Ok, so we have all heard the old jokes about a “duck” into a bar, how about some biotech and research humor added in, maybe they like to drink too, very funny and great video. Good work on relating the terminology in a very funny way! BD
“An infectious disease walks into a bar. The bartender says, ‘We don’t serve infectious diseases here,’ and the infectious disease says, ‘Well, you’re not a very good host.’” Ba-dum-chi. If you enjoyed that joke and fancy yourself a fellow science geek, you’ll love this funny video by science comedian (yes, you read that correctly) Brian Malow.
This is the hospital chain that has 9 lives and a complete soap opera over the last few years to along with it. The new owner is also the old owner who filed bankruptcy in 2000 and left patients and others holding the bag, literally. A Chaudhuri-controlled company, KPC Medical Management, collapsed in 2000, disrupting health care for 300,000 Southern California residents. That led state regulators and local physicians to block Chaudhuri’s attempt to take control of IHHI in 2005. But over the past five years he gradually has bought a majority stake. The financing rests in the hands of Silver Point hedge fund.
The other California entrepreneur, Prem Reddy was also bidding for the chain. When in need of money not too long ago, Chaudhuri has contributed a few million to keep them going. During the last year the SEC investigated the former financing company. You can read more at the link below.
The physician’s group and Bruce Mogel continued to battle. The doctors have asked that the board sue Mr. Mogel for wrongful conduct as well. He still owns 40% of the corporation through his relationship with Dr. Kali Chaudhuri.
When Santa Ana police briefly arrested Dr. Michael Fitzgibbons at Western Medical Center Santa Ana in June 2006, the lawsuit says, Mogel was watching from a window. "People don't know how powerful I am," he said, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit by Orange County Physicians Investors Network charges Mogel, Integrated Healthcare Holding Inc.s' chief executive, with breach of fiduciary duty and fraud.
This is a surprise, but he had the guarantee requested by the judge that Prime didn’t have. Over the years it certainly appears this is some kind of a love/hate relationship between Chaudhuri and IHHI. It was odd too that there were no other interested parties here, so with money the hospitals can continue to operate. The next big question, is Bruce Mogel coming back?? OMG, hope not after the scene about setting up one of the doctors on a phony gun charge. BD
SANTA ANA – Controversial medical entrepreneur Kali P. Chaudhuri bought the debt of four Orange County hospitals in a courtroom auction Friday.
The deal puts Chaudhuri, a Hemet orthopedist, in firm control of Integrated Healthcare Holdings Inc., which operates Western Medical Center – Santa Ana and three other hospitals. Chaudhuri already was the majority shareholder of financially troubled IHHI.
Backed by hedge fund Silver Point Partners, he paid $70 million for high-interest loans with a face value of $73.6 million. He upped his bid after U.S. District Judge David O. Carter pronounced his original $55 million bid a "windfall" and "unwholesome."
Chaudhuri beat out another medical entrepreneur with a stormy past, Prem Reddy of Prime Healthcare. Reddy also bid $70 million for IHHI's debt but failed to post a cash guarantee early, as Carter had required.
IHHI attorney David Robinson told Carter that because of its heavy debts the company is "on a precipice. It is living literally day to day."
Creditors seized equipment from the WestMed emergency room, though the hospital later got it back, and doctors and nurses weren't paid on time, Robinson said.
Chaudhuri has been one of the most feared people in California medicine since the October 2000 bankruptcy of his company, KPC Medical Management. Its failure left 300,000 patients without care and, in many cases, without their medical records.
Four years later, when Chaudhuri led IHHI's bid to buy four Orange County hospitals, local doctors protested and a state legislator intervened. He backed away, only to return when the small hospital chain asked him for money to pay its bills.
I don’t see as any bad reflection in either way, the woman wants a life again and besides it seems to be contagious these days, look how many Congressmen have announced retirement. Healthcare reform and evolving technology is at the core as we are only human.
Healthcare grinds on you these days, whether you are a patient, a doctor, an administrator and so on. It is so complicated. We built a system based on some very complicated algorithms today in order to make decisions. They are powerful too as hardly anybody will question “what is shown on the computer screen” as we all assume that is “right answer. It’s the answer the algorithms gave you, but who programmed them?
I get stressed writing this blog trying to share knowledge, but it’s kind of my passion to offer some food for thought and where and how all of this is happening as having written code I understand aggregation of data and more importantly, what stress this puts on the people who use the software and now have to figure out how to make their bodies fit the “scoring” and “data” tables that we all look at on the computer screen. Technology and the rocket speed perceptions of how we think it should solve problems creates other problems and stress.
Even being a spokesperson is not easy, as what you have prepared 8 hours ago might very well be outdated before your speech time.
Look how long it took to get to where we are and on top of everything else our government needs major infrastructure updating, so living with all of that and trying to create a healthcare system and intelligently prepare words that the general public can perhaps understand, is stressful!
