Man's best friend could soon be veteran's best medicine. By Sharon L. Peters Special for USA TODAY The number of veterans who get rehabilitation and re-entry help from dogs will substantially increase if a bill introduced in the House of Representatives this month becomes law. The Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act, introduced by Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., proposes a two-pronged approach: Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) would receive instruction in training dogs; the dogs they train would go to disabled vets. The proposed pilot program's goal is to address "the growing need to help returning veterans," Grimm said in his announcement.
Dogs' healing benefits have been proven repeatedly in the armed forces. And two small programs that are already teaching veterans to train dogs are reporting excellent results. Twice a week for several weeks, six soldiers in each of three learning levels arrive at the shelter for two hours of "classroom training and hands-on work," says the humane society's Lisa LaFontaine. Feds checking post-vaccine seizures in young kids. The Associated Press Government officials are investigating an apparent increase in fever-related seizures in young children after they got a flu shot.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said there have been 36 confirmed reports of seizures this flu season in children ages 6 months through 2 years. The seizures occurred within one day after they were vaccinated with Fluzone, the only flu shot recommended in the United States for infants and very young children. Ten of the children were hospitalized, but all recovered. The FDA said it is investigating to see if there is any connection between the vaccine and the seizures, or if something else caused the convulsions. In the U.S., vaccination is recommended for everyone except infants under 6 months.
The vaccine's manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, issued a statement emphasizing that no clear link has been established between the flu shot and the seizures and that the cases may be coincidental. Republicans Plan Their Own Health Bills. At the same time, the speaker, , said House Republicans would push for much stricter limits on in federal programs, including those created by the new law. By a vote of 253 to 175, the House on Thursday directed four committees to draft legislation that would replace the health care law. The directive sets forth 13 objectives. It says, for example, that the legislation should “lower health care premiums through increased competition and choice,” provide access to affordable coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, increase the number of Americans with insurance and provide states with “greater flexibility” to run their programs.
Republicans did not say how they would achieve those goals, but made clear that they did not want to impose detailed federal requirements on individuals, families, employers or states. “I am committed to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to support reforms we agree on, like allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ plan,” Mr. Mr. Rep. Paul Tonko: Age 26 Rule and Health Care Repeal. It's no secret that for young adults, health insurance coverage is often not a top priority. It's usually because for young adults, health insurance is hard to get. It can be too expensive to buy on the individual market. Many times it is not offered as a benefit for many entry-level jobs. But the facts are clear: 47 percent of young people have gone without health insurance at some point in the last year; only half of employed young people have insurance options through their jobs; and 2 out of every 3 young adults go without needed care because of the price.
Health care reform gave young adults a whole new insurance option - the choice to stay on their parents' insurance plan until their 26th birthday. Last year, 1.2 million young adults were able to gain coverage by joining their parent's plans. I have heard from my constituents on this issue. AHRQ to survey 400 Medicaid providers to determine MU barriers. In order to make sure Medicaid providers qualify to receive meaningful use incentives, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has proposed a two-year project aimed at understanding the barriers they face. The project, which being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, RTI International, has three goals: 1) to develop technical assistance and support implementation and use of EHRs for Medicaid providers, 2) improve care for the Medicaid population and 3) help with determining criteria for Stage 2 and 3 of meaningful use.
The notice, which was published in the Federal Register, will be available for comments until March 21. The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program provides incentive payments to eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and CAHs for demonstrating meaningful use of certified EHR technology. EPs can receive up to $63,750 over the six years that they choose to participate in the program. National health spending growth held to record-breaking low :: Jan. 17. Washington -- The most recent economic recession slowed the growth of national health spending to 4% in 2009 -- the slowest rate since at least 1960. Patients delayed elective care and limited out-of-pocket spending, in part because millions of people lost private health coverage. However, the percentage of the nation's gross domestic product devoted to health care increased to 17.6% in 2009, a full percentage point higher than in 2008, because health spending grew at a faster pace than the economy as a whole.
Overall health spending reached $2.49 trillion, according to an annual report on national health spending by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of the Actuary, published online Jan. 5 in the journal Health Affairs. "The slowdown was widespread among all health care goods and services," said Anne Martin, CMS economist and report co-author. American Medical Association President Cecil B. Tighter wallets for health spending Dr. "Everybody was very unsure," he said. Ask Your Health Care Reform Questions of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The president has given his State of the Union address, the GOP has given its response, and many of you, our WebMD users, have submitted your questions about health care reform.
Thank you! We participated in a special roundtable event with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on January 27th, and we were able to ask some questions that struck a theme among many of you. You can watch the event below. You can also read what the president said about health care reform during his State of the Union address, and the GOP response here. Once again, thank you for all your questions! Sean Swint Executive Editor, WebMD Thanks for submitting all of your comments. U.S. Backs Down. Group Announces New Criteria for Accrediting Health Data Systems.
