JOHNSON AND JOHNSON ORDERS RECALL OF HIP REPLACEMENTS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A recall of hip replacement systems may mean corrective surgery. Johnson and Johnson announced today that those with ASR™ XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing Systems used in hip replacement surgery may require a second hip replacement procedure, called a revision surgery. A subsidiary, DePuy Orthopaedics, made the decision after reviewing cases involving those patients with the implants, who later required corrective surgery. The ASR device is part of a class of large diameter, monoblock hip resurfacing and replacement devices often selected by surgeons for younger patients who may benefit from a more stable device that can reduce the chances of dislocation after surgery. The DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System was introduced in 2003 and is only approved for use outside the U.S. The ASR™ XL Acetabular System was first launched in 2004 and has been available worldwide.
“We regret that this recall will be concerning for patients, their family members and surgeons,” said David Floyd, president, DePuy Orthopaedics. “We are committed to assisting patients and health care providers by providing information through multiple channels and paying for the cost of doctor visits, tests and procedures associated with the recall.”
DePuy intends to cover reasonable and customary costs of monitoring and treatment for services, including revision surgeries, associated with the recall of ASR.
DePuy is providing hospitals, surgeons and patients with comprehensive information about the recall to help them determine next steps. Patients and health care professionals with questions related to this recall should visit depuy.com. As of August 27, patients in the U.S. and Canada can contact DePuy by calling 888-627-2677 Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. Patients in other countries can place a collect call to the U.S. at +1 813-287-1651 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECLARES END TO H1N1 SWINE FLU PANDEMIC
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- With evidence that flu is transitioning to seasonal strains, the WHO says the H1N1 strain of flu has been reduced or controlled in most countries. However, in a press released from U-S Health and Human Services:
"Members of the Emergency Committee further noted that the 2009 H1N1 viruses will likely continue to circulate for some years to come, taking on the behavior of a seasonal influenza virus.
This does not mean that the H1N1 virus has disappeared. Rather, it means current influenza outbreaks including those primarily caused by the 2009 H1N1 virus, show an intensity similar to that seen during seasonal epidemics. Pandemics, like the viruses that cause them, are unpredictable. WHO noted that continued vigilance is extremely important, and it is likely that the virus will continue to cause serious disease in younger age groups and pregnant women, at least in the immediate post-pandemic period"
U-S Health and Human Services claims the only impact on the United States resulting from the WHO declaration will be a cessation in weekly reporting under the International Health Regulations (IHR) to the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization. CDC has reported weekly to IHR since early in the pandemic.
There are no changes for the United States in terms of CDC’s recommendations for the upcoming influenza season and the United States is already proceeding with the understanding that the 2009 H1N1 virus is now part of seasonal influenza virus circulation.
As is customary, beginning in October, 2010, CDC will provide weekly reports of influenza surveillance information throughout the season with the publication of FluView available at www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly .
MORE PROOF SPINAL FLUID IS PREDICTOR FOR ALZHEIMER'S / DIRECT LINK TO STUDY SUMMARY
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Over the last 20 years, spinal fluid has been the focus of promising research for predicting Alzheimer's disease. A study just released in the Archives of Neurology suggests there is more evidence to solidify that conclusion. It was based on data from more than 300 patients in various stages of Alzheimer's and suspected Alzheimer's cases as well as those presenting no symptoms for the disease. A large team of physicians and researchers worked on the study examining data and patients from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, The Collaborative Aging and Memory Project patients from Amish communities in Ohio and Indiana, John-Hopkins University, and other genome research groups.
In less technical terms, the group found spinal fluid proteins, normally associated as potential predictors or indicators of Alzheimer's, amyloid beta, associated with plaque, and tau, which is responsible for keeping dying or dead nerve cells in the brain, consistently present in every stage of the disease. Some patients presenting no memory impairment had spinal fluids with evidence of the suspected proteins and are expected to eventually develop the disease. Those with mild memory impairment, with suspected proteins in their spinal fluid, eventually did develop cases of Alzheimer's. Nearly all those with established Alzheimer's cases were found to have the suspected proteins.
In technical terms the study concludes,
Consistent with conclusions from previous studies showing interaction of APOE with PSEN1,36PSEN2,37 and APP,37-38 our results suggest that the APOE and PICALM gene products participate in a common pathogenic pathway leading to AD. Since PSEN1, PSEN2, and APP are all involved in β-amyloid production, PICALM may also participate in this process, though a more indirect involvement cannot be ruled out and the biology of these interactions remains to be determined. We did not detect an interaction of APOE with CR1 or CLU, though this could be because of sample size, which was not large enough to detect very weak interactions. Also, since the APOE effect on AD risk is much stronger in young case populations,35 the age structure of our study and of others may not be optimal for detecting these interactions.
Our study and those from other consortia6-7 (E. M. Wijsman, PhD, Y. Choi, MS, J. H. Rothstein, MS, et al, unpublished data, June 2010) show that AD susceptibility loci can be identified by GWAS. Initial AD GWAS had samples sizes that, in comparison with those from the large consortia, were modest and inadequately powered to detect the small effect loci replicated herein.18, 46-51 As sample sizes increase, as in other complex disorders, we expect additional loci to be identified.
The researchers say more work is needed to establish procedure for testing in doctors offices. However, there is consensus among the researchers such testing should be done by those specializing in spinal taps, less likely to be available in general and family medical practices.
The study was funded by grants from various agencies of the U-S government, major pharmaceutical companies, medical research hospitals and medical schools. Full text of study release, click here. 08/09/2010
STUDY CONCLUDES FOREIGN EDUCATED DOCTORS OFFER EQUAL CARE / LOWER DEATH RATES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A study, published August 4th, in Health Affairs magazine, claims there is no difference in the quality of care offered by doctors educated in foreign countries and their American counterparts. The study was supported by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. the study finding also claimed that patients of doctors who went to medical school outside the United States and weren't American citizens had a 9 percent lower death rate on average than those whose doctors trained at home.
This story has been the subject of conflicting reports the past week, based on various interpretations of the results.
An article from b-net points out:
Economics may help explain the gap in patient outcomes, said John Norcini, co-author of the study. Internal medicine and primary care have failed to attract the best students in the United States because of lower pay, relative to other specialties, he said. "Primary care may not be getting the best and the brightest from U.S. medical schools," said Norcini, chief executive officer of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit.
"Foreign students see primary care as a gap that they can fill and a way to practice medicine here."
Primary-care doctors, including internists and family practice physicians, earn on average from $175,000 to $200,000 annually, while orthopedic surgeons make $519,000; radiologists, $417,000; and anesthesiologists $331,000, according to a survey released in June by the national physician search firm Merritt Hawkins, based in Irving, Texas.
Medical schools don't produce enough graduates to fill all the postgraduate training slots available, and the void has been filled by graduates from institutions in other countries, Norcini said.
These international-schooled doctors make up a quarter of practicing physicians in the country and are especially important in the area of primary care, he said.
OBAMA: U-S HAS MORAL OBLIGATION TO DISABLED VETS / WILL OBSERVE AUGUST GOAL FOR WITHDRAWING TROOPS FROM IRAQ
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Disabled vets have served as both a focus and a support base for President Obama in his campaign to improve health care access for all Americans. Today, he brought his message before the annual convention of Disabled American Veterans in Atlanta. The DAV has, for decades, pushed for many of the changes Obama signed into law. The President reminded the group of the battles which have been won, from advanced appropriations of the Department of Veterans Affairs to changes in treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other illnesses.
According to Obama, "That includes the largest percentage increases to the VA budget in the past 30 years; help for about about 200,000 Vietnam vets who may have been exposed to Agent Orange, as well as help for Gulf War vets with specific infectious diseases; eliminating co-pays for catastrophically disabled veterans; increased funding for veterans' health care across the board; eliminating delays both in the funding for medical care and the claims process; pooling the wisdom of VA employees to help cut through red tape; and an ongoing fight to end homelessness amongst veterans, which has already seen significant progress. His success so far eliminating the claims backlog, and his promise to stop it from returning with new claims processors and streamlined technology, was met with a "Hallelujah!"
"Finally, we’re keeping faith with our newest veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. We’re offering more of the support and counseling they need to transition back to civilian life. That includes funding the post-9/11 GI Bill, which is already helping more than 300,000 veterans and family members pursue their dream of a college education".
"And for veterans trying to find work in a very tough economy, we’re helping with job training and placement. And I’ve directed the federal government to make it a priority to hire more veterans, including disabled veterans. (Applause.) And every business in America needs to know our vets have the training, they’ve got the skills, they have the dedication -- they are ready to work. And our country is stronger when we tap the incredible talents of our veterans". For those coming home injured, we’re continuing to direct unprecedented support to our wounded warriors in uniform -- more treatment centers, more case managers -- delivering the absolute best care available. For those who can, we want to help them get back to where they want to be -- with their units. And that includes service members with a disability, who still have so much to offer our military".
"We’re directing unprecedented resources to treating the signature wounds of today’s wars -- traumatic brain injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. (Applause.) And I recently signed into law the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act. That’s a long name, but let me tell you what it does. It not only improves treatment for traumatic brain injury and PTSD, it gives new support to many of the caregivers who put their own lives on hold to care for their loved one".
The President also used the DAV convention to restate his goal to get US troops out of Iraq by the end of August.
"As a candidate for President, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. (Applause.) Shortly after taking office, I announced our new strategy for Iraq and for a transition to full Iraqi responsibility. And I made it clear that by August 31st, 2010, America’s combat mission in Iraq would end. (Applause.) And that is exactly what we are doing -- as promised and on schedule. (Applause.)