It takes a lot of skill and almost takes away your entire personal life too.
Best of luck to her and hope that first dinner with her patient husband is a good one. BD
With healthcare reform passed and signed, the White House's top spokeswoman on the issue is leaving the administration. Linda Douglass, President Barack Obama's spokeswoman though the contentious healthcare debate and a former journalist, said Thursday that "leaving this great team is bittersweet."
Douglass joins Anita Dunn and Ellen Moran, both former communications directors in the Obama White House, in departing the administration during Obama's first term.
This may not be a bad idea as I said last year I thought it would be a good idea if Microsoft had a healthcare section in their retail stores as devices that connect to phones and PC become more plentiful out there. You would almost need a “quiet” area though so people could hear as the one Microsoft store I visited was very loud and I thought could use a little acoustic work as the loud games certainly could not be ignored.
The Best Buy folks could certainly help people learn how to connect the devices and questions beyond the software/hardware end that are clinically specific would need to go back to a drug store or doctor to answer, either that or start putting mini clinics in Best Buy to be an all in one convenience. I say that in jest but who knows what we will see next out there in retail. I see devices on the shelves at Fry’s but again it’s just a box you buy and take home with no support or help in that area. BD
New Jersey healthcare facility Meridian Health is working together with their local Best Buy store to assess whether consumers are comfortable buying connected health devices at a big box electronics store, Sandra Elliott, Director of Consumer Technology at Meridian Health told attendees at our event, MobiHealthNews Presents: Everywhere Healthcare in Las Vegas last month.
“We have spent a significant amount of time over the last few months working with Best Buy,” Elliott announced. “Meridian is very comfortable in the understanding that as health system we know a lot about care, but not a lot about retail. Most people will or do feel very comfortable about going to Best Buy and looking at consumer electronics. Given the fact that a number of consumer medical devices are available through other retail stores, we wondered whether Best Buy was a potential opportunity.”
“The reason consumers are more comfortable buying some of these health devices at a Best Buy rather than a CVS or Walgreens in some cases is that they know that the data is valuable, and they want to learn how to connect the device to their PCs or mobile phones or other system. That’s not a question that Meridian Health wants to get involved in answering,” Elliott explained.
The business intelligence divisions of Blue Cross and Blue Shield went to work on the off label use here to restrict compensation for using this breast cancer drug to treat infertility. It is very widely used according to their analysis of over a million patients. As you can read below they figured out they would save $174.00 a claim for this use.
The study used for the basis of this conclusion went back to Canada in 2005 with a group of 150 babies and found the potential 3 fold effect in the “risk” of birth defects. I didn’t see any numbers here, so was it one baby that rose to 3 and what were the birth defects? Also, is this just risk or were there actual birth defects too. There are so many more drugs too on the market today than there were in 2005 and were the women taking other drugs too? We want the “correct” algorithms for risk and not just those created with software to substantiate saving money and denying claims, in other words transparency.
I don’t know on this one, it seems like a very small study and from what is here, there’s not enough to substantiate a huge danger and also did the FDA have any information on this issue too, and why was a US study not included?
You be the judge here, business intelligence algorithms used to deny claims and treatment for infertility or is there a real substantiated risk? Since the drug was so widely used I might guess there will be some not so happy doctors with this and we could be up for some challenges here to get a “real” answer on actual cases and risk assessment in case any of this was taken out of context in order to justify cutting compensation. Again, did the FDA have anything on file with off label use to treat infertility? BD
CHICAGO - Three in 10 women being treated for infertility take the common breast cancer drug Femara, even though it could increase risks to the baby, U.S. researchers said on Friday.
They said the drug is often prescribed "off-label" to treat infertility, even though it is classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as posing a pregnancy risk.
And a study of health claims suggests policies by health insurers to only pay for the drug's approved uses could improve both the care and safety of the women who take it.
Doctors that treat infertility say they use the drug in women with ovulation problems.
According to a Web site for the Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago, when the enzyme aromatase is blocked by the drug it causes estrogen levels in young women to fall, triggering the release of follicle stimulating hormone or FSH, which causes women to ovulate.
And they said the Canadian study was too small, and its trial design has been seen as flawed.
The Prime Therapeutics team and one of the company's Blue Cross and Blue Shield clients wanted to see if a program aimed at controlling reimbursement of the drug could improve patient safety and cut costs.
They reviewed about 1.5 million claims from two Blue Cross health plans between July 2008 and June 2009 to see how often letrozole is used for infertility.
They found it was common, with 29.3 percent of plan members using the drug to treat infertility. More than 95 percent of women over age 50 who took the drug did not have an FDA-approved diagnosis.
The average cost of treatment was about $174 per claim, the team told the meeting.
They said restricting reimbursement of the drug to FDA-approved indications might be a way to not only cut costs, but also reduce fetal risks if a woman taking the drug succeeds in getting pregnant.
