FDA tackles illegal hydrocodone products

Products for children 6 and under that have not been approved are the primary targets to include cough suppressants...FDA approved products are not affected...BD 

The action does not affect other hydrocodone formulations, which have FDA approval. Hydrocodone is one of the strongest medications available to treat pain or to suppress cough. The drug has also been an extremely popular drug of abuse and can lead to serious illness, injury, or death, if improperly used. Hydrocodone overdose can result in breathing problems or cardiac arrest, and its use may impair motor skills and judgment. The FDA has received reports of medication errors associated with formulation changes in unapproved hydrocodone products and reports of confusion over the similarity of the names of unapproved products to approved drug products. As part of the drug approval process, the agency considers the possibility of medication errors and name confusion, so that potential safety issues associated with these factors can be minimized. Some hydrocodone pain-relief products, such as Vicodin, are FDA-approved. However, most of the hydrocodone formulations now marketed to suppress coughs have not been approved. The agency is particularly concerned about improper pediatric labeling of unapproved hydrocodone cough suppressants (also known as antitussives), and the risk of medication error involving the unapproved products.

FDA tackles illegal hydrocodone products

Lab-on-a-chip" breakthrough for on-site diagnostics

 

October 1, 2007 A Californian based company has produced the worlds first disposable photonic lab-on-a-chip solution for next-generation water and food analysis, chemical and biological agent detection, and point-of-care diagnostics. The PhotonicLab Platform from Bioident Technology Inc. enables rapid in-vitro diagnostics, chemical and biological threat detection, and environmental testing without the need for off-site lab analysis. This offers greater mobility and sensitivity compared to existing biological and chemical assays and delivers a cost-effective disposable lab-on-a-chip solution by eliminating the need for complex and expensive readout systems.

Lab-on-a-chip" breakthrough for on-site diagnostics - gizmag Article

Court rules Medicare plans can be sued for nonpayment ...

As this article states from the court decision, payers can be sued for non payment, even if the funds were administered by an HMO/IPA...Pacificare case is still being settled as well when an IPA went bankrupt and couldn't pay the claims...Pacificare was still held accountable when sued by several physician's groups.  BD 

A recent Texas Supreme Court decision gives physicians and hospitals a remedy when health plans don't make payments under Medicare Advantage contracts, doctors and lawyers say. The state high court on Aug. 31 ruled that a group of Texas hospitals can sue Aetna in state court for allegedly failing to reimburse them. This means the facilities won't have to go through the Medicare administrative appeals process.

A trial judge recently ruled that even when an HMO delegates reimbursement or other duties to another entity, the insurer "may not avoid its ultimate liability for the delegated entity's failure to comply with the applicable statutes and regulations" and remains subject to the Texas prompt-payment law. Doctors could recover up to $8 million, the TMA stated.

Officials from UnitedHealthcare, PacifiCare's parent company, did not return calls for comment.

AMNews: Oct. 8, 2007. Court rules Medicare plans can be sued for nonpayment ... American Medical News

Medical Society Turns the Tables and Asks Doctors to Rate Health Insurers

Survey Says........this one we have not seen...physicians ranking the insurance carriers...consumers have had the opportunity, but not the practices that work with the red tape and administrative heavy paperwork required...and we have seen just about every type of ranking of physicians out there...MDs speak your part...BD 

Several health insurers offer tools that rank physicians, and now one Texas medical society has a response: a survey, to be released after Sept. 14, designed to allow doctors to rate health insurers. Some insurers say they applaud any opportunity for improved communication, but will wait to see the survey before offering more specific comments. "Our physician members have decided to rate the six largest health insurance companies in Harris [County, Texas] and surrounding counties," says Michael Kelly II, president of the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS). "The goal of this initial survey is to recognize the areas of good performance and uncover issues that need to be addressed by the health insurance companies." The society declines to disclose specific data to be gathered by the survey.

Medical Society Turns the Tables and Asks Doctors to Rate Health Insurers

Single-payer healthcare the best idea : Opinion

You can't go wrong listening to a nurse...they live and breathe health care on the front line every day...BD 

I was one of the nurses in Sacramento last week for the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee convention and was present for the rallies at the Capitol building. I have been a nurse for more than 32 years and employed in the healthcare field for 35 years. I have worked in both the private and public sectors and I have seen medical care go from a pre-HMO/PPO and DRG state to the present for-profit business that it is today.

Today, I work in the public sector in a program for children funded by the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs. The program also assists some families with HMO and PPO insurance that cannot afford the overwhelming co-pays and deductibles that may be incurred by their child's illnesses, or have been denied a necessary part of their child's care.

Single-payer healthcare the best idea : Opinion : Ventura County Star

Blue launches wellness consulting

We have read the various posts about United, well enter the Blue plans...I think people would have a much better response to such programs if wellness were the ultimate goal rather than just saving money...no wonder it's hard to trust anyone these days...if our fellow citizens had our best interest at heart...well it would be a different story...but the reality is that it all revolves around cost...and they state it is about wellness...Wellness is a good idea when presented properly and people educated likewise, but to tie it in with your employer as a way of force feeding is not perhaps the best mechanism...

Sure we want to lead good lives and be healthy, but if some of the information about our plight falls in to the wrong hands and denies health claims, how secure does one feel about participating.  BD 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's deeper move into wellness and care management follows a major movement in health care today.  Today, McPhee said, "it's all about wellness."

A growing number of employers are adding wellness components to their employee health plans as a way to control escalating costs.

Maggie McPhee sees the movement in the fewer employers this year that made major changes in their benefit packages.

http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2007/09/blues_launches_wellness_consul.html

Hospital, insurer at odds -- as of Monday patients will need to file their own claims with Blue Cross in Lake County, IL

Blue Cross claims the hospital is not living up to it's end of the contract..now in the courts...so what else is new here...in the meantime patients suffer..BD

A he said-she said between two health-care heavyweights -- one the state's largest insurer, the other Lake County's largest hospital -- may leave thousands of workers in the area scrambling to find new providers for their medical needs beginning Monday. The PPO contract between Condell Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois expires Dec. 31, but after discussions between the two broke down Wednesday, the hospital sent a letter to employers with Blue Cross PPO plans indicating that it would no longer be in the insurer's provider network as of Monday.

Hospital, insurer at odds -- chicagotribune.com

Hospitals Due to Close Are Given Money - New York

State of New York to help hospitals with closing expenses and paying off debts and additional money for those who will be picking up the slack from the closures and reduction of services..BD

The 23 hospitals and seven nursing homes in New York State that are to close or be merged under an effort to shrink the states giant hospital industry were notified yesterday that the state would give them more than $360 million to cover legal costs associated with closing and to pay off debts, state health officials said.

Hospitals Due to Close Are Given Money - New York Times

Bush says Congress is "Irresponsible" relative to the Child Health Plan

Hmmmm...do we call this "blame shifting"?

Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said a plan by Congress to expand a children's health insurance program is ``irresponsible'' and chided lawmakers for failing to pass spending laws to fund government. ``Congressional leaders have put forward an irresponsible plan that would dramatically expand this program beyond its original intent,'' Bush said in his weekly radio address. ``They know I will veto it.

``Congress failed in its most basic responsibility,'' Bush said.

Bloomberg.com: Politics

Medicare Mess Hits UnitedHealth -price increase for Part D coverage on the way

According to the article, the growth years are over...as the price goes up for Part D coverage, participants will be looking to other carriers to continue...with Medicare suggesting the same for participants...perhaps with the price increase this is another way to discourage less profitable participants..and it would not be too surprising to see this trend move to other carriers as they evaluate their Part D provisions...BD 

In a stunning setback, the giant health insurer revealed late Thursday that it could soon lose roughly 15% of its booming Medicare Part D business. Because of the high price of UnitedHealth's new Part D plans, which exceed the benchmark in more than half the regions where the company operates, Medicare will now direct some of its poorest customers elsewhere.

Customers must now choose other carriers -- such as Humana or WellPoint if they wish to keep their government-subsidized, no-premium Part D benefits. Financial experts were rattled by the news.

Still, the financial hit could prove modest. Even if UnitedHealth loses all 650,000 Part D customers being directed to cheaper plans, the company should see its 2008 profits -- currently projected at $3.96 a share -- drop by just a couple of pennies a share.  But she fears that other seniors, originally wooed by AARP's powerful endorsement of UnitedHealth, could seek out cheaper plans as well.

Medicare Mess Hits UnitedHealth - News & Analysis - Health Care - HUM - UNH

FDA approves Realize Adjustable gastric Band for Morbid Obesity

Web page appears to be work in progress for further information...one more solution for overcoming obesity...BD 

CINCINNATI, OH – September 28, 2007 – Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketing the REALIZE™ Adjustable Gastric Band, a surgical implant for weight reduction and improvement in obesity-related health conditions, such as type-2 diabetes, in individuals suffering from morbid obesity. 

