Calif. Weighs Health Plans

Good article on assessing Health Care in California...all eyes are watching what happens here as California has the 10th largest economy in the world...no doubt what occurs here will have impact throughout...current polls also show a growing dissatisfaction from the public...article well worth reading.  I just wish we had folks in office who were a little more tech savvy and leave some of the politics out so the average person could really understand how information flows and how it is used today.  The average citizen today has no idea where and how information is sent and used and unfortunately there is both good and bad, depending what side of the fence you reside.  BD

California did not start the current wave of efforts to overhaul the American health-care system, but what happens in Sacramento over the next few weeks could have a big impact on whether the drive gains momentum -- or peters out. With three weeks remaining in the state's legislative session, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) still has nothing to show for the grand proposal he made in January to create a system that would guarantee health insurance for all Californians. But with the resolution of a nearly two-month-long state budget impasse last week, the focus is turning back to health care, with hard-to-predict results.

Not only are Californians less likely to be covered than residents of 45 other states, but those who do have coverage are concerned it's not going to be there for them when they need it," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a nonprofit advocacy group.  Political challenges are possible, too. Three years ago, California voters overturned a 2003 law that would have required employers to provide health coverage to workers or pay a fee to the state.

Schwarzenegger's plan -- which would require everyone to have insurance, would impose new fees on employers, doctors and hospitals, and would subsidize coverage for those who couldn't afford it -- has not made it into legislation. Instead, the Democrats who control the legislature fashioned their own bill. It differs in important ways from the governor's plan and probably has enough support to pass -- but the governor said last week that he would veto it.

Calif. Weighs Health Plans - washingtonpost.com

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Grady Hospital Woes Hit Big Screens

Web site link below to preview of the documentary created to save Grady Hospital in Atlanta...BD

The fight for survival for Grady Memorial Hospital has been leading news coverage in Atlanta for weeks. The hospital faces a $125 million shortfall that could force it to shut its doors by the end of the year. Now the fight for Grady has made it to the big screen. It's not a glitzy Hollywood premiere, but for the few dozen people who filed into an auditorium at Emory University, the preview means more than anything coming out of Hollywood ever will. It's called "Save Grady.

11Alive.com - Grady Woes Hit Big Screens

Web site and film preview:  Save Grady

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Healthcare Reform a Threat, Oportunity for Insurers

Tenet Healthcare Dismisses Garden Grove Hospital Worker Rally as Contract Negotiating Ploy

A few weeks ago, we asked several Orange County insurance brokers, managed healthcare executives and others for their thoughts about health reform plans floating in Sacramento. The competing plans from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democratic leaders of the Legislature prompted more comment than we were able to fit in our recent Healthcare special report. Here are some of the other views we got.

Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Healthcare Solutions, a unit of Deloitte & Touche, called Schwarzenegger’s proposal “among the most far-reaching of any plan offered in the U.S.”

On the flip side, Keckley said Stay Healthy California includes a pair of possible threats—the 85% spending mandate, which he said “will inevitably reduce operating margins and profits for plans accustomed to administrative costs above 20%.”

Orange County Business Journal Online

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Health Care For All In Massachusetts?, Despite Landmark Universal Health Plan, Thousands Of People, Mostly Young, Are Still Uninsured

 Health insurance flyers at the ball park...handed out with the beer and hot dogs...BD

CBS) When Massachusetts' experiment with universal health care began this year, one thing it did was save Henry Murphy's life. After developing heart trouble last year, he lost his job and his insurance. "They threw me to the wolves, and I thought that was wrong," he said. But now, under the new law, everyone must have health insurance. Henry qualified for state-subsidized coverage just in time.

That's why before every Red Sox game, beside the hot dogs and hamburgers, the state is pitching health care, aiming the pitch in person and up on Fenway Park's big screen at young men.

It's a tough sell because the cheapest family plan available, with drug coverage, is $662 a month. When Andrews talked to contractor Roger Thompson, there was no way.

It was hilarious to watch that stream of raving Red Sox fans juggling cheese dogs, tankers of beer-- and flyers for health insurance.

Health Care For All In Massachusetts?, Despite Landmark Universal Health Plan, Thousands Of People, Mostly Young, Are Still Uninsured - CBS News

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Should Americans be forced to have health insurance?

Comparison to the laws requiring car insurance...would a new law solve issues?   BD

Most Americans accept the idea to drive a car they need insurance. But what about health care? Should all Americans be forced to sign up for health insurance? In a country where the number of uninsured tops 45 million people and the cost of care skyrocketed 87 percent between 2000 and last year, two words individual mandate are suddenly a key part of the debate over health care reform among the 2008 presidential candidates.

“If it isn’t affordable, how is it solving the health care problem by forcing people to buy it?” asks Austan Goolsby, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago and a policy adviser to Obama.

Michael Tanner, the director of health and welfare studies at the Cato Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C., points to the 47 states with requirements that people buy car insurance. In those states, he says, “there are more people without car insurance than health insurance.”

globegazette.com - Archived News Story

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Helping bring robotic surgery to south county

More robotic surgery coming to Orange County, CA...BD

With a $1 million grant, Vitek and his wife Marilyn, 73, of Dana Point are establishing the Vitek Institute for Robotic Surgery at Mission Hospital the first of its kind in south Orange County. The once futuristic technology, known as the da Vinci Surgical System after Leonardo da Vinci, was unveiled at the hospital this week and should be available by the end of the year.

Dr. Neyssan Tebyani, a Laguna Hills urologist specializing in minimally invasive surgery, has done robotic surgeries and says they're a step above laparoscopic procedures.

"It's amazing how much better the visualization is and the ease with which you can do difficult steps of the operation," Tebyani said. In the past laparoscopic surgeries have been done by doctors making small incisions and using long, thin rods. Doctors say these can be cumbersome.

News: Helping bring robotic surgery to south county | hospital, surgery, robotic, vitek, year - OCRegister.com

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LAPD probing possible Skid Row patient dumping

Is this still happening?  The article states the mission is still receiving 2 or 3 each week?  Bd

LOS ANGELES Police are investigating whether two more hospitals may have dumped patients on Skid Row, including a mentally ill man from Orange County who was left on the street without prescription medication. Both men were reportedly dropped off during the past week at the Union Rescue Mission, which provides food, shelter, clothing and other services to homeless people. "We have to determine if there was prior notification to the mission, the shelters, on whether there's availability for beds," police Capt. Jodi Wakefield told KABC-TV on Tuesday.

Mission officials said they received no notification the first man was coming and that the second man, who arrived from the Veterans Administration Hospital in West Los Angeles, made it clear to them he never wanted to be taken to the mission.

Although the number of people going from hospitals straight to downtown's Skid Row has decreased over the past year, Bales said the mission still receives two or three each week.