Already, we have closed or turned over to Iraq hundreds of bases. We’re moving out millions of pieces of equipment in one of the largest logistics operations that we’ve seen in decades. By the end of this month, we’ll have brought more than 90,000 of our troops home from Iraq since I took office -- more than 90,000 have come home".
Reviewing changes at the VA ordered by the President,
It’s easier for about 200,000 Vietnam veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange to get the health care and benefits they need.
Co-pays for the catastrophically disabled have been eliminated and the half-million Priority 8 veterans will have their VA health care access restored.
Funding for veterans health care across the board has dramatically increased – this includes improving care for rural veterans and women veterans.
Funding delays for veterans medical care are over. VA is working overtime to create a single lifetime electronic record that our troops and veterans can keep for life.
VA is hiring thousands of new claims processors to break the backlog once and for all and, for the first time ever, veterans will be able to go to the VA website and download their personal health records with one simple click. It will also be easier for vets to check on the status of their claims online or even from their cell phones.
Today, there are about 20,000 fewer homeless veterans than there were before this Administration took office. We’re not stopping until every veteran who has fought for America has a home in America.
The newest veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq will have the support and counseling they need to transition back to civilian life. This includes funding the post-9/11 GI Bill, which is already helping nearly 300,000 veterans and family members pursue their dream of a college education.
VA is helping with job training and placement for veterans trying to find work in a tough economy.
Unprecedented resources are being directed to treat the wounds of today’s wars -- traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act not only improves treatment for traumatic brain injury and PTSD, it gives new support to the caregivers who put their own lives on hold to care for their loved one.
The Administration is making it easier for those suffering from PTSD to qualify for VA benefits. A veteran can now establish a claim based on his or her own testimony of events that caused PTSD without the requirement of corroborating evidence -- no matter what war you served in.
WHITE HOUSE ORDERS INSURERS TO COVER PREVENTIVE TESTS WITH NO CO PAYS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-In an effort to boost preventive care by providing free yearly check up services, the White House has released rules under the new health reform law, mandating free health services in all private health insurance plans effective September 23d . According to the website www.healthcare.gov , here's a summary of the timeline for changes that have already taken place along with those still to some.
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The law puts in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will roll out over four years and beyond, with most changes taking place by 2014. Others have already begun. Use this timeline to learn about what’s changing and when.
Changes to note:
Effective Jan. 1, 2010
Up to 4 million small businesses are eligible for tax credits to help them provide insurance benefits to their workers. The first phase of this provision provides a credit worth up to 35% of the employer’s contribution to the employees’ health insurance. Small non-profit organizations may receive up to a 25% credit. Learn more
Effective April 1, 2010
States will be able to receive federal matching funds for covering some additional low-income individuals and families under Medicaid for whom federal funds were not previously available. This will make it easier for states that choose to do so to cover more of their residents.
First checks mailed in June, 2010, and will continue monthly throughout 2010 as seniors hit the coverage gap
An estimated 4 million seniors will reach the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage known as the “donut hole” this year. Each such senior will receive a $250 rebate.
Applications for employers to participate in the program available June 1, 2010. Learn more about the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program.
Too often, Americans who retire without employer-sponsored insurance and before they are eligible for Medicare see their life savings disappear because of high rates in the individual market. To preserve employer coverage for early retirees until more affordable coverage is available through the new Exchanges by 2014, the new law creates a $5 billion program to provide needed financial help for employment-based plans to continue to provide valuable coverage to people who retire between the ages of 55 and 65, as well as their spouses and dependents.
National program established July 1, 2010
A Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan will provide new coverage options to individuals who have been uninsured for at least six months because of a pre-existing condition. States have the option of running this new program in their state. If a state chooses not to do so, a plan will be established by the Department of Health and Human Services in that state. This program serves as a bridge to 2014, when all discrimination against pre-existing conditions will be prohibited. Learn more about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.
Effective July 1, 2010
The law provides for an easy-to-use website where consumers can compare health insurance coverage options and pick the coverage that works for them.
Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
Under the new law, young adults will be allowed to stay on their parent’s plan until they turn 26 years old. (In the case of existing group health plans, this right does not apply if the young adult is offered insurance at work.) Some insurers began implementing this practice early. Check with your insurance company or employer to see if you qualify. Learn more about the young adults insurance policy.
Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
Under the new law, young adults will be allowed to stay on their parent’s plan until they turn 26 years old. (In the case of existing group health plans, this right does not apply if the young adult is offered insurance at work.) Some insurers began implementing this practice early. Check with your insurance company or employer to see if you qualify. Learn more about the young adults insurance policy.
Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
In the past, insurance companies could search for an error, or other technical mistake, on a customer’s application and use this error to deny payment for services when he or she got sick. The new law makes this illegal. After media reports cited incidents of breast cancer patients losing coverage, insurance companies agreed to end this practice immediately.
Effective for new plans beginning on or after September 23, 2010
The law provides consumers with a way to appeal coverage determinations or claims to their insurance company, and establishes an external review process.
Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
Under the new law, insurance companies will be prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits, like hospital stays.
Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
Under the new law, insurance companies’ use of annual dollar limits on the amount of insurance coverage a patient may receive will be restricted for new plans in the individual market and all group plans. In 2014, the use of annual dollar limits on essential benefits like hospital stays will be banned for new plans in the individual market and all group plans.
Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010 for new plans and existing group plans
The new law includes new rules to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to children under the age of 19 due to a pre-existing condition.
Grants will be awarded beginning in 2010
The law allows states that have, or plan to implement, measures that require insurance companies to justify their premium increases to be eligible for $250 million in new grants. Insurance companies with excessive or unjustified premium increases may not be able to participate in the new health insurance Exchanges in 2014. Turn pages on summary of HealthCare.gov summary of changes, click here.
07/15/2010
OBAMA SIGNS BILL TO HELP CARETAKERS OF INJURED VETERANS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - According to supporters of the new law, signed by President Obama this week, S. 1963, called the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act, establishes an unprecedented permanent program to support the caregivers of wounded warriors, improve health care for veterans in rural areas, help VA adapt to the needs of women veterans, and expand supportive services for homeless veterans. The new act, according to Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D) HI:
• Fulfills VA’s obligation to care for the nation’s wounded veterans by providing their caregivers with training, counseling, supportive services, and a living stipend
• Provide health care to the family caregivers of injured veterans under CHAMPVA
• Require independent oversight of the caregiver program
The bill will also provide numerous other improvements for veterans, by:
• Expanding health care services for women veterans
• Reaching out to veterans living in rural areas
• Improving VA’s mental health care programs
• Removing barriers to care for catastrophically disabled veterans
• Enhancing a variety of VA medical services
• Strengthening VA’s ability to recruit and retain a first-class health-care workforce
• Improving and increasing services to homeless veterans
JOHNSON & JOHNSON SUBSIDIARIES PAY MORE THAN $81 MILLION TO SETTLE ILLEGAL MARKETING OF DRUG "TOPAMAX"
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- For the second time this week, federal officials have announced a settlement for illegal drug marketing. This time with Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries, charged with marketing the epilepsy drug "Topamax" for psychiatric conditions which has not been approved by federal regulators. The government alleged that Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical promoted the sale of Topamax for off-label psychiatric uses through a practice known as the "Doctor-for-a-Day" program. Using this program, Ortho-McNeil hired outside physicians to join sales representatives in their visits to the offices of health care providers and to speak at meetings and dinners about prescribing Topamax for unapproved uses and doses . Full text of Justice Department press release, click here. 04/29/2010
FEDS SETTLE DRUG MARKETING FRAUD CASE AGAINST ASTRA ZENECA FOR $520 MILLION / FEDS CLAIMED COMPANY PROMOTED IMPROPER USE OF THE DRUG "SEROQUEL"
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - The Department of Health and Human Services and the U-S Department of Justice today announced an out of court settlement in the drug marketing fraud case against drug maker, AstraZeneca. The company will pay $520 million to avoid prosecution that it fraudulently marketed the drug "Seroquel". The drug is used as an anti-psychotic drug treatment for for schizophrenia and specific types of bipolar mania. AstraZeneca was charged with promoting Seroquel to physicians for use "off-label" in children and the elderly. Doctors are allowed to prescribe drugs for unapproved uses but FDA rules state that drug manufacturers may only promote their products for approved conditions and age groups. Full text of Attorney General Holder statement, click here. Video of news conference from C-SPAN, click here. 04/27/2010
FDA ISSUES ADVISORY ON INFUSION PUMP SAFETY ISSUES / PROMPTED BY MORE THAN 500 DEATHS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Failures of infusion pumkps have forced the Food and Drug Administration to issue a "guidance" warning of potential problems of the pumps and what manufacturers should be doing to fix the problems. The FDA says that many of the reported problems appear to be related to deficiencies in device design and engineering. As part of its initiative, the FDA published draft guidance today recommending that infusion pump manufacturers begin to provide additional design and engineering information to the agency during premarket review of the devices.
