9/11 firefighters face greater cancer risk: A new study says that firefighers who worked in the wreckage of the September 11th attacks were 19 percent more likely to develop cancer than those who did not, “the strongest evidence to date of a possible link between work at ground zero and cancer.” The report studied almost 10,000 New York City firefighters in the seven years after Sept. 11. Cancer is not currently on the list of illnesses covered by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. [New York Times]
Atlanta clinic refuses to treat dying immigrants: A dozen immigrants suffering from renal failure were denied treatment at an Atlantic clinic yesterday after negotiations broke down between Atlanta’s public hospital and the world’s largest dialysis provider. The patients were advised to wait until their condition deteriorated enough that they could be admitted in an emergency room. [New York Times]
Sibelius ‘eager’ to work with states on Medicaid: In Alaska yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she is “eager” to work with states to find ways of reducing Medicaid costs, often a top expenditure and strain on state budgets. Sibelius said her office is working with states one-on-one and educating them about flexibility already built in to the law. [AP]
New Jersey not staffed to handle a crisis: A new report finds that New Jersey, which was closely tied to the September 11 attacks, does not have enough trained health care professionals to handle a major disaster. The authors of the report said they are worried about budget cuts to public health agencies over the last few years and pointed out, “there are fewer people in public health departments in New Jersey now than there were in 9/11.” [NJ.com]
GOP congressman tells supercommittee to ax IPAB: In a letter to members of the deficit-cutting supercommittee, Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) said the group should repeal the Independent Payments Advisory Board (IPAB), one of the health care reform law’s chief cost control measures. Roe has been one of the fiercest critics of IPAB, a 15-member board with the power to cut Medicare payments. [Healthwatch]
California raids prescription mills: On Thursday federal and local authorities raided four medical clinics in the San Fernando Valley suspected of illegally selling prescription drugs. They closed the clinics and arrested the manager of two of them, who was found with $300,000 in cash and another $300,000 worth of the painkiller OxyContin. [Los Angeles Times]
Disabled Texans face service cuts: At least 12,000 disabled Texans face major service cuts as a result of the draconian budget GOP lawmakers passed in May. The state’s Department of Aging and Disability Services, which enrolls nearly 48,000 people, was directed to find $31 million in savings, forcing it to cap services for people enrolled in four disability programs. [Texas Tribune]
CDC says vaccination rates are rising: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a new report that young children are getting vaccinated at increasingly high rates. Immunization rates among 19-to-35-month-olds for most vaccine-preventable diseases are are “increasing or being sustained at high levels. [Healthwatch]
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