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Lobbying Draws On Ranks Of Former Government Officials, Health Industry Coffers
"The nation"s largest insurers, hospitals and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues, according to an analysis of lobbying disclosures and other records," the Washington Post reports. The Post"s analysis of lobbying disclosure records shows that three-quarters of major health firms have hired an insider to lobby on their behalf; half of those insiders once worked for the key senators and congressional committees that are now shaping the reform proposals.

New Democrat Coalition Proposes Independent Panel To Oversee Comparative Effectiveness Research
Members of the moderate New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday proposed legislation (HR 2502) that would establish a non-governmental, independent office to oversee research efforts to compare the effectiveness of medical treatments, CQ HealthBeat reports. The bill would create the Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute, which would use money remaining from the $1.1 billion included in the economic stimulus package for comparative effectiveness research and additional funding from fees on Medicare and private insurers. HCCERI would be overseen by a 21-member board -- appointed by the U.S. Comptroller General -- that would include HHS officials, patients, physicians, private insurers and others (Norman, CQ HealthBeat, 5/19). In contrast, a panel to oversee comparative effectiveness research established by a provision in the stimulus bill would be made up of government health experts (Mundy, "Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, 5/19). According to CQ HealthBeat, some people have raised concerns that comparative effectiveness research funded by the stimulus bill would result in research that could be used to deny coverage for certain treatments and that cost would factor disproportionately in such decisions. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), who introduced the bill, said HCCERI"s goal would be to ensure that medical decisions remain between physicians and patients and that both doctors and patients have the most understandable information possible to make such decisions. HCCERI also would make public its methods for deciding which research projects to approve, as well as any links the institute has to industry, its research protocols and the names of researchers. HCCERI would accept public comment before creating new research guidelines, and all research would be subject to peer review. In addition, HCCERI in commissioning studies would take steps to account for differences in patients" gender, race, age and ethnicity (CQ HealthBeat, 5/19).Schrader said that the bill "will bring patients, along with health care providers, physicians and industry, to the decision-making process," adding, "By having a seat at the table, the American people will help drive the direction of research based on what is most important to them" ("Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, 5/19). Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) said that New Democrats seek to lower costs and improve quality of care, so "the most important thing we can do is to incentivize innovation and to provide that information on the best practices and best interventions and get that information out to providers." Industry Reaction
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$1 Million For Memory Research Awarded To UTSA Psychologist
University of Texas at San Antonio Assistant Professor of Psychology Rebekah Smith has been awarded a five-year, $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study adult memory. To conduct the research, beginning in July, Smith will be recruiting younger adult volunteers aged 18-30 and older adults, aged 60 and above.
Nutrition

Recipients Of HIV/AIDS Programs Aid Expected To Feel Crunch Of Global Economic Crisis

At the 2009 HIV Implementers" Meeting in Namibia Thursday, Paul DeLay, deputy executive director of UNAIDS, said the global economic crisis will impact countries who receive international aid for HIV/AIDS programs, so recipients of such aid should identify priorities for their programs, the China Post reports (China Post, 6/12). "Res are becoming scarce, but there is a need to ensure their use in an equitable way to address priority areas," Delay said. "HIV/AIDS has in the past been operating in isolation. We have to look at how we can integrate funding for the epidemic into funding for education, shelter and nutrition." According to DeLay, an estimated $25 billion is needed to provide universal prevention, care, treatment and counseling by 2010, while so far, $14 billion has been raised for low- and middle-income countries. "Donors want to know how their money is being used in achieving universal access," DeLay said. "Countries themselves should be able to demonstrate that the funds have made an impact on the intended recipients." The AP/Khaleej Times writes that UNAIDS says fighting HIV/AIDS "will require that 1.5 million teachers be trained, 13 million sex workers reached, 10 billion condoms provided, 2.5 million circumcisions performed, and 19 million orphans and vulnerable children supported" (AP/Khaleej Times, 6/11). A joint UNAIDS/World Bank report, titled "The Global Economic Crisis and HIV Prevention and Treatment Programmes: Vulnerabilities and Impact," based on the results of a 71 country survey on the impacts of the economic crisis on HIV prevention programs, is expected to come out in late June/early July (World Bank release, 6/11). Former Boston Globe reporter, John Donnelly, is live blogging from the conference here for the Center for Global Health Policy. This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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