If you are a senior and were looking for a Part D supplement policy, Aetna is one carrier that won’t be able to accommodate you effective April 21st. This does not affect anyone who is currently enrolled in either the Advantage Plans or Prescription plans. I’m sure they want to get back on the bandwagon soon as Part D supplements is where the big money is and we all help contribute to the government side of this.
As I read the article here it states that there are issues with Medicare relating to the prescription drug plans that resulted out of changes made on coverage. I don’t know about you, but I used Epocrates just as a patient so I can help the doctors out sometimes when needing a prescription. Some are up on this but when I see a paper doctor who is still hanging out in tech denial world, I help them and look it up myself. I am primarily look up the $4.00 generics though from Target to see what is covered when I need to. I also hint they they could do this too.
It’s kind of sad that Medicare, even just as a back up or small pilot didn’t look into setting up their own pharmacy benefit manager internally when Part D was started years ago. BD
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Aetna Inc (AET.N) is suspending marketing to and enrollment of new members to its Medicare plans for the elderly because of sanctions imposed by the U.S. government, the health insurer said on Friday.
Aetna, whose shares fell 3 percent, said the suspension was effective April 21. It affects Aetna's Medicare Advantage and standalone prescription drug plans, but does not affect its current Medicare enrollees.
It’s getting tough around Washington being a non participant without some tech knowledge these days and one more Congressman Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, said he’s going to retire. So far we have had 20 Republicans announce retirement and 15 Democrats. It’s getting hot in the oven in Washington and it doesn’t work the way it did in the 70s. When decisions are stalled and indecision is ruling – IT COSTS MONEY. The easy ride (pre-technology) is over and now Congress needs to create laws that work with technology and it’s not easy and again requires some technology background or an effort to learn.
One good thing about Jim Bunning, is the fact that he is retiring and perhaps not soon enough. His big battle was not wanting to add to the deficit, but it’s there anyway for all to work on, so let’s dig a deeper grave here for the unemployed who are also someone’s patient and make life a little more difficult right now. In addition when they get sick, there’ needs to be a physician who will see them and with the Medicare cuts and some of those individuals maybe getting close to qualify for Medicare, we are not accomplishing anything here.
Also, the folks that lobby in Washington are finding it’s time to hang it up too. It is much more difficult today as there few secrets and they don’t last long and Washington is quickly becoming a “glass house”. For that matter, for us little consumers we are getting more “glass” too in many areas of privacy where our information is bought and sold for corporate profits.
We are a harsh judging world today with many with unrealistic views on what people in high positions of influence should do. If they are still enacting methodologies from the past, well it’s time for a roast and the gold old boy's club gets a little smaller, usually only consisting today of many who face or are on the edge of tech denial.
We have technology throwing us that new left curve every day and lobbyists are no exception to having to counter act as a new developing may toss a current strategy straight into the toilet. It is what it is and there’s no big white hope coming in to replace them, just the internet and the free availability of so much of the information we need to make decisions today. Maybe lobbying is headed toward being an extinct occupation?
This link below is one of my favorites and offers many areas to ponder, how do you bring balance with analytical glut today and keep human morality. If you don’t know what’s on the tech side of life and participate to some level, you are lost….maybe why we are seeing so many retire.
Making laws is today is not easy and we really need a Department of Algorithms to be effective today and for the future.
Nine-term Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, will reveal Friday he is retiring from Congress, several Democratic sources close to Stupak tell CNN.
The anti-abortion Democrat has been facing opposition from both the right and the left for his 11th hour deal with the White House that he says bans federal funding for abortion. The deal ultimately led to his decisive vote in favor of the health care bill.
Stupak first informed Democratic leaders last week that he was considering retiring. He has received calls from President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others urging him to run again.
Depending on what type of practice you are, an EHR that dispenses a nice fragrance once in a while could be real benefit, patients may like it too, there has to be a version for gastroenterology for sure! Just think no more distracting body odors for the patient and the physician! If delivering bad news to a patient the EHR will also help in delivering a foul odor, great for coding! On the other hand I would guess a nice fragrance will be released with good news, just think of the time both doctors and patients will save as both will know instantly what’s coming!
As it mentioned below, cartridges are sold separately and it’s affordable, one transaction charge for each whiff, so this information can be analyzed and added to your PHR as well.
Be sure to check and make sure your clearinghouse can connect too, spread the wealth and billing personnel can enjoy the sweet smell of Lilly of the Valley too. When your claims are scrubbed, the billers will be able to tell when all traces of fragrance and odors have been removed!