CDC SAYS DOCTORS' IN-OFFICE TESTS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING / HOME SCREENING RESULTS SEEN AS MORE ACCURATE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - The CDC says it has found that 75% of primary care doctors are using an in-office test colorectal test, rather than relying on the home-based test, even though the home-based test is more accurate. The CDC says national guidelines recommend that FOBT testing be done with stool samples collected at home. Previous studies have shown that the in-office FOBT, in which a single stool sample is collected by a physician during a digital rectal examination, is ineffective. CDC press release, click here. Full PDF of actual report, click here . 04 /15/2010
SWINE FLU AT ALL TIME LOW SINCE OUTBREAK / OFFICIALS WARN SEASON NOT OVER
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The spread of H1N1Swine flu remains low in the us, both in the number of doctor visits, confirmed hospitalizations and deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control, no states are reporting widespread flu activity, with only isolated regional outbreaks reported in five states, Alabama, Georgia, Maine, Mississippi and South Carolina. The agency also reported today that the majority of the influenza viruses identified so far continue to be 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception. Some influenza B viruses are circulating at low levels, and these viruses remain similar to the influenza B virus component of the 2009-10 seasonal flu vaccine. Officials warn the season may still bring a rebound of the virus and that personal hygiene and vaccinations remain the best defense. Full text of CDC press release, click here. 03/12/2010
ALZHEIMER'S REPORT ESTABLISHES NUMBERS TO HIGHER CASES AMONG MINORITIES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- higher cases among minorities has been clearly established for year. What had not been clearly established, until today, was a quantification to the extent released today by the Alzheimer's Association. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s® 2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, African-Americans are about two times more likely and Hispanics are about one and one-half times more likely than their white counterparts to have Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Although whites make up the great majority of the more than five million people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk for developing the disease.
There are no known genetic factors that can explain the greater prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other dementias in African-Americans and Hispanics than in whites. On the other hand, conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which are known risk factors for Alzheimer’s and other dementias in all groups, are more common in African-Americans and Hispanics than in whites. Socioeconomic factors, such as having a low level of education and low income are also associated with greater risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias in all groups. Data from a federal survey of older Americans shows that African-Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately represented among socioeconomically disadvantaged people in this country. The Association’s new report points out that these health and socioeconomic factors probably contribute to the greater prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other dementias in African-Americans and Hispanics. Full text of the press release on the report and direct links to the expanded study, click here. 03/09/2010
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SAYS SWINE FLU HAS NOT PEAKED / NEW OUTBREAKS REPORTED IN AFRICA / EXPECTATIONS FOR INCREASE IN SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- An emergency committee of the World Health Organization today warned the H1N1 Swine Flu was on the rise in Western Africa with another increase expected with the onset of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The virus has declined in the US and in Europe, however the increases in Africa and potential elsewhere has forced W-H-O officials to project that the virus has not yet peaked and could make a huge rebound. WHO press release, click here. 02/24/2010
REPORT: DIABETES DRUG AVANDIA SHOULD BE PULLED FROM MARKET / LINKED TO HEART ATTACKS AND HEART FAILURE / INTERNAL REPORT LEAKS TO NEW YORK TIMES / SENATE QUESTIONS FDA ACTIONS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Senators Max Baucus (D) MT and Charles Grassley (R) IA have released a Senate committee report which questions how much information GlaxoSmithKline had about cardiac effects of their drug AVANDIA. They also question what the Food and Drug Administration knew about the problem and whether the agency acted appropriately.
“There’s a real problem when FDA’s office that reviews drugs that are on the market is
an unequal player in drug safety efforts,” Grassley said. “It doesn’t make any sense to have
these experts, who study drugs after they have been on the market for several years, under the
thumb of the officials who approved the drug in the first place and have a natural interest in
defending that decision. The Avandia case may be the most alarming example of the problem
with this set-up. Both the FDA and Congress need to take every step possible to establish
independence for post-market surveillance. The Institute of Medicine has made
recommendations. It’s a matter of sound science and public safety.”
“Americans have a right to know there are serious health risks associated with Avandia
and GlaxoSmithKline had a responsibility to tell them. Patients trust drug companies with their
health and their lives and GlaxoSmithKline abused that trust,” Baucus said. “We will continue
watching closely and working with the FDA to make sure patients and doctors are aware of the
risks associated with Avandia and all drugs so they can make safe and informed decisions when
choosing their medicines". Full text of Baucus and Grassley press release, copy click here. Senators letter to the FDA, copy click here.
The News York Times is reporting today it obtained an internal memo that calls for the drug, "Avandia" to be taken off the market . The report points to the drug being a factor in 500 heart attacks and 300 heart failure cases each month. Avandia is commonly prescribed for treatment of adult onset or Type 2 diabetes. A must read! Full text of the New York Times article, click here. 02/20/2010
LATEST SURVEY: 20% OF NURSING HOMES SUB STANDARD
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - The latest survey of the nations nursing homes, published today in the national publication USA Today, reflects an extension of what has already been reported by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Five Star Rating Program. The survey by the newspaper found that among that among 15,700 nursing homes nationally, about 20% receive low marks for overall quality, and those with the lowest ratings – one or two stars - were owned by for-profit companies.
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES $8.8 BILLION FOR ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT MILITARY FAMILIES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - As part of the proposed 2010-2011 budget, President Obama wants $8.8 billion for additional support of military families. The President's proposed budget is expected to be submitted February 1st. ?the list includes everything from improved mental health services and relocation assistance, to building projects for schools. The proposal was outlined today by First Lady Michelle Obama, speaking to a wives club at Bolling Air Force Base near Washington DC. The Obama proposal will include a 1.4 percent basic pay raise officials say is designed to keep military pay increases in line with those in the private sector. The request also will include an average housing allowance increase of 4.2 percent, as well as a variety of enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses and monthly payments for specialty skills.
Family support programs will grow 3 percent if Congress approves the request – to $8.8 billion – to support the family members who officials credit with providing the strength and stability on which the uniformed force relies.
The request will include $1.3 billion to make affordable, high-quality child care services more available at 800 military child development centers stateside and overseas. This represents an $87 million increase over fiscal 2010 funding levels, officials noted.
Expanded counseling and assistance services to be funded in the new budget will help families meet the challenges of repeated deployments and family separations, officials noted. The president will request $1.9 billion for these services, which range from financial counseling to transition and relocation assistance, up $37 million from fiscal 2010 funding.
In addition, the request will include $84 million for enhanced career and educational opportunities for military spouses through tuition assistance and federal internship programs. This represents a $12 million increase over current funding.
Another provision in the request will provide $439 million to build 10 new Department of Defense Education Activity schools. This is the first step in a Defense Department plan to replace or renovate 103 of the schools by 2015, providing military children what officials called "the world-class education they deserve," offered in "world-class facilities."
Providing high-quality medical care for more than 9.5 million servicemembers and their families and military retirees -- but especially wounded, ill and injured troops -- remains a top administration priority, officials said. Toward that end, the fiscal 2011 budget request includes support for wounded warrior transition units and centers of excellence in vision, hearing, traumatic brain injury and other areas.
Specifically, it includes: $30.9 billion overall for medical care, up 5.8 percent from current levels; $669 million to provide TBI and psychological health care; and $250 million for continued mental-health and TVI research.
The budget request also will fund more employment and job training for military spouses and veterans, officials noted. It provides $262 million for the Labor Department's Veterans Employment and Training Service, up $6 million from fiscal 2010 levels. This includes $5 million for a new initiative to help homeless women veterans and homeless families.
Another effort, to provide more employment workshops for spouses of separating servicemembers, will receive $1 million in the president's budget request.
The budget request also seeks to expand veterans' access to medical care, officials noted. Obama will request $50.6 billion in advance appropriations for the VA medical care program to ensure veterans' care isn't interrupted due to budget delays. The goal, officials explained, is to ensure VA has timely, predictable funding from year to year, so veterans can rely on the quality and accessibility of the care they receive through VA.
For the first time, highly disabled veterans who are medically retired from the military will be eligible to receive both VA disability benefits and military retirement benefits. By 2015, all medically retired servicemembers will be eligible to receive concurrent benefits, officials said.
The fiscal 2011 budget request also provides funds to continue enrolling more than 500,000 veterans with moderate income into the VA health care system by 2011.
Another measure in the request funds technology to improve the timely, high-quality delivery of health care and benefits, officials said. The Defense Department and VA are implementing the Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record – essentially an electronic medical record that will follow a servicemember from initial enlistment through retirement or separation and transition to the VA system.
The request also includes more than $200 million in automated processing to directly improve both the accuracy and timeliness of the delivery of veterans benefits – particularly disability compensation and the new Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit, officials said.
Speaking to military spouses today at the Joint Armed Forces Officers' Wives Club at Bolling Air Force Base here, First Lady Michelle Obama said the budget request represents a shared interest among administration officials, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, and the entire military chain of command to take care of servicemembers and their families.
"The quality of the lives of our military and their families means a great deal, because in the history of our all-volunteer forces, we've never asked so much of so few," she said. "We've seen the huge burden of eight years of war on our troops – tour after tour, year after year, missing out on moments that every parent treasures: a baby's first steps, the first words, the day the training wheels come off the bike, birthdays, anniversaries."
Obama said she's been inspired by the spirit of the men and women in uniform and the families who stand with them as they serve te hypothesized
cannot be maintained without inducing progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to
death, and autism is not a progressive neurodegenerative disease.
Petitioners’ theory of vaccine-related causation is scientifically unsupportable".
istration have worked to do right by our armed forces and their families," she said, "to be there for you like you have been there for us, to lighten your load as all of you>TEXT of ACOG announcement, copy click here. 11/20/2009
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU NEED MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND HAVE NO INSURANCE
HHS SECRETARY SEBELIUS SAYS SAYS NEW MAMMOGRAPHY GUIDLINES WON'T BRING ANY GOVERNMENT CHANGES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- This week's controversy over the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on breast cancer screenings, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebeleius says there will be no government policy changes. The Task Force recommended that women should not have routine mammography as breast cancer screening before age 50. A change from earlier recommendations for routine screenings beginning at age 40. In a statement released today, Sebelius said,
“There has been debate in this country for years about the age at which routine screening mammograms should begin, and how often they should be given. The Task Force has presented some new evidence for consideration but our policies remain unchanged. Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed its mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action".
“What is clear is that there is a great need for more evidence, more research and more scientific innovation to help women prevent, detect, and fight breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women".