The REALIZE Band is an innovative device intended for use in weight reduction for patients with morbid obesity and is indicated for individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 40 kg/m², or a BMI of at least 35 kg/m² with one or more co-morbid conditions. It is for use in morbidly obese adult patients who have failed more conservative weight-reduction alternatives, such as supervised diet, exercise and behavior modification programs.

Once the band is in place, surgeons attach the REALIZE Injection Port to the abdominal wall underneath the skin. Using the REALIZE Injection Port Applier, this can be completed in less than a minute, thereby decreasing time under anesthesia. The REALIZE Injection Port allows doctors to inject or remove saline to tighten or loosen the band. The tighter the band, the more quickly the upper stomach fills up and the less food a person can eat. Adjustments are made periodically based on the patient’s individual needs. 

http://www.ethiconendo.com/dtcf/pages/press_room_4.htm

Web Site:  http://www.realizeband.com/dtcf/pages/comingsoon.htm

Medicare Hotline Needs Help

Outsourcing was perhaps not the best answer...BD

WASHINGTON (AP) Customer satisfaction with a toll-free help line for Medicare beneficiaries appears to be dropping based on interviews conducted earlier this year by the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services. The 1-800-Medicare line is a critical resource used by millions of elderly and disabled Americans, as well as their family members. Tens of thousands of people call the number each day, and on some days, the number of calls can exceed 100,000.

In the Medicare agency's official response to the inspector general's findings, which was included in the report, officials said they will be conducting a study to help determine why callers are not getting the information they need. The agency will also work to simplify choices they are provided to customers before they are transferred to a live operator.

The Associated Press: Report: Medicare Hotline Needs Help

Premiums for Medicare drug plans jumping 8.7%

Many seniors and the disabled enrolled in the Medicare drug program are likely to pay more next year, with the average premium for all stand-alone drug plans rising 8.7% to $40 a month, according to data released late Thursday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "Plans that are popular are raising prices because they understand that seniors are not interested in switching.(carriers)," says Dan Mendelson, president of Avalere Health, a private research firm that analyzed the Medicare data.

• Most of the plans with the largest enrollment will increase their monthly premiums next year $5 to $10 a month. The average cost this year for all stand-alone drug plans was $36.81.

Study: Premiums for Medicare drug plans jumping 8.7% - USATODAY.com

Gap job applicants' data stolen

Usually we only have one of these every week...this week there are two.  I guess encryption is still mystifying many...BD 

SAN FRANCISCO - A thief stole a laptop computer containing unencrypted personal information of 800,000 people who applied for jobs at Gap Inc., the clothing retailer announced Friday. The laptop stored Social Security numbers and other data from people in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada who applied online and by phone between July 2006 and June 2007 for jobs at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Outlet stores.

The incident came on the heels of a finding this week by the Canadian government that another international retailer, TJX Cos., hadn't sufficiently encrypted data it stored from customer transactions, and that failure enabled hackers who intercepted wireless communications to steal data on millions of customers.

Gap job applicants' data stolen - Yahoo! News

Woman left in CT scanner for hours

The tech did call her and apologize...wasn't the first time a doctor said this had occurred..BD

TUCSON, Ariz. - A cancer patient says she was left alone in a CT scanner for hours after a technician apparently forget about her, and she finally crawled out of the device, only to find herself locked in the closed clinic. Elvira Tellez of Tucson said she called her son in a panic, and he told her to call 911.

After calling out, then screaming for help, she said, she spent several hours trying to free herself from the machine. Finally, she wiggled out from under a heavy blanket and out of the machine. By the time deputies found her, it had been five hours since she was placed inside.

A physician who works at the practice and knew of the incident told The Arizona Daily Star it's not the first time such a thing has happened.

"People have been left in the office after hours, when something like that happens — it's the same sort of thing," Dr. Steven Ketchel said. "My guess is she was lying on the table, waiting and waiting and nobody told her she could go home."

Woman left in CT scanner for hours - Health Care - MSNBC.com

MagicJack, Simpler VoIP than Skype?

New product on the market, usb device that plugs in to your pc, connect your analog phone line and it's $19.95 per year...just went live on the web site for purchase...watch the reviews on the site for additional information.  Interesting new product with a review from CNBC..BD

Who says the TED conference is only about movie stars and old basketball players? According to MarketWatch columnist Herb Greenberg, TED will be the official launching pad for MagicJack, a USB-based VoIP offering from telecom vet Dan (Tel-Save) Borislow that could make Skypes simple setup look like calculus. According to the just-live MagicJack website, the main magic appears to be an oversized-looking thumb-drive thingy with a USB connector on one end, and an analog phone jack on the other

http://www.magicjack.com/site/index.html

MagicJack, Simpler VoIP than Skype? « GigaOM

Seeing Eye Cane...in the future

It has not gone into production yet, but the estimated price is around $200.00...BD 

Are seeing eye dogs about to be replaced by the inventive new design of a student from Germany? If the Internation Design Excellence Awards are any indication of the aid-gadget future, this might prove to be true, but not without some howling from our furry friends. Sebastian Ritzler, of the Muthesius Academy of Art and Design in Kiel, Germany, created an interactive guiding system for the blind called Mygo that comes in the form of a cool, rolling white cane. Some would go so far as to call the design flashy pimptastic. The cane is supposed to be tough, height-adjustable for men and women, and waterproof. But heres the best part: It includes a system with a smart sensor and camera combo that can measure the ground area accurately in real time and pushes auditory feedback to a headset. In addition, the mini wheel at the tip of the cane has a hub motor that provides intuitive feedback through the grip, doubling as a steering engine that can last about 6 hours on a lithium-ion battery.

Wired Blogs: Gadget Lab

Hat Tip:  Medlaunches.com (good story)

Hair reveals all!

So much for splitting hairs...good article and very informative...BD 

Historically, hair has had a magical and almost cultic importance in human history and was, for instance, believed to be a source of power. Now hair is also the source of answers to a number of questions. The new DNA-method will give us more precise information about why the mammoth died out, or what the ingredients are in the cocktail of human races that are mixed in Europe and elsewhere. And in the future, it may be an improved tool for the police and in forensics to solve crimes. "So far you would have to drill in old bones if you wanted to compare the genetic imprint of mammoths to that of elephants, or if you wanted to see how they coped during the ice-age before they died out. Usually, the problem is that the remaining DNA samples have been scarce, and that they have been "polluted" by bacteria. But DNA from hair is very clean because it has been encapsulated in keratin, a kind of plastic membrane that protects the hair and the DNA. Think about all the extinct furred animals that are displayed on museums around the world. There is a lot of work waiting for us" says Thomas Gilbert.

Hair reveals all!

Well spoken - Craig Barrett.... Intel Corporation

Very good observations from the top of one of today's technology leaders...puts the facts straight out there...something that politicians fails to do today.  Sure wish we had someone running for office that had more than the "average" technology skills...but I guess we are more than likely a long way from that possibility...as he mentions, the presidential candidates are more concerned with illegal immigration rather than attracting people with technology expertise...

I can relate to this being a consultant in healthcare, and there are some very exceptional individuals trying to lead the pack, but we need more of them, and more so than this, we need acceptance of technology as all of us in healthcare are constantly battling those "who resist and do not want change" even when it makes life better and has life saving potential. 

To further illustrate this from my own experiences, sometimes I have felt like a "machine gun" sales representative knocking at the door.  The "gatekeeper" at the front door of the business tells me "we are too busy to see any sales people today", we have a battle going on.  With a birds eye view, I can see the battle going on behind the door, folks with swords and shields fighting it out, with old techniques and equipment engrossed in a huge battle with swords....and by not taking a little time to review potential solutions, the solution they need for a very quick resolution is over looked and turned away as the machine guns would make very quick work of all this. 

This is a very simplified pictorial here, but mentioned to simply make the point of how technology solutions are overlooked and not given a chance, instead more swords and shields will be purchased as the solution, and resolution is continually eroded until the day someone on the other side of the door does something....perhaps called listening and gaining a little education and knowledge, but the cycle is still not complete as the word needs to spread to others...and thus a break through has taken place, but how long before the masses embrace the words of one sole messenger....I think we all know the answer to that one. 

Think about the comments below.."in other countries it is cheaper to hire new employees than to provide healthcare benefits for American workers".. a big potential wake up statement for all working in healthcare today...BD 

____________________________________________________________________

The US will lose thousands of jobs to low-cost countries unless companies reduce soaring healthcare expenditure urgently, Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel, the chip maker, warned on Thursday.

Mr Barrett said failure to curb the $2,000bn annual healthcare bill would compromise the global competitiveness of the US economy. “Healthcare is the Achilles heel of the US in terms of competitiveness,” said Mr Barrett in an interview with the Financial Times.

He said healthcare costs for US companies were so high that it was cheaper for some to hire new employees in a low-cost country than to pay for healthcare benefits for American workers and their families.

The Intel chairman said companies, hospitals and doctors should make greater use of information technology, starting with measures such as the provision of digital health records.