Just think, medical records have never smelled so good! HL7 appears to be covered too, and that may require a stronger fragrance to aggregate this to the PHR. Patients will love their PHRs combined with the new springtime scents. Just think once more of the time saved here too, if there’s some potential bad news on the horizon, your PHR can be the “stink bomb” that you have always wanted in the way of prompt notifications. Maybe you will have better luck with checking out the pricing:)
You have to love this humorous look on EHRS, and sometimes I feel these guys are getting closer to the truth all the time:) Is this what is needed for ARRA and certification processes, a little aromatherapy today? This is one vendor who is reaching out beyond the limits to help the stimulus confusion stink at lot less too. BD
Electronic health record vendor Extormity today announced that its EHR portfolio is now available in a wide range of springtime scents, including lilac, wildflower, and damp mulch. “With all the hubbub about SaaS model EMRs, we elected to continue our track record of unexpected innovation and launch a SaSS, or Software as Scented Server, architecture,” stated Extormity CEO Brantley Whittington. “This is more than just a bolted on aromatherapy device, as our SaSS offering is fully integrated with the EHR utilizing a modified HL7 interface.”
This SaSS module will be especially helpful for physicians who shy away from delivering bad news to patients, as serious diagnosis codes will generate a foul smelling odor.
Of course, aroma cartridges will be sold separately, and practices will be charged a ‘per whiff’ fee each time a smell is emitted.”
About Extormity Extormity is an electronic health records mega-corporation dedicated to offering highly proprietary, difficult to customize and prohibitively expensive healthcare IT solutions. Our flagship product, the Extormity EMR Software Suite, was recently voted “Most Complex” by readers of a leading healthcare industry publication. Learn more at www.extormity.com
One of the main focuses of GenStar is healthcare and pharma investments. Robert Sheehy served as CEO of United Healthcare and worked for the company for over 20 years, and in 2000 became the CEO. The article states he played strategic roles in acquisitions during that time and if I remember correctly, Ingenix, the algorithm side of United was added during that time. It was not the only acquisition but in the world of Health IT, one division that makes a ton of money from software and transaction fees.
The GenStar websites states they are not “passive” investors and want to have an impact on the overall operation of their businesses. BD
SAN FRANCISCO, April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Genstar Capital, LLC, a middle market private equity firm that focuses on investments in selected segments of the life science, healthcare services, software, financial services, and industrial technology industries, today announced the appointment of Robert J. Sheehy, an experienced healthcare executive who served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare, as an Operating Partner and member of its Strategic Advisory Board (SAB).
He was named President and Chief Operating Officer, UnitedHealthcare in 1998 and after serving as CEO for seven years he became Senior Vice President UnitedHealth Group in 2007. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare he was one of the early employees of Peak Health Plan from 1982 to 1986 before it was acquired by UnitedHealth Group, joining as Director of Operations and becoming CEO of Southern Colorado in 1984.
Genstar Capital's Strategic Advisory Board provides portfolio companies with a rich source of operating experience and strategic insight. Composed of influential senior executives who are current or former leaders of major corporations, the SAB includes executives who have served in senior capacities with such leading companies as Abbott Laboratories, Andersen Consulting, Pharmacia & Upjohn, CNA Insurance Companies, ITT Corporation, Oracle, Ingersoll Rand, Axia Health Management, MedImmune, Inc., WellPoint, Siebel Systems, and ICOS Corporation.
Just a rambling thought here, but can we get the ones we have now tweaked and working better first? This is some of what appears to me anyway as continued fractorization with even more platforms and development added to the already full world of development with medical records. It would just be nice to have some unification instead of constant “I have a better idea” and building a new platform almost from the ground up. This project is to create a program to work and be compatible with an iPhone solution. The basis of the development goes back to the Indivo platform.
There’s nothing wrong with innovation, but how much further can we “innovate” the poor doctors on rapid platforms. They barely get used to one system with a multitude of updates and then the carpet gets yanked for “something different”? I guess on the positive side here too jobs get created so with that in tuck I hope there’s technology created that may be useful.
Don’t forget though that this is not the only game in town, it just might be one of a few that received grants and federal funds for developing a program of this type and private industry and a whole lump of others are in the same pursuit. When the next device hits the market, will there be new infrastructures immediately set to task?
Competition is grand and breeds innovation, but don’t forget the audience who will buy in, this case we have doctors and patients. We have people at so very many different levels. As an example, our Congress is just now trying to deal with laws restricting government employees from using peer to peer networks, which is a huge security issue not to mention a distraction from work.
Right now we have radiation devices needing software attention as some are over exposing patients, we have implanted devices with software needed attention too and I just think if we perhaps focused on getting the infrastructure we use today working correctly before throwing a whole new ball game at folks, we would be miles ahead. Who knows where we will be in 4 years from now too the the project mentioned above could be vastly outdated, nobody knows.
This is my opinion only here, but we certainly have enough folks willing to throw money around to fund a lot of things without a current structure that is working good enough, so why scatter so soon? We could also end up with way too many choices and not end up doing anything with the glut of software and platforms out there too, and that is probably the scariest potential situation we could see, but it could be right here in the making today.