San Jose Mercury News - LAPD probing possible Skid Row patient dumping

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Game lets patients blast cancer

The game helps educate patients about their disease at the same time..good thinking and innovation...BD

ORANGE, Calif. - Chase Crawford furiously clicks a laptop mouse, firing chemo at an onslaught of cancer cells inside the animated lymph node of a virtual teenager. The 17-year-old leukemia patient, wearing a knit cap and blue pajama bottoms, was among the first to try a new video game called Re-Mission at Children's Hospital of Orange County, Calif. The game, designed by animators, video-game makers, cell biologists and teen boys with cancer, features a buxom nanorobot named Roxxi. In the hands of young cancer patients, she zooms through "the world's smallest battlefield" with her chemo blaster and radiation gun.

It was created to teach patients about their disease, provide an outlet for frustration and encourage them to follow treatment. And the developer of the game, the nonprofit HopeLab in Redwood City, Calif., has proven results. The Northern California group conducted a study using the game at hospitals in three countries. Nearly 375 teen cancer patients were tracked as they played either an Indiana Jones game or Re-Mission.
The teens who played Re-Mission understood cancer better and took their medication more faithfully.

Game lets patients blast cancer -- OrlandoSentinel.com

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Clinton Team Health Care Plan Resonates with Medical Professionals

 

About 150 people, most dressed in white lab coats or decorative scrubs, filled the auditorium at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center on Thursday afternoon to hear U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., unveil her plan to make America's health care system better. The speech is the second in a series of three addresses that will ultimately detail Clinton's comprehensive plan for providing health care to the entire nation.

"I think during her husband's presidency, she tackled the health care industry and that's where a lot of her knowledge came from," said Darko.

Campaigns & Elections magazine

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Medical marijuana users want OC court order for return of pot

Charges were dropped, but the goods have not been returned.  BD

SANTA ANA, Calif.Two Orange County medical marijuana users want police to return their pot. Charges against Jim Spray, 51, of Huntington Beach and Felix Cha, 22, of Garden Grove were dropped but police agencies have refused to return the seized marijuana. The men, who are medical marijuana patients using pot to relieve pain under California's 11-year-old Compassionate Use Act passed by voters, argued their cases Thursday before the 4th District Court of Appeal, which has 90 days to issue a decision.

 

San Jose Mercury News - Medical marijuana users want OC court order for return of pot

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Romney unveils healthcare reform plan

It calls for each state to lead the role with support from the federal government...BD 

WASHINGTON -- GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Friday released his principles for national healthcare reform but left out the linchpin of the plan he enacted as governor of Massachusetts: a requirement that individuals get coverage. That shift could help him win over conservative Republican primary voters, experts said. But if he succeeds in becoming the GOP nominee, he may have to zigzag back to his Massachusetts roots to appeal to independents and Democrats

Speaking to doctors in South Florida, Romney said he would encourage each state to seek its own solution to the problem of 45 million uninsured people in America.
The federal government would play a supporting role by offering tax breaks for individuals to purchase private insurance, granting governors more flexibility in using federal healthcare funds, overhauling the malpractice litigation system and making other changes.

Romney unveils healthcare reform plan - Los Angeles Times

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Sorting out Medicare...

One man's opinion and information on how to sort out what is best...as he states things are just so very confusing these days, "it takes a PhD to figure it out"...it is difficult these days to sort all of this information as it appears to change very frequently as well.  BD

Arthur Pitts sat in a plastic lawn chair waiting to pick up prescriptions from The Village Pharmacy in Waynesville Monday afternoon (March 13). At 73, he is one of the nations many Medicare subscribers. His coverage comes through a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, which he says has been fairly reliable so far. However, Pitts has yet to sign up for prescription drug coverage.

You have to have a PhD to figure it out, he said.

“Thousands, thousands,” said Floyd Rogers, an insurance broker at Haywood Insurance Services Inc. in Waynesville, of the number of people who have yet to enroll due to confusion.

Pitts, the 73-year-old Medicare customer who has yet to sign up for prescription drug coverage, said that while he has a computer, a Medicare Web site wasn’t the answer.

“I wouldn’t know what online was,” Pitts said.

The Smoky Mountain News

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Doctor bills Medicare for toe clipping, foot massages

One too many toe nail clips...and incorrect coding..BD 

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) _ A podiatrist pleaded guilty Friday to defrauding Medicare by billing for things like toenail clipping and foot massages and agreed to pay $1.2 million in restitution. The plea bargain for Ming C. Tung will settle criminal and civil cases brought by federal authorities, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. He pleaded guilty to a single count of health care fraud. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced Dec. 7, although the actual term will be considerably lower, in part, because he pleaded guilty. Tung, 63, of East Brunswick, admitted that from 2001 to 2005, he fraudulently billed the Medicare program for routine services, such as toenail clipping and massage. To get reimbursement, Tung made it appear that the patients suffered from systemic problems, such as diabetes, that qualified.

Doctor bills Medicare for toe clipping, foot massages -- Newsday.com

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Diabetics May Benefit From Discovery Of 'Sugar Sensor' In Intestine

 

Diabetes patients could benefit from new research at the University of Liverpool that has identified a molecule in the intestine that can 'taste' the sugar content of the diet. Researchers found that the sweet taste receptor that senses sugar and artificial sweeteners is not only present in the tongue, but also in the intestine. The discovery will open new avenues for the treatment of diabetes and obesity, as well as suggest reasons for why artificially sweetened foods and beverages sometimes fail to result in weight loss.

Diabetics May Benefit From Discovery Of 'Sugar Sensor' In Intestine

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DIY pervasive health monitor keeps tabs on your vitals

Both sites feature a video for additional information as well.  Looks like a nice 6700 pocket pc phone being use for this demonstration.  More use of Windows Mobile devices and wireless blue tooth technology...graphics look very nice as well on the unit.   BD

If you think your heart rate-monitoring wristwatch is hot stuff, a homegrown creation from the Berkeley Institute of Design is apt to put that to shame. Dubbed the pervasive health monitoring system, this project involves a TI microcontroller, a Bluetooth interface, audio amplifier, and a trio of low power "instrumentation amplifiers," which creates an apparatus that can communicate wirelessly with your Windows Mobile-based handset (and PC, too). The device is rigged up to record ECG (heart rhythms), EMG (muscle tension), GSR (skin resistance), body temperature and movement information, and while we could certainly attempt to transcribe the creator, why not take a look at the informative video posted after the jump for all the data you could ever desire about this (admittedly fresh) invention.

DIY pervasive health monitor keeps tabs on your vitals - Engadget

Hat Tip:  Hack A Day

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Estrogen's Secret Role In Obesity Revealed

Interesting how the body fat shifts regions in the body after menopause...something to be said for big hips prior to the change as well....BD

New research on the effects of the female sex hormone estrogen in the brain lend credence to what many women have suspected about the hormonal changes that accompany aging: Menopause can make you fat. Scientists long have sought to understand how changes in hormones during menopause could account for the increase in appetite and accompanying weight gain that often occurs among aging women.