Intel has made little progress in selling to the healthcare sector since creating a digital healthcare division in 2005 and Paul Otellini, its chief executive, has criticized the industry for its resistance to change.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dfb28826-6d32-11dc-ab19-0000779fd2ac.html

AZOR(TM) Receives FDA Approval For Treatment Of High Blood Pressure

It will give physicians a new treatment option for patients whose blood pressure remains too high on currently prescribed medications."  AZOR is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, alone or with other antihypertensive agents. AZOR is not indicated for the initial therapy of hypertension.

Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved AZOR(TM) (amlodipine and olmesartan medoxomil) for the treatment of hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. AZOR is a convenient, once daily, single tablet combination of amlodipine, the number one prescribed calcium channel blocker (CCB) on the market(1), and olmesartan medoxomil, the active ingredient in Benicar(R), which is the fastest growing angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB).(2) The combination of these two medications will give doctors a powerful new treatment option for patients with hypertension who need to reduce their blood pressure levels or who are uncontrolled on other medications.

AZOR(TM) Receives FDA Approval For Treatment Of High Blood Pressure

Twice-Daily ZYFLO CR(TM) (Zileuton) Extended-Release Tablets For The Chronic Treatment Of Asthma

Dey, L.P., an affiliate of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, announced that it has launched ZYFLO CR(TM) (zileuton) extended release tablets with its marketing partner, Critical Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRTX). ZYFLO CR(TM) offers twice-daily, extended-release dosing for the prevention and chronic treatment of asthma in patients 12 years of age and older.

Dey L.P. And Critical Therapeutics Launch Twice-Daily ZYFLO CR(TM) (Zileuton) Extended-Release Tablets For The Chronic Treatment Of Asthma

Cardiologists And Heart Surgeons discuss stem cell procedures

Stem cell therapy for cardiac regeneration and the controversial issue of medicine and the media will be the focus of the keynote addresses at the seventh annual "Controversies and Advances in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease" conference. Conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Oct. 4 and 5, the conference is co-sponsored by the California Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, the California Chapter of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and Promedica International CME.

Controversies And Advances' Conference For Cardiologists And Heart Surgeons

Legal Battle over Generic Version Of Chewable Oral Contraceptive

Pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott on Monday announced it has filed a lawsuit against Barr Laboratories in response to Barr's FDA application for a generic version of Warner's chewable oral contraceptive Femcon Fe, the AP/CNNMoney.com reports (AP/CNNMoney.com, 9/24). The suit was filed in New Jersey District Court (Warner Chilcott release, 9/24).

Warner Chilcott Files Suit Against Barr Laboratories Over Application For Generic Version Of Chewable Oral Contraceptive

FDA Approves New 300mg Loading Dose Tablet For PLAVIX(R) (clopidogrel Bisulfate)

Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for a 300mg tablet of the antiplatelet PLAVIX(R) (clopidogrel bisulfate). The PLAVIX 300mg tablet will facilitate the use of the FDA approved loading dose for appropriate acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients as soon as possible after hospital admission. Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), along with unstable angina (UA) and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), are the three conditions classified as ACS, a major cause of emergency medical care and hospitalization in the United States.

FDA Approves New 300mg Loading Dose Tablet For PLAVIX(R) (clopidogrel Bisulfate)

Wal-Mart Adds Drugs to $4 Program

A permanent link to the PDF page is listed on this site for easy reference...BD 

Wal-Mart said this morning it was expanding its $4-a-month generic drug program, adding about seven new compounds including generic versions of the widely used heart medication Coreg and the anti-fungal drug Lamisil.  In all, the company said its $4 generic plan would now total 361 prescriptions, an increase of about 30 prescriptions.

Coreg, used to treat congestive heart failure and hypertension, became available in this country as a generic earlier this month. Wal-Mart, which said its price of the brand-name version had been $119, said that its availability as a $4 meant that customers would be saving $115 a prescription.

Savings with Lamisil, which had an average price of a month ago of $337 for the branded version, will be even greater under the $4 generic program, the company noted.

Wal-Mart Adds Drugs to $4 Program - New York Times

New England Journal of Medicine- Purple Urine

 How did this happen?  BD

Over the next 3 days, the urine gradually became yellow and clear, in the absence of antibiotic treatment. Purple discoloration can occur in alkaline urine as a result of the degradation of indoxyl sulfate (indican), a metabolite of dietary tryptophan, into indigo (which is blue) and indirubin (which is red) by bacteria such as Providencia stuartii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and enterococcus species.

NEJM -- Purple Urine

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

Michael Moore appears on Oprah to talk about health care for a return visit this week

 

Controversial film director Michael Moore - whose been laying relatively low recently - will appear on Oprah's talk show tomorrow to discuss nationwide healthcare in the U.S. He'll also be debating with an insurance lobbyist in a healthcare face off.  Three other people will discuss their fights with insurers.

ConnieTalk: Michael Moore appears on Oprah to talk about health care

Hip and Knee replacement makers make deals with federal prosecutors to resolve kickback violations

 

NEWARK, N.J. - Five makers of medical device implants have reached a US$310 million agreement to resolve concerns over doctor kickbacks, U.S. prosecutors said Thursday. The agreements were made by Biomet Orthopedics Inc., DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., Smith & Nephew Inc., Stryker Corp., and Zimmer Holdings Inc. The five companies account for almost 95 per cent of the market in hip and knee implants. Four will pay a total of $310 million; all agreed to be monitored. The amounts were based on market share. "This investigation uncovered evidence that health care decisions were being made based on a doctor's wallet and not on a patient's well-being," said Weysan Dun, the agent in charge of the FBI's New Jersey division. Authorities said the companies paid orthopedic surgeons exorbitant amounts of money to be consultants and exclusively use their products. Patients and hospitals were not told of the relationships, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said.

The Canadian Press: Medical implant makers make deals with federal prosecutors

UCLA Medical Center performs its first living donor kidney swap

Neat story...and hopefully congress will approve this for Medicare...BD 

UCLA Medical Center on Sept. 20 performed its first living donor kidney "swap," a procedure in which a loved one of a kidney transplant patient who is not compatible as a donor exchanges organs with another incompatible pair under an innovative new paired donation program. UCLA aims to lead the way for other Southern California transplant centers to adopt this life-enhancing procedure. The program seeks to address the acute shortage of organs by enlarging the pool of living donors who want to donate a kidney to a family member or friend but can't due to issues such as incompatible blood types. With so many people waiting for so few available organs, patients can wait up to six years for a cadaver kidney transplant. Nearly 16,000 people are on the kidney transplant waiting list in California, according to statistics from the United Network for Organ Sharing.

"We hope that this procedure will improve the availability of organs for thousands of patients with end-stage renal disease who would benefit from a transplant," he said.

Very few paired kidney donations have been performed at U.S. transplant centers. Congress is now considering legislation regarding paired donations, and Medicare pays for the procedure.

UCLA Medical Center performs its first living donor kidney swap

FDA approval for generic Accuneb

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has received final approval from the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for albuterol sulfate inhalation solution in the 0.021% (base) and 0.042% (base) strengths. Watson has been awarded 180 days of marketing exclusivity for being the first to file an ANDA containing a paragraph IV certification for the 0.021% (base) strength. Watson's market exclusivity will begin upon commercial launch. Watson intends to launch its albuterol sulfate inhalation product immediately.

Watson Pharmaceuticals receives FDA approval for generic Accuneb

Let patients book their own appointments?

Good alternative...less no shows, patients are more truthful about explaining why they are coming in, and staff has more time to dedicate to patients who need "live" assistance...BD 

Online scheduling has also made promising inroads at Tricare, the healthcare program for the Department of Defense and 9.2 million beneficiaries. Tricare introduced the service at military health facilities in 2001. While less than 1 percent of all appointments are booked online, that figure hovers around 20 percent at individual facilities that actively market the service, says John McCafferty, a flight surgeon at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, OK, who's helping implement the technology. Patients quickly master the system, he notes, and end up with the wrong appointment type no more often than if they'd phoned in. There's a lot to like about online scheduling besides higher patient satisfaction, says McCafferty. He estimates that each do-it-yourself appointment saves Tricare $7 in staff time. The no-show rate is 2 percent, compared to 8 percent for over-the-phone appointments. Self-schedulers also are more truthful when they explain why they're coming in.

Let patients book their own appointments? - Technology Consult - Medical Economics

Hundreds Of Thousands Of Americans To Lose Medicare Premium Assistance, Unless Congress Acts Immediately

A federal program that pays the Medicare Part B premium for low-income people with Medicare will end on September 30 unless Congress extends the program. "Congress must not turn its back on older and disabled Americans with low incomes who depend on Medicare premium support to allow them to afford Medicare," said Robert M. Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a national consumer group. "Without premium assistance, some poor Americans with Medicare will drop their critical Medicare outpatient coverage altogether, or go without essentials to pay for it."