I just hate to see taxpayer money thrown perhaps somewhat aimlessly without a full collaboration of efforts for continuity. That’s part of what is missing today continuity and collaboration, it’s more about competition and who can build the “best” medical records system.
Those who don’t participate at some level don’t know the difference with how development is moving rapidly toward the patient and data documentation, thus we get ideas or hypothesis on the road to nowhere, and yes one more blog to ask for input, right next to the other 100 that are there asking too. (grin).
Take it from someone who has written some healthcare code and technology, this stuff doesn’t arrive instantly and is not without a ton of bugs to iron out. BD
Boston, Mass. -- Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School will lead the efforts of a $15 million grant recently announced from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support research and development of a new health care information technology infrastructure. The grant is one of four awarded through the Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) program to address key challenges in adoption and meaningful use of health IT and is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
This was too good to pass up. Drug delivery systems change and come in strange sizes and looks. In 2007 we have the “bong’ looking device for Exubera which has now been discontinued.
Now we have an inhaler to help people stop smoking and Glaxo has a commercial running in the UK to make it look cool with some classic moves featuring the Nicorette inhaler instead of the cigarette. Love watching Clint Eastwood with that “tampon” looking thing in his mouth (grin).
Not too long ago the folks over at Cambridge Consultants said the future of drugs will rely on technology, well that maybe and a little public acceptance I think. BD
Those folks will get a little more ammo for their theory from a new Nicorette commercial in the U.K., which recreates smoking scenes from classic movies but replaces the cigarettes with the Nicorette “inhalator.”
James Dean puffs nervously on what appears to be a plastic tampon as he prepares for the fatal drag race in Rebel Without a Cause. Clint Eastwood enters a saloon from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with a pen cap in his mouth. And Sami Frey sucks on a plastic one-hitter in Jean-Luc Godard’s Bande a Part. (OK, that last one seems almost reasonable.)
As business intelligence increases to find out every stick of information about individuals, so goes the MIB, the Medical Insurance Bureau. What is alarming as far as information contained is the fact that it can and does go beyond just claim information. Your credit report may be in here as well as your driving records. If you read below there’s a little additional information quoted that could be here.
The collection of algorithms mined though various sources provide the decision making information on computer screens. I have covered a bit about the MIB a while back at the link below.
The drive for behavioral underwriting has increased tremendously with employer provided health insurance, in other words how big of a risk are you and add on information found in files as such at the MIB, well you could have a huge history of mined data that you are not aware of. Yes you are in fact “guilty” of all kinds of issues and it is up to you, the consumer to prove yourself “innocent” here. The non profit organization has been around for years and now with adapting to Web 2.0 technologies, the collection process of information has accelerated for them too.
With many companies exploring and using both biometric monitoring and behavioral underwriting today, I might guess the files could in fact get much thicker pretty quickly, it’s all about the data and the algorithms they use for collection and sharing. I have a friend of mine here that has been fighting for years to get his record corrected to no avail.
It does make one wonder how an agency for health insurers that uses information as such gets categorized as a “consumer reporting agency” as this is not for the benefit of the consumer, it’s for the underwriters and the fact that a consumer can get a copy of what is on file seems to be a side lines interest here to keep things “legally” but perhaps not “morally” correct.
Here’s some additional information quoted from Know Your Health .
With some of this information some may think twice about hooking up devices like wireless bottles that remembers your prescriptions and reminds you, it reminds and notifies a few other sources too as well as other devices on the market, just be aware of the privacy factors, or lack of sometimes when finding out as a consumer what is the “right” decision for you.
“Ingenix, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, Inc. and sells the MedPoint prescription profiling data product. Consumers should be aware that Ingenix, Inc. has contractual relationships to acquire data from Pharmacy Benefit Managers (“PBM”), which maintain records of individuals’ prescription drug histories. Ingenix, through MedPoint, obtains an insurance applicant’s five-year prescription drug history from the PBMs and creates a prescription medical profile on the applicant for the insurance company.
The medical profile generated by MedPoint includes, but is not limited to, prescription drugs, including dosage and number of refills filled by the insurance applicant for the previous five years. It also includes for each drug, the name and address of the dispensing pharmacy, as well as the name and address of the prescribing doctor, including specialty medical practice. The medical profile generated by MedPoint analyzes the individual’s prescription drug history, and provides, based on that analysis, potential medical conditions that may be present and predictive scores for the individual. (Source, Federal Trade Commission Complaint, February 2008).
Rescission rates on the brochure helped one satisfied client disqualify applicants from the start…strange marketing for consumers to see by far in my estimation when they need care. It’s all about keeping the underwriters happy and not about care it appears.