“My message to women is simple. Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years -- talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you”. Full text of press release, copy click here. 11/18/2009
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY TAKES ISSUE WITH GUIDELINES OPPOSING ROUTINE MAMMOGRAM USE IN WOMEN UNDER AGE 50
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - Routine annual mammograms for women ages 40-49 is no longer suggested by The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) . The group is usually seen as the nation's top authority for establishing medical treatment standards in the US.
The group's own words, according to their report,
"The USPSTF recommends against routinely providing the service. There may be considerations that support providing the service for an individual patient. There is at least moderate certainty that the net benefit is small.
Offer or provide this service only if other considerations support the offering or providing the service in an individual patient.
The USPSTF recommends against the service. There is moderate or high certainty that the service has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the benefits. Discourage the use of this service".
"Standards which may ultimately lead to what is covered by insurance companies. In a broadcast tonight, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta told Anchor Anderson Cooper that the insurance lobbying group, America's Health Insurance Plans, are saying their members will continue to offer plans which pay for mammograms. However, they did not rule out the possibility of restricting payment for mammographies in women under age 50 unless recommended by a doctor. Otis W. Brawley, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, American Cancer Society responded to the USPSTF study, saying,
“The American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40. Our experts make this recommendation having reviewed virtually all the same data reviewed by the USPSTF, but also additional data that the USPSTF did not consider. When recommendations are based on judgments about the balance of risks and benefits, reasonable experts can look at the same data and reach different conclusions".
“In 2003, an expert panel convened by the American Cancer Society conducted an extensive review of the data available at the time, which was not substantially different from the data included in the current USPSTF review. Like the USPSTF, the Society’s panel found convincing evidence that screening with mammography reduces breast cancer mortality in women ages 40-74, with age-specific benefits varying depending on the results of individual trials and which trials were combined in meta-analyses". USPSTF report and other direct links, copy click here. American Cancer Society response, copy click here. 11/16/2009
VETERANS DAY 2009 / RECOGNITION OF THE TOLL WAR TAKES ON AND OFF THE BATTLEFIELD / ADVOCATES REFLECT ON GAINS IN V-A BENEFITS OVER PAST YEAR
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Obama spent part of his day at Arlington National Cemetery, in observances for the nation's war dead. The President also visited the section of the cemetery where war dead from Iraq and Afghanistan have been given their final resting place. He talked with families and others who had gathered for the day's memorial services. Later in the day, the White House announced that the President had ruled out all the options currently being considered by his "war council" for a surge of US forces in Afghanistan. Said to be the most considered of the alternatives, sending an additional 30,000 American troops to the country until Afghans are able to increase and stabilize their national security forces. A number of advisors including, former Secretary of State Colin Powell say they have told the President to take his time because this decision will have consequences for years to come. One of the latest polls, the CNN/Opinion Research Poll, shows 57% of Americans are opposed to escalating the war in Afghanistan. The President has been at the forefront of numerous changes in V-A benefits since taking office. Among them, advance budgeting for Veterans Affairs Medical Centers including additional aid for mental health, rural outreach, and homelessness among veterans. Most recently the President signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, copy click here.Statement from House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Rep. Bob Filner (D) CA, copy click here. Daisabled American Veterans Washington Headquarters Executive Director David W. Gorman also praised Congress for including $48.1 billion for the veterans medical care budget for fiscal year 2011 as part of the 2010 budget and appropriations process.
“With advance appropriations, veterans' medical care will be funded a year in advance. For the VA, this means timely, sufficient and predictable funding from year to year,” President Obama said in signing the measure. “For VA hospitals and clinics, it means more time to budget, to recruit high-quality professionals, and to invest in new health care equipment.
“And most of all, for our veterans it will mean better access to the doctors and nurses and the medical care that they need.” DAV statement on bill signing, copy click here. 11/11/2009
NEW STUDY SHOWS CONTINUING HIGH U-S INFANT MORTALITY RATE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-The United States compares favorably with Europe in the survival of infants born pre term. Infant mortality rates for pre term infants are lower in the United States than in most European countries. That's the good news. T he bad news in the latest study on infant mortality released today by the Centers for Disease Control shows infant mortality rates for infants born at 37 weeks of gestation or more are generally higher in the United States than in European countries. The study also concludes that the primary reason for the United States’ higher infant mortality rate when compared with Europe is the United States’ much higher percentage of pre term births. In 2004, 1 in 8 infants born in the United States were born pre term, compared with 1 in 18 in Ireland and Finland. Pre term infants have much higher rates of death or disability than infants born at 37 weeks of gestation or more (2–4, 6), so the United States’ higher percentage of pre term births has a large effect on infant mortality rates. If the United States had the same gestational age distribution of births as Sweden, the U.S. infant mortality rate (excluding births at less than 22 weeks of gestation) would go from 5.8 to 3.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, a 33% decline. These data suggest that pre term birth prevention is crucial to lowering the U.S. infant mortality rate. Study text as released by the CDC, copy click here. 11/03/2009
U-S DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO ALLOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE IN STATES THAT APPROVE IT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-Federal prosecutors will not charge those using medical marijuana in states where it is legal. The directive from Holder came today in orders to federal prosecutors in states that have enacted laws authorizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The guidelines make clear that the focus of federal resources should not be on individuals whose actions are in compliance with existing state laws, while underscoring that the Department will continue to prosecute people whose claims of compliance with state and local law conceal operations inconsistent with the terms, conditions, or purposes of those laws.
"It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana, but we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal," Holder said. "This balanced policy formalizes a sensible approach that the Department has been following since January: effectively focus our resources on serious drug traffickers while taking into account state and local laws."Text of AG Holder press release, copy click here. 10/19/2009
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE SAYS F-D-A INSPECTION ON IMPORTED FOOD IS WEAK / POTENTIAL RISK FOR CONSUMERS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Poor communication and regulations favorable to the food industry are cited as reasons why consumer are at increased risk for imported food shipments. The GAO says gaps in enforcement and collaboration undermine food safety monitoring and enforcement. First, the computer system at Customs and Border Protection does not currently notify FDA or FSIS when imported food shipments arrive at U.S. ports, although efforts are underway to provide this information to FDA for air and truck shipments. This lack of communication, according to the GAO, may potentially increase the risk that unsafe food could enter U.S. commerce without FDA review, particularly at truck ports. Second, FDA has limited authority to ensure importers' compliance with its regulations. Third, CBP and FDA do not identify importers with a unique number; as a result, FDA cannot always target food shipments originating from high risk importers. GAO report on imported food safety enforcement, copy click here. 10/14/2009
OBAMA: RECOVERY ACT HELPING CANCER RESEARCH
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Obama today outlined his administrations efforts to boost medical research, which has been accelerated with funds from the Recovery Act. The President says additional research at the National Institutes of Health is expanding the Cancer Genome Atlas, collecting more than 20,000 tissue samples to sequence the DNA of more than 20 types of cancer. Obama said,
"...This has extraordinary potential to help us better understand and treat this disease. Cancer has touched the lives of all Americans, including my own family's; 1.5 million people will be diagnosed in the next year. Half a million people will lose their lives. We all know the terrible toll on families and the promise of treatments that will allow a mother to be there for her children as they grow up; that will make it possible for a child to reach adulthood; that will allow countless people to survive a disease that's claimed far too many lives".
JOHNSON & JOHNSON SUED FOR PAYING KICKBACKS IN NURSING HOME DRUG SCHEME
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- In what has become symbolic of the way drug companies do business, the Government has filed a civil False Claims Act complaint against drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson (J&J), of New Brunswick, New Jersey, and two of its subsidiaries, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems, Inc., for paying millions of dollars in kickbacks to Omnicare, Inc. (“Omnicare”), the nation’s largest pharmacy that specializes in dispensing drugs to nursing home patients. In November 2009, the United States, numerous states, and Omnicare entered into a $98 million settlement agreement that, among other things, resolved Omnicare’s civil liability under the False Claims Act for taking kickbacks from J&J.
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said, “Kickbacks in the nursing home pharmacy context are particularly nefarious because they can result in excessive prescribing of strong drugs to patients who have little or no control over the medical care they are receiving. Nursing home doctors should be able to rely on the integrity of the recommendations they receive from pharmacists, and those recommendations should not be a product of money that a drug company is paying to the pharmacy.”
The problem also involves the drug involved, Risperdal, which is used to treat schizophrenia, but has also been used as a controversial alteernative in treating Alzheimer's Disease, for which it is not approved by the FDA. In fact, the FDA mandated that the label for Risperdal carry a“black box” warning that “Elderly Patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs [including Risperdal] are at an increased risk of death compared to placebo.”. Full text of U-S Attorney press release, copy click here.01/16/2010
CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES SAYS HEALTH CARE SPENDING INCREASES SLOWING
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- With increasing concerns that health care spending is soaking up more the of the U-S economy, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reports that the rate of increase has slowed. According to a CMS report, nominal health spending in the United States grew 4.4 percent in 2008, to $2.3 trillion or $7,681 per person. This was the slowest rate of growth since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started officially tracking expenditures in 1960. Despite slower growth, however, health care spending continued to outpace overall nominal economic growth, which grew by 2.6 percent in 2008 as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The findings are included in a report by CMS’ Office of the Actuary, released in the health policy journal Health Affairs. “This report contains some welcome news and yet another warning sign,” said Jonathan Blum, director of CMS’ Center for Medicare Management. “Health care spending as a percentage of GDP is rising at an unsustainable rate. It is clear that we need health insurance reform now.”The 4.4 percent growth in 2008 was down from 6.0 percent in 2007, as spending slowed for nearly all health care goods and services, particularly for hospitals. Full text of CMS press release, copy click here. 01/08/2009
HHS ANNOUNCES $27 MILLION DOLLAR PROGRAM TO HELP ELDERLY WITH CHRONIC DISEASES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - In what has been described as a "competitive initiative", the Department of Health and Human Services today announced a $27 million grant program providing every state Aging and Health Department and U.S. territory the opportunity, if they win approval, to implement rigorously tested Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs (CDSMP), one of the most prominent being the Stanford University model. The CDSMP is a six-week peer-led training program that covers topics such as healthy eating, exercise, managing fatigue and depression, and communicating effectively with health care professionals. While further research is underway, rigorous evaluations have suggested that the program improves participants’ overall health and energy levels and result in savings to Medicare through fewer hospital stays. CDSMP are specifically designed to be delivered by non-health professionals in community settings, such as senior centers, congregate meal programs, faith-based organizations and senior housing projects. Full text of the HHS press release, copy click here. 12/16/2009
$61 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD CASE NETS 30 ARRESTS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - A special fraud task force has arrested and charged thirty people in three cities for their alleged roles in schemes to submit more than $61 million in false Medicare claims.