Hundreds Of Thousands Of Americans To Lose Medicare Premium Assistance, Unless Congress Acts Immediately

State and city healthcare reforms collide with a U.S. law

This article talks about a federal law that could indeed make it difficult for state mandates to include employers being taxed for health insurance a potential road block...it could all be undone in court..and if that is the case, where are we, back at square one?  Also, we hear of so many stories about individual bankruptcies...as insurance costs keep rising for employers, will business bankruptcies start next if the cost of benefits prohibits the company from making a profit...BD

Oakland, Calif. - The biggest name in healthcare reform isn't Hillary, or Mitt, or Arnold it's ERISA. That's the name of a federal law that could invalidate many of the budding efforts by states and cities to expand access to healthcare. ERISA, which stands for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, shields businesses from state and local regulation of the benefits they offer workers, including health insurance. Without the law, national companies in particular could achieve little uniformity in their benefit plans.

In California, Governor Schwarzenegger has followed Mr. Romney's consensus-building approach. The plans floating around the capitol call for businesses to pony up more money, however, raising the risk that a deal will be undone in court. The National Federation of Independent Businesses says it needs to see the outcome, but the group is weighing a lawsuit.

Tapping employers to cover more workers, or to contribute to a healthcare pool, is one of the most attractive means for cash-strapped cities and states to reduce the ranks of the uninsured. After the ruling in the Maryland case, adding businesses to the equation looked a lot harder.

But that uniformity comes at a cost: The law limits the abilities of state legislatures to serve as laboratories for healthcare solutions. Courts have already applied ERISA to strike down efforts in Maryland and Suffolk County, N.Y., that would compel employers to cover more people.

State and city healthcare reforms collide with a U.S. law | csmonitor.com

Monasteries enter the Internet Age

Monks are particularly fond of e-mail, and many find it extremely useful and less intrusive than a telephone call, Smith says. "There are certain orders and more contemplative houses that won't even talk with a woman, but they'll answer an e-mail."

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A monk's life is still a simple one of prayer and austerity, yet many monasteries have moved online for business, communication and even headhunting purposes. All the Trappist houses in America are wired and we communicate like never before in terms of documents and business of the Order," said Brother Luke Armour of the Abbey of Gethsemani in central Kentucky. "Our contact with Order headquarters in Rome is so much simpler and smoother," said the monk, who has lived in the Abbey for 34 years. Indeed, many monasteries have jumped on the Internet bandwagon to sell a broad range of wares such as books, music, incense, edibles and wearables. A simple Google search using the words, "monastery" and "online store" yields 1,060,000 results.

Monasteries enter the Internet Age - Yahoo! News

More Employers Turn to Disease Management

Is this another bad experiment...to contain costs...with off the shelf disease management programs...large companies can mold such a project, but small employers get the "boxed" deal from their carriers and the recommended outsource companies who provide this, many either owned or funded by the insurance companies...bottom line is that your employer is going to want to know how "diseased' you are...BD 

Nearly all large employers provide health benefits; more than half of small employers do not. And the difference in size and sophistication largely determines an employers ability to control health care costs. The most popular means for doing so, at least as reported in a recently published report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust, is to manage the health of employeessomething that large employers are turning to in increasing numbers.

Small companies, meanwhile, purchase disease management as part of their health insurance. With a less focused approach, participation rates are lower.We are not falling off a cliff,” he says, “but we are facing a slow and long-term erosion of our employer-based system.”

To contain costs, companies have turned to disease management over consumer-directed health plans, higher employee cost sharing and tighter managed care networks, according to the Kaiser report.

More Employers Turn to Disease Management | workforce.com

Many drugs slip through regulatory 'black hole'

Good question, how does this happen and why doesn't the FDA make a public list available?  BD 

Many doctors and pharmacists seem unaware of this wrinkle in the approval process. "I think most doctors, maybe all doctors, assume that if a medication is on the market, it has been approved by the FDA, it must be safe and effective," American Medical Association President Ron Davis said.

Every year, doctors write approximately 65 million prescriptions for drugs not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency that regulates prescription drugs. Autor Deborah Autor of the FDA says it is doing everything it can to target unapproved drugs that might be dangerous. Click to view previous image 1 of 3 Click to view next image These drugs, some of which the FDA admits could be dangerous, slip through a "black hole" in the drug approval system, according to one U.S. congressman.

"There's a regulatory black hole that makes it possible for the pharmaceutical companies to get these drugs to the stores that sell them without the FDA being able to monitor it," said Rep. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts. When a pharmaceutical company submits a new drug for approval, the FDA gives it a 10-digit number called a National Drug Code. The FDA provides the number before the drug is approved in order to track it through the approval process. But pharmacies use this same number as an order number that works whether or not the drug is FDA-approved.

Jacque Gibson White said her daughter was killed by an unapproved drug more than 20 years ago. She can't believe any unapproved drugs are still on the market.

"I did not realize there are still drugs out there that weren't being monitored or approved," she said. "I still to this day do not understand how they get out there."

Many drugs slip through regulatory 'black hole' - CNN.com

Study Of An advanced Cervical Disc Implant

On going study with an alternative solution to fusing cervical discs...more information available on the study at the web site along with information on if you could qualify for the procedure...still in the study phase...BD

Columbus-based surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Lobel with Neurological Associates, Inc. is leading an FDA-approved research study in Ohio of a new device called NeoDisc, made by NuVasive, Inc. This device is designed to restore range of motion to those suffering with severe neck, shoulder and arm pain caused by a degenerated disc.

Central Ohio's Neurological Associates, Inc. Is Leading The Only Ohio Study Of Anadvanced Cervical Disc Implant

New Procedure For Hip Pain - Hip Arthroscopy as an Outpatient procedure

Done on an outpatient basis, but may not be covered yet by some insurance companies...good new though if this can have the ability to either post pone a hip replacement or eliminate it all together.  BD 

The Cardinal Orthopaedic Institutes' Kenneth J. Westerheide, MD is one of the only Ohio surgeons trained to perform a new outpatient procedure called hip arthroscopy. For those suffering from serious hip pain, this procedure may postpone the need for hip replacement surgery or eliminate it altogether. Dr. Westerheide recently performed arthroscopy on both hips of Ohio kindergarten teacher Helen Raines.

The doctor was out-of-network and her insurance refused to cover the procedure. It was through her appeals process with the insurance company that she found Dr. Westerheide - 18 months after the onset of her pain.

"This procedure is common among active individuals in their 30's and 40's, although I've treated athletes as young as 19," said Dr. Westerheide. "Patients generally experience quicker recovery time and the degree of risk is less than that associated with a hip dislocation procedure, where a large incision can compromise blood flow."

Cardinal Orthopaedic Institute Offers New Procedure For Hip Pain

A Heavy Burden on Emergency Services

Emergency equipment requirements changing to accommodate over weight patients...BD 

Some communities have had to invest in special bariatric ambulances -- trucks equipped with hoists and special stretchers to transport patients weighing up to 1,100 pounds.

"Occasionally the fire department may be called in to help remove a patient via cherry picker because they cannot be brought through the stairwell," said Dr. Shelly Jacobson, chair of emergency medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Extra wide beds, stronger toilets and special patient lifting devices are becoming more and more common in emergency rooms. The reason for such new equipment? Hospitals across the United States are struggling to handle increasing numbers of extra-large patients.

ABC News: A Heavy Burden on Emergency Services

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

Employer-Sponsored Health Plan Costs Expected To Increase 8.7% In 2008, According To Study

Employers can expect to see your carrier to be encouraging the use of Care Managers to keep the cost down soon.  I wrote about this in a prior post.  BD 

Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased by more than twice the rate of inflation in 2007, and costs are expected to continue to rise next year, with employees shouldering more of the costs, according to a study released Monday by Hewitt Associates, Dow Jones reports. The study was based on survey data that included 1,800 health plans, including 400 large employers, and more than 18 million plan enrollees. According to the study, the cost of providing employee health benefits increased by an average of 5.3% in 2007 -- the smallest rate of increase in nine years -- down from 7.9% in 2006. Hewitt estimates that costs will increase by 8.7% in 2008. The report projects that the average annual premium cost per employee will be $8,676 next year, up from $7,982 in 2007. Employees' out-of-pocket contributions to premiums next year are expected to rise to $1,859, or 21.4% of total premiums, compared with $1,690, or 21.2%, this year.

Employer-Sponsored Health Plan Costs Expected To Increase 8.7% In 2008, According To Study

Employers, Health Insurers Increasingly Use Care Managers To Review Physicians' Treatment Plans, Ensure They Conform To Evidence-Based Practices

Another level of health care for those working for companies providing insurance...you could be seeing a "Care Manager" on the scene next...physicians as well may have this new layer of patient care to deal with at the office as well.  As the article states, the physician should be the one who should be ultimately in charge...Care Managers will also be looking cost items as well, since the incentive for care managers is to also manage cost and their work is usually connected to the amount of money paid for health care through the insurer.  Care managers...are they managing care or cost?  BD 

A growing number of employers and health insurers are using care managers, or integrated health managers, who "essentially audit an employee's health care and look for ways to both improve outcomes and save money," the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the consulting firm Deloitte & Touche, there are more than 200 care managers in the U.S. who provide "programs designed to save employers and health plans money by reviewing employees' health care claims and targeting high-cost cases for special management," the Journal reports.

