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Method For Computing Evolutionary Trees Could Revolutionize Evolutionary Biology
Detailed, accurate evolutionary trees that reveal the relatedness of living things can now be determined much faster and for thousands of species with a computing method developed by computer scientists and a biologist at The University of Texas at Austin.
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RCN Responds To NHS Confederation Warning On The Downturn, UK
Commenting on the publication of the NHS Confederation report Dealing with the downturn: the greatest ever leadership challenge for the NHS, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
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Study Estimates Cost Added To Private Health Insurance Premiums To Cover Uncompensated Care
The average U.S. family and their employers paid an additional $1,017 in health care premiums in 2008 to pay for care of the uninsured, according to a study released on Thursday by Families USA, USA Today reports (Kim, USA Today, 5/28). According to the study, which examined federal data, the uninsured received $116 billion in health care from hospitals, physicians and other providers in 2008 and paid 37% of that amount. Government programs and charities covered an additional 26%, which left another 37%, or about $43 billion, unpaid. The study then estimated how those costs are when spread across the insured through higher premiums, the study found. According to the study, prepared by the actuarial firm Milliman, the average additional amount paid under private coverage for single individuals was about $370 per year (Werner, AP/Austin American-Statesman, 5/28). Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack said, "This is a hidden tax on all insurance premiums, whether it is paid by business for their work or by families when they purchase their own coverage" (USA Today, 5/28).The study is available online.
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Transparency In Medical Research And Education

U.S. Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) of the Special Committee on Aging held a hearing to address the issue of transparency in physician-industry financial relationships. Among the hearing"s topics were the industry"s involvement in continuing medical education and its potential use as a method for promoting "off-label" prescribing. The senators heard from witnesses about different ways to achieve balance between appropriate industry involvement in continuing medical education while mitigating unethical and illegal promotion. "To stay current in the medical field and to maintain a medical license, doctors devote substantial time to develop their medical knowledge and skills through continuing medical education," said Martinez, the lead Republican on the Senate"s Special Committee on Aging. "Sometimes the line between medical education and improper promotion of products for "off-label" uses can be blurred, raising questions about patient well-being and stewardship of taxpayer dollars, such as through Medicaid. This is why transparency and appropriate, commonsense safeguards are necessary." Earlier this year, Senator Martinez introduced a Medicaid transparency effort to make all Medicaid payments to providers public, making it easier to identify potentially fraudulent billing. The Medicaid Accountability through Transparency or "MAT" act will provide transparency in billing for services and medical equipment by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to disclose the Medicaid payment data it already collects on a public-accessible Web site. The MAT act is consistent with the goal of Senators Kohl and Grassley"s (R-IA) measure, the Physician Payments Sunshine act." "Patients rely on doctors to sift through all options of treatment and use that information to make sound judgments about the benefits and risks of certain medical procedures, drugs, and devices they are recommending for their patients and ultimately charging Medicare and Medicaid for," said Martinez. "Disclosing payments to doctors, be they from Medicaid or from pharmaceutical companies, allows the public to reach their own conclusions about the appropriateness of such payment arrangements. Transparency needs to be the bedrock of our health care system." The Office of Senator Mel Martinez


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