Narrowing World Health Disparities

sea-maid submitted, created time 2 months 2 weeks (www.time.com)

A sweeping new report by the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health challenges governments to improve world health through smart social policy.

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American Company Tries Western-Style Hospitals in China

kavin submitted, created time 4 months 4 weeks (buzz.yahoo.com)

An American company is trying to popularize Western-style hospitals that cater to the elite in China. But it faces significant hurdles when it comes to getting the Chinese to pay for its services.

Chindex International, a Bethesda, Md., company featured in today’s Washington Post, has opened hospitals and clinics where foreign physicians and some of China’s top doctors charge as much as several hundred dollars for a single visit. That’s steep compared to the $10 or $20 per-visit charge at state-owned hospitals

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Genetic Information Nondescrimination Act passes!!

Darkfrog submitted, created time 6 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)

The Genetic Information Nondescrimination Act has passed in the U.S. government. Now employers and insurance companies are forbidden on the federal level to use the results of genetic testing to hire, fire or give or deny insurance. Basically, this means that the movie Gataca won't happen in real life.

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Genetic Information Nondescrimination Act poised to pass

Darkfrog submitted, created time 6 months 4 weeks (www.nytimes.com)

The U.S. Congress is preparing a bill that would forbid employers and insurance companies from denying or terminating employment or coverage based on the results of genetic tests. Federal law already prohibits group policies, such as those attained through one's employer or other organization, from discriminating using genetic information, but this bill would apply accross the board.

This bill is likely to pass, and I think it will remove one of the main fears associated with genetic testing (finally finding out that one has a 40% chance of lung cancer is still there, though).

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Child health fight grim sign for broader U.S. reforms

Researchers complain of privacy rules

jane2007 submitted, created time 1 year 1 week (www.nature.com)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule is designed to protect patients by ensuring that groups don't have total access to information, and must take steps to ensure the privacy of their records.But researchers have their opinions aout it. Many researchers complain that research has been made more difficult by HIPAA.

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The synergistic effect of cigarette taxes on the consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and betel nuts

angelfish submitted, created time 1 year 4 months (www.biomedcentral.com)

"The assessment of a health tax on cigarettes as a smoking control policy tool yields a win-win outcome for both government and consumers because it not only reduces cigarette consumption, but it also reduces betel nut and alcoholic beverage consumption due to a synergistic relationship. Revenues generated by the tax can be used to fund city and county smoking control programs as well as to meet the health insurance system's current financial shortfall."

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Identity theft invades health care with alarming results

Hecate submitted, created time 1 year 6 months (articles.moneycentral.msn.com)

Imagine showing up at the hospital and being transfused with the wrong kind of blood. It hasn't happened yet (that we know of) but identity thieves are moving on to people's medical and insurance information. One woman was given a bill for the amputation of her own right foot. (Fortunately, she was able to prove that she still had both feet.)

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Democrats Slowed in Efforts on Medicare

medal submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (hosted.ap.org)

"Deep cuts in Medicare's managed care programs seemed a sure bet last winter when Democrats, not exactly fans of health maintenance organizations, began to seek money to expand health coverage for poor children."

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Minorities more likely to develop cancer

alpha submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (www.msnbc.msn.com)

"Racial disparity in cancer rates and outcomes may be driven by genetics as well as socioeconomic factors, U.S. researchers said on Sunday."

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