Archive for March, 2009
Reps. Introduce Bill To Expand Medicaid Coverage To Some HIV-Positive People
Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have introduced a bill (H.R. 1616) to allow states to expand Medicaid coverage to low-income HIV-positive people, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Fireflies And Jellyfish Help Illuminate Quest For Cause Of Infertility
Genes taken from fireflies and jellyfish are literally shedding light on possible causes of infertility and autoimmune diseases in humans. Scientists are using the luminescent and fluorescent genes to illuminate cells that produce a hormone linked to conditions, which include rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
Reverse Surgical Solution For A Painful Shoulder
A few months ago, 63-year old Leona Carter could no longer use her right arm. She couldn’t raise it, brush her teeth or get dressed. The constant pain in her right shoulder was due to a massive and irreparable rotator cuff tear, along with severe arthritis. Her shoulder joint had worn out and the rotator cuff tendons in that shoulder were torn beyond repair. She put up with the pain as long as she could, but it eventually became unbearable.
BlueCross BlueShield Association Calls For Changes To Proposed Medicare Advantage Cuts, Rep Boehner Criticizes Proposed Limits On Home Oxygen Supplies
CQ HealthBeat recently published two articles about Medicare developments. Summaries appear below: Medicare Advantage: The BlueCross BlueShield Association on Monday said that MA plan beneficiaries could face significant premium increases next year if President Obama follows through with his proposed cuts to MA plans,
Gene Variation Found To Help Predict Surgical Outcomes Of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Patients
A study with far-reaching implications for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has identified human genetic variants that could help doctors predict the potential for certain patients to suffer poor heart function. Amanda A. Fox, M.D.
Over 120 Patient Advocacy Groups Support Legislation To Eliminate Two-Year Medicare Waiting Period
The Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare, over 120 organizations who work to ensure access to health care for people with disabilities, enthusiastically supports the introduction of Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009, S.700 and H.R.1708, which would eliminate the unjustifiable two-year delay in coverage for people with severe disabilities who are waiting to become eligible for Medicare coverage.
Altmire, Murphy, Eshoo Introduce Bill To Improve Patient Access To Life-Saving Lab Tests, USA
U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04), U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18) and U.S. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (CA-14) introduced legislation that will improve patients’ access to life-saving diagnostic tests. The Patient Access to Critical Lab Tests Act (H.R. 1699) will eliminate burdensome Medicare billing regulations that often discourage hospitals from ordering lab tests that can clarify complicated diagnoses and identify uniquely effective methods of treatment.
Discovery Of Mechanism That Processes A “THC” Type Brain Compound May Lead To New Medicines For Pain, Addiction
Dale Deutsch, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University and colleagues discovered a new molecular mechanism for the processing of endocannabinoids, brain compounds similar to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and essential in physiological processes such as pain, appetite, and memory.
Exercise Program Reduces Migraine Suffering
While physical exercise has been shown to trigger migraine headaches among sufferers, a new study describes an exercise program that is well tolerated by patients. The findings show that the program decreased the frequency of headaches and improved quality of life.
Researchers Find Link Between Anesthesia Exposure And Learning Disabilities In Children
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children who require multiple surgeries under anesthesia during their first three years of life are at higher risk of developing learning disabilities later. Several studies have suggested that anesthetic drugs may cause abnormalities in the brains of young animals. This is the first study in humans to suggest that exposure of children to anesthesia may have similar consequences.
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