A researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine has helped confirm the reliability of a new test for liver disease that is ushering in the long-promised era of personalized medicine based on each individual’s genetic makeup.The Stanford group was one of the five sites that helped determine that the genetic test can identify patients who are at high risk of developing cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis C infection. [click link for full article]

A coalition of 34 consumer groups, led by the Medicare Rights Center, has begun to lobby Congress to revise a law that requires individuals with disabilities to wait two years to become eligible for Medicare after they begin to receive Social Security disability benefits, the [click link for full article]

The Wall Street Journal on Monday examined how insurers are working to stop the proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage payments. As part of its lobbying campaign, [click link for full article]

On April 26, 2007, the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) joined with the Renal Physicians Association (RPA), the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) to express concerns regarding the recent Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) black box warning on erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs). [click link for full article]

Relying on abstinence-only sex education as the “primary tool to reduce teenage pregnancies” and sexually transmitted infections, as “favored by the Bush administration and conservatives in Congress, looks increasingly foolish and indefensible,” a New York Times editorial says. [click link for full article]

Many people report an allergy to a “sulfur” drug when they go to the doctor. But what does this mean? Usually, a person means that they have experienced an adverse…

A new suite of core facility services is now available at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Center, a consortium of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic, is a comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Center Institute. [click link for full article]

Today, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) told Congress that there are serious pitfalls for pharmacists in the current Medicare Part D drug prescription plan. Testifying before the Senate Committee on Finance, APhA cited low and slow pharmacy reimbursements, burdensome formulary processes that restrict patient access to necessary medications and missed opportunities within Medication Therapy Management (MTM) programs as some of the roadblocks to a truly effective drug plan. [click link for full article]

Most nursing home residents are unlikely to have sold off assets below market value to qualify for long-term care coverage from Medicaid, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Thursday, CongressDaily reports. Because of concerns that the practice might be widespread, Congress in 2006 passed a [click link for full article]

The Oregon House on Thursday voted 32-24 in favor of a plan to expand health coverage to all children in the state by increasing the state cigarette tax by 84.5 cents per pack, but the proposal failed to win approval because a three-fifths majority is required to pass a tax increase, the Oregonian reports. [click link for full article]