Archives: Morning Breakouts

It's estimated that at least 3 percent of all health care spending - roughly $68 billion - is lost to fraud and billing errors annually. Some patients and families turn to medical billing advocates for help.

Todays early morning highlights from the major news organiztions, including reports about how lawmakers are faring in their districts during this congressional recess. News outlets also are exploring the potential impacts of specific provisions of the new law.

The Wall Street Journal examines Lifeline Express, "the world's first hospital on rails," which is run by Impact India, a group that "initially focused on immunization and prevention of diseases such as polio and malaria." Its success has spread to China and Zimbabwe, where three Lifeline Express trains are operated, and to "hospital river boats based on the India model have been set up to tend to patients in Bangladesh and Cambodia." It has also been used as a model for other health projects in India, according to the newspaper.

The European Commission (EC) recently announced that it has adopted two new policy frameworks "to help developing countries address food security in emergency and long-term situations" and has called upon member nations to implement similar policies, IRIN reports.

PBS' NewsHour examines how a team of U.S. researchers are heading up a study in Lima, Peru, of patients living with HIV whose immune systems are able to supress the virus. "Peru has identified 600 so-called elites, whose HIV infections have not progressed into life-threatening AIDS, and researchers are looking at them and other identified elites from around the world to understand why," according to the program.

VOA News examines how growing populations and industrialization are contributing to deteriorating water conditions in the Asian-Pacific region

President Obama continued his effort to sell the new health reform law, urging patience from the public while chiding Republican opponents.

Among the points the president is highlighting as he seeks to sell new health changes are the provisons that are good for small businesses.

Arizona enacts law to allow the governor to join a lawsuit with other states challenging the constitutionality of the health reform law.

Washington state's "patchwork of programs, pilot projects and other efforts" reflected in the health overhaul could give it a head start on implementing the new law.

The Washington Post reports that Americans angry with the health reform law are also worried about the direction the country is headed as Democrats spend the Easter recess touting the new law and trying to win over constituents.