According to a statement from the U-S Department of Health and Human Services, the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and HHS announced the expansion of Strike Force operations to Brooklyn, Tampa and Baton Rouge in the fifth, sixth and seventh phases of a targeted criminal, civil and administrative effort against individuals and health care companies that fraudulently bill the Medicare program. Five indictments were unsealed today in Miami, Detroit and Brooklyn, following the arrests of 25 individuals in Miami, four individuals in Detroit and one in Brooklyn. In addition, Strike Force agents executed four search warrants at businesses and homes in Coconut Creek, Fla.; Miami and Brooklyn. The joint DOJ-HHS Medicare Fraud Strike Force is a multi-agency team of federal, state and local investigators designed to combat Medicare fraud through the use of Medicare data analysis techniques and an increased focus on community policing. Strike Force teams are operating in seven cities in the United States: Miami, Los Angeles, Detroit, Houston, Brooklyn, Tampa and Baton Rouge.
According to charging documents, the defendants participated in schemes to submit claims to Medicare for products and services that were in fact medically unnecessary and oftentimes, never provided. In the Detroit cases, defendants are alleged to have participated in a scheme whereby they paid kickbacks to patients who received instructions from the clinic owners and patient recruiters to feign symptoms to justify expensive testing, including nerve conduction studies. In Brooklyn, the two defendants are alleged to have billed Medicare for durable medical equipment, including expensive shoe inserts reserved for diabetes patients, when in fact much cheaper and over-the-counter shoe inserts were provided to beneficiaries who often did not need them. In Miami, 15 individuals, including doctors and nurses, are charged in connection with fraudulent claims to Medicare for home health services. In another case in Miami, individuals are charged for their various roles in running a medical clinic that purported to provide injection and infusion treatments to HIV/AIDS patients and submitted fraudulent claims Medicare for such services, which were often medically unnecessary and/or never provided.
Collectively, the physicians, business owners, executives and others charged in the indictments are accused of conspiring to submit approximately $61 million in false claims to the Medicare program.
PRESIDENT SIGNS NEW FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS / ADVANCES SERVICES FOR POOR AND UNINSURED
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Community health centers across the country are getting the biggest boost in years for staffing, renovations and construction. So far the federal government has forked over $1.4 billion. Now President Obama has signed a bill that provides more than $500 billion for medical care costs at those faculties. Before signing the bill, the President said,
"Studies show that people living near a health center are less likely to go to the emergency room and less likely to have unmet critical medical needs. CHCs are proven to reduce ethnic and racial disparities in care. And the medical expenses of regular CHC patients are nearly 25 percent lower than those folks who get their care elsewhere -- 25 percent lower. So you can see why, in a speech marking the first anniversary of the first community health centers in America, Senator Ted Kennedy declared, "You have not only assured the best in health care for your families and neighbors, but you've also begun a minor revolution in American medicine.Now, unfortunately, today, nearly 45 years later, that care has yet to reach many of the folks in this country who need it most. So starting today, we're making $88 million in funding available for centers to adopt new health information technology systems to manage their administrative and financial matters and transfer old paper files to electronic medical records. (Applause.) These investments won't just increase efficiency and lower costs, they'll improve the quality of care as well –- preventing countless medical errors, and allowing providers to spend less time with paperwork and more time with patients. That's the purpose of the final initiative I'm announcing today as well -– a demonstration project to evaluate the benefits of the "medical home" model of care that many of our health centers aspire to. The idea here is very simple: that in order for care to be effective, it needs to be coordinated. It's a model where the center that serves as your medical home might help you keep track of your prescriptions, or get the referrals you need, or work with you to develop a plan of care that ensures your providers are working together to keep you healthy".
"So taken together, these three initiatives –- funding for construction, technology, and a medical home demonstration –- they won't just save money over the long term and create more jobs, they're also going to give more people the peace of mind of knowing that health care will be there for them and their families when they need it".
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- An Amendment from Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski (D) has passed the Senate on a 59-41 vote. The amendment forces insurance companies to pay for mammograms and expands previously proposed preventive services for women as part of the overall package proposed in the Senate to reform health insurance. The amendment breaks a stalemate over moving the Senate version of the health insurance reform proposal to the Senate floor. Sen. Mikulski's amendment proposal, as printed in the Congressional Record. 12/03/2009
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH MAKES EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH/ PART OF OBAMA'S FEDERAL FUNDING FOR RESEARCH
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A total of 13 new "lines" of stem cells are now available for research purposes, the result of President Obama's Executive Order, signed in March to provide federal funds. In an announcement released today by the National Institutes of Health, the NIH says Children's Hospital Boston developed 11 of the approved lines and Rockefeller University in New York City developed two of the approved lines. The NIH also says an additional 96 lines have been submitted to NIH for either internal administrative review or consideration by the external Working Group for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Eligibility Review and the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD), including more than 20 that will be considered by the ACD on December 4, 2009. The working group provides findings to the ACD, which makes recommendations to the NIH Director, who decides whether the hESCs may be used in NIH-funded research and lists those deemed eligible on the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry.
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE CLAIMS WASTE IN U-S MEDICAL CARE SYSTEM EXCEEDS $800 MILLION
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag says the latest survey by the Institute of Medicine is more proof of the huge level of waste in America's health care system. Orszag points out the wasted $800 billion a year does not make us healthier. The result is higher premiums for us all and higher costs for the government — but it also means you may receive tests and procedures that you do not need, putting your health at risk.
According to the study, excess costs arise from a variety of sources. Excessively high administrative costs for insurers, physician and hospitals come to about $200 billion. Unnecessary services, such as using more expensive brand name drugs when generics are just as good and overusing tests and treatments compared to professional guidelines, account for another $200 billion or so. Errors and avoidable complications add $75 billion, and fraud adds another $75 billion. Preventive measures — both in terms of keeping healthy people healthy and keeping people with chronic illness such as diabetes out of the hospital — tack on another $55 billion. And the list goes on. Orszag statement press release, copy click here. Institute of Medicine summary of study, copy click here. 10/05/ 2009
NEW GUIDELINES ANNOUNCED FOR CERVICAL CANCER PAP SCREENINGS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom -An announcement today from The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggested changes for routine pap screenings.
Cervical cancer screening should begin at age 21 years (regardless of sexual history). Screening before age 21 should be avoided because women less than 21 years old are at very low risk of cancer. Screening these women may lead to unnecessary and harmful evaluation and treatment.
Cervical cytology screening is recommended every 2 years for women between the ages of 21 years and 29 years. Evidence shows that screening women every year has little benefit over screening every other year.
ACOG's announcement points out cervical cancer rates have fallen more than 50% in the past 30 years in the U-S due to the widespread use of the Pap test. The incidence of cervical cancer fell from 14.8 per 100,000 women in 1975 to 6.5 per 100,000 women in 2006. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 11,270 new cases of cervical cancer and 4,070 deaths from it in the US in 2009. The majority of deaths from cervical cancer in the US are among women who are screened infrequently or not at all. Cervical cancer is a slow growing cancer caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), an extremely common sexually transmitted disease among women and men. HPV also causes genital and anal warts, as well as oral and anal cancer. Video of Obama's Speech, click here. 09/30/2009
GAO SAYS MONITORING PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXPANDED FOR 580 POOR PERFORMING NURSING HOMES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - In a review of the Special Focus Facility Program for poorly performing nursing homes, the Governmental Accountability Office says the number of homes in the program should be expanded from the current 136 to 580. The program is currently handled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In their report, the GAO claims:
"Almost 4 percent—or 580—of the nation’s roughly 16,000 nursing homes could be considered the most poorly performing. These 580 homes overlap somewhat with the 755 SFF Program candidates and the 136 nursing homes actually selected as SFFs.30 For example, our estimate of 580 most poorly performing nursing homes includes (1) 302, or 40 percent, of the 755 SFF Program candidates as of December 2008 (see fig. 2) and (2) 65 nursing homes that 31 states selected as SFFs from among the SFF Program candidates, or about half of the active SFFs as of February 2009.31 In addition, our estimate resulted in some states having fewer or more poorly performing homes than CMS currently allocates to states under the SFF Program. For example, 10 states each had over 20 of the most poorly performing nursing homes. Indiana had the greatest number, with 52 such nursing homes, or almost 9 percent of the total of 580 homes. Eight states had no such nursing homes."
Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D)WI and Ranking Member Sen. Charles Grassley (R) IA, offered their comments on the report.