Critics say that some of the programs "intrude into the private relationship between patients and their doctors and that they add yet another layer of bureaucracy, while saving money mostly by denying or switching specific drugs and procedures," according to the Journal. Other critics say that care managers can be inflexible and ignore differences between individual patients and the judgment of physicians and nurses.

Cecil Wilson, immediate past chair of the American Medical Association, said, "The patient's physician should ultimately be the one in charge," adding that cost-saving should not be the main goal of care managers (McQueen, Wall Street Journal, 9/25).

Employers, Health Insurers Increasingly Use Care Managers To Review Physicians' Treatment Plans, Ensure They Conform To Evidence-Based Practices

Cardiovascular Systems Inc. - Diamondback 360° received FDA approval

New technology for removing plaque from blood vessels...the difference from existing technologies is the ability to remove hard calcified plaque along with other types with an orbiting action.  The web site has quite a few videos and a pretty large concentration of additional information. From the press release, it appears the major medical centers are adopting this technology quickly.  BD

ViperWire" Guide Wire * Specifically designed for the Diamondback 360° System to achieve maximum performance * Available in intermediate and firm

The Diamondback 360° System uses the principle of centrifugal force. As crown rotation increases, centrifugal force presses the eccentrically mounted, diamond-coated crown against the stenotic lesion, removing a thin layer of plaque. The increasing crown orbit creates a larger lumen — minimizing procedure time and expense of catheter upsizing.

Within 48 hours of clearance, major medical centers across the country began adopting the new technology. The first doctors successfully completing procedures included Lou Lopez MD, St. Joseph Hospital, IN; Tom Davis MD, Detroit Medical Center, MI; Khusrow Niazi MD, Emory Crawford Long Hospital, GA; P.K. Khanna MD, Eisenhower Hospital, CA; and Daniel Dulas MD, Mercy Medical Center, MN. Dr. Tom Davis of Detroit Medical Center explains, "Up until now, we have not had an effective tool for treating heavily calcified vessels ... this technology is a significant breakthrough for treating PAD. The Diamondback 360 allows me the ability to offer my patients almost instantaneous improvement in restoring mobility and/or healing wounds." Dozens of patients were treated successfully within the first couple of weeks of release.

 

Cardiovascular Systems Inc. - Diamondback 360°

Press release:  http://www.news-medical.net/?id=30298

Hat Tip (great find)  Medgdget

Medicare Rights Center-Help Tools - Interactive Counselor

Let's hope this is a good tool...it certainly doesn't get any easier trying to figure out which plan will work for you...hopefully this will be updated regularly...as you have probably read the insurance companies are ready to begin marketing once more...so the race is on to once again solicit your business...BD 

Medicare Interactive (MI) Counselor makes all of MRC's knowledge and experience available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MI Counselor uses easy-to-understand language and timely information to help you learn the ins and outs of Medicare. Through MI Counselor's straightforward Q&A format, you will learn what Medicare covers, what it doesnt, how to pick a Medicare health plan, what you need to know about Medicares drug coverage (Part D), how to appeal if coverage or care is denied, and much more.

Medicare Rights Center-Help Tools

Depuy Mitek Introduces Next Generation Suture Passer For Arthroscopic Shoulder Repair

New procedures for rotator cuff repair...site has Webcast available for viewing as well...BD

DePuy Mitek, Inc., a leading manufacturer of surgical sports medicine devices, announced the launch of the EXPRESSEW II Flexible Suture Passer, a minimally invasive device that saves time and increases operating room efficiency during arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery. EXPRESSEW II, the next generation in lateral suture passers offered by DePuy Mitek, saves time by providing simplified needle and suture loading and an automated, one-step procedure for passing the needle and suture through the rotator cuff tendon. Its enhanced ergonomics and function provide simplicity, flexibility and reliability in suture management.

"This next-generation device has been thoughtfully engineered to significantly reduce one of the most difficult aspects of arthroscopic shoulder surgery."

Depuy Mitek Introduces Next Generation Suture Passer For Arthroscopic Shoulder Repair

Web Site:  http://www.or-live.com/depuymitek/index.cfm

Relief for foot drop, dropfoot

May even improve circulation too as an added benefit...BD

In the spirit of the 15th century artist and visionary Leonardo da Vinci, the da Vinci Awards honour the most innovative developments and research in adaptive and assistive technology that embrace the Universal Design Principle-an approach to the design of products, services and environments to be usable by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or circumstance.

WalkAide is a medical device that, after more than a decade in development, has received marketing clearance from the FDA for improving walking ability of people suffering from dropfoot. The condition is caused by weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in lifting the front part of the foot (including peroneal nerve palsy), which causes a person to experience symptoms such as dragging the toe of the shoe on the ground or slapping the foot on the floor. Invented by a team at the University of Alberta, WalkAide uses functional electrical stimulation to restore the typical nerve-to-muscle signals in the leg and foot, effectively lifting the foot at the appropriate time during the gait cycle. The resulting movement is a smoother, more natural and safer stepping motion. Users are able to walk faster and for longer distances with less fatigue. In fact, many people who try WalkAide experience immediate and substantial improvement in their walking ability, which increases their mobility, functionality, and overall independence.

Innovative Neurotronics - foot drop, dropfoot, Peroneal nerve palsy, functional electrical stimulation - Products

Source:  http://www.news-medical.net/?id=30367

To Keep Health Plans, Many Firms Shift Costs - Virtual Insurance could be one of them...

 Virtual Insurance....Even more minimalist is companies’ paying nothing, leaving employees with the whole premium....... companies can offer coverage through a payroll deduction and might be able to arrange group rates.

New term...virtual insurance...just the sound of this term gives me the jitters...BD 

HEALTH insurance premiums have been rising faster than the rate of inflation for years. Lack of health coverage has become a major issue in the presidential race. Yet somehow, 59 percent of small businesses provide some kind of insurance, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. True, that percentage was down from 68 percent just six years ago, says the foundation, a health policy research group that conducted the study of more than 3,100 employers. But many businesses still offer coverage, especially professional firms, mostly because of competition for employees, said Gary Claxton, a vice president at Kaiser. How do they afford it? By cutting benefits and shifting more costs onto their workers. There are also newer insurance products geared to this market:

To Keep Health Plans, Many Firms Shift Costs - New York Times

More time for hospital retrofits may be granted by state

SACRAMENTO - Some California hospitals could be granted up to a 12-year reprieve from having to meet tough state seismic-safety standards under a bill now waiting for the governor's signature. Critics, however, say any delays in retrofitting could endanger the safety of patients and staff in the event of a major earthquak

LA Daily News - More time for hospital retrofits may be granted by state

Don't retire: Get a job

Interesting story on how this doctor went to work for another doctor versus retiring...and still was able to care for his same patients...BD 

I can't say that my employees Betty who handled the front-office and Ellie who assisted me in back didn't give plenty of notice when they said they planned to retire. In fact, I had six full months to contemplate what to do next. But I faced a dilemma: I didn't want to retire along with my employees, yet the thought of rebuilding a staff was daunting. Betty had been with me for 27 years, typing my office notes, doing billing and collections, handling insurance problems, making appointments, and dealing very professionally with the public. Ellie, who had worked for me for 11 years, was just as patient-centric. She handled traffic flow, assisted me with female exams, drew blood, and did basic lab work. Both women saw to it that I didn't fall too far behind schedule when my fondness for chatting made me forget the clock.

Don't retire: Get a job - This sixtysomething internist faced a no-win dilemma: rebuild his practice or dismantle it. Then he came up with a third option. - Medical Economics

OTC statin treatment could help stem the cardiovascular disease epidemic

Discussion about an over the counter statin treatment....BD  

Making statin treatment available without a prescription could help the fight against heart disease, says Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Director of the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute and the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Writing in the September 1 edition of The American Journal of Cardiology,

in the United States and remains the leading cause of death in this country. Cholesterol is a primary risk factor for heart disease. The number of Americans estimated to have coronary heart disease is expected to more than double by 2050, according to the editorial. "Even though statins have been available for 20 years, and have proven to be safe and effective in lowering cholesterol, many patients throughout the world still do not get this treatment," said Dr. Fuster. "We have made only limited progress tackling coronary heart disease, and we need additional approaches to prevent this epidemic from continuing.

OTC statin treatment could help stem the cardiovascular disease epidemic

U.S. Rule Limits Emergency Care for Immigrants - New York

Caught in the middle?  What determines emergency care?...treatments that are not an emergency are not covered by either state or federal funds..other states have similar or related actions in the works...how do hospitals and doctors respond?  Is it under used?  I'm not quite sure I understand all of this as well...what part is under used?  BD

The federal government has told New York State health officials that chemotherapy, which had been covered for illegal immigrants under a government-financed program for emergency medical care, does not qualify for coverage. The decision sets the stage for a battle between the state and federal governments over how medical emergencies are defined.