AHRQ To Determine Meaningful Use Barriers in Medicaid Program. Public News Service. January 20, 2011 CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Tuesday's party-line vote in the U.S. House to repeal last year's health-care reform is not popular with two doctors who are also members of the West Virginia state Senate. Sen. Ron Stollings, who has practiced medicine in Madison for 22 years, says West Virginia badly needs more rural health care, and the reform will help. He says it's already helping streamline care at practices such as his by paying for the transition to electronic records. "We'll be saving probably that much money in duplication of services. Republicans in Congress have said the reform is costly and bad for the economy. Stollings says it's much cheaper if the uninsured can get care in doctors' offices instead of emergency rooms, where he says many uninsured poor now go. "Frankly, they're not paying the hospitals, so the hospitals are having to eat that.
Sen. "Young people who are on their parent's policies. Dan Heyman, Public News Service - WV. House Votes to Repeal Health-Care Law. The most important news and commentary to read right now. - The Slatest. Medicaid: Supreme Court to rule on California Medicaid payments to providers.
UConn Emphasizes Defense In Blue-White Spring Game EAST HARTFORD — Defense – clap, clap – defense … The UConn football team was all about defense Saturday during the annual Blue-White Spring Game played before 6,500 at Rentschler Field. The scoring system was kind of quirky.... Dolson, Hartley Expected To Go Early In WNBA Draft Winning nine national championships, one World Championship and an Olympic gold medal gives Geno Auriemma the forum to tell WNBA coaches and general managers what he thinks. Diaco Changing The Football Culture At UConn EAST HARTFORD — On Wednesday, he brought them over in full practice gear to the women's national championship victory rally on campus. Diaco Changing The Football Culture At UConn.
Americans are still split on health care reform, but only 18% favor a total repeal: poll. Dharapak/AP Obama has vowed to fight any efforts to repeal the health care reform he fought to pass. Though Republicans have vowed to get rid of Obama's sweeping health care reform as quickly as possible, it turns out most Americans don't want the legislation repealed entirely.
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll released Tuesday found that only 18% are in favor of completely ejecting the health care overhaul passed last year, which Republicans dubbed "Obamacare. " That doesn't mean most Americans support the reform, however: 50% of those polled said they oppose the law. It's no surprise that views on the issue are severely split along party lines. Three-quarters of Democrats support the law, according to ABC News, while 80% of Republicans oppose it. Furthermore, Republicans polled largely said they anticipate negative consequences of the legislation, while most Dems expect positive effects. However even among those who said they don't support the law, only 33% favored a flat-out repeal. Daschle, Frist, Strickland stress bipartisanship on health care. From NBC's Catherine ChomiakAs House Republicans return to their health-care reform repeal effort -- and as the tone of political discourse is examined -- former Senate leaders Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Bill Frist (R-TN) and former Gov.
Ted Strickland (D-OH) announced the creation of a bipartisan health project. The project's goal is to aid states with the new law's implementation and to find bipartisan solutions to health challenges. At a press conference in DC, the three men stressed the importance of working together and across party lines. "Progress cannot be achieved in the absence of bipartisan support. We need to move past the political divides and inflammatory rhetoric, especially in the wake of the terrible national tragedy in Arizona, and dedicate ourselves to substantive discussion and find real bipartisan solutions to our health-care system's most critical needs," Daschle said.
Strickland added, "We do have differences. Administration: Health repeal could cost millions coverage. Administration analysis says as many as 129 million Americans under 65 have some pre-existing conditionHealth Secretary Sebelius says GOP debate on repealing health reform offers opportunity to remind people what is a stakeSebelius says too much is at stake to go back Washington (CNN) -- Nearly half of all Americans under the age of 65 have health conditions that could prevent them from getting insurance if the Republican effort to repeal health care reform is successful, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday.
Sebelius said 129 million people -- nearly half of all Americans under the age of 65 -- have some form of pre-existing condition that could make them ineligible for coverage should they lose or change jobs, get divorced or face other changes that force them to seek new insurance. Republicans say the law will harm the economy without containing health care costs.
"It's a substantial financing savings and an emotional savings as well," she said. HHS: Up To 129M U.S. Residents Under 65 Have Pre-Existing Conditions. As many as 129 million U.S. residents younger than age 65 have pre-existing medical conditions that could cause them to be rejected or charged higher rates by health insurers, according to an HHS study released on Tuesday, the Washington Post reports.According to the Post, the study is the first attempt by the federal government to account for the total number of non-elderly residents with pre-existing conditions. HHS released the study just before the GOP is scheduled to begin debating legislation (HR 2) that would repeal the federal health reform law. The overhaul includes provisions that preclude insurers from denying individuals coverage because of pre-existing conditions. The study examined findings from a large federal survey of medical expenditures conducted in 2008.
It found that one-fifth to one-half of non-elderly residents could experience complications in securing insurance because of chronic illnesses, such as: Asthma; Cancer; Heart disease; and High blood pressure.