Statement attributable to: Nancy Nielsen, MDAMA President-elect”Today, Congress’ advisory committee on Medicare goes to Capitol Hill to advise lawmakers to replace Medicare payment cuts to physicians with increases that reflect medical practice costs. The American Medical Association wholeheartedly agrees with this recommendation to preserve seniors’ access to care.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert on the safe and correct use of Tussionex Pennkinetic Extended-Release Suspension in response to numerous reports of adverse events–including death–associated with the misuse and inappropriate use of this potent cough medication. Tussionex is a prescription cough medicine containing hydrocodone, a narcotic ingredient, and the antihistamine chlorpheniramine.

The Raleigh News & Observer on Sunday examined how “hospital administrators and county health officials nationwide are worried” about proposed Medicaid rule changes (Barrett, Raleigh News & Observer, 3/9).

House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Jim McCrery (R-La.) and Health Subcommittee ranking member Dave Camp (R-Mich.) have begun to collect signatures from committee Republicans for a letter to

Any voter who “worries about governments dictating to women what they can do with their bodies needs to understand the danger” posed by electing Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to the presidency, St. Petersburg Times columnist Robyn Blumner writes in an opinion piece.

A lawsuit recently made public alleges that Planned Parenthood affiliates in California overcharged the government for oral contraceptives, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission during a recent meeting considered several draft recommendations to Congress regarding skilled nursing facilities, prescription drug plans and primary care, CQ HealthBeat reports.

Monsignor Gaston Hebert, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock in Arkansas, on Thursday apologized for urging members not to donate to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, saying he mistakenly said donations to Komen could help fund abortions and contraception, the AP/Google.

The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria aims to raise more than $12 billion by 2012, Global Fund Chair Rajat Gupta said Monday during a visit to Zambia, Reuters reports.

Congress has been “slow to act” on legislation (HR 758, S 459) that would require health coverage providers to expand hospital-stay coverage for women undergoing breast cancer surgery, but advocates are hopeful the bill will be passed during the current session, the