Under a limited provision of Medicaid, the national health program for the poor, the federal government permits emergency coverage for illegal immigrants and other noncitizens. But the Bush administration has been more closely scrutinizing and increasingly denying state claims for federal payment for some emergency services, Medicaid experts said.

Last month, federal officials, concluding an audit that began in 2004 and was not challenged by the state until now, told New York State that they would no longer provide matching funds for chemotherapy under the emergency program. Yesterday, state officials sent a letter to the federal Medicaid agency protesting the change, saying that doctors, not the federal government, should determine when chemotherapy is needed.

Health advocates say that many illegal immigrants who need and qualify for emergency care are afraid to seek help, and that emergency Medicaid is underused.

U.S. Rule Limits Emergency Care for Immigrants - New York Times

What is everyone doing with those tablets?

If you have not had the opportunity to see and try out a Tablet PC, this might be the next best thing to get an idea on how some of this works.  A Tablet enables you to take notes with "inking", in other words your hand writing.  Some of this is now moving to the web as well.  Below is a link to download the Microsoft Silverlight plug in which will enable you to view a web sample of Windows Journal, the never ending "yellow pad" for taking notes.  If you are on a company computer, you may not be able to download and install the add on.  There's a version for Mac OS too. 

If you do not have a tablet, you will have to use your mouse to write, so you can see how much easier this will be with a stylus (pen).  Write some notes, use the eraser, do some high lighting and have some fun.  At the top of the page are some arrows to view a few additional examples.  This is just a wonderful sample page that shows how "inking" is done! 

After installing Silverlight, visit the link below and try some web based inking...this is what all of us with tablets do all the time...and we save these notes too.  BD 

http://www.thedatafarm.com/silverlight/journalsample/

Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications (RIAs) for the Web. The Silverlight 1.0 will auto-update to the final release.

Microsoft Silverlight: Downloads for Cross-Platform RIA Development

Citigroup Customer Data Leaked on LimeWire

More on the peer to peer data breach... CTI doesn't need this type of publicity either...so again if you are working in a medical environment...remember your computer is a tool to conduct business...and use your computer at home for peer to peer purposes..not only that but her entire resume and vacation information was on the network for anyone to read as well.  If you are using a personal computer to conduct business, use another computer for this type of activity...old saying goes, don't mix business with pleasure.  BD   

Citgroup has confirmed that it's investigating a data breach involving the names, Social Security numbers and credit information of 5,208 customers leaked by an employee of its ABN Amro Mortgage Group unit onto the LimeWire peer-to-peer file-sharing network.

Tiversa, a company that monitors P2P networks on behalf of clients, told eWEEK that it found Excel spreadsheets from the desktop of a financial analyst ABN Amro Mortgage Group running LimeWire. Although Tiversa found over 10,000 files, deduplication revealed only 5,208 unique Social Security numbers, along with names and what type of mortgage each customer had: conventional, 30-year or conforming, for example.

According to a Dow Jones Newswire report, the ABN employee responsible for posting the data signed up last year to use a LimeWire-like P2P service and inadvertently exposed not only the spreadsheet but also personal documents, including her resume and a Travelocity confirmation of a family trip. The woman told the news service that she was laid off this summer and wasn't aware of the breach before Dow Jones contacted her on Sept. 20.

Citigroup Customer Data Leaked on LimeWire

Walking proof of insurance crisis - Los Angeles

The "man on the street" talks to various residents in Hollywood, they have jobs but can't afford insurance...BD 

Tapan Chowdhury works in a shop at Hollywood and Vine, selling cheap plastic Oscar statuettes to tourists. Despite full-time employment, he's one of the 47 million Americans who doesn't have health insurance. "It's very, very hard for me," Chowdhury said. He has diabetes and figures he spends about $200 a month treating his illness. "I always pay cash," he said. "It's very expensive.

Walking proof of insurance crisis - Los Angeles Times

Medicaid drug rule may hurt recipients - or at least those seeing physicians still using paper pads....

The key word here is "non electronic prescriptions"...if you are a physician, and affected by the new law, do yourself a favor and enroll in the FREE E-PRESCRIBING INITIATIVE.  There is a permanent link on this page as well to the site.  IT DOESN'T COST ANYTHING FOR PHYSICIANS.  If you have a computer connected to the Internet, you are set.  Be aware there are penalties for the pharmacies as well for not following directions on the paper pads...one other thing to think about...why e-prescribing...when you send paper, you create work at the pharmacy...called data entry...extra labor for the drug stores...so the choice is there to continue to battle paper, or start electronically transmitting prescriptions...BD 

"Nobody really knew where this came from," says Jamila Edwards of the California Primary Care Association. "The patient's going to be in the middle thinking, 'How come I didn't get my medication?' "

"In our state, very few doctors use these kinds of pads," says Doug Porter, the Medicaid director in Washington. "I think some people will be denied service, and that will be a very bad situation."

WASHINGTON An obscure provision slipped into a $120 billion Iraq spending bill in May threatens to leave some poor and disabled Medicaid recipients without prescription drugs in October. In a case of unintended consequences, Congress inserted a rule cracking down on Medicaid fraud that requires that all non-electronic prescriptions for Medicaid patients be written on tamper-resistant paper. The rule was devised as a way to raise nearly $150 million over five years for public hospitals, the amount that Medicaid fraud costs the federal government. It has been criticized as too much, too soon by pharmacists, doctors, patient advocacy groups and state Medicaid officials. They say doctors could leave Medicaid, pharmacists could lose money and patients could be denied drugs.

Medicaid drug rule may hurt recipients - USATODAY.com

Allyson Pollock on what Michael Moore's new film, Sicko, doesn't tell you

The Brits are slowly getting a taste of Kaiser as they privatize many of their hospitals...to make money?  BD 

For almost every PFI hospital built, three hospitals close. Bed closures and staff reductions occur on an unprecedented scale.

The paper had done its work. Its propaganda was cited and repeated everywhere by academics and policy-makers and, most crucially, by the government in its white papers and documents, including the Wanless Report. The much-despised US healthcare industry, of which Kaiser Permanente is a part, was to be the new model for Britain.

The film is very much made for a US audience. Moore does not go into the huge changes that are taking place in European healthcare - and the new, privatising project going on here. It might surprise many British people who see the film to know that, for example, the British government has for years been in contact with Kaiser Permanente, one of the big US healthcare corporations, and is actively trying to remodel the NHS along American lines. All the reforms carried out by the government over the past few years have been aimed at that.

In 1995, civil servants from the Department of Health, fresh from visits to the US, thought they had found the future of the NHS. They invited Kaiser Permanente to look at whether it could deliver health services as part of the new Private Finance Initiative in the NHS. The PFI is a building programme of public infrastructure that brings with it a long-term debt that the government takes out from a private company. But as the medical director of Kaiser Permanente, which is both an insurer and healthcare provider, told me at the time in her marbled headquarters in California, the NHS was not yet ready for Kaiser.

Allyson Pollock on what Michael Moore's new film, Sicko, doesn't tell you ... | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics

Former Pfizer Worker Could Face Charges

Data Loss/Breach story of the week...BD

Pfizer Inc. has contacted federal authorities in hopes they will prosecute a former employee responsible for a data breach that affected 34,000 people, according to information released Monday by the Connecticut attorney general's office. Pfizer attorney Bernard Nash, in a five-page response to questions posed earlier this month by state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, said the company last month contacted a management-level federal prosecutor and now hopes the former employee will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

TheDay.com - Former Pfizer Worker Could Face Charges

Is the quality of elder care in jeopardy?

Not enough medically trained individuals around...BD

Before going to sleep on Aug. 31, 2006, a 72-year-old woman living at Oceanside Home Care in Los Osos was fed some macaroni salad and corn bread.

The next morning staff at the six-bed residential care home found her lying unconscious on the bedroom floor. Paramedics took her to the hospital after diagnosing a diabetic coma—her second in three weeks.

The woman, whose identify was not released by state investigators, never regained consciousness and died in the hospital seven days later.

State licensing officers inspect the facilities once every five years unless they receive a complaint like they did from the Long Term Care Ombudsman following the diabetic woman’s death at Oceanside.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/149372.html

Cardiovascular Webcast: Cardiovascular Specialists at Children's Hospital Boston to Perform Rare Interventional Catheterization During Live Webcast

For other live events, check the OR-Live listings on this site in the right hand column...BD

On Thursday, Oct. 4, at 9 a.m. ET, cardiovascular specialists at Children's Hospital Boston will perform a rare interventional catheterization during a live Webcast on www.OR-Live.com. Children's hosts three to four Webcasts annually to showcase its pioneering care and technology to specialists and referring clinicians around the world, and to educate consumers on the latest and most innovative medical treatments available. The Webcast will feature a Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (TPV) implantation, currently in clinical trial at Children's and two other pediatric hospitals. The non-surgical treatment restores effective pulmonary valve function and potentially prolongs the functional life of the right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduits. Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), producer of the valve, is sponsoring the study.