"The accumulation of abdominal fat puts both men and women at a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and insulin resistance," she says. "Women are protected from these negative consequences as long as they carry their weight in their hips and saddlebags. But when they go through menopause and the body fat shifts to the abdomen, they have to start battling all of these medical complications."

Estrogen's Secret Role In Obesity Revealed

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Insulin Pen May Replace Syringe For Diabetics

Good news for those who need insulin...I would also think the pen is a little more convenient to carry with you as well...initial cost is a small bit higher, and the pen seems to have a better angle on accuracy on the dose according to the article.  BD

Diabetics who need to switch from oral medications to insulin could reduce their annual healthcare costs up to $17,000 by using an insulin pen instead of a syringe to deliver their daily dose of medication. A new study found that using an insulin pen may result in fewer trips to the emergency department and to the doctor's office, resulting in substantial savings to diabetics and their insurers. "For one, there is less chance of getting the wrong dose of insulin," said Rajesh Balkrishnan, the study's senior author and the Merrell Dow professor of pharmacy at Ohio State University. "Diabetics who use syringes must carefully measure their insulin, so there is a risk of getting too much or too little."

Annual prescription costs were also lower for insulin pen users in this group -- $6,122 vs. $7,465 for syringe users.

Prescription costs for the syringe were lower than those for the pen ($535 vs. $670), and the cost of a pen itself was higher than the cost of a syringe ($840 vs. $0.)
"While the pen is initially more expensive than the syringe, in the long run it could considerably reduce overall healthcare costs," Balkrishnan said.

Insulin Pen May Replace Syringe For Diabetics

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Controversy over retail store clinics - this one was a good experience

In this case it was a life saver and he is now a patient for 2 specialists after the visit...BD

CHICAGO - After three months of feeling lethargic with bouts of blurred vision, 65-year-old Jim Einsweiler walked into a clinic in his local Walgreens pharmacy, mostly, he said, to appease his wife. Hours later, he was in a cardiac care unit at a nearby hospital. He stayed for eight days and received three stents to prop open his arteries. I was a walking time bomb, he said.

She believes the clinics offer a door into the health system for patients like Einsweiler, who hadn’t seen a doctor for 20 years.

Einsweiler, who now has both a cardiologist and an internist, said he would go to his new doctors for most medical care, but he is grateful the clinic was there.

Controversy over retail store clinics - Health Care - MSNBC.com

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56 cents could cost a Louisville man thousands

Claims not paid as the premium was paid 56 cents short...BD

LOUISVILLE (WAVE) -- A Louisville man who thought he had insurance coverage for a much needed surgery found out he has nothing but a stack of bills. When he needed it most, his insurance was terminated. So, what happened? Troubleshooter Charla Young investigates. Health conditions made it tough for John Boyette to keep his factory job. Boyette had to have part of his lung removed. On the advise of his doctors, he quit his job.

Boyette says he paid close attention to premiums -- down to the penny -- because under COBRA his company paid a small portion and he was responsible for the rest.

Ceridian claims they sent him a notice of possible cancellation if he didn't make a full and timely premium payment of just 56 cents. Boyette says he never received it.

WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY :: 56 cents could cost a Louisville man thousands

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EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT PROGRAM TO LESSEN THE BURDEN OF INCREASED HEALTH CARE COSTS

Employment of the "fittest"...BD

Thousand Oaks, CA -- August 23, 2007 -- ThinkVitaminsOnline.com, a national leading provider of health and wellness products, announces an enhancement to employer benefits/awards programs. All employees of participating organizations receive a free membership ($20 value) providing a 15% discount on over 4000 wellness products from 150 leading brand manufacturers. As more of the health care costs are being passed onto employees, individuals need to be more proactive in maintaining their health. Just last week, Blue Cross announced another reduction in benefit coverage, placing higher costs for health care benefits squarely on the consumers. Currently, benefit plans do not cover over-the-counter vitamin and wellness products. Consequently, employee wellness programs are receiving increasing attention.

Wellness programs also help to recruit and retain the most effective, productive employees. Studies show a correlation between employees who seek out corporate wellness programs and the most productive workers.

EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT PROGRAM TO LESSEN THE BURDEN OF INCREASED HEALTH CARE COSTS

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Medicare tightening the screws on medical mistakes - Minnesota carrier has already started back in 2005 with this type of policy

This article compares how Health Partners did the same thing, but perhaps not as stringent in it's provisions and even admits the new policy may have additional problems once it starts there as well.  BD

Three years ago, a Minnesota health insurer said it would stop paying for things that should never happen to patient in a hospital, such as leaving a sponge in the body after surgery. The move by HealthPartners sparked an uproar. Hospitals complained that it would discourage staff from reporting errors. Patients worried they'd be hit with a fat bill if the insurer refused to pay.

Whether something like this can work nationally or becomes an administrative nightmare remains to be seen. Even Minnesota hospitals, ahead of those in most other states when it comes to patient safety initiatives, foresee some difficulties with the new policy.

Since the HealthPartners policy took effect in January 2005, the insurer has been billed for fewer than 10 never events. Other errors were caught by hospitals before billing HealthPartners, but the insurer has not tracked those.  In Minnesota, some of the initial dismay has dissipated.

The nonprofit status of Minnesota hospitals also may be a problem, said Dr. Charles Fazio, chief medical officer at Medica. "If you end up not paying for these things, where do these costs go? They end up getting transmitted into the system somehow," Fazio said.

Medicare tightening the screws on medical mistakes

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Single-incision Belly-button Surgery To Remove Kidney Performed

 

Dr. Jeffrey Cadeddu, associate professor of urology and radiology, performed the "single keyhole access" surgery, the first of its kind involving a kidney. The entire procedure was completed with only one incision and will leave the patient with a barely noticeable scar tucked in the umbilicus, or navel. "We are proud of this novel surgical technique," said Dr. Cadeddu, who leads the Clinical Center for Minimally Invasive Treatment of Urologic Cancer. "Laparoscopic surgery already gives patients smaller incisions, less pain and a faster recovery. This transumbilical technique is a further extension of laparoscopic surgery, which essentially removes scarring from the patient's skin.

ScienceDaily: Single-incision Belly-button Surgery To Remove Kidney Performed

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Doctors fevered over Medicaid HMO proposal

 

The state would start with a pilot program that would require Medicaid patients in two contiguous counties to join HMOs, according to pending legislation that was tucked in a so-called budget implementation bill and has passed the Illinois Senate. Neither county was disclosed. The bill's fate is uncertain in the Illinois House. Although the current Medicaid program requires patients to sign up for a specific physician under a form of managed care known as primary care case management, there is no requirement that patients sign up for an HMO. Doctors and hospitals have long opposed forcing Medicaid patients to enroll in HMOs because they believe it would threaten patient access to medical-care providers.

