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Military Health Care: The Issue of “Promised” Benefits

Description: In the debate over the Department of Defense policy on military health care benefits, many military personnel and retirees say that they were promised “free health care for life” when they entered the armed forces. What benefits are available and who is eligible to receive these benefits are matters determined by Congress. This report discusses the issue of “promises” of lifetime health care benefits made to military retirees.
Date: February 10, 2000
Creator: Burrelli, David F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods

Description: Congressional interest in the labeling of genetically modified foods (GM foods) has been rising. So far, two bills have been introduced to mandate that all foods from genetically modified crops (GM crops) be labeled as such. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its current GM food labeling policy in May 1992. At that time, the agency determined that it would regulate GM foods no differently than foods created by conventional means because FDA considered them substantially equivalent t… more
Date: March 20, 2000
Creator: Vogt, Donna U. & Jackson, Brian A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal R&D, Drug Discovery, and Pricing: Insights from the NIH-University-Industry Relationship

Description: Interest in methods to provide drugs at lower cost, particularly for the elderly, has rekindled discussion over the role the federal government plays in facilitating the creation of new pharmaceuticals for the marketplace. This report explores the issue of whether or not the substantial federal investment in health-related research and development (R&D) entitles the public to commensurate consideration in prices charged for any resulting drugs. It is intended to provide the reader with an under… more
Date: June 19, 2000
Creator: Schacht, Wendy H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The National Institutes of Health: An Overview

Description: The National Institutes of Health is the focal point of federal health research. It uses its $17.8 billion budget to support more than 50,000 scientists working at 2,000 institutions across the United States, as well as to conduct biomedical and behavioral research and research training at its own facilities.
Date: September 15, 2000
Creator: Smith, Pamela W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Endocrine Disruption: An Introduction

Description: Exposure to certain chemicals in the environment could disrupt the hormone systems of animals and humans, according to some scientists who are concerned about potential risks to public health and ecosystems. Congress has mandated chemical screening to assess the potential of pesticides and drinking water contaminants to influence the normal functions of female, male and thyroid hormones. As conflicting scientific evidence accumluates on the hormone disruption hypothesis, legislators may conside… more
Date: January 11, 2001
Creator: Schierow, Linda-Jo & Buck, Eugene H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Assisted Suicide and the Controlled Substances Act: Legal Issues Associated with the Proposed Pain Relief Promotion Act

Description: The Pain Relief Promotion Act, as proposed in the 106th Congress, provided that the Attorney General, in determining whether the registration of a doctor for the administration of controlled substances is in the public interest, should give no force and effect to state law authorizing or permitting assisted suicide or euthanasia. This language would appear to have been designed to abrogate the legal reasoning set forth by the Attorney General in a press release regarding the application of the … more
Date: January 12, 2001
Creator: Thomas, Kenneth R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Cost of Prescription Drugs for the Uninsured Elderly and Legislative Approaches

Description: The purpose of this report is to explain why many of those who are least able to afford high drug costs are those who are most frequently charged the most. This report describes the basic economic theory underlying price differentiation and, in the context of the pharmaceutical market, analyzes the role and behavior of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), pharmaceutical manufacturers, and retail pharmacies, respectively. It also looks at a number of the criticisms that have been made of the practi… more
Date: January 16, 2001
Creator: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. Resources, Science, and Industry Division.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ergonomics in the Workplace: Is It Time for an OSHA Standard?

Description: Improper ergonomic design of jobs is one of the leading causes of work-related illness, accounting for perhaps a third of employers’ costs under state workers’ compensation laws. Due to the wide variety of circumstances, however, any comprehensive standard would probably have to be complex and costly, while scientific understanding of the problem is not complete.
Date: January 16, 2001
Creator: Rappaport, Edward B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Genetic Information: Legal Issues Relating to Discrimination and Privacy

Description: On June 26, 2000, in a special ceremony at the White House, the completion of the "rough draft" of the human genome was announced. This milestone, which has been compared to the discoveries of Galileo, and other advances in genetics have created novel legal issues relating to genetic information.
Date: January 24, 2001
Creator: Jones, Nancy Lee
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

DNA Evidence: Legislative Initiatives in the 106th Congress

Description: DNA evidence is a powerful forensic tool in criminal cases. Its use and capabilities have increased substantially since it was first introduced in the late 1980s. That growth has led to the emergence of the following issues that were considered by the 106th Congress in legislative initiatives: eliminating the nationwide backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples, expanding the kinds of offenders who are profiled, providing opportunities for post-conviction testing of DNA evidence, and continuing develop… more
Date: January 26, 2001
Creator: Fischer, Eric A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

AIDS in Africa

Description: Sub-Saharan Africa has been far more severely affected by AIDS than any other part of the world. The United Nations reports that 25.3 million adults and children are infected with the HIV virus in the region, which has about 10% of the world's population but more than 70% of the worldwide total of infected people. This report discusses this issue in detail, including the cause of the African AIDS epidemic, the social and economic consequences, response and treatment, and U.S. policy.
Date: May 14, 2001
Creator: Copson, Raymond W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

A Shortage of Registered Nurses: Is It on the Horizon or Already Here?

Description: The largest, traditionally female-dominated health care occupation is registered nurses (RNs). It has been asserted that there are too few RNs available today to meet employers’ needs, that is, there is a shortage of nurses at the present time. It also has been estimated that there could well be a shortage of RNs in the not-too-distant future. This report will analyze the labor market conditions facing RNs and their employers.
Date: May 18, 2001
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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