“If far more than 136 nursing homes are found to have the bleakest conditions, then perhaps we should consider expanding the Special Focus Facility program,” said Kohl. “Regardless, we should use the tools we have to let American consumers know which homes the federal government considers the very worst, whether or not they receive additional scrutiny through the program.”
“Policymakers and those directing federal-state inspection efforts need to pay attention to reports like this because they delineate how we're still failing to identify poorly performing nursing homes. The information in this report should be used to better direct efforts to improve quality and protect nursing home residents,” said Grassley.
FDA ADMITS IT APPROVED UNSAFE KNEE PATCH DEVICE / POLITICAL PRESSURE FOR QUICK APPROVAL BLAMED
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Medical device manufacturer ReGen today offered no comment on a preliminary FDA internal report that it used political contributions to push approval for its faulty knee patch device. Meanwhile, the FDA announced it was reviewing its approval of Menaflex knee patches, due to the number of reported failures, which forced patients to undergo additional surgery. The internal FDA report cities ReGen's complaint that it was being treated unfairly during the FDA review of Menaflex, but the report states, "We think the incidents reflected poor communication and mistakes rather than unfair treatment, and did not substantially prejudice ReGen in any event; the changing grounds and any departures from applicable legal standards more likely reflected differences of opinion and confusion within the Center than unfair treatment of the Company". During a panel review of the product, the FDA report claims that,
" ReGen sought to influence the process as much as possible", requesting that certain panel members be replaced. The FDA refused to rearrange the panel as requested by ReGen. The report also cited, "...unusual perhaps unprecedented Congressional interest, the degree of senior agency official participation, and an aggressive company all exerted significant pressures on a complicated system of submission review. According to a report in the New York Times, pressures from federal lawmakers, Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg, and Congressmen Frank Pallone Jr., and Steven Rothman, were also contributing factors in FDA administrators actions, allowing approval of the device over objections from researchers reviewing the device. Menaflex was cleared for sale in December 2008. All the lawmakers involved had received campaign contributions from the company.FDA Preliminary Report on Menaflex review, copy click here.New York Times article on report, copy click here. The FDA also announced today that it has commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study the pre market notification program used to review and clear certain medical devices marketed in the United States. The IOM study will examine the pre market notification program, also called the 510(k) process, for medical devices. While the IOM study is underway, the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) will convene its own internal working group to evaluate and improve the consistency of FDA decision making in the 510(k) process. During the past three decades, technology and the medical device industry have changed dramatically, making it an appropriate time for CDRH to review the adequacy of the pre market notification program in meeting these two goals . FDA press release on device review changes, copy click here. 09/24/2009
MEDICAID PATIENTS GET LESS PREVENTIVE CARE ACCORDING TO G-A-O
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Boosting payment for Medicaid preventive care services and clearly establishing what preventive services will be paid, are among the solutions proposed in a Government Accountability Office report. As an example, the report detailed observations from one expert on Medicaid managed care contracts, state Medicaid programs run the risk that managed care organizations may not cover certain services the program intends to cover if Medicaid managed care contracts lack specific and comprehensive contract language related to covered services. Three of the contracts did not specifically refer to any of the preventive services that state Medicaid programs reported were required to be covered by managed care organizations in those states. By contrast, two contracts specifically referred to all of the preventive services that the state reported covering. Most state Medicaid programs reported that they choose to cover some
but not all of the preventive services we asked about on our survey. Of the eight recommended services we asked about, the services that were most commonly reported as covered for adults were cervical cancer screenings and mammograms, which were covered by 49 and 48 states, respectively. Four additional preventive services were reported as covered for adults by three-quarters or more of the 51 states. These four services were diabetes screenings, cholesterol tests, colorectal cancer screenings, and influenza immunizations. The remaining two recommended services—intensive
counseling for adults with obesity and intensive counseling for adults with high cholesterol—were reported as covered for adults by less than one third of states. Thirteen states (25 percent) reported covering intensive counseling for obese adults and 14 states (27 percent) reported covering
intensive counseling for adults with high cholesterol (see fig. 7). Thirty nine states reported covering well-adult check ups or health risk assessments for adults, which provide an opportunity for delivering other recommended preventive services such as blood pressure tests and
obesity screenings. Text of report from the GAO, copy click here. 09/16/2009
HHS UNDERSCORES NEED TO UNDERSTAND SEASONAL FLU SHOT WON'T PROTECT AGAINST SWINE FLU / ADDITIONAL SWINE FLU SHOTS NEEDED
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - The Department of Health and Human Services today released information from the Food and Drug Administration which details reasons why people need both regular seasonal flu inoculations, available now, and those for the swine flu, which are scheduled to be available next year. The FDA says:
The newly approved influenza vaccine is directed against strains of influenza that were expected to be circulating during the 2009-2010 influenza season, based on information available in February, when a decision regarding the composition of the vaccine was made.
The seasonal flu vaccine will not protect people against the 2009 (pandemic) H1N1 influenza virus, which emerged later in the year and resulted in the declaration of a pandemic by the WHO in June 2009. FDA is working with manufacturers, international partners, and other government agencies to facilitate the availability of a safe and effective vaccine against the 2009 (pandemic) H1N1 influenza virus. Although no vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing disease, vaccination is the key to flu prevention.
OBAMA SAYS ADMINISTRATION READY AND WORKING FOR FALL SWINE FLU OUTBREAK
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Members of President Obama's cabinet met this morning at the White House to give the President an update on preparations for the upcoming flu season and the spread of the H1N1 virus. After the meeting the President held a news conference in the Rose Garden. Obama, in a short statement, repeated some of the advice already given by HHS and the CDC to contain the spread of flu, but the President also said that every American has a role to play in responding to this virus. We need state and local governments on the front lines to make antiviral medications and vaccines available, and be ready to take whatever steps are necessary to support the health care system. We need hospitals and health care providers to continue preparing for an increased patient load, and to take steps to protect health care workers. We need families and businesses to ensure that they have plans in place if a family member, a child, or a co-worker contracts the flu and needs to stay home. And most importantly we need everyone to get informed about individual risk factors, and we need everyone to take the common-sense steps that we know can make a difference. Stay home if you're sick. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your sneezes with your sleeve, not your hands. And take all the necessary precautions to stay healthy. I know it sounds simple, but it's important and it works. The Department of Health and Human Services also unveiled a new public service announcement campaign with the help of Sesame Street celebrities. PSA's video click here. Text of President Obama's news conference on flu season preparations, copy click here. 09/01/2009
PRESIDENT OF ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE TELLS OBAMA TO STICK WITH PUBLIC OPTION
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The President of the Economic Policy Institute is calling on President Obama to stay the course on a public option to help curb medical insurance costs. Lawrence Mishel released a copy of a letter to the president stating:
"Without the competitive check provided by a robust public plan, however, many Americans will find themselves with no meaningful health insurance choices even after reform. Further, while reform without a public plan can expand coverage in the short-run, these gains will be fleeting unless the central long-run challenge of health reform, “bending the curve” of long-run cost growth, is addressed. A substantial body of evidence suggests that a large public role in financing health insurance is associated with better cost-control. We know that your administration is committed to evidence-based policy decisions. We urge you to honor this commitment by insisting firmly that fundamental health reform needs a public option". Text of Mishel letter, copy click here. 09/01/2009
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE MAILER SUGGESTS DEMOCRATIC HEALTH REFORM PROPOSALS WOULD DENY CARE TO REPUBLICANS
GOVERNMENT PROJECTION: HALF THE U-S POPULATION COULD GET SWINE FLU
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology today predicted that as much as half the country's population will contract swine flu. As for projections as statistics, the council claims that could mean up to 120 million people with more than 1.8 million needing hospital treatment, 300,000 of them for intensive care. In an average year, seasonal flu deaths range from 30,000-40,000. But, the Swine Flu outbreak could bring the toll to more than double that, perhaps, 90,000. The report concludes that the 2009-H1N1 flu is unlikely to resemble the deadly flu pandemic of 1918-19. But in contrast to the benign version of swine flu that emerged in 1976, the report says the current strain "poses a serious health threat" to the nation. The issue is not that the virus is more deadly than other flu strains, but rather that it is likely to infect more people than usual because it is a new strain against which few people have immunity. This could mean that doctors’ offices and hospitals may get filled to capacity. PCAST press release, copy click here. 08/24/2009
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PUMPS MILLIONS INTO ACCELERATED ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS / NEW LAW BEGINS REQUIRING NOTIFICATION OF PATIENTS IF RECORDS CONFIDENTIALITY IS BREACHED
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Delivering on its pledge to stop up electronic medical record conversions, the Obama administration has ordered $1.2 billion spent for that effort. Yesterday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced here department will spend $25.7 million in grants to increase and improve health and support services at the nation's health centers.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, after lung cancer. In 2006, more than 139,000 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed and more than 53,000 people died from this disease. Full text of CDC colorectal press release, click here. 04/19/2010
FORECLOSURES THREATEN ELDER CARE HOMES / RESIDENTS OFTEN LEFT NO ALTERNATIVES WHEN EVICTION TAKES PLACE
PFIZER PAYS $35.3 MILLION TO DOCTORS, CONSULTANTS, MEDICAL CENTERS AND RESEARCH GROUPS WHO USE OR STUDY THEIR DRUGS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - Pfizer today released totals it has paid outside medical professionals based on data collected from July through December 2009 about work done with approximately 4,500 healthcare professionals resulting in total payments of $35 million for their time and expertise to gain and share real-world experience about the safe and appropriate use of medicines and the development of medical innovations. Pfizer is reporting data for healthcare professionals who received payments, meals or non-monetary educational items worth $25 or more and totaling $500 or more during the six-month reporting period. Pfizer also makes the point that almost 44 percent of the total payments disclosed for the reporting period are associated with Pfizer's collaborations with approximately 250 research organizations to study how medicines work and to discover new medicines to treat and prevent life-threatening and debilitating illnesses. In total, Pfizer reported payments of approximately $15.3 million to these institutions for all new clinical trials initiated after July 1, 2009 as well as clinical trial payments made between July 1 and December 31, 2009 to academic medical centers for ongoing or new research. These payments cover a variety of critical activities including participant recruitment, coordinating and conducting the clinical trials and completing compliance activities to ensure regulatory requirements are met. The drugmaker also explains the need to compensate professionals in other settings.