OR-Live Presents: Cardiovascular Webcast: Cardiovascular Specialists at Children's Hospital Boston to Perform Rare Interventional Catheterization During Live Webcast

Fremont-Rideout Delays Negotiations - Another Strike Possible (Nursing)

At the request of the California Nurses Association, the federal mediator contacted Fremont-Rideout Health Group and asked the parties to meet this week. The registered nurses agreed to the proposed date of Wednesday, September 26, but FRHG refused. After RNs directly called on Bill Bravos, Chairman of the FRHG Board of Directors, to direct their attorney to meet, hospital officials have said they are available October 4, but are still refusing to move on any of their proposals. The CNA nurse negotiating team stands ready and willing to meet and negotiate.

Fremont-Rideout Delays Negotiations - Another Strike Possible (Nursing)

Medtronic Receives FDA Approval for New Cardiac Systems with Distance Wireless Telemetry

 

Medtronic Receives FDA Approval for New Cardiac Systems with Distance Wireless Telemetry Concerto CRT-D and Virtuoso ICD transmit patient data remotely and automatically to physicians, enabling better care MINNEAPOLIS May 17, 2006 Medtronic, Inc., (NYSE: MDT) today announced United States Food and Drug Administration approval of the Medtronic Concerto"/Virtuoso" line of implantable cardiac devices, Medtronics next generation of cardiac rhythm disease management products. The approval coincides with Heart Rhythm 2006, the Heart Rhythm Societys 27th Annual Scientific Sessions the pre-eminent gathering of medical professionals from across the globe who specialize in the hearts rhythms and electrical function. Market availability of these devices will follow in June 2006.

Medtronic Receives FDA Approval for New Cardiac Systems with Distance Wireless Telemetry

Hat Tip:  Medgadget

Homeland security cyber attacks probed

Do you take security seriously with your network...nobody seems to be immune...be sure your network is using updated and current security products... and work with your IT folks...BD 

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he believes Unisys Corp the company that holds the $1.7 billion contract to build parts of the Homeland Security Department's computer network is at fault for these network break-ins. Thompson chairs the House Homeland Security committee and asked the department's inspector general to investigate. Thompson's investigation found that dozens of computers may have been compromised by hackers, but the incidents were not noticed until months after the attacks. Information taken from the department's systems was sent to a Web service that connects to Chinese Internet sites, and contractors gave misleading information to the department about the attacks, according to Thompson's findings.

Homeland security cyber attacks probed - Yahoo! News

How to Take Notes on Your Notebook (Computer)

Good article on the use of One Note...Part of the Microsoft Office Suite...this is something I use all the time to keep notes on all my meetings with clients...and when I need to find a note from a past meeting, I can simply do a query to find the note...AND...it will search my notes that were saved in ink, in other words it searches my handwriting...this articles talks about the many ways a notebook and tablet can be used for notes..with One Note being the top candidate for all...it is by far the easiest...

Did you know physicians can also use One Note for charting?  Students, Lawyers, etc. anyone who takes notes can use One Note.  Take a look at the One Note Add On for physicians from the Ablet Factory...great for the small practice..and very affordable..BD 

Microsoft OneNote In my 6 months of use in classes of all types, I have yet to find something that OneNote hasnt been able to handle (certainly when compared to all other programs). OneNote does quite a few nice things. First, it features all of the formatting options that are commonly used by note takers, including bullets, lists, fonts, and more. . Also, not only can OneNote handle basic shapes for drawings, OneNote is fully compatible with Ink based notes (from either a Tablet PC or from a writing tablet). This opens doors for people that might not otherwise consider using their computers for notes. For instance, I use OOneNote for engineering and math classes, which would otherwise be nearly impossible on a computer. One more thing that is invaluable is OneNotes search abilities. You can quickly and easily search through your notes, it will search the text, ink, and for words in a picture. This quick access makes OneNote my choice for notes.

How to Take Notes on Your Notebook (Computer)

European directive will halt use of MRI scans; cancer diagnosis and treatment will suffer

The end of MRI's in Europe?  BD 

Implementation of the Physical Agents (Electromagnetic Fields) Directive 2004/40/EC in all Member States could effectively halt the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an important tool in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research, a scientist told a press conference at the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) (Monday September 24). The Directive is due to be implemented across Europe by April 2008. The Directive was drafted by DG Employment, with the aim of minimising workers' exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). Currently eight million MRI patient examinations per year are carried out in Europe, said Professor Dag Rune Olsen, who works in experimental radiation therapy at the Norwegian Radiation Hospital, Oslo, Norway, and is chairman of the physics committee of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO). "But these are likely to have to stop, since the Directive sets limits to occupational radiation exposure which will mean that anyone working or moving near MRI equipment will breach them, thus making it possible for them to sue their employers. Even those maintaining or servicing the equipment may be affected," he said.

"Slovakia has already implemented the directive, on the grounds that it was based on the assumption that the limits which it sets would have no effect. This would appear to mean that it is now illegal to carry out MRI scanning in the country."

European directive will halt use of MRI scans; cancer diagnosis and treatment will suffer

Surviving in the Medical Field

Another good video from Dr. Farrago...he's rapidly becoming one of the favorites here...this talk is about relationships...doctors to doctor...and has a few laughs as well.  BD 

Popeye's Medical

Poor Popeye....BD

Health insurance a requirement for more college students

If students do not prove they have insurance or adequate health insurance, the university automatically charges their semester bill for a 3rd party health plan...BD

An infection that popped a blood vessel in Jamie Hedrick's throat sent her to the emergency room and left a $5,000 bill. It took two days of vicious food poisoning symptoms for Phil Phelps to call a doctor - a friend's father who would see him for free. The local residents are part of a group that sometimes gets overlooked in the national health care debate: college students with limited or no health insurance. Joining a national trend, some local colleges are requiring students to prove they have insurance before starting classes or the colleges are beefing up coverage mandates. University leaders say it's for the well-being of students. But the move also helps keep students in school, preventing them from dropping out because of a medical debt. Some schools also are negotiating with third-party insurance companies by asking them to cover parts of colleges' internal health service costs - saving the schools money and, college officials say, keeping those fees lower in students' tuition bills.

Kettering University is at the forefront of the trend locally. This is the first year Kettering is enforcing a requirement that all students prove they have adequate insurance. Otherwise, the university automatically charges $492 to their semester bill for a third-party health plan.

Health insurance a requirement for more college students- mlive.com

Value of annual checkup questioned

How do many preventive health tests get started...are many not started with an annual physical?  Do we not want to pay doctors for this service?  I would think this falls into the category of wellness?  BD

WASHINGTON - The customary annual physical checkup at the doctor's office may not be worth the time or money, researchers said on Monday. About 63 million U.S. adults visit a doctor annually for a routine medical or gynecological checkup at a total cost of $7.8 billion, according to a study intended to help answer questions about the value of this trip to the doctor's office.

"I'm not saying that preventive care itself is not helpful. It is clearly helpful — mammograms, pap smears, cholesterol screening, colon cancer screening, prostate cancer screening. And patients should get those. But does it need to happen at this special visit? Or can we get it some other way?" he said.

Value of annual checkup questioned - Health Care - MSNBC.com

Lower Back Pain May Respond Better To Acupuncture Therapy Than Conventional Therapy

Acupuncture has worked for me...although I know there are still many questions about whether or not it is a good treatment for pain...it works in my book.  BD

If you suffer from lower back pain you might find that six months of acupuncture gives you superior results to conventional therapy, says a report in Archives of Internal Medicine (JAMA/Archives), September 24th issue. However, the study also indicates that sham acupuncture seems to be effective as well. The authors explain "Low back pain is a common, impairing and disabling condition, often long-term, with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 70 percent to 85 percent. It is the second most common pain for which physician treatment is sought and a major reason for absenteeism and disability."

Lower Back Pain May Respond Better To Acupuncture Therapy Than Conventional Therapy

AMA Urges Congress To Stop Medicare Cuts

Is Congress creating the crisis by no adverting physician pay cuts?  Would you want your salary at work to be reduced back to what you made in 1991?  It is already difficult for many seniors to find a physician and this certainly does not help the cause..

The American Medical Association (AMA) National House Call campaign visits New Mexico and urges residents to help press Congress to stop scheduled Medicare cuts. Unless Congress intervenes, Medicare will slash physician payments 15 percent over the next two years beginning on Jan. 1, 2008. "Payments to physicians aren't keeping pace with the costs of practicing medicine, and our concern is that, as shown in the government's own data, seniors are already finding it more difficult to find a new physician," said AMA Immediate Past President William G. Plested III, MD. "According to MedPAC, the government commission that advises Congress on Medicare issues, 24 percent of Medicare patients who are looking for a new primary care physician are having trouble finding one.

