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Coverage Of Abortion Services In Federal Health Plan Remains Controversial
Advocates on both sides of the abortion-rights debate are "preparing for a renewed battle" over insurance coverage of abortion services in health care reform efforts, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Abortion-rights opponents say that current restrictions on federal funding for abortion services should carry over to any insurance sold under new health insurance exchanges proposed under reform legislation. However, abortion-rights supporters say that carrying over the restrictions would deny abortion coverage to millions of women who currently have it through employer-sponsored coverage and are likely to join the exchanges.A variation in how the questions were asked yielded different results but significant proportions of private plans were found to cover abortion services. A Guttmacher Institute study found that 87% of typical employer-sponsored health plans covered abortion services in 2002, and a 2003 Kaiser Family Foundation study found that 46% of workers covered by employer-sponsored plans had coverage for abortion services.A Congressionally imposed provision of law known as the Hyde Amendment currently prevents the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion services except in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment. States that choose to cover abortion services for low-income women through Medicaid must use their own funding to do so. Other Congressionally imposed restrictions prohibit abortion coverage for federal employees, women in the military and other women who rely on the federal government for their health care coverage. An overhaul of the health care system would "create a stream of federal funding not covered by the restrictions," including federal subsidies to offset the cost of health insurance for low- and middle-income people purchasing public or private health insurance though an exchange, the AP/Journal-Constitution reports.Congressional Proposals The plan passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is "still largely silent" on the issue of coverage for abortion services, the AP/Journal-Constitution reports. Both the House and Senate bills leave the decision on whether the public plan would include abortion coverage to the HHS secretary.In the House Energy and Commerce Committee, members approved an amendment that would allow the public plan to cover abortion services through the use of beneficiary premiums but not federal funds. In addition, the amendment says that private plans in the insurance exchanges could choose whether to cover abortion services, but no federal subsidies could be used to pay for the procedure. The amendment -- proposed by Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), who supports abortion rights -- also would allow plans that do not cover abortions under any circumstances to be offered through insurance exchanges. Capps said that her amendment aims to appease both sides of the abortion-rights debate, adding, "Our country allows for both sides, and our health plan should reflect that as well."Comments Abortion-rights opponents say that they cannot accept a public insurance plan that would cover abortion services and that private plans in insurance exchanges should offer coverage for abortion services as a separate option, the AP/Journal-Constitution reports. Richard Doerflinger, associate director of antiabortion activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the group "want[s] to see people who have no health insurance get it," but coverage for abortion is "a sticking point." He said that there can be a "result where nobody has to pay for other people"s abortions," adding, "We don"t want health care reform to be the vehicle for mandating abortion."However, abortion-rights supporters argue that prohibiting coverage for abortion services would deny health care to women who have abortion services coverage through their private plans. Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women"s Policy Research, said that applying current restrictions for low-income women and federal employees to a program meant for the middle cla
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Health Benefits Tax Gains Support In Congress, Opponents In Business
"You can think of Congress"s efforts to pay for health reform as being a little bit like a battle to slay a many-headed Hydra," writes the New York Times" economic columnist, David Leonhardt. Congress has floated idea after idea for paying for comprehensive health reform, but their proposals have failed to make ends meet because they "do not raise revenue as quickly as health costs rise." Most new taxes - such as a surtax on the rich proposed in the House - increase only as quickly as the economy, while health costs have inflated much more quickly over the last decade.
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Protein Can Help Cells Or Cause Cancer, Purdue Researcher Finds
A Purdue University scientist has discovered a key process in cell growth that can lead to the formation of tumors.
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Sunshine Heart Provides C-Pulse U.S. Clinical Update

Sunshine Heart (ASX: SHC), a global medical device company focused on innovative heart assist technologies, announced that the first two patients implanted with the C-Pulse device in April 2009 at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio have successfully completed their 3 month follow-up evaluation. Sunshine Heart"s Medical Director, William Peters MD reported, "Both patients were reviewed in the outpatient clinic by hospital staff and all tests scheduled at three months were completed. Both patients appeared to have shown improvement and were able to disconnect from the device, as intended, for short periods of time. The next milestone for these patients will be evaluation at the 6 month time frame." Don Rohrbaugh, CEO of Sunshine Heart, commented, "We are very encouraged by these patients" response with the C-Pulse device. We look forward to generating additional data from this study to support our global regulatory strategy. We are particularly pleased to report the Company received reimbursement of $108,000 from The Ohio State University for these two patients; the first such revenue for Sunshine Heart." Six university hospitals are involved in the study, including Northwestern University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Louisville, University of Florida and University of Alabama/Birmingham as well as Ohio State University. Enrollment is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2010. Cumulative end-point data will be released following review by the DSMB at the completion of the study. Following the trial"s successful completion, the Company will request CE Mark approval to market C-Pulse in the E.U. and other international countries that honor CE Mark label claims for device safety. In addition, the Company will seek FDA approval for a larger randomized U.S. pivotal study to support the submission of a marketing application for C-Pulse in the U.S. during the second half of 2010. "We continue to be excited with the prospects of the C-Pulse clinical trial in the U.S." said Dr. Peters, co-founder of Sunshine Heart and inventor of C-Pulse. "As demonstrated in prior clinical studies, the C-Pulse system increases blood flow to the body and to the heart muscle itself without coming into direct contact with the blood. Importantly, the non-blood contacting feature of the device allows patients to intermittently disconnect from C-Pulse for convenience. It is anticipated that C-Pulse will offer patients a significant improvement in quality of life and with an acceptable risk profile." About Advanced Heart Failure Heart failure is a common condition in which the heart becomes unable to pump sufficient blood to meet the body"s needs. Over five million people in the United States have heart failure and it results in over 300,000 deaths each year. Heart failure is a progressive condition and typically results from damage to the heart muscle arising from a heart attack or virus. Cardiologists use a classification system to define the four classes of heart failure; each class is determined by rating a patient"s symptoms to everyday activities and quality of life. Over 1.4 million US heart failure patients are in the Class III, an advanced heart failure category, which is defined by the limitation of physical activity. These patients are comfortable at rest, but levels of activity regarded as less than ordinary cause fatigue, palpitation, and/or shortness of breath. The most common treatments for Class III heart failure are drugs, lifestyle adjustments, family education, device therapy (i.e. heart failure pacemaker with or without a defibrillator), or surgery. A major medical treatment challenge is that the drug therapy and CRT options often stop alleviating symptoms over time, hence the need for C-Pulse heart assist. About Sunshine Heart Sunshine Heart (ASX: SHC) is a global medical device company, committed to the commercialization of C-Pulse(TM) an implantable, non-blood contacting, heart assist therapy for the treatment of people with advanced heart failure. C-Pulse reduces the symptoms of heart failure through the use of counterpulsation technology which enables an increase in cardiac output, an increase in coronary blood flow and reduction in the heart"s pumping load. The Company has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a 20 person U.S. clinical trial with C-Pulse and patient enrollment has commenced. Sunshine Heart listed on the ASX in September 2004 has a presence in Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on current management expectations. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results due to certain risks and uncertainties from time to time in the Company"s filings with the Australian Securities Exchange. Sunshine Heart


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