Category: Vital Signs Blog - Part 2

In Houston, Rep. Giffords could receive brain injury treatment thousands of troops do not

The Houston hospital where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is being treated is one of the few hospitals in the country using cognitive rehabilitation therapy. The Pentagons health program, Tricare, hasrefused to cover cognitive rehabilitation therapy for the tens of thousands of service members who have suffered brain injuries in the line of duty. Read the report from ProPublica.

Health insurance rules may decide whether infertility treatment is essential

Is health insurance coverage of infertility treatments an essential benefit to help people manage a medical disorder? Or is it a life-enhancing benefit, nice to have perhaps but not essential because it doesnt sustain a persons life? Read the report from Washington Post

Traceability rule represents big adjustment for food industry

In response to a new federal food safety law and growing consumer interest, vast amounts of new data are being generated about the complicated path that food takes from field to supermarket shelf. Read Report on The Washington Post

Why a Gruesome Pennsylvania Abortion Clinic Had Not Been Inspected for 17 Years

While this weeks indictment involving a grisly abortion mill in Philadelphia has shocked many, the grand jurys nearly 300-page report also contains a surprising and little-noted revelation: In the mid-1990s, the administration of Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge, a pro-choice Republican, ended regular inspections of abortion clinicsa policy that continued until just last year. Read Report from ProPublica.

Congress to Investigate Pentagon Decision to Deny Coverage for Brain Injured Troops

A key congressional oversight committee announced today that it was opening an investigation into the basis of a decision by the Pentagons health plan to deny a type of medical treatment to troops with brain injuries. Read Report on ProPublica.

For Milwaukee’s children, an early grave

Lakisha Stinson and her daughter, Rashyia, who was born last month and is healthy, live in a Milwaukee neighborhood where the rate at which African-American babies die is worse than Botswana. Read Report on JSOnline.

Going digital may not improve U.S. patient care

Electronic health records touted by the White House as a key way to improve health care in the United States may actually do little to improve quality, U.S. researchers said on Monday. Read the report from Reuters.

$2.5 billion recovered in health care fraud cases

Federal agents recovered $2.5 billion from health care fraud judgments in the budget year that ended in September, a record-breaking amount they credit to whistle-blowers and a renewed effort from the Obama administration. Read the USA Today report.

Taking the copay out of staying healthy

There are many reasons why patients may not be getting preventive services. But the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the sweeping health reform law passed this year, is attempting to remedy at least one of them: cost. Read the Los Angeles Times story.

Can Wal-Mart make us healthier?

What is the significance of Wal-Marts initiative to require producers to meet certain nutritional standards? What do we know about what works and what doesnt in changing peoples eating habits? Follow the discussion on the New York Times blog.