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This week's reports are from The Journal of General Internal Medicine, The Center For Studying Health System Change and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The National Bureau Of Economic Research and Inquiry.
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a variety of stories about a tax plan agreement reached on Capitol Hill that will keep Medicare's doctor reimbursements from falling for two months.
News outlets report that House Republicans will be meeting by conference call to discuss a deal to extend payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits, and to stop Medicare reimbursement cuts, for two months.
Reuters reports on rampant Medicare fraud and the development of new technologies that can be used to fight it.
A federal board has asked two scientific journals to restrict access to details of a genetic study of the bird flu in which researchers altered the virus to be more easily transmittable between humans.
The Wall Street Journal reports that two lawyers made $88 million in fees last year for guiding clients through the system to get social security benefits.
Also in the news, a Boston Medical Center study explores teens' access to the Plan B contraceptive.
President Obama is busy touting his health law, while Mitt Romney argues that an individual mandate in Massachusetts is a "conservative" idea. In the meantime, the Associated Press examines Newt Gingrich's past support of the Children's Health Insurance Program.
A contract dispute with pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts is likely to cut the number of drugs Walgreen will sell.
Most of the world's neglected tropical diseases occur among populations that adhere to Islam, Catholicism, or Hinduism, an observation that "affords an opportunity to establish a unique interfaith dialogue among religious leaders" leading to global action, Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, and Serap Aksoy, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, write in a PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) editorial. They provide statistics of NTD infections among different populations living in countries dominated by specific religious affiliations and write, "These high prevalence NTDs not only have a devastating health impact on these populations, but ... they also represent major reasons why such populations cannot escape poverty."
Congressional Democratic leaders pan the idea of a stand-alone bill for Medicare physician payments, while Republicans continue to insist on a full-year fix.
News outlets report on state health policy developments in California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Connecticut and Washington.
A selection of editorials and opinions about health care policy from around the country.
Media outlets report on several public health issues, including a renewed funding ban on needle exchanges and a call for recalling a stent system.
NPR Morning Edition host Renee Montagne on Thursday spoke with Alex Thier, who oversees USAID projects in Afghanistan, about the "tremendous efforts that have been made to improve medical care in the country over the last decade," noting, "A new survey shows stunning progress in medical care in the war-torn country." Thier said when the war began in 2001, Afghanistan had the worst health care in the world, with a life expectancy around 45 years, but with help from international agencies, life expectancy has increased to 62 to 64 years in the past decade. He notes that one of the programs helping to improve health care in the country is a midwife training program run by USAID (12/22).
In Connecticut, the issue of unionizing home care attendants has sparked charged debate. Meanwhile in California, nurses - in the midst of contract negotiations - plan to picket at Sutter Health's Sacramento headquarters and at nine of its hospitals; and, in Texas, nurses filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board regarding Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center's sick leave policy.
In this post in PBS NewsHour's "The Rundown" blog, journalist Ray Suarez reports on the role of religious leaders in Morocco's battle against HIV/AIDS and stigma. Suarez examines social and cultural factors influencing HIV/AIDS prevention programming in Morocco, speaks with HIV/AIDS activists in the country, and highlights an HIV educational program that utilizes Muslim imams to spread HIV prevention messages. He concludes, "In many ways the country is on the road to a successful response to AIDS. There are still thousands of new infections annually in this country of more than 30 million, guaranteeing the response to HIV must stretch for decades into the future" (12/21). The article is accompanied by a video report (Suarez, 12/21).
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