Look at every new policy from every ceding company
See which cases are outside of your risk tolerances
Quickly identify risk concentrations and prevalence of unexpected medical conditions
Identify high-risk cases by ceding company to prioritize audits
Monitor those companies you are unable to audit
View reports by your most important metrics
Better manage risk for improved financial performance
A Security Alert search is automatically performed on every applicant run through the MIB Checking Service data base – this offering is a useful adjunct to check name assignments beyond underwriting such as policyholder and beneficiary changes, claims, etc. Both our web-based Transactional Service and outsourced Portfolio Sweeps use MIB’s precise name search technology. Security Alert Services gives companies the flexibility they require to meet their unique needs.”
If you have read this far, do you maybe think what I say about us fighting healthcare battles with “swords and daggers” and going up against those with “machine guns” has some merit here?
When I say “machine guns” I mean “data machine guns”, aka “The Algorithms”. This exists today all over Wall Street too as they are the partners of healthcare for profit and make sure the dividends are paid out accordingly and shareholders are kept happy. From what I read here with the various intelligence companies owned by United, they appear to have money rolling in from all sides, even from other insurance carriers. BD
The Medical Information Bureau Inc. (a/k/a, MIB Group, Inc., a/k/a, MIB, Inc., a/k/a, MIB Solutions, Inc.) collects and furnishes information on consumers to all Medical Information Bureau (MIB) member corporations for use in the insurance underwriting process. According to MIB, Inc. marketing materials,
“MIB, Inc. is the premiere provider of fraud detection information for individually underwritten life, disability income, long term care and critical illness insurance. MIB member companies rely on its Checking Service for the fast, secure aggregation and exchange of data to combat fraud, improve underwriting effectiveness and increase product line profitability while ensuring fair pricing for all applicants.”
In addition to an individual’s credit history, data collected by the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) may include medical conditions, driving records, criminal activity, drug use, participation in hazardous sports, and personal or family genetic history, among other facts.
There have been many posts on the web about the states now challenging healthcare reform and some say it’s a bit of a cover up to raise money. The only item that I see as having grounds here is the fact that when compliance and the laws state that consumers “must” buy health insurance is the fact that in some states, due to lack of competition, there may be no “non profit” option, so why should consumers be forced to feed the wheels that make Wall Street run in order to get health care. Personally I think health insurance should be non profit for all organizations all the way around, but it’s not that way of course with shareholders and dividends in the driver’s seat here.
After the fall of the stock market, the level of trust we have as citizens is falling all the time and to force citizens to invest to keep the gambling business today of the stock market alive is morally wrong. If the lawsuits are on this basis there may be some substantiation, but again to have consumers pay money to keep an already deceptive market alive is not a good thing. Granted there’s a bit of time between today and when this becomes mandatory and a lot can and will happen between now and then, exactly what, we don’t really know, but there’s a huge unrest here with reform in it’s current state and there’s certainly room for a lot of revisions and changes.
Are we doing what we think is “legally” correct today or what is “morally” correct? I don’t really see much of either in this forefront all the way around and from both sides of the coin. You can dig around in the past when you look at the economic side of healthcare for comparison, but that’s not the world we have and live in today, so to base laws and changes on what has been the norm in history is irrelevant.
A good example of losing morality I feel is this case with Pfizer and a biotech scientist – courts saw that it was morally wrong, but the company was “legally” correct and she can’t get the information needed to find out what she was exposed to in her work as a scientist. This is just one example and there’s more out there if you dig around the web.
Truth of the matter is, nobody likes this and the consumers of the US have been brow beat to death with analysis and business intelligence software results to convince them that “they” in fact are at fault for all of this somewhere along the line, which is not true, big business and politics are the ones making the rules and we just try to live within them.
We all need a place to start with getting better care and need a place to start today and stop judging people for what has occurred in the past for things done that were maybe considered “unhealthy”. As long as this continues and we don’t have a place to start without judging the past, the eternal witch hunt for finding those “bad” citizens who omitted one “tiny” element of their health history or took part in something in the past that we know today is not “healthy” will continue.
Is there anyone else left for big business to blame besides the citizens of the US just trying to make a living? I call this a “blame shifting tactic” for profit and sad that so many of our leaders today can’t see this. We talk about clinicians in healthcare needing to say they are sorry a lot, but how about those who make laws and decisions? I don’t know for sure but I can’t seem to recall much in the news about any of them saying “I’m sorry” with the exception of when they get into personal trouble with extra marital affairs, etc. but that it outside the realm of this discussion here and is theirs and our own reality of what we elected into office. BD
Five more states - Indiana, North Dakota, Mississippi, Nevada and Arizona - on Wednesday joined 13 others in a lawsuit against the historic overhaul of the U.S. health care system signed into law last month by President Barack Obama, the Texas attorney general announced.
The lawsuit initially filed by Florida, South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Idaho, South Dakota and Washington argues that the legislation's requirement that individuals buy health insurance violates the Constitution.
