A tiny light source and sensors at the end of an endoscope may provide a more accurate way to identify pre-cancerous cells in the lining of the esophagus.

CMS has approved a number of Section 1115 Research and Demonstration Waivers, including Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability (HIFA) waivers in other states that expand Medicaid coverage to higher income or new categories of individuals and include premium and/or cost sharing amounts above those allowed under the DRA.

Proton pump inhibitors and histamine2 receptor antagonists – types of acid suppressive medications commonly taken to treat the overproduction of gastric acid, such as acid reflux (GERD/GORD), dyspepsia, and peptic ulcer disease may raise the risk of pneumonia, researchers from Seoul National University Hospital, South Korea, report in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) provides state Medicaid agencies with new options as of March 31, 2006, to impose increased premiums and cost sharing upon certain Medicaid recipients above 100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). It allows states to make the payment of premiums a condition of Medicaid eligibility and payment of cost sharing a condition of receiving services. In addition, the DRA allows states to vary the premiums and cost sharing charged based on income, eligibility category, and type of service.

States must submit a state plan amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement cost sharing options allowed under the DRA. CMS has not yet filed regulations on these provisions. DRA cost sharing provisions have limited applicability in Texas because of the restrictions on cost sharing imposed for most populations served by Medicaid in Texas. A premium is an enrollment fee or similar charge, such as a monthly fee. Cost sharing is any deduction, co-payment or similar charge required to use Medicaid services. The DRA restricts the total amount of premiums and cost sharing to not more than 5 percent of the family’s income (applied quarterly or monthly at the option of the state). Attachment 1 includes a table that outlines premium and cost sharing allowances and restrictions by Texas Medicaid eligibility category and income. States are required to exempt the following services from cost sharing: preventive services for children, family planning services, and emergency services. The DRA includes cost sharing provisions intended to limit utilization of certain prescription drugs and inappropriate use of emergency room services. Attachment 1 provides detailed information on cost sharing allowances and restrictions for these services by eligibility category and income. Prescription Drugs States may impose varied cost sharing amounts depending on whether the drug is a preferred drug or a non-preferred drug. In Texas, preferred drugs would be those drugs reviewed by the Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Committee and approved by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to be on the Medicaid preferred drug list based on cost effectiveness, clinical efficacy, and safety. The DRA allows states to impose lesser cost sharing requirements for use of preferred drugs.

However, the DRA also stipulates that cost sharing for a non-preferred drug is limited to preferred drug cost sharing amounts if a physician determines a preferred drug would not be as effective as a non-preferred drug, would have an adverse effect on the individual, or both. Because Texas requires a prior authorization before non-preferred drugs can be dispensed, the DRA requirement effectively limits cost sharing for all drugs to the limits defined in the DRA for preferred drugs. The DRA allows states to require beneficiaries to pay cost sharing before receiving prescription drugs, and it requires states to reduce the amount of reimbursement to pharmacies by the amount of beneficiary cost sharing obligations.

Partners In Health (PIH) and Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and its philanthropic foundation, the Abbott Fund, announced a partnership to empower Haitians to create local solutions to the longstanding problem of severe malnutrition in Haiti. Together, PIH and Abbott plan to build a nutritional food production facility that will allow Haitians to produce locally-sourced, high-quality nutritious food products.

Florida Share of Cost: Medicaid provides Medical coverage to low income individuals and families. The state and federal government share the costs of the Medicaid program. Medicaid services in Florida are administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration.  Medicaid eligibility in Florida is determined either by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) or the Social Security Administration (for SSI recipients).

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced today $750,000 in grants through the Medtronic Foundation to support continued healthcare infrastructure development in Haiti. Partners in Health will receive $500,000 to help complete construction of a public hospital in the Central Plateau city of Mirebalais.

Young people may crave boosts to their self-esteem a little too much, new research suggests. Researchers found that college students valued boosts to their self-esteem more than any other pleasant activity they were asked about, including sex, favorite foods, drinking alcohol, seeing a best friend or receiving a paycheck.

Thousands of Queenslanders have been affected by the recent floods that have disrupted lives and created much distress, cutting off homes and even entire towns and causing the evacuation of thousands.

Share of Cost, Novel Vaccine That Produces Strong Immunity Against Cocaine High Poised To Move Quickly Into Human Trials: Researchers from The Scripps Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Cornell University have produced a long-lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a unique vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine.

“A new report [.pdf] from international aid agency Oxfam says reconstruction work has barely begun in Haiti following the country’s catastrophic earthquake a year ago,” RTE News reports (1/6). Even in developed countries, disaster recovery can be a slow process, the report states.

Share of Cost, Alcoholism Risk Linked To Obesity Risk: People who are at risk of alcoholism may also have a greater risk of being obese, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveal in an article published in Archives of General Psychiatry. The authors explained that the link between a family history of alcohol dependency and obesity risk has become more prominent over the last few years.

HIV experts at the University of Florida, along with colleagues at the University of South Florida and the University of California, San Diego, have been awarded $4.7 million by the National Institutes of Health to study how the complex interplay between marijuana use and HIV infection can influence the development of neurological disorders in adolescents.

Share of Cost, Diagnostic Criteria For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Are Lacking According To Researchers: Current diagnostic procedures for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) fail to adequately reflect research into the broad nature of a traumatic event, according to a study that will appear in the January print issue of Psychological Bulletin.

Share of Cost, TU Delft Develops Pen To Measure And Reduce Stress: In the future, more and more products will be able to interpret what users are feeling and use that information in a smart way. To illustrate the power of this theory, researcher Miguel Bruns Alonso has developed a pen which can measure the stress levels of the person using it, and can actually help to reduce that stress.

Brand Castle, LLC is recalling its licensed Rice Krispies Treats Holiday Village Kit. This recall was initiated because the icing component of the kit contains undeclared egg; no other components of the kit are affected. People who have allergies to egg run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.