The most politically charged feature of the health reform law is the mandate that legal residents have health insurance. Within weeks of the law's passage, twenty states had filed lawsuits charging that the mandate is unconstitutional because it gives the federal government more power than it actually has. The state lawsuits are widely expected to reach the Supreme Court next year. Legal scholar Lawrence O. ...

Various aspects of our environment - including political systems, economic systems, and even climate and geography - can affect our thinking and behavior, a field of study known as socioecological psychology. In a report in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychological scientists Shigehiro Oishi and Jesse Graham from the University of Virginia e ...

The government's role in improving the nation's nutrition is now firmly established with nutritional labeling for restaurant meals now mandated across the United States as part of HR 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act. An article in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association explains how state and municipal labeling laws developed and how the new national law ...

In a potential major and controversial development for Texas psychology and those who hold a Master's degree in psychology, Texas Association Of Psychological Associates (TAPA) announced their intention to seek, and file a lawsuit if necessary, independent practice status for Licensed Psychological Associates (LPAs). LPA is a Texas licensure designation that requires a Master's degree in psychology and allo ...

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) has published an updated position paper on food insecurity in the United States, calling for funding for food and nutrition assistance programs, increased nutrition education and efforts to promote economic self-sufficiency for all households and individuals. ADA's position paper was written by registered dietitian David H. Holben, professor of nutrition and director ...

Bold and coordinated leadership at the federal level is essential to create secure, long-term, sustainable biomedical research funding policies based on strategic priorities, say Howard J. Federoff, MD, PhD, of Georgetown University Medical Center and Elaine R. Rubin, PhD, of Association of Academic Health Centers, in a commentary about America's fledgling biomedical research framework. The commentary was p ...

The first for-profit insurance company approved to offer government-subsidized coverage under Massachusetts' health reform has dangerously restricted access to primary care, according to data reported in Thursday's (Aug. 5) New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers say the findings raise troubling concerns about the Obama administration's new health law, which is modeled after the Massachusetts plan. ...

Transforming the U.S. health care system from paper-based to electronic-based may improve health care quality and reduce costs, but a new study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that goal is far off. The adoption of basic or comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) by U.S. hospitals increased modestly from 8.7% in 2008 to 11.9% in 2009, but only 2% of hospitals met ...

As you know, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its proposed rule on the 2011 Medicare fee schedule - and there is a lot at stake for practicing psychologists. As we [American Psychological Association Practice Organization - APAPO] have mentioned previously, in addition to reflecting an expected cut to all services as a result of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and ...

With children going back to school, parents are concerned that their youngsters are staying fit and eating right, especially those who dine in a school cafeteria. New research funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that children who eat school lunches that are part of the federal government's National School Lunch Program are more likely to become overweight. ...