Drug delivery methods are changing in many ways to inhalants if possible. Why, because they can be used with devices that report data to enforce compliance, perhaps easier than swallowing a chip and watching its “Fantastic Voyage”. If you don’t get that last remark you are too young to remember. These folks that I correspond with in the UK and in Massachusetts at Cambridge have some pretty exotic devices too and they state that drug delivery lies with new technology. They have their own blue tooth inhaler out there.
On the OptiNose page you can see where there is an inquiry section for pharma or biotech companies to get in touch to evaluate the nasal delivery system. Also, guess what, the inhalers take either powder or liquid and are either in multi or single use devices. I hope it is sealed to avoid inhaling other drugs that perhaps are not legal out there. This is one more example where inhaled drugs are making their way into treatment plans today. Sinusitis can also be treated with the inhaler. BD
Oslo, April 7, 2010: OptiNose, a leader in nasal drug delivery systems, is pleased to announce the publication in Cephalalgia of results from its Phase II clinical study investigating the efficacy and tolerability of its novel, intranasal drug/device product for the treatment of migraine.
Sumatriptan powder in 10mg and 20mg doses administered intranasally using OptiNose’s bi-directional delivery device was highly effective in treating a single attack of moderate or severe migraine. The proportion of patients pain-free at two hours was 54% for the 10 mg dose, 57% for 20 mg and 25% for placebo (P< .05). These results compare very favorably with published figures of 26-42% for liquid sumatriptan nasal spray and 35.6% for zolmitriptan nasal spray and higher than the 28% /29% reported for oral triptans. In addition to high efficacy, OptiNose’s bi-directional powder delivery eliminates drip-out and reduces the bitter taste associated with conventional nasal triptan products.
About OptiNose Bi-directional Delivery Devices:
OptiNose’s unique breath actuated devices deliver intranasal drugs to targeted regions in the nasal cavity, including the sinus openings and the olfactory region. This is achieved without any risk of lung deposition, unlike traditional nasal inhalers, nasal sprays or nebulizers. The Company offers both single and multi-use intranasal delivery devices for liquid and powder formulations. Core patents have been granted in Europe and the US. Variants of the basic delivery system are available for powder and liquid delivery. The technology has been successfully tested in a number of clinical trials to date including gamma scintigraphy studies to confirm highly superior deposition, studies evaluating the immune response to conventional antigens, trials showing excellent effects in chronic sinusitis with and without nasl polyps and studies evaluating the delivery of CNS active compounds. The results have confirmed the superiority of the technology compared to traditional nasal sprays.
Here we go again, a missed opportunity for consumer and patient safety. I wrote to the FDA today one more time so maybe I may have an open ear? I’ll just keep posting as stories emerge. Sales were 2 billion on the strips so is there not a little room in profit here to add some consumer safety to ensure we have a “real” product.
I have also written to several device and drug companies too. How deaf can those ears get? Last time it was insulin pumps with recalls and now we have strips so the diabetes industry certainly looks like a big target for black market products. I have also had some nice comments from both attorneys and pharmacists on this idea too. I don’t know about you but I would love to just scan with my cell phone and be rest assured that I have an authentic product in my hands.
One more time we can address the fact that the FDA has no way of recalling devices in an efficient manner and monitoring drugs. So if this happens to be the case here it would be a lot easier if a system were put in place for recalls. People die because they use or are implanted with recalled and faulty devices that miss getting off the shelf. Watch the video and see how easy it is for the consumer. I had a doctor tell me how much he likes using Microsoft Tags in his golf magazine, so he can see how to improve his swing and thought this was a good idea too, he’s already using Tags with no problem.
With a cell phone, we have no shortage of scanners that the manufacturer could put on the packaging as well as an online data base on the internet. I have other information on how these encrypted Tags can used for adding information to Personal Health Records too.
We have another case of tech denial here it seems and the fear of the word “change”. Look at the Becton Dickinson recall with catheters and something like this would have made it simple and lowered the chance that someone would die due to the fact that a product was missed and not pulled from use.
Before surgery – scan that stent! If it has been recalled the information would be updated to immediately let your know.
The beauty of all of this is the simplicity for the user, open program and scan with phone – that’s it. BD
Federal prosecutors are investigating a Florida man accused by Johnson & Johnson of selling counterfeit and potentially deadly versions of its diabetes-care products.
If charges are brought, it could become the first U.S. criminal case arising from the health-care giant's four-year global manhunt. J&J has waged an aggressive battle to bust a counterfeiting ring stretching from China to Pakistan to the U.S., following the discovery of fake copies of J&J's OneTouch diabetes test strips on the U.S. market in 2006.
The case shows how manufacturers of prescription drugs and medical products—and government authorities—are stepping up their fight against fake or stolen products. Last month, the federal government charged two people with illegally importing fake versions of GlaxoSmithKline PLC's weight-loss drug Alli.