 They also say HMOs have no proof their program saves money. "Because Illinois Medicaid payment rates are so low and the base rate has been frozen for the past dozen years, savings have already been squeezed out of the Medicaid program," said Ken Robbins, president of the Illinois Hospital Association.

Doctors fevered over Medicaid HMO proposal -- chicagotribune.com

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Study reveals why common pneumonia is so deadly

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A common cause of pneumonia can kill by causing bleeding in the lungs, researchers said on Thursday in a finding that may explain why antibiotics fail to save many patients.

They found the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae secretes a toxin that causes severe bleeding in the lungs in some patients, killing them within days. The toxin is unaffected by antibiotics, which explains why the drugs often fail to save patients, the researchers reported in the journal Immunity.

Study reveals why common pneumonia is so deadly - Yahoo! News

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Largest Hand in the World

Picture says it all....rare condition and one huge hand...BD

On July 20 surgeons undertook a seven-hour operation to reduce the size of Liu’s fingers and thumb. Doctors removed 11 pounds of flesh and bone in the procedure. A second surgery is scheduled to take place. Enlarged limbs can be caused by a number of medical conditions. Lymphedema is perhaps the most common cause and results in some extraordinarily enlarged limbs.

Largest Hand in the World » Coolest Gadgets

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

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Red Bull overdose stops man's heart

Warning to those who like Red Bull...don't drink too many...BD 

Ever wondered what would happen if you overdosed on Red Bull? Answer: your heart could stop ticking. I am not kidding. Australian man, Matthew Penbross (28), found that out recently after drinking eight of the super-highly caffeinated beverages during a five hour period. I guess eight is his unlucky number, because after downing that last one he collapsed. An ambulance was called and the first aid crew found Penbross having a heart attack. Realizing his heart had stopped, they had to use a defibrillator to get his heart pumping again. The obvious question: why was he drinking so much darn Red Bull??

Red Bull overdose stops man's heart - The Cardio Blog

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

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Single-Payer Health Care System Would Increase Wait Times, Lead To Physician Shortages, Op-Ed States

There is no perfect solution on either side, but could we regulate health insurance like a utility, just like we do the power and gas companies?  They make a profit but have regulatory state and federal agencies that closely monitor their profit levels and increases that are passed along to the public so nobody literally gets left out in the cold...BD

The implementation of a health care system similar to those in Canada and Britain would increase wait times for patients and lead to shortages of physicians in the U.S., Robert Goldberg, vice president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece. Goldberg writes that, although Canada has "pumped billions of dollars into its system to reduce waiting times for specialty services, cancer care, first-time health visits and emergency rooms," Health Canada and the Fraser Institute have said "waiting times and shortages have gotten worse." In addition, he writes, price controls have led to shortages of physicians in Britain that "in turn are filled by waiving immigration regulations that allow neurologists with bomb-making skills into the National Health Service," and the College of Family Physicians of Canada has found that 17% of Canadian residents do not have a primary care physician because of a shortage.

Single-Payer Health Care System Would Increase Wait Times, Lead To Physician Shortages, Op-Ed States

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FDA Approves Antipsychotic Risperdal For Adolescents And Children

Lithium gets some competition in this area...BD

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) atypical antipsychotic drug Risperdal (chemical name risperidone) for use in two types of treatment with children and adolescents. The approval was given yesterday, 22nd August. One application is for short treatment of schizophrenia in adolescents aged from 13 to 17 and the other is for short term treatment of manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder in children aged between 10 and 17.

Lithium has been the only FDA approved pediatric drug for treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in these age groups until now.

FDA Approves Antipsychotic Risperdal For Adolescents And Children

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Rare Use Of Drug Derived From Leech Saliva Lets Heart Transplant - And Wedding - Proceed

Amazing story..scary how he was the picture of health one week and close to death the next due to a viral infection that weakened his heart...BD

Los Angeles resident Daryl Vinson, 39, desperately needed a heart transplant but was allergic to heparin, a blood thinner that plays a critical role in transplantation surgery. Rather than allowing their patient to languish and die, members of the heart transplant team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center created an alternative, using a synthetic form of a protein found in the saliva of leeches. Bivalirudin was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of certain cardiac conditions, but because it has no antidote and its use in transplantation is so new, the doctors had to develop a game plan and specific protocols in advance of the operation. Vinson, a former Air Force air traffic controller who also served with the Global Command and Control System, caught what he thought was a common cold that quickly got worse in early June. After suffering a nearly fatal collapse, he was diagnosed with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, a severely weakened, poorly functioning heart.

While dilated cardiomyopathy can be caused by a number of factors, including reduced blood flow to the heart ("ischemic" disease), Vinson's condition likely stemmed from a viral infection.
"Mr. Vinson appeared to be in relatively good health, so it was a surprise to everyone, including his physicians, that his heart function was so bad," says Ernst Schwarz, M.D., Ph.D., a specialist in transplantation cardiology.

 

Rare Use Of Drug Derived From Leech Saliva Lets Heart Transplant - And Wedding - Proceed

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Lord of the Rings technology to help map wounds

Fascinating technology to measure the depth of a wound...and appears to be another use for PDAs/Phones ....BD

The SilhouetteMobile hand-held device uses lasers and state-of-the- art digital photography to create three-dimensional maps. One of its first uses was with Weta Workshop, which scanned wax sculptures of animated characters for the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings movies so they could be manipulated on computer. The device, made by ARANZ Medical, is one of the finalists in the annual Health Innovation Awards, along with four other initiatives by the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB). ARANZ Medical chief executive Bruce Davey said the device was being used to map the changing nature of serious wounds. It calculated the wound area and depth, and stored all information on its palm-sized computer, Davey said. 

The device had just won Food and Drug Administration approval, which meant access to the potentially multimillion-dollar United States market, he said.

Lord of the Rings technology to help map wounds - New Zealand, world, sport, business & entertainment news on Stuff.co.nz

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Senators plea for extradition in doctor's slaying

Sad story and reason is even worse...claims the acne medicine made him impotent and that is why he killed the doctor?   I don't think so on this one....probably more here the lines here...BD

WASHINGTON---- Illinois senators Barack Obama and Dick Durbin are urging the French government to extradite a man accused of murdering a Chicago physician. Obama and Durbin wrote a letter to the French Embassy saying that Hans Peterson should face prosecution in the United States in the murder of Doctor David Cornbleet. The doctor was found stabbed to death in his high-rise office last October. Law enforcement sources have said Peterson allegedly killed the physician after being prescribed an acne medicine that he believed made him impotent. Peterson turned himself in to authorities in the French territory of Saint Martin in the Caribbean two weeks ago.