AMA Urges Congress To Stop Medicare Cuts

ZoomIt v1.7 - Software for the Tablet, use for presentations..

I really like this simple application and became acquainted with it last year at a Microsoft Tech Net meeting.  Although a tablet is ultimate, it works on any PC.  If you have already found ZoomIt, this might offer you an update at the site.  When doing projected demonstration is works very well to magnify selected portions of the screen and being able to use some ink on the screen makes any presentation better focused.  Using the inking on medical images could be very helpful and the inking is only scratchpad and is not permanently annotated.  Does not require an installation so it would work on a portable drive as well.  BD

ZoomIt is screen zoom and annotation tool for technical presentations that include application demonstrations. ZoomIt runs unobtrusively in the tray and activates with customizable hotkeys to zoom in on an area of the screen, move around while zoomed, and draw on the zoomed image. I wrote ZoomIt to fit my specific needs and use it in all my presentations. ZoomIt works on all versions of Windows and you can use pen input for ZoomIt drawing on tablet PCs.

ZoomIt v1.7

Leiner Health Products Accused of Falsifying Tests on Store Brand Drugs Sold by Wal-Mart, Others. FDA says Defective Drugs Should Have Been Recalled.

Keep an eye out on which vitamins you purchase today..this company has been around for many years and used to be an account of mine many years back..hope everything gets worked out ...BD 

Leiner Health Products, a drug maker that produces store brand over-the-counter medications and vitamins for retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, CVS and others, has been accused by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) of falsifying and manipulating test results on its products. The accusations led the FDA to raid the companys Fort Mill, South Carolina manufacturing facility earlier this month. The FDA is investigating the California-based company to see if it committed criminal violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Another employee told the FDA that it was “just common knowledge” that impurities found in products could be ignored.

Leiner Health Products Accused of Falsifying Tests on Store Brand Drugs Sold by Wal-Mart, Others. FDA says Defective Drugs Should Have Been Recalled.

Controlling Foot Odor

In the midst of all the health insurance stories this week, let's take a break and make sure our feet don't stink...guys...listen up..get 2 pairs of gym shoes so they an air out a day...they are the worst stinking shoes around!  BD 

(HealthDay News) - Sweaty feet and shoes that don't allow for circulation can lead to fungus and bacteria breeding inside your shoes and socks. These germs can cause an embarrassing odor when you remove your shoes.

Don't wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row.

Health Tip: Controlling Foot Odor - Forbes.com

California sets stage for national debate on health-care reform

As mentioned many times on the blog before, it appears the whole country is watching us..and what happens here will definitely have an impact on how insurance is handled nationally...I still say put that sales tax out there so everyone contributes..it would create a much bigger pot to pay everyone from...as the other tills keep running short...Most employers are not very happy today either...and what's to stop companies to some day stop offering this as a benefit altogether as they get tired of all the administrative time taken to handle the insurance plans...sometimes to the point of adding negative factors to their cash flow..the reason they are in business..to make a dollar...when the overhead and frustration goes over the limit as to what can be handled and administered...well we know what goes when that happens..BD

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- As the U.S. gears up for its first serious look at national health reform since 1993, California's bumpy progress toward statewide change may amount to a prelude. After months of political wrangling, California lawmakers passed a reform bill two weeks ago, which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he wouldn't sign. See full story. But the governor has called a special legislative session to work out a compromise, which analysts say could come as soon as three to seven weeks.

"California has uniquely high hurdles to get over," he said. "Californians are more likely to be uninsured than residents of all but five states."

California sets stage for national debate on health-care reform - MarketWatch

How Many Medical Marijuana Puffs Make a Dose?

If you have an opinion, go the link where you can add comments...some people eat and digest the product too...good question, how do you regulate...maybe pot pills?  Like anything else in life we can all over do a good thing so who's to say how it will be possible to come up with standards...interesting article...BD 

The Washington state legislature wants to know exactly what a 60-day supply of medical marijuana is. In 1998, the state passed a law allowing people to possess a two-month medical pot supply. But they left it up to individual counties to determine what that quantity means -- and some counties, reports the Los Angeles Times, have said that a 60-day supply is none at all.

Some people smoke it, others eat it. Not setting a maximum would take into account that variability, as well as the fact that federal hostility has made rigid medical pot research rare.

Wired Science - Wired Blogs

Why Does Everyone Bow Down to the Health Insurance Industry?

From Barbara Ehrenreich.....book writer...frequent contributor to the New York Times...she makes some good points and leaves a lot to think about here...BD 

After facing down the Third Reich, the Japanese Empire, the U.S.S.R., Saddam Hussein, the United States has met an enemy it dares not confront -- the American private health insurance industry.

Will I be arrested if I resist paying $10,000 a year for a private policy laden with killer co-pays and deductibles?  Unlike any other industry, this one grows by rejecting customers. No matter how shabby you look, Cartier, Lexus, or Nordstrom’s will happily take your money. Not Aetna. If you have a prior conviction -- excuse me, a pre-existing condition -- it doesn’t want your business.

We can’t just leap to a single payer system, he said in so many words, because it would be too disruptive, given the size of the private health insurance industry. Then I heard it yesterday from a Chicago woman who leads a nonprofit agency serving the poor: How can we go to a Canadian-style system when the private industry has gotten so “big”?

This in turn generates ever more employment in doctors’ offices to battle the insurance companies. Dr. Atul Gawande, a practicing physician, wrote in The New Yorker that ''a well-run office can get the insurer's rejection rate down from 30 percent to, say, 15 percent. That’s how a doctor makes money. It's a war with insurance, every step of the way.'' And that’s another thing your insurance premium has to pay for: the ongoing "war" between doctors and insurers.

AlterNet: Health and Wellness: Why Does Everyone Bow Down to the Health Insurance Industry?

Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of thirteen books, including the New York Times bestseller Nickel and Dimed. A frequent contributor to the New York Times, Harpers, and the Progressive, she is a contributing writer to Time magazine. She lives in Florida.

I wish I had a tablet - Sketchcast.com

We are all familiar with You Tube, and Sketchcast is very similar, but the difference here is the ability to share you sketching's with the rest of the world...obviously having a tablet pc is the key to use this service, although you can use a mouse, but let's face it, how creative can you be with a mouse..not very.  The site has some postings already and is the same as most sites that feature uploads, you need to create an account and go from there.  I'm not sure exactly what I would want to draw since my artist skills are not the best by any means, but looking at the site has given me some ideas..at any rate a nice way to to a short instruction setting maybe?  or just a more personalized way to communicate with others..it records the audio too so that helps a bit in telling folks what you are doing...very interesting site to say the least...BD

i wish i had a tablet

i wish i had a tablet - Sketchcast.com

Employers get tough on health**

And this is only the beginning...as it appears there is nothing stopping the surge...you do have a choice...start your own business if working for one of these companies is too stressful..soon is won't be a matter of what your skill are, it's more of what kind of body you have and what you do with it that will make the difference...as from this article employers can and will make it near impossible to be employed there if you do not fit the mold...scary...read the part about Ford's team imposing and visiting employees homes to profile their lifestyles...they were fired if they did not meet the standards...scary..BD  

Some take punitive steps against smokers, overweight workers

LANSING, Mich. - Get ready to say goodbye to the days of high-fat meals, junk food snacks and that after-work cigarette you always enjoy smoking -- at least if you intend to have a job and health insurance. The rules of the workplace are changing, and personal behavior and lifestyle habits -- those unrelated to what you do at work -- are now fair game for employers determined to cut health-care costs.

If you smoke, you may not get hired and you could get fired. If your cholesterol is too high, you can pay higher premiums for your insurance. The same goes for blood pressure, body mass and blood glucose levels. The requirements embraced by a growing number of companies are encroaching on privacy and raising questions about who will qualify for health insurance, as well as employment.

And Weyco Inc., the suburban Lansing, Mich.-based company that drew national attention in 2005 when it fired four employees who used tobacco, has expanded the health insurance requirement, penalizing employees whose insured spouses smoke or chew tobacco. Penalties are $50 per employee paycheck.

The question for employees is: How far will these requirements on personal habits and penalties go, and what sort of criteria will employers use to define good health? 

"I wasn't robbing banks or killing people or doing illegal drugs," Ingalls said. "Are they going to tell me I'm 12 pounds overweight and then start telling me what I can eat?"  A century ago Henry Ford created a so-called Sociological Department, a team of 150 investigators who visited employees' homes and asked them about drinking, gambling, diet, savings and other personal matters. Those who didn't meet Ford's standards within six months were fired.

Weyco Inc. of suburban Lansing, Mich., performs random testing every three months, usually of about 30 employees. Workers are summoned to blow into a Breathalyzer-like device that measures carbon monoxide levels. If the reading is high, employees take a urine test. If they fail the urinalysis twice they will be dismissed. One person was fired in 2006, a company official said, and none this year.

Employers get tough on health -- chicagotribune.com