Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Campaign Welcome Parliamentary Report Exposing Serious Failings In Treatment For Alcohol Dependents Across England
UK Advocates (UKA), a new charitable campaign group dedicated to helping the still suffering alcoholic achieve lasting sobriety, has welcomed the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Alcohol Misuse report published which calls for urgent action to address serious shortcomings in the treatment of alcohol dependents in England.
generic viagra online
Alternative Therapies For Fighting Eczema Hold Promise, But Dermatologists Caution They Are No Substitute For Proven Medical Treatments
Despite having access to some of the best health care in the world, many Americans with the most common form of eczema, known as atopic dermatitis, have sought relief from "alternative medicines." However, dermatologists caution that patients seeking alternative treatments to alleviate symptoms of this common, chronic, inflammatory skin disease marked by red, itchy rashes, risk developing more severe symptoms by delaying treatment.
News of the day
Obama Urges Swift Confirmation Of Sotomayor; GOP Mulls Opposition Strategy
President Obama on Tuesday in his official announcement of his nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court emphasized what he called her "extraordinary journey" from a modest background to the top of the judiciary, launching a "confirmation battle that he hopes to wage over biography more than ideology," the New York Times reports. If confirmed, Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court, as well as the sixth of the court"s current members with a Roman Catholic background, the Times reports (Baker/Zeleny, New York Times, 5/27). Sotomayor would replace retiring Justice David Souter, who typically is a liberal vote on social issues, the Wall Street Journal reports. Therefore, the addition of Sotomayor would not likely change the ideological balance of the court (Bravin/Koppel, Wall Street Journal, 5/27). The Washington Post reports Obama in his remarks cast Sotomayor "as the embodiment of the qualities he seeks in a judge," including superior intelligence, an understanding of the limited role of the judiciary and what he called "an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live" (Barnes/Fletcher, Washington Post, 5/27). The president said he wants Sotomayor to be confirmed before the Senate leaves in August for its summer recess, so she can join the court in time for its September review of potential cases. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the Senate has "ample time" to complete the confirmation process, as the average time span is 72 days and there are 74 until the recess (Koffler, Roll Call, 5/26). Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) praised Obama"s decision, calling Sotomayor"s record "exemplary" and her nomination "historic." Leahy noted that both former President George H.W. Bush and former President Clinton nominated Sotomayor to federal judgeships, adding, "She has been nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents, and she was twice confirmed by the Senate with strong, bipartisan support" (Stanton, Roll Call, 5/26).Rulings on Abortion Rights Throughout her career as a federal judge, Sotomayor has not issued what are considered major decisions regarding abortion rights, although her record on cases involving civil and social rights issues appear "more liberal than not," according to the New York Times (Liptak, New York Times, 5/27). Politico reports that Sotomayor has ruled in favor of antiabortion-rights groups in two cases. The first case occurred in 2002 when she sided with the Bush administration in its efforts to implement the "global gag rule," which banned federal funding for international family planning groups that offer abortion services or information with their own funds. Sotomayor ruled that the government had the right to decide how to spend its funding. In 2004, Sotomayor ruled in favor of antiabortion-rights protesters who alleged that they were brutalized while being arrested in West Hartford, Conn. (Gerstein/Javers, Politico, 5/26). Gibbs said that Obama did not ask Sotomayor about issues related to abortion during her vetting and there was "no litmus test" on abortion-rights issues (Koffler, Roll Call, 5/26).Obama"s announcement was well-received by many groups that support abortion rights. NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan said the group is anticipating more information about Sotomayor"s views on abortion rights and the right to privacy. She added that the group is "encouraged by the strong support she receives from her peers and other legal scholars and the fact that the Senate has twice confirmed her for federal judgeships" (Posner, Congress Daily, 5/26). Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization of Women, said that Sotomayor "brings a lifelong commitment to equality, justice and opportunity, as well as the respect of her peers, unassailable integrity and a keen intellect informed by experience." Gandy added that Obama "said he wanted a justice with "towering intellect" and a "common to
Mental Health

Business Groups Note Faults In House Democrats' Overhaul Plan

House Democrats readying a health reform bill without a price tag or a budget analysis will hear from business interests today that their plan is irrevocably broken and that they need to start from scratch, CongressDaily reports. "With its strongest language yet, the business community today will condemn House Democrats" health reform proposal and tell lawmakers the bill is "broken beyond repair. ... Congress should take this legislation back to the drawing board," U.S. Chamber of Commerce senior vice president Randel Johnson said in testimony prepared for a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on health care today." Sticking points in the bill include the public plan that "would adhere to the same rules as private plans with pay rates similar to Medicare" and individual and employer insurance coverage mandates, the latter getting a decisive thumbs-down from the Chamber. "The shift comes after months of generally positive rhetoric on health care from a variety of interest groups, a tone that has shifted markedly as details of plans have emerged from both sides of the Capitol. ò€¦ The Chamber criticized the process used to develop the bill, echoing congressional Republicans who have complained that Democrats are moving too quickly and not allowing the minority adequate time to evaluate proposals" (Hunt, 6/24). The public plan remains contentious, The San Francisco Chronicle reports: "Sharp ideological divisions emerged at Tuesday"s hearing before Miller"s House Education and Labor Committee, with Republicans asking how a public plan would work better to contain costs than Medicaid and Medicare, and warning that any public plan would destroy the employer-based system of health insurance. Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the insurance industry trade group, America"s Health Insurance Plans, warned Tuesday that a government health plan would dismantle private insurers" (Lochhead, 6/24). Other groups are also criticizing parts of the House bill - like cutting Medicare payments for tests such as MRIs and other medical scans, The Associated Press reports: "Patients, rural doctors and advocacy groups who back the procedures will gather in the House Wednesday for a panel discussion." "Use of the procedures grew to 182 million in 2007, according to an industry study. The Obama administration cites figures showing Medicare"s price tag for the services doubled from $7 billion in 2000 to $14 billion in 2006. Though that spending dropped to $12 billion in 2007 as cuts enacted by Congress took effect, the administration says overly generous reimbursement rates and other factors encourage doctors to overuse imaging equipment. Obama has proposed reducing the Medicare payments by $5.9 billion over the next decade - a plan doctors and equipment makers say is based on flawed, outdated data" (Fram, 6/24). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009