Senators plea for extradition in doctor's slaying :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State

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Tired of Waiting for a Doctor? Try the Drugstore

Convenience can be good, but time will tell the story on how they work long term...BD

The concept has been called urgent care lite: Patients who are tired of waiting days to see a doctor for bronchitis, pinkeye or a sprained ankle can instead walk into a nearby drugstore and, at lower cost, with brief waits, see a doctor or a nurse and then fill a prescription on the spot.

But with their increasing popularity, the clinics are drawing mounting scrutiny. Several states including New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and California are examining ways to more closely monitor the clinics, which are overseen by a hodgepodge of state agencies applying a wide and inconsistent range of regulations

Tired of Waiting for a Doctor? Try the Drugstore - New York Times

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Poll shows more Californians favoring single-payer health care

This is a huge jump from 44% to 69% being dissatisfied with health care in California...did Sicko have some influence after all?  BD

(08-22) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- - As voter dissatisfaction with the state's health care system grows, increasing interest is emerging in moving to a state-run, single-payer program, according to a Field Poll released today. For years, a single-payer system had been the favorite of a small but loyal minority, but the new poll shows that 36 percent of California voters now favor replacing the current employer-based system with one operated by the state - a jump of 12 percent since December.

In December, DiCamillo pointed out, the poll found 51 percent of voters were satisfied with the way health care worked in California, with 44 percent dissatisfied.

Today, only 28 percent said they are satisfied with health care in California and 69 percent are dissatisfied. He also noted that the number of voters who said they are very dissatisfied has more than doubled since December - from 20 percent to 42 percent.

Poll shows more Californians favoring single-payer health care

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Medi-Cal Money finally in the State Budget...after 52 day deadlock - California

 

SACRAMENTO After Republicans lifted a one-vote blockade, the Senate sent the governor a $145 billion budget yesterday that ends a 52-day deadlock and allows the state to pay nearly $3 billion in bills. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the budget late tomorrow or Friday. The state is scrambling to begin making payments to health care providers and others hit by the delay.

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > State -- State budget deadlock is over

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Doctor charged in autistic boy's death

 

PITTSBURGH - A doctor was charged with involuntary manslaughter Wednesday for administering a chemical treatment that state police say killed a 5-year-old autistic boy. ADVERTISEMENT click here The child, Abubakar Tariq Nadama, went into cardiac arrest at Dr. Roy E. Kerry's office immediately after undergoing chelation therapy on Aug. 23, 2005. Chelation removes heavy metals from the body and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating acute heavy metal poisoning, but not for treating autism. Some people who believe autism is caused by a mercury-containing preservative once used in vaccines say chelation may also help autistic children.

Doctor charged in autistic boy's death - Yahoo! News

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Male menopause gets medical recognition

It does exist...after all...BD

With the continuing attention given to women in menopause, and the controversy over whether men undergo a similar "change of life," there has been doubt as to whether male menopause actually exists. But The Endocrine Society, an international organization with 13,000 members from more than 85 countries, considers this a real enough problem to have issued a patient guide to what is also known as "androgen deficiency" in men. Society members specialize in the research and treatment of endocrine disorders. This gives them the scientific qualifications to make their opinions worth considering. The guide the society distributed was helped by a financial grant from Solvay Pharmaceuticals. Men who may lack sufficient testosterone, the male hormone, can experience a range of physical and emotional problems from erectile dysfunction to depression.

Not every man, even those with symptoms, should be treated.

Male menopause gets medical recognition | Features | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

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Bariatric surgery leads to 40% reduction in deaths, studies show

So it is a good thing after all if needed...BD

Surgically induced weight loss produces as much as a 40% reduction in deaths in the 10 years after the operation, according to two large studies released today. Researchers already knew that bariatric surgery sharply reduced diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, in addition to improving appearance and quality of life. But the new studies, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, are the first to document a long-suspected link between weight loss and survival. "It is now absolutely clear that losing weight and keeping the weight off adds years to your life," said Dr. Edward H. Phillips, a bariatric surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, who was not involved in the studies.

Bariatric surgery leads to 40% reduction in deaths, studies show - Los Angeles Times

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Sahara Tablet PC Graphics and Dictation

This is a recent post on You Tube showing the Sahara i44D tablet from Tablet Kiosk in use with Windows Vista and a couple interesting graphics programs.  I tried to show the responsiveness and quality on how the tablet responds.  Being able to switch back and forth between touch and using the stylus digitizer is really a huge plus.  When working with graphics programs, I prefer using the digitizer and when doing research on the Internet, the touch screen really fits the bill. 

As I mention in the video, the dictation was really put through the ringer for a test, as I wanted to make sure I really had a less than perfect surrounding to give it a full test.  The voice commands that work with Vista are great.  At the end of the film you can see some of this being demonstrated when closing the document.  I have also used Vista voice dictation a bit when surfing the web too, and it makes for a new type of browsing experience, again, not having to use the touch screen as much and it navigates well.  You can even tell the voice command window to "move itself" out of the way if needed.  To begin using dictation, you can have it open and simply state "start listening".  As far as resources for dictation, I didn't find that Vista dictation required any more or any less than some of the other software that is available.  I did very little training here, just the basic to open and get the program going, and I was surprised at how it already picks up some of the medical terminology. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm_vFZ_DwxA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fducknetweb%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F2007%2F08%2Fsahara%2Dtablet%2Dpc%2Dgraphics%2Dand%2Ddictation%2Ehtml

I have been using tablets for years and for this demo I wanted to focus on some of the other areas besides the "tip" input method, which I also use all the time.  The array microphone on the unit works great and you can hear some back ground music if you pay attention on the video, again done on purpose to put the unit to the test.    I am using it now with Outlook as well to do some emails when on the run.  It is pretty amazing that you can totally voice control composing and sending an email without even having to use the pen at all! 

I also have the "customized" buttons on the unit set up to open Outlook, the web and One Note.  Every tablet user should give some serious thought to One Note too.  The Sahara tablet makes working with One Note a real breeze, and yes you can use some dictation features there too. 

I use my Blue Tooth cell phone with the unit for an Internet connection when needed by tethering so my phone with the wireless data feature (which I pay for each month) to connect me to the web when I am in an area where a hot spot connection is not available.  I don't need long and frequent connections usually when I am in the field, so the tethering with the cell phone works well for me.  The Blue tooth software that comes with the unit does a great job and I can use a hardware button to turn Blue tooth off and on as needed.