Approximately 1,500 experienced healthcare professionals to provide input and advice to ensure the company addresses the real needs of clinicians and patients. These professionals were compensated an average of $5,000 in return for their time and expertise.
Approximately 2,800 experienced healthcare professionals who were selected as speakers to educate their peers about health conditions and the safe and appropriate use of Pfizer medicines. These professionals were compensated an average of $3,400 for their work. Both speakers and attendees were also provided meals at these events.
Pfizer promises in their press release that In accordance with the August 2009 Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), effective with the report for 2010, the company will expand its reporting to include the value of all financial interactions including non-monetary items such as meals and educational items, regardless of value. Pfizer says such expenses will be posted quarterly beginning in June 2011. Full text of Pfizer press release, click here. 04/01/2010
INSPECTOR GENERAL FINDS PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES CUTTING REBATES BY REBRANDING DRUGS UNDER OTHER NAMES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Inspector General at Health and Human Services has found a stunning rebate branding and accounting practice that could have saved various governmental entities billions of dollars. The full extent remains unknown. The Inspector General report claims that,
Our review found that of the top 150 brand-name drugs for calendar year 2007 ranked by Medicaid reimbursement, 114 had more than one version. For 65 of the 114, the prices of the earliest versions of the drugs exceeded their inflation-adjusted prices when the new versions entered the market. We calculated that for calendar years 1993 through 2007, States could have collected approximately $2.5 billion in additional rebates for the 65 brand-name drugs if the baseline average manufacturer prices (AMP) of the new versions had been adjusted (i.e., reduced) to reflect price increases in excess of inflation for the earliest versions.
For a manufacturer’s covered outpatient drug to be eligible for Federal Medicaid funding, the manufacturer must enter into a rebate agreement that is administered by CMS and pay quarterly rebates to the States. Federal law requires manufacturers to pay an additional rebate when the AMP for a brand-name drug increases more than inflation.
We did not evaluate the drug manufacturers’ bases for developing the new versions of existing drugs identified in our review. Because the Medicaid drug rebate program calculates rebates separately for each version of a drug, manufacturers could develop new versions of existing brand-name drugs solely to avoid paying additional rebates when they substantially increase prices. Without some modification to the rebate law, the risk of manufacturers taking advantage of this potential loophole may increase over time. Full text of press release and direct link to full report , click here. 03/31/2010
OLDER AMERICANS GET HELP WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS WITH $27 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT PROGRAM
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A least 45 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia will get help providing self-management programs to older adults with chronic diseases build statewide delivery systems and develop the workforce that delivers these programs.
“Prevention activities can strengthen the nation’s healthcare infrastructure and reduce healthcare costs,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “These new grants will provide an important opportunity for states, tribes, territories and communities to advance public health across the life span and to help reduce or eliminate health disparities.”
Chronic disease keeps older adults from staying independent within their own homes and communities. The more chronic diseases an individual has, according to HHS, the more likely that individual will become hospitalized. Two-thirds of Medicare spending is for beneficiaries with five or more chronic conditions.
“The number of older adults with chronic conditions will increase dramatically in the coming years as our aging population grows,” said Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee, whose agency, the Administration on Aging (AoA), will administer the grants. “This opportunity will allow states to build the foundation for an infrastructure that embeds health prevention programs into the nation’s health and long term care system and expands a system of care that addresses the growing prevalence of chronic conditions.”
The Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, which serves as a model for this initiative, emphasizes the patients’ role in managing their illness and building their self-confidence so they can be successful in adopting healthy behaviors.
According to HHS, the first baby boomers will turn 65 in 2011 and of these, more than 37 million – or 6 out of 10 - will be managing more than one chronic condition by 2030. For example, 14 million boomers will be living with diabetes while almost half of the boomers will live with arthritis (that number peaks to just over 26 million in 2020).
State agencies on aging, public health departments, and Medicaid agencies will work together to support the deployment of evidence-based chronic disease self-management programs targeted at older adults with chronic conditions. Full text of HHS statement, click here. 03/30/2010
F-D-A WARNS ABOUT CHOLESTEROL DRUG "ZOCOR"
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - A long known problem with any statin drugs to control cholesterol is muscle and kidney damage. Today the Food and Drug Administration sounded a warning about the drug "Zocor" saying patients using higher doses of this drug are at increased risk of myopathy. Rhabdomyolysis is the most serious form of myopathy and can lead to severe kidney damage, kidney failure, and sometimes death.
“Review of simvastatin is part of an ongoing FDA effort to evaluate the risk of statin-associated muscle injury and to provide that information to the public as it becomes available,” said Eric Colman, M.D., Deputy Director of FDA’s Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products (DMEP). “It’s important for patients and healthcare professionals to consider all the potential risks and known benefits of any drug before deciding on any one therapy or dose of therapy.”
Simvastatin is sold as a single-ingredient generic medication and as the brand-name Zocor. It also is sold in combination with ezetimibe as Vytorin, and in combination with niacin as Simcor.
FDA’s review of new information on the risk of muscle injury is derived from clinical trials, observational studies, adverse event reports, and prescription use data. The agency also is reviewing data from the SEARCH (Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine) trial, which evaluated major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, revascularization and cardiovascular death, in patients taking 80 mg compared to 20 mg of simvastatin. SEARCH also included data on muscle injury in patients taking simvastatin".
FEDERAL PANEL RULES AGAINST SWINE FLU VACCINE AS CAUSE FOR AUTISM IN CHILDREN
More from the Emeritus Newsroom -The U-S Court of Federal Claims today handed a defeat to parents of autistic children who claim vaccines caused the disorder.
In its ruling, the Court of Federal Claims stated,
"While petitioners have alleged correctly that inorganic mercury can remain in the
brain for a period of time, petitioners have not shown that the inorganic mercury deposited
in the brain–in the amount that could be received from a full complement of thimerosal-containing
vaccines–can cause the effects that petitioners have alleged. Inorganic mercury
is not the form of mercury understood to be most toxic in the doses involved in childhood
vaccines, and a normal fish-eating diet by pregnant mothers produces a greater source of
inorganic mercury for deposition in the brain than thimerosal-containing vaccines do.
Moreover, the metabolic processes and complex compensatory systems in the body are
sufficiently robust to address the cellular effects of inorganic mercury deposits in the
brain. The mechanism of chronic cellular dysfunction that petitioners havinitiative to address safety problems associated with external infusion pumps", the FDA today issued what it calls a new draft guidance and letter to infusion pump manufacturers. FDA is also announcing a May public workshop on infusion pump design, and launching a new web page devoted to infusi
Today's ruling is a huge setback for the parents request for compensation to deal with their children's conditions. An advocacy group called The Coalition for SafeMinds says the ruling is an injustice for those families affected by the delay and ineffectiveness of past research. The group claims, last year, the government dominated Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee blocked critical vaccine-autism research studies from moving forward. "The government must fund an extensive vaccine safety program, including studies of the health outcomes of vaccinated and unvaccinated children," stated Lyn Redwood, Vice President of SafeMinds. "Trust in the immunization program will continue to deteriorate without adequate and unbiased safety science." SafeMinds, meaning, "(Sensible Action for Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders", is a nonprofit organization founded to investigate and raise awareness of the risks to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products, including thimerosal in vaccines. Court of Federal Claims decision, click here. U-S Court of Federal Claims autism decisions and background, click here. www.fedbizopps.gov, Social Security is looking for health care providers, provider networks, and health information exchanges to participate in its Medical Evidence Gathering and Analysis through Health Information Technology (IT) program.
“With these competitive contracts, Social Security continues to be a leader in the use of health IT to improve service to the American public,” Commissioner Michael Astrue said. “This technology will greatly improve the speed and consistency of our disability decisions.”
The money comes from the Health Information Technology Extension Program (Extension Program). Grants under the Extension Program will be awarded on a rolling basis with an expected 20 grants awarded in the first quarter of FY2010, another 25 in the third quarter and the remaining awards in the fourth quarter of FY2010. The initial funding includes approximately $598 million to ensure that comprehensive support is available to providers under the Extension Program beginning early in FY2010, with an additional $45 million available for years 3 and 4 of the program. Federal support continues for four years, after which the program is expected to be self-sustaining. Of the total federal investment in this program, about $50 million is dedicated to establishing the national HITRC, and $643 million is devoted to the Regional Centers. HHS press release on medical records technology program, copy click here.
ALSO LAST WEEK, HHS ANNOUNCED NEW REGULATIONS REQURING PATIENT NOTIFICATION IF CONFIDENTIALITY OF THEIR MEDICAL RECORDS IS BREACHED. These “breach notification” regulations implement provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, passed as part of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
The regulations, developed by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), require health care providers and other HIPAA covered entities to promptly notify affected individuals of a breach, as well as the HHS Secretary and the media in cases where a breach affects more than 500 individuals. Breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals will be reported to the HHS Secretary on an annual basis. The regulations also require business associates of covered entities to notify the covered entity of breaches at or by the business associate.
