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Daily Rounds: Fined For Lousy Coverage; 'Bare Bones' Cribs; Hospital Regs Pruned; Fewer Pap Smears

Health Care Agency Sick (Boston Herald) - "Now, the state of Massachusetts is grinding the Destitos into the dirt. The reason: the health insurance the Destitos bought, paid $750 monthly premiums on and repeatedly used at doctor visits apparently does not pass muster with the state’s mandatory universal health insurance law. Now the Destitos, both 50 and already on the brink of financial ruin, are facing a $3,000 state fine." (Margery Eagan at bostonherald.com)

When It Comes To Baby's Crib, Experts Say Go Bare Bones (NPR) — "No more blankets in the baby's bed. Not even when it's cold outside. No bumpers, pillows, or toys. All these accoutrements are hazards for newborns and infants, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has released new expanded guidelines for reducing deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, and other causes including suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia." (NPR)

US Moves to Cut Back Regulations On Hospitals (New York Times) - "The Obama administration moved Tuesday to roll back numerous rules that apply to hospitals and other health care providers after concluding that the standards were obsolete or overly burdensome to the industry. Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said the proposed changes, which would apply to more than 6,000 hospitals, would save providers nearly $1.1 billion a year without creating any “consequential risks for patients.” (nytimes.com)

Guidelines Set On Cervical-Cancer Screening (The Wall Street Journal) - A key federal advisory panel on Wednesday said it won't endorse HPV screening for cervical cancer and favors giving Pap tests only every three years in women between ages 21 and 65. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said it recommended against testing for human papillomavirus, or HPV, in women younger than age 30, and said there was insufficient evidence to justify it for women over age 30. (WSJ.com — If you don't subscribe, a similar Reuters report is here.)

This program aired on October 19, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

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