ANYONE NEEDING OR WANTING MOBILITY CAN USE A TABLET AND WITH THE FEATURE RICH SAHARA I44D, MOBILITY IS NOT ONLY SIMPLE, BUT SOMETHING ANYONE CAN USE AND ENJOY, SO WHY RESTRICT YOURSELF TO USING A DESKTOP ONLY, AS THIS UNIT CAN PRETTY MUCH DO EVERYTHING YOU NEED and then some.

ADD A DOCKING STATION AND IT CAN BE YOUR DESKTOP, BY CONNECTING A LARGE DISPLAY AND PERHAPS A NORMAL SIZE KEYBOARD FOR TIMES WHEN YOU ARE AT YOUR DESK!   When you need to be mobile, simply remove the unit and take it with you!  Nobody will be using your tablet while you are away either! 

On several occasions I have used tablets to create a "sign in" sheet for attendance at events.  We did this at one of the road shows from Tablet Kiosk as well, and I have also used the tablet features to capture signatures of attendees when I have been conducting training events for Intel, by creating a template with Windows Journal and simply walk around and have all sign the "Intel" sign in sheet, so we have a "paperless records" that can easily be printed and reproduced at any time.  This sure beats dragging paper around to do the same thing!  The Core Duo processor from Intel really make this unit rock. 

Need a life....get this tablet and explore the possibilities! 

Barbara Duck, Ducknet Services

Additional Resources and Links: (also search the site for additional recent Sahara Tablet posts)

TabletPC2 Review            Engadget        Tablet PC Review      SlipperyBrick

 

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Walter Reed Study Records Found in Trash

Missing records of the week...paper these days seems to be jumping out ahead in the lost and found department compared to data...so perhaps we are getting better at managing health and medical data after all.  BD 

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - Police say boxes of documents containing personal information from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research were supposed to be shredded but instead turned up last week in an off-base trash bin. A resident of a suburban Washington neighborhood near the Army medical research's campus found "numerous boxes" in the trash receptacle on Friday and alerted Montgomery County police. Officers eventually returned the boxes to the research center.

Walter Reed Study Records Found in Trash

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12 States leading the way with health IT

California did not make the list...BD 

Twelve states are out in front when it comes to adopting health information technology in their statewide Medicaid programs and another two dozen are close behind, according to a just-released government report. But the level of progress and the types of technologies in use vary widely, and no state has implemented a personal health record initiative, the report also shows. HHS Office of Inspector General found that 12 state Medicaid agencies have implemented a total of 16 health IT initiativesincluding claims-based electronic health records, e-prescribing and remote disease monitoringfor their Medicaid populations. The twelve states are: Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Modern Healthcare Online

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Not Paying for Medical Errors = Opinion

I do have an opinion here too on this subject.  As it begins with Medicare, it will flow over to the insurance carriers as well in time.  Has anybody read about the status of affairs of our hospitals lately?  How many are making any profits?  Did anyone read the Tenet story of late?  This article is totally bogus in expecting more penalties for the physicians as they are already looking at the 10% cut coming in January, plus in California, they want an additional 2% tax with the proposed medical program. 

Ok so what gives?  Is it so important to lose the focus of good medical care for sake of "being right all the time"?  This is something I have said for years, "there are more important things in life than having to be right all the time, but do the right thing".  In other words, we all know what is right and what is wrong.  it's ok to let someone else be right, but let's not drive this in to the ground and cost human lives at the same time. 

The way we function today with money having priority over human lives, the Medicare program of not paying hospitals, will obviously make Medicare "right" when it comes to denying claims and having the same type of claim investigators doing the same things the commercial insurance carriers do, but are they doing the right thing?   SO, LET'S JUST BE "RIGHT" AND PUT THE HOSPITALS RIGHT OUT OF BUSINESS, AFTER ALL THEY MADE A MISTAKE, SO THEY MUST PAY! 

 If one thinks this is the solution, then think again.

This will continue to close hospitals and deny medical service to all.  Who gets to determine whether or not a surgery was a mistake outside the normal obvious realm.  Right now people who are not educated in the health area are making those decisions, and that is scary. This is just another lovely scenario waiting to happen by pitting physicians against the hospital and vice versa.

It's not about better health care, once more it's passing the buck for someone else to pay.  BD

Medicare, the government insurance program for older Americans, has announced that it will soon stop paying hospitals for the extra costs of treating certain patients whose illnesses are compounded by preventable errors. The effort wont save much money at first, and it will impose additional testing and documentation burdens on many hospitals, but it should promote better care. If the initial steps are expanded, it could yield greater savings as well. Under current payment rules, Medicare typically pays hospitals more for treating a surgical patient whose illness is complicated by an infection than it would if there were no infection present. That is true even if the infection is caused by sloppy sanitary practices in the hospital itself. The perversity of a payment system that actually rewards incompetence rather than penalizing it seems self-evident. So Medicare is clearly wise to start changing the incentives.

Starting on Oct. 1, 2008, Medicare will no longer pay extra for eight specific conditions that could generally be avoided if the hospital followed proven preventive procedures or common-sense precautions. Medicare will no longer pay hospitals to retrieve surgical tools or sponges left in a patient after the initial operation. Nor will it reimburse for extra care given patients harmed by incompatible blood or air embolisms, for treating bedsores developed in the hospital, injuries caused by falls in the hospital, infections caused by prolonged use of catheters in the bladder or blood vessels, or a surgical site infection after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Not Paying for Medical Errors - New York Times

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Insurers embracing generic Rx

Physicians get paid incentives from HMO for changing patients to generic drugs..BD

A recent Blue Care Network program paid 2,400 Michigan doctors $2 million for switching patients to generic cholesterol-lowering drugs from brand-name drugs like Lipitor and Crestor. The insurer said it saved nearly $5 million. And the HMO expects members who switched will save a total of $1 million from lower co-payments this year.

Blue Care Network's incentive program, which ran from Jan. 1 through March 31, was part of an effort to improve the quality of patient care and hold down drug costs, said Helen Stojic, a spokeswoman for the HMO.

Doctors got $100 for each patient that filled a generic prescription during the 90-day program, an amount intended to reimburse the physicians for the time it took to review patient files and discuss generic alternatives, Stojic said. Blue Care Network focused on cholesterol-lowering statins for the program because that's the category of drugs insurers spend the most on, Stojic said.

Once wooed by pharmaceutical giants with lavish gifts as a push to increase sales of their new drugs, doctors now are getting cash incentives from health insurance companies when they switch patients to cheaper generic medications.  Most of his patients never knew about the incentive from the insurer, but Bickle said that didn't change the benefit to them of the switch. "In all honesty, (cholesterol lowering drugs) all work. They all reduce heart risk and stroke risk," he said.