The device, called the LINX Reflux Management System, is being studied at UC San Diego Medical Center as part of a US and European multicenter clinical trial. Today Europe has announced their approval for the device. The link below gives some additional details from my post last year.
In many areas devices are competing with drugs and with this 20-30 minute procedure and successes it is having, we may have another winner in the device versus drug competition. BD
Torax Medical Inc. won CE Mark approval in the European Union for an implantable device that treats patients suffering from acid-reflux disease.
The company’s Linx device is intended for patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease, which occurs when stomach juices flowing upward into the esophagus. The disease is caused by defects in the esophageal sphincter muscle, which typically prevents acid and bile from entering the esophagus.
This is interesting and a deal was made here so Teva has a 180 day exclusive. On one hand we have Teva in court with Merck over Singulair and on the other hand here, they get a deal. Teva is probably the most aggressive pharma company today with challenging patents.
Both companies share one big common interest and that is the pursuit of Biosimilar Drugs – the Biotech side of generic drugs. This is still undecided in Congress as far as I know and there’s a lot of big players such as Amgen and many others in this lobbying effort in Washington.
“The terms "Biosimilar" or "Follow-on Biologic" refer to products that are marketed after expiration of patents, which are claimed to have similar properties to existing biologic products. Due to the complexity of biologics, a product can only be made that is similar, but not identical.” BD
NEW YORK, April 7 (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA.TA) said on Wednesday it won U.S. approval for its generic versions of Merck & Co's (MRK.N) blockbuster blood-pressure drugs Cozaar and Hyzaar.
Teva, the world's biggest generic drugmaker, also said it will have 180 days to market the generics exclusively, an award generally given to companies that challenge patents first. Israel-based Teva (TEVA.O) said it was launching sales immediately.
An exclusivity period can allow generic companies a window of significant sales before rivals rush in and pricing freefalls.
We now have some updated information on where the traveler’s insurance can be purchased. Below is a listing for the US and a full listing can be viewed here.
The new law goes into effect May 1st this year. If travelers arrive without it, visitors will be required to purchase at the airport in Cuba upon arrival. BD
United States AIR AMBULANCE PROFESSIONALS EUROP ASSISTANCE INTERNATIONAL (LOS ANGELES) MEDEX MERCURY INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE MONDIAL ASSISTANCE MONEY GRAM NATIONAL JETS NATIONAL AIR AMBULANCE ON-CALL INTERNATIONAL (IAG) USA ASSIST-DEMOCRACY CENTER WORLD NET WORLDWIDE ASSISTANCE SERVICES (WASHINGTON)
Travelers arriving in Cuba shall have a travel insurance policy that covers medical expenses or a policy for medical expenses with coverage in Cuba.
The insurance policy should be purchased in the traveler’s home country but for those tourists arriving without proper coverage, they will be required to purchase an appropriate policy from a Cuban insurance company at the airport, port or marina where they arrive.
Visitors from the US will have to purchase medical travel insurance from Cuban insurance companies before they arrive in Cuba. The coverage can be purchased from a travel agency associated with Havantur-Celimar in Cuba. US insurance companies do not provide coverage in the Cuban national territory.
All travelers shall present an insurance policy, certificate or traveling assistance card valid for the time they will stay in Cuba. The Cuban Tourism Office or Asistur can provide more information. Asistur is open 24 hours a day at (53 7) 866-8527, 866-8339, 867-1315. Fax (53 7) 8-66-80, e-mail: asisten@asistur.cu ; seguros@asistur.cu
HOTFLASHHAVOC is enlightening, entertaining, humorous, profound, and is a crash-course in what you need to know about menopause. It has the power to be a life-changing experience for every woman.
This film not only sheds insightful light on the confusion stemming from a decade of misguided facts, but conveys poignant stories shared by real women and in-depth interviews with the world’s most noted experts. HOTFLASHHAVOC provides compelling information about menopause that will empower women for the “Second Act” of their lives.
The financing rests in the hands of Silver Point hedge fund. 
information is bought and sold for corporate profits. 
![EZClaim[4]](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TG1-9etl5ZI/AAAAAAAAgqg/CRMlet5Pi5k/EZClaim44.png?imgmax=800 "EZClaim[4]")
Math–This Could be a Subject for Michael Moore to Explore and Document In a Movie
Screenings Too–Killer Algorithms Part 12–Medical Billing Codes Style
Assessing Consumer Credit Scores–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 21 With Flawed Data
Duping” Society Combined With A World of Rogue Algorithms & Flawed Data Continues In Markets As Seen With Knight Capital This Week-Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 36
Study Fraud With EHR Technologies, Namely Medical Records/Billing Software Used by Hospitals– HHS And SEC Continue Getting Their Non-Algorithmic Fannies Kicked–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 46
SilverScript Senior Drug Program Sanctioned by Medicare Until the Payment And Billing Algorithms are Cleaned Up-Killer Algorithms Chapter 53
