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Abortion Coverage Under Health Reform Creating Tension For Some Catholics
The "tension" between the Roman Catholic Church"s commitment to caring for the poor and its opposition to abortion has "resonated" with many Catholics across the U.S., as they consider health reform legislation in Congress and how it fits in with Catholic teachings, the Wall Street Journal reports.Although most Catholic groups that have weighed in on the health-reform debate agree that the U.S. system needs to be changed to provide more health care for the poor, they are conflicted over whether they can support a plan that they believe would expand access to abortion services. There is also concern that reform legislation would result in requirements on Catholic hospitals serving patients who are covered by health insurance purchased through an exchange to offer referrals for abortion services, a situation that
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Senate Finance Committee Releases Policy Paper Describing Options To Pay For Health Overhaul
Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Monday released a 41-page document outlining policy options for financing health care reform, The Hill reports (Young, The Hill, 5/18). The paper is the third and final to be released before the senators draft health reform legislation. The document says Baucus and Grassley do not support all the proposals included in the paper, but does not indicate which are backed by the senators (Wayne, CQ Today, 5/18). The options, which will be discussed at a closed-door committee meeting on Wednesday, include a number of proposed spending cuts and new or revised taxes (Drucker, Roll Call, 5/18). The report outlines several ways to gain revenue by re-evaluating the tax exemption for employer-sponsored health care benefits, which cost the government $194.2 billion in revenue in 2008, according to the report. The options include:
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BIO Testifies On Importance Of Data Exclusivity And Patent Protection In Pathway For Approval Of Biosimilars
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) testified yesterday before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy on "Biologics and Biosimilars: Balancing Incentives for Innovation."
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Screening For Left Ventricular Dysfunction May Have Less Value Than Thought

The value and cost-effectiveness of screening for left ventricular (LV) dysfunction remains unclear, particularly since specific, evidence-based treatments are not available for the majority of patients with preserved systolic dysfunction, reports a study in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiac Failure, published by Elsevier. In the study,1012 primary care patients with hypertension and/or diabetes without signs or symptoms of heart failure were screened for asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (ALVD), using measurements of NT-pro-BNP and echocardiography. Diastolic dysfunction was found in 368 subjects (36%) and was categorized as mild in 327 and moderate-severe in 41. Systolic dysfunction was present in only 11 (1.1%)l. NT-proBNP levels were 170÷±206 and 859÷±661 pg/mL respectively in diastolic and systolic dysfunction and 92÷±169 in normal subjects (p99% and a positive predictive value of 33% in patients Journal of Cardiac Failure. Notes: The full study is "The Role of N-Terminal PRO-Brain Natriuretic Peptide and Echocardiography for Screening Asymptomatic Left Ventricular Dysfunction in a Population at High Risk for Heart Failure: The PROBE-HF Study" by Irene Betti, Gabriele Castelli, Alessandro Barchielli, Cinzia Beligni, Vittorio Boscherini, Leonardo De Luca, Gianni Messeri, Mihai Gheorghiade, Alan Maisel, and Alfredo Zuppiroli. Journal of Cardiac Failure. Volume 15, Issue 5, June 2009, Pages 377-384. Maureen Hunter Elsevier


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