Insurers embracing generic Rx

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Lawsuits Seek To Halt Connecticut Insurer Program

 

Connecticut's Fairfield County Medical Association has filed a class-action lawsuit in Danbury Superior Court against three health insurers alleging that the companies' physician designation programs damage non-designated physicians' reputations and steer patients to certain specialists regardless of the quality of care provided, the AP/Connecticut Post reports. The lawsuit names Cigna, UnitedHealth Group and Oxford Heath, which recently was acquired by UnitedHealth. The suit contends that the program implements a tiered network under which physicians in certain specialties -- including endocrinology, dermatology, obstetrics and others -- are designated as "elite," and patients are charged reduced copayments for choosing those doctors. Claudia Gruss, chair of the FCMA board of trustees, asserts that the insurers base physician designations on insurance claims data, not on evaluations of patient care. UnitedHealth and Oxford have not yet implemented the program, according to the association. Burton Rubin, FCMA president, said the lawsuit seeks to prevent the companies from establishing it. The suit also is seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages.

Lawsuits Seek To Halt Connecticut Insurer Program

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Once A Year Osteoporosis Drug Reclast Gets FDA Approval

 

Swiss drug maker Novartis announced that Reclast (zoledronic acid) has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a once a year treatment for women with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis (literally means "porous bones") occurs when bone mineral density (BMD) falls and the physical and chemical structure inside bones is disrupted leading to skeletal fragility and bones that fracture easily (it is sometimes called brittle bone disease).

Once A Year Osteoporosis Drug Reclast Gets FDA Approval

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California Nurses Association/NNOC Announces Major New Pact With Tenet Healthcare Hospitals

 

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee announced it has achieved a sweeping new collective bargaining agreement for 3,500 registered nurses at nine Tenet Healthcare hospitals in California - including Tenet's two largest California facilities, Doctor's Medical Center of Modesto and USC University Hospital in Los Angeles. "We are thrilled to have reached this breakthrough agreement with Tenet," said Rose Ann DeMoro, CNA/NNOC Executive Director and a National Vice President of the AFL-CIO. "We hope that this major accomplishment for Tenet RNs will help provide stability for Tenet and promote further improvements in the quality of care for Tenet's patients," DeMoro said.

California Nurses Association/NNOC Announces Major New Pact With Tenet Healthcare Hospitals

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Healthy San Francisco Program More Successful Than Anticipated

 

San Francisco's new universal health care program has enrolled more than 1,000 people since the program started on July 2 at two public health centers in Chinatown, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced in Chinatown on Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Enrollment in the program has been higher than anticipated; city officials had estimated that between 600 and 1,000 residents would enroll by the end of August (Knight, San Francisco Chronicle, 8/15).

Healthy San Francisco Program More Successful Than Anticipated

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Is Obesity Contagious?

According to the story, friends can be a bigger influence than family...BD

If someone close to you becomes overweight or obese, chances are you will too, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine today. Friends of obese people were 57 percent more likely to gain weight, U.S. researchers found. The risk was 40 percent for siblings and 37 percent for spouses. Call it "peer pressure" in reverse! Ann Summers of Charleston has lost more than 40 pounds over the last two years. She's now in a support group, at work, to lose weight, but she says that peer pressure can work both ways. Ann says, "You have a tendency to eat more and want to eat more and they give you recipes and you go home and use them, you bake, you eat more and you put on more weight.

The study found that people who have heavy relatives are 40 percent more likely to be heavy themselves. But if they have heavy friends, they are almost 60 percent likelier to be heavy.

WSAZ - Cover Story

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Prospect Medical Holdings Reports Fiscal 2007 Third Quarter Results

 

CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. (AMEX: PZZ) (Prospect), which manages the medical care of approximately 247,000 HMO enrollees in Southern California, today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 third quarter and nine month period ended June 30, 2007 (see attached tables). These results included approximately one month of operations from ProMed Health Care (ProMed), which Prospect acquired on June 1, 2007. Revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 were $40.8 million, an increase of 17.0% from $34.8 million in the same period last year. Operating income for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 was $1.2 million as compared to $2.1 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2006. Net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 was $0.53 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, as compared to net income of $1.3 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, in the fiscal 2006 third quarter.

Prospect Medical Holdings Reports Fiscal 2007 Third Quarter Results

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Cisco sees growth as more hospitals go high-tech

Good news here for the hospitals as they need newer advanced equipment as well as new routers to handle all the security levels with patient information and access for the physicians.  Access is nice, but security is job #1 with medical information.  BD

Cisco Systems is best known for selling routers and switches to telecommunications companies, but its strongest sales growth these days comes from an area that seldom gets much attention: hospitals. Cisco has sold routers and switches to hospitals and insurance companies for years, but in 2005, it created a business segment focusing on health care. Since then, it has launched a wide range of equipment designed for hospitals.

Cisco plans to tie up with even more device makers. "What we don't want to be is a medical-device company or a medical-advice company," Rideout said. "But we want to help it work."

Cisco sees growth as more hospitals go high-tech | Tech News on ZDNet

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Diabetic found locked inside bank

This sure could be scary or even life threatening if one needed their insulin at the time...shame on B of A...BD

CALIFORNIA - A 73-year-old woman with diabetes was found unconscious after spending six hours trapped in an Orange County bank where employees accidentally locked her after closing, authorities said Friday. Marian Prescher of Laguna Woods went to a Bank of America late Wednesday afternoon to inspect the contents of a box in a private room, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. When the bank closed at 6 p.m., he said, "they apparently forgot about her and locked her inside." About midnight, a cleaning crew found the woman unconscious and rushed her to a hospital, where she was treated.

Diabetic found locked inside bank -- chicagotribune.com

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Nurses' union will try to organize Tenet hospitals outside California

 

DALLAS The California Nurses Association said Monday that Tenet Healthcare Corp. has agreed to allow representation elections for at least 3,000 nonunion nurses outside California. Over the weekend, registered nurses at nine Tenet hospitals in California approved a four-year deal providing annual pay raises of 4 percent plus a 2.5 percent increase halfway through the first year. Some nurses would get additional raises in the second, third and fourth years of the contract, and the union said average pay would rise 25.5 percent over the life of the contract.

The union said the agreement also included nurse-to-patient ratios and a promise that new technology won't cost nursing jobs. About 3,500 registered nurses are covered by the California agreement. The agreement "provides wage predictability for us at our CNA-affiliated hospitals in California, which is important as the company continues its turnaround initiatives," said Tenet spokesman Steve Campanini. Dallas-based Tenet is struggling with falling admissions but rising numbers of uninsured patients.

This month, the company posted a $30 million loss for the second quarter and cut its profit outlook for the full year by 4 to 9 percent.

