faster and more comprehensive care if they arrive during daytime hours, according to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

21 Apr 2008

Below inflation pay awards very disappointing, say Northern Ireland's doctors

Northern Ireland's doctors are again to receive a below inflation pay award; indeed many will in effect receive a pay cut. Dr Brian Patterson, Chairman of the BMA's NI Council, said that this is very concerning for the medical profession and disappointing in the extreme for thousands of doctors here.

21 Apr 2008

When it comes health matters Australia appears to be a war zone

If it is not the medical profession fighting with the government and states, it is doctors fighting doctors which is currently what has happened over the 2020 summit.

20 Apr 2008

Requiring more frequent eligibility checks for California Medicaid will affect children's coverage, increase costs

A plan by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) that would require most Medi-Cal beneficiaries to complete eligibility forms four times per year, rather than annually, will affect children the most and will not save the state money in the long run, according to a report commissioned by the California Endowment, the Sacramento Bee reports.

18 Apr 2008

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines Democratic Presidential candidates' health care plans

Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) have both proposed health care plans that would "build on the existing health care system" to make affordable coverage available to the uninsured, but they differ on whether an individual insurance mandate is necessary to expand coverage to all U.S. residents, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

18 Apr 2008

New Democrat coalition, New York City officials announce proposal for Federal health care IT program

Members of the New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday announced a proposal that would use a New York City health care information technology program as a legislative template for a federal program, CQ HealthBeat reports.

18 Apr 2008

Florida Senate passes Gov. Crist's plan to expand health coverage to uninsured residents

The Florida Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan proposed by Gov. Charlie Crist (R) that aims to reduce the ranks of the state's 3.7 million uninsured residents, the Miami Herald reports (Caputo, Miami Herald, 4/17).

18 Apr 2008

NEJM article examines U.S. physician shortage

In this week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, national correspondent John Iglehart examines efforts by medical schools to enroll and train more physicians, as well as the lack of action by the federal government and private health insurance industry to address concerns about physician shortages in the U.S.

18 Apr 2008

Cutting-edge surgical training facility to open at the University of Sydney

A new facility for the training of the next generation of microsurgeons in both molecular biology and advanced surgical techniques will be officially opened by the Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, at the University of Sydney on Tuesday 22 April.

17 Apr 2008

New guidelines for palliative care for children and adults

Palliative care was once reserved for patients when all curative options had been exhausted and death was imminent, but now it is considered an integral part of the care that should be available to patients with serious respiratory disorders and critical illnesses.

16 Apr 2008

Want a new hospital? Well sell the airport!

Money raised by the Queensland Government's sale of Cairns and Mackay airports and the Port of Brisbane Authority's share of Brisbane Airport will apparently be used to build new hospitals in north Queensland.

16 Apr 2008

Call for hospital cleaning drive

Hospital cleaners need greater resources to defeat healthcare-associated infections, UNISON health conference delegates declared in Manchester this week.

15 Apr 2008

Mental health services in the bush failing

Figures released by the Australian government show that a Medicare scheme aimed at improving mental health services appears to be failing to meet its original objective.

14 Apr 2008

Medical staff require professional interpreters and specific training on intercultural awareness

The authors reveal that doctors are dissatisfied with the treatment they provide to their non-native patients, and that they cite cultural differences and language barriers as the key factors causing the disappointment with the level of care that they provide.

11 Apr 2008

Giving patients greater choice over who provides their care

Patients with long term, chronic conditions should be given money to organise and purchase their own care, according to an article in this week's BMJ.

11 Apr 2008

Prioritise patients, not privatisation

UNISON is calling on NHS trusts across England to refocus on patients, after the government's health watchdog revealed the findings of its latest staff survey.

10 Apr 2008

Healthcare News

Several states consider tobacco tax increases to fund health care programs, address budget deficits

HHS appeals decision that requires release of Medicare physician claims data

Maine Gov. Baldacci signs legislation that will increase taxes to fund health program

Number of general surgeons in the U.S. declines

Patients arriving at hospitals in daytime hours get faster, better care compared to off hours

Below inflation pay awards very disappointing, say Northern Ireland's doctors

When it comes health matters Australia appears to be a war zone

Requiring more frequent eligibility checks for California Medicaid will affect children's coverage, increase costs

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines Democratic Presidential candidates' health care plans

New Democrat coalition, New York City officials announce proposal for Federal health care IT program

Florida Senate passes Gov. Crist's plan to expand health coverage to uninsured residents

NEJM article examines U.S. physician shortage

Cutting-edge surgical training facility to open at the University of Sydney

New guidelines for palliative care for children and adults

Want a new hospital? Well sell the airport!

Call for hospital cleaning drive

Mental health services in the bush failing

Medical staff require professional interpreters and specific training on intercultural awareness

Giving patients greater choice over who provides their care

Prioritise patients, not privatisation

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

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