Health care

August 20, 2008 -- Chicago, IL - Today, Barack Obama Campaign Policy Director Heather Higginbottom responded to a new report which found that 41 percent of working-age adults, or 72 million people, reported a problem paying their medical bills or had accrued medical debt, up from 34 percent, or 58 million, in 2005.

The report, "Losing Ground: How the Loss of Adequate Health Insurance Is Burdening Working Families," by the Commonwealth Fund, also showed that 41 percent of people with incomes from $20,000 to $40,000 went without health insurance in 2007, up from 28 percent in 2001.    » read more »

Aug. 12, 2008 -- SANTA FE – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announced today that he will move ahead will a fiscally responsible CARE package of tax rebates for New Mexico families to reflect an updated revenue picture for the state.

“The bottom line is the state still expects $225 million in extra money – money that should go back to New Mexico families who are struggling to make ends meet,” Governor Bill Richardson said. “I am confident we can put money in people’s pockets in a fiscally responsible way."    » read more »

Public Health Releases New Risk Factor Data

August 13, 2008 -- Many Kentuckians report they are in poor health, have been diagnosed with chronic diseases, and don’t have access to health care, according to 2007 data released today by the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH).

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems, a survey, conducted by the Division of Prevention and Quality Improvement in DPH, looks at several health indicators, such as diet and physical activity, to determine the health and lifestyle habits of Kentuckians.    » read more »

August, 2008 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement in support of his Department of Managed Health Care's new regulations that make balance billing, which is an anti-consumer tactic that puts patients in the middle of payment disputes between health plans and providers, an unfair billing practice:

"Putting consumers in the middle of billing disputes between providers and health plans is a terrible and unfair practice that must be stopped. It places inappropriate medical costs squarely on consumers' shoulders and increases health care costs for everyone-further illustrating our broken health care system and the need for comprehensive reform.    » read more »

Survey of Public Views of Health Care System Finds One in Three Patients Experience Unnecessary or Inefficient Care; Want Presidential Candidates to Address Health Care Costs, Quality and the Uninsured

August, 2008 -- New York, NY—Americans are dissatisfied with the U.S. health care system and 82 percent think it should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a new survey released today by The Commonwealth Fund. Also today, The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System released a report outlining what an ideally organized U.S. health care system would look like, and detailing strategies that could create that organized, efficient health care system while simultaneously improving care and cutting costs.    » read more »

August 06, 2008 -- ROCHESTER, Minn. — Cholesterol, both good and bad, gets plenty of attention when the subject is reducing the risk of heart disease. Yet triglycerides, a form of fat that circulates in the blood, merit similar attention, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Some studies suggest that the increase in heart disease risk from elevated triglycerides may rival that of high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol. Another concern is that high triglyceride levels increase the risk of pancreatitis, a painful, life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas.    » read more »

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) recently responded to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt’s blog post about a draft HHS rule that would jeopardize women’s access to quality, affordable basic health care.

"Secretary Leavitt's vague comments on the draft HHS rule do nothing to reassure Americans that the administration is not considering redefining abortion to include common forms of contraception, thereby jeopardizing women's access to basic health care,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “The administration needs to stop playing word games with women's health, and state clearly they will reject any regulations that will undermine women's access to basic health care."    » read more »

August, 2008 -- CHICAGO – To help injured disaster survivors that may be at risk for infection from blood-borne viruses or tetanus in the environment, new vaccine recommendations were released today in the latest issue of the American Medical Association (AMA) Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal. The recommendations are co-published with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).    » read more »

Findings Could Open Door to New Therapies for Cystic Fibrosis and Other Diseases

LA JOLLA, CA, August 8, 2008—Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of the protective protein coat surrounding intracellular vesicles or sacs that are needed to transport proteins out of the cell. Understanding this structure could shed critically needed light on many loss-of-function diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity and cystic fibrosis and lead to potential new therapies.

The study was published in the August 8, 2008 edition (Volume 134, Issue 3) of the journal Cell.    » read more »

Estimates from CDC Place New HIV Infections at More Than 56,000 for 2006

August 3, 2008 -- Washington, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today underscored that HIV infection statistics released today using new methodology show the need for a more aggressive response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly increased prevention efforts targeted to the communities at highest risk. According to these estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 56,000 new HIV infections occurred among Americans in 2006, a higher rate of infection than found previously.    » read more »

Senators ask Secretary Gates to ensure soldiers with traumatic brain injuries have access to proven therapy

August 4, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - With an estimated 320,000 American soldiers who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan experiencing a possible traumatic brain injury (TBI), Senators Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today called on Defense Secretary Robert Gates to extend military health care coverage to include proven treatment for the signature injury of the two wars.    » read more »

Stern Is Only Labor Leader To Testify At Bipartisan Health Care Summit

June 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – SEIU International President Andy Stern told a key Senate committee today that they must make fixing health care a “top priority,” urging Congress to immediately tackle the growing crisis.

Stern, who is President of the largest union of health care workers in North America, testified this morning at the Senate Finance Committee forum, titled “Prepare for Launch: Health Reform Summit 2008: Trends in Employer Sponsored Health Coverage.” Stern was the only labor leader represented on the panel.    » read more »

06/17/2008 -- BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to explain the long delays in getting new generic prescription drugs out on the market.

People across Massachusetts and throughout the nation are facing rising costs for medications they depend on every day. For some, especially the elderly and low-income families, affordable generic drugs can be the difference between life and death.

The FDA is currently required to review a generic drug application within 180 days. However, the median approval time for a generic drug application now takes longer than 21 months - well beyond the 180 day requirement. These delays create a serious backlog of applications.    » read more »

Washington -- 17 June 2008 -- The nation's chief economist says the cost of health care will claim an increasingly larger share of consumer and government spending, unless something is done to curb it. Speaking at a Health Reform Summit in Washington on Monday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said improving the nation's health care system is one of the biggest economic challenges facing the United States.

New medical technologies and treatments are allowing Americans to live healthier and more productive lives. But improving quality of life is becoming more expensive. Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke told a meeting of health and government officials that without reforms, the cost of health care could spiral out of control.    » read more »

06/16/2008 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced more than $6 million in grants aimed at promoting health information technology, medical education and coordinated care programs-all focused on improving California's health care delivery system for underserved populations.

This grant funding comes from a total of $50 million in charitable investments required by the state from PacificCare Health Systems when it merged with UnitedHealth Group in 2005.    » read more »