Nurses' union will try to organize Tenet hospitals outside Calif. | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

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A Family Doctor's Journey From Man to Woman - The Boston Globe

Family Practice makes an interesting transition...interesting story from the Boston Globe and thus far there are 2 parts, complete with story and vides with patient responses and what lengths it takes to make this type of transition...I believe part 3 should be out next week.  So far he still has the practice and most of the patients...the story might also serve to sell a lot of papers and gather additional readers as well...don't know how I would feel if in the same shoes as some of the patients though..many different reactions.  BD

But as this exam was winding down, it was the doctor who chose to do the confiding. Peering over the glasses resting on the tip of his nose, he told Foster there was going to be a major change in the practice in about a month. A letter would soon be going out to all his patients, but he wanted to give Foster advance notice.

From the seriousness in his doctor’s voice, Foster sensed he was about to tell him he was moving to California or retiring early or leaving medicine. He had built up so much trust in the guy that he dreaded the prospect of losing him.

"I’m going to be transitioning to live my life as a woman," the doctor said.

Foster was floored. He stared at Berkowitz-Shelton, and for the first time noticed that he was not just cleanshaven but now appeared to be devoid of facial hair. This was no joke. Foster struggled to come up with an appropriate response. But his first thought was how some of the tougher townies he grew up with in Somerville might have responded had they been sitting on the exam table, wearing the johnny. Would they have just punched him in the nose? Foster put that thought aside and said, "That’s interesting. How are your peers taking the news?"

A Family Doctor's Journey From Man to Woman - The Boston Globe

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CMS Terminates Contract With South Florida Medicare Advantage Plan

The 2nd Medicare HMO in Florida to close within a month...BD

CMS on Monday announced the cancellation of its Medicare Advantage contract with the SunCoast Physicians Health plan in South Florida, CQ HealthBeat reports. The agency did not provide a specific reason for the cancellation, but press accounts show that the plan failed to maintain $1.5 million in reserves required by the state to pay patient medical bills in case of financial problems. The plan is the second MA plan in South Florida that CMS cancelled in recent weeks. Last month, the agency cancelled its contract with a plan run by America's Health Choice, citing delays in care that posed an "imminent and serious risk" to beneficiaries. CMS said all 600 of SunCoast's beneficiaries will be switched to Humana Gold Plus, another MA plan. Beneficiaries will be able to see their current primary care physicians and specialists until Oct. 31, at which point they must use providers in the Humana network. Beneficiaries also can choose to enroll in traditional Medicare coverage by Oct. 31.

CMS Terminates Contract With South Florida Medicare Advantage Plan

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Painkiller use rising at alarming rate

Good points made too about people living longer and using medications in senior years...BD

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - People in the United States are living in a world of pain and they are popping pills at an alarming rate to cope with it. The amount of five major painkillers sold at retail establishments rose 90 percent between 1997 and 2005, according to an Associated Press analysis of statistics from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The DEA cites 108 prosecutions of physicians during the past four years; 83 pleaded guilty or no contest, while 16 others were convicted by juries. Eight cases are pending, and one physician is being sought as a fugitive.

“People with cancer are surviving longer, elderly people are living longer,” Charles said. “So, physicians are walking a fairly fine line. We’re walking a narrow path. And I think we’ll continue to see it for a while.”

Painkiller use rising at alarming rate - Health Care - MSNBC.com

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Seniors Head south to Mexican Nursing Homes...

In California I guess we can all look forward to moving south of the border in time, the next area to be outsourced....BD 

In the Baja Peninsula town of Ensenada, the Residencia Lourdes opened in 2003, offering care for patients with Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia. The towns around Lake Chapala have at least five small retirement homes. Most of them opened in the last five years and house from one to 25 foreigners.

AJIJIC, Mexico After Jean Douglas turned 70, she realized she couldn't take care of herself anymore. Her knees were giving out, and winters in Bandon, Ore., were getting harder to bear alone. Douglas was shocked by the high cost and impersonal care at assisted-living facilities near her home. After searching the Internet for other options, she joined a small but steadily growing number of Americans who are moving across the border to nursing homes in Mexico, where the sun is bright and the living is cheap. For $1,300 a month a quarter of what an average nursing home costs in Oregon Douglas gets a studio apartment, three meals a day, laundry and cleaning service, and 24-hour care from an attentive staff, many of whom speak English. She wakes up every morning next to a glimmering mountain lake, and the average annual high temperature is a toasty 79 degrees. "It is paradise," says Douglas, 74. "If you need help living or coping, this is the place to be. I don't know that there is such a thing back (in the USA), and certainly not for this amount of money.

 

USATODAY.com

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Doctors use handheld technology to save time, improve care

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It used to be that when doctors prescribed a new drug, it meant hitting the reference books to see how the new prescription would interact with medications a patient was already taking. Not anymore. Increasingly sophisticated mobile technology means that doctors can carry vast drug reference guides, patient charts and even full textbooks in the palms of their hands.

Using drug reference software made by the California-based company Epocrates on her PDA, Dr. Sue Wolver can prescribe medication to a patient while cross-referencing it with multiple drugs.

Doctors use handheld technology to save time, improve care

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E-mail means fewer patient calls and visits ...

Where's the CPT code for email...BD 

A Kaiser Permanente study showing that physicians who e-mailed with patients saw a drop in visits raises the specter that online communication might reduce revenue. But doctors who were early adopters in e-mailing patients -- and who didn't participate in the study -- say that even though such communication might keep some patients out of the office, it opens up more space for patients who might have a more pressing need to come in. And they say patient e-mail reduces the amount of time they spend on the telephone with patients -- which Kaiser's study also found to be true.

"In our view ... if you want your doctor's professional time and he uses his professional time to make a living, it is not unreasonable to pay him for his time," Dr. Fotsch said.

AMNews: Aug. 27, 2007. E-mail means fewer patient calls and visits ... American Medical News

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Doctors fear bill would resurrect punitive Medicare claims reviews ...

The return of the Medicare police?  Return of claims review?  BD

Reviving the punitive aspects of the PROs but abandoning the actual peer review element would create an unregulated enforcement entity that wouldn't follow the QIO directive to use the least intrusive methods to solve quality problems, said Jonathan Sugarman, MD, MPH. He's the president and CEO of Qualis Health, the QIO serving Idaho and Washington. "They used to call them the Medicare police. Now maybe it's the Medicare militia," he said. "It's based on the theory that enforcement and punishment are the best ways to improve care to Medicare beneficiaries, and that's not really consistent with contemporary understanding of quality improvement." Dr. Sugarman noted that Gail Wilensky, PhD, Medicare's administrator from 1990 to 1992, often described PROs as "the most hated program in HHS." Doctors complained that the organizations would comb through claims data -- often years old -- and find that physicians had done something wrong, but the PROs wouldn't give them any idea of what to do about it. Physicians who already are losing patience with Medicare for other reasons will become even more fed up if the old, much-despised case review system is resurrected, he said.

AMNews: Aug. 27, 2007. Doctors fear bill would resurrect punitive Medicare claims reviews ... American Medical News

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