The House on Friday voted 264-158 to approve a $60.8 billion second economic stimulus package (HR 7110) that includes additional federal funds for Medicaid and other programs, CQ Today reports (Higa, CQ Today, 9/26). The bill would provide $14.7 billion in additional funds for state Medicaid programs.Meanwhile, the Senate on Friday voted 52-42 in favor of consideration of a $56.

Two newspapers recently published editorials addressing Eli Lilly and Merck's announcements last week that they will publicly disclose some fees paid to physicians beginning next year. Summaries of the editorials appear below.

Some immigrant and women's rights advocacy groups are raising concern about a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rule that adds the human papillomavirus vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for female immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship, the Dallas Morning News reports. The rule -- which took effect on July 1 -- requires female immigrants ages 11 to 26 seeking U.S.

If abortion-rights opponent Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is elected president in November, the fallout from a potential Roe v. Wade reversal could be worse than envisioned, Linda Hirshman -- a lawyer and author of the book "Get to Work; A Manifesto for Women in the World" -- writes in a Washington Post opinion piece.

The U.S. needs a "new New Deal: a systematic approach to the financial and economic problems of the U.S." that includes health care reform, Katrina vanden Huevel, editor of The Nation, and author Eric Schlosser write in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.Among other proposals, the U.S.

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its TAXUS® Express2™ Atom™ Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System. The TAXUS Express Atom Stent is a highly deliverable drug-eluting stent (DES) specifically designed for treating small coronary vessels.

Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday helped kick off a breast cancer awareness campaign led by vitamin maker One A Day that allows women to request a phone message of DeGeneres sent to someone they know reminding that person to take steps to check for breast cancer, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

A Boston program through which city workers can buy low-cost Canadian prescription drugs will receive its last shipment of drugs in December, after the Canadian drug supplier terminated its involvement because of a lack of participants, the Boston Globe reports. According to the Globe, the program never attracted "more than a few dozen participants" (Drake, Boston Globe, 9/26).

Public perception that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. is under control and increased competition for grants has led the Atlanta-based not-for-profit group AIDS Survival Project to shut down operations, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. ASP provides HIV/AIDS testing and training for people living with HIV/AIDS to counsel peers, lobby politicians and educate the public.

The Health Protection Agency welcomes the publication of the Government's Global Health Strategy, which sets out a co-ordinated approach to assessing the impact of the UK's policies on global health As an independent agency responsible for providing expert advice and services for health protection,