“This new federal law ensures that covered entities and business associates are accountable to the Department and to individuals for proper safeguarding of the private information entrusted to their care. These protections will be a cornerstone of maintaining consumer trust as we move forward with meaningful use of electronic health records and electronic exchange of health information,” said Robinsue Frohboese, acting director and principal deputy director of OCR.
The regulations were developed after considering public comment received in response to an April 2009 request for information and after close consultation with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has issued companion breach notification regulations that apply to vendors of personal health records and certain others not covered by HIPAA. HHS press release on medical record confidentiality, copy click here.
08/24/2009
PRESIDENT RECOGNIZES VETERANS NEED FOR TREATMENT OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES / TELLS V-F-W CONVENTION U-S HAS SACRED TRUST WITH VETERANS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - Speaking to the convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Phoenix today, President Obama told veterans that the country has a sacred trust with them and owes them the respect and medical treatment they deserve. The President also promised to keep working on the backlog of disability claims which have been holding up treatment and medicine for thousands of veterans. Obama today announced the beginning of a program for each of the 57 regional VA offices to cut red tape and improve service. That program seeks ideas from department personnel to make the department more effective and efficient, while improving the way veterans are treated. The VA has taken considerable pounding in congress over the last year amid accusations of trashing disability filings from veterans, improper sterilization of equipment used in colon exams, and data breaches by hackers who have stolen veterans personal and financial data from agency computers. Text of President Obama's speech to the VFW. The Congressional Budget Office has released a review of the VA's quality initiative efforts, PDF copy click here. 08/17/2009
SWINE FLU UPDATE: NEW GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - Federal officials today released new guidelines fro schools as a precaution for the spread of the H1N1 swine flu virus. CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden , during a news conference at HHS office in Washington D.C. , said the spread of the virus is continuing in this country and worldwide. The CDC reports that as of their August 6th survey:
Widespread influenza activity was reported by Puerto Rico and four states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Maine).
Regional influenza activity was reported by 11 states (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia).
Local influenza activity was reported by the District of Columbia and 12 states (Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington).
Sporadic activity was reported by 23 states (Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming). August 6 CDC Weekly Survey, copy click here.
As for changes in school guidelines, federal health officials say the guidelines also recommend schools have plans in place to deal with possible infection. For instance, people with flu-like illness should be sent to a room away from other people until they can be sent home. Schools should have plans for continuing the education of students who are at home, through phone calls, homework packets, Internet lessons and other approaches. And schools should have contingency plans to fill important positions such as school nurses.For an outbreak similar in severity to the spring 2009 H1N1 infection, the guidelines recommend basic good hygiene, such as hand washing. In addition, students or staff members with flu-like illness (showing symptoms of flu) should stay home at least 24 hours after fever symptoms have ended.CDC Swine Flu guidelines press release, copy click here.
08/07/2009
"CONSUMER REPORTS" TO ISSUE HOSPITAL RATINGS AND REVIEWS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - Consumers Union publication, Consumer Reports will be releasing their hospital ratings and reviews on hospitals throughout the country. Subscribers to the magazine will be able to get information on 3,400 hospitals including 50 teaching hospitals. The publication will also rate more than 200 medications. According to CR, one American dies every 5 minutes from a largely preventable infection acquired in a hospital setting. Consumer Reports Hospital Ratings Page, click here (Must have subscription to log in). 08/04/2009
HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES H-R 3200 "AMERICA'S AFFORDABLE HEALTH CHOICES ACT" / ADVANCES HOUSE FLOOR NEXT MONTH
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- In a late night announcement Friday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce announced a compromise health reform measure . The committee voted 31-28 to approve changes to HR 3200, that will now be submitted to the full house upon its return from recess next month. The measure, according to supporters, contains critical insurance reforms to protect consumers. Insurance companies will no longer be able to discriminate on the basis of pre-existing conditions or drop coverage for those who become seriously ill. Insurers will no longer be able to discriminate on the basis of gender or selectively refuse to renew coverage. And they will be required to fully cover regular checkups and preventative care without cost-sharing and abide by limits on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses. Other elements include:
If an individual likes their current plan, they will be able to keep it.
For individuals who either aren't currently covered, or want to enroll in a new health care plan, the proposal will establish a health care exchange where consumers can select from a menu of affordable, quality health care options: either a new public health insurance option or a plan offered by private insurers.
This new marketplace will reduce costs, create competition that leads to better care for every American, and keep private insurers honest. Patients and doctors will have control over decisions about their health care, instead of insurance companies
The legislation will ensure that Americans have portable, secure health care plans - so that they won't lose care if their employer drops their plan or they lose their job.
Every American who receives coverage through the exchange will have a plan that includes standardized, comprehensive and quality health care benefits.
It will end increases in premiums or denials of care based on pre-existing conditions, race, or gender, and limited age rating (2:1).
The proposal will also eliminate co-pays for preventive care, cap out-of-pocket expenses, and guarantee catastrophic coverage that protects every American from bankruptcy.
The proposal guarantees that every child in America will have health care coverage that includes dental and vision benefits.
It will provide better preventative and wellness care. Every health care plan offered through the exchange will cover preventative care.
By growing the health care workforce, the proposal will ensure that more doctors and nurses are available to provide quality care as more Americans get coverage.
The proposal strengthens Medicare and Medicaid so that seniors, people with disabilities and low-income Americans receive better quality of care and see lower prescription drug costs and out-of-pocket expenses.
Employers who currently offer coverage will be able to continue offering coverage to workers. Employers who don't currently offer coverage could choose to cover their workers or pay a penalty.
All individuals would be required to get coverage, either through their employer or the exchange, or pay a penalty.
The federal government will provide affordability credits, available on a sliding scale for low- and middle-income individuals and families to make premiums affordable and reduce cost-sharing.
The proposal provides complete transparency in plans in the health exchange so that consumers have the clear, complete information needed to select the plan that best meets their needs.
Additionally, it establishes Consumer Advocacy Offices as part of the exchange in order to protect consumers, answer questions, and assist with any problems related to their plans.
The proposal will identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse by simplifying paperwork and other administrative burdens. Patients, doctors, nurses, insurance companies, providers, and employers will all encounter a streamlined, less confusing, more consumer friendly system.
FDA APPROVES NEW DRUG FOR TREATMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - Often called, "Adult Onset Diabetes", Type 2 Diabetes results in high blood sugar levels, most often associated with being overweight. There is no cure, but now the FDA says, there is a drug that can help control sugar levels. The agency says it has approved Onglyza (saxagliptin), a once-daily tablet to treat Type 2 diabetes in adults. The medication is intended to be used with diet and exercise to control high blood sugar levels.The hormone insulin keeps blood sugar (glucose) levels within a narrow range in people who don’t have diabetes. People with Type 2 diabetes are either resistant to insulin or do not produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Onglyza is in a class of drugs known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors which stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin after eating a meal.The most common side effects observed with Onglyza are upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, and headache. Other side effects include allergic-like reactions such as rash and hives. FDA press release, copy click here. 07/31/2009
GAO: MORE EVIDENCE U-S SWINE FLU PREP NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Federal Health officials have not addressed most of the findings from a Government Accounting Office report issued last month on swine flu preparedness. The GAO Report, from Bernice Steinhardt, Director, Strategic Issues, says if a pandemic struck the U-S, local, state and federal agencies would lack of co-ordination, fail to properly secure enough hospital beds and medical supplies, and fail to have a plan in place to properly protect federal workers. While federal agencies have taken action on 13 of GAO’s 24 recommendations, 11 of the recommendations that GAO has made over the past 3 years have not been fully implemented, according to the agency. With the possibility that the H1N1 virus could become more virulent this fall or winter, Steinhardt says, the administration and federal agencies should use this time to turn their attention to filling in the planning and preparedness gaps GAO’s work has pointed out. Officials with the World Health Organization have already classified the h1n1 flu outbreak as a worldwide pandemic. So far in the U-S, an estimated 43,000 have contracted the virus. More than 300 deaths have already been linked to the outbreak. The latest GAO report was presented to the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. Latest GAO report, copy click here. 07/30/2009
OBAMA NAMES ALABAMA DOCTOR NAMES SURGEON GENERAL
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Dr. Regina Benjamin has been nominated for the position of Surgeon General. According to information supplied by the White House, Dr. Benjamin has an extensive and distinguished career in medicine. She is the Founder and CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Alabama, which aims to provide primary care to people of any age regardless of their financial situation. She previously served as Chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, and as the Associate Dean for Rural Health at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Additionally, she was chosen as President of the Medical Association of Alabama in 2002, becoming the first African-American woman to be president of a state medical society. She was also the first African-American woman and physician under 40 to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. She received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights in 1998, among other honors. Video of the President's White House announcement accompanied by Dr. Benjamin, click here. 07/13/2009
NEW RATINGS FOR U-S HOSPITALS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Health and Human Services today released the latest rankings of the nations hospitals.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Compare Web site that reports how frequently patients return to a hospital after being discharged, a possible indicator of how well the facility did the first time around. The site is www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
On average, 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries who are discharged from a hospital today will re-enter the hospital within a month. Reducing the rate of hospital readmissions to improve quality and achieve savings are key components of President Obama’s health care reform agenda.
"The President and Congress have both identified the reduction of readmissions as a target area for health reform," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "When we reduce readmissions, we improve the quality of care patients receive and cut health care costs."
With the update announced today, Hospital Compare will provide better data on the previously posted mortality rates for individual hospitals, as well as the new data on 30-day readmissions for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia. Previously, Hospital Compare had provided only mortality rates for these three conditions.
Research has shown that hospital readmissions are reducing the quality of health care while increasing hospital costs. Hospital Compare data show that for patients admitted to a hospital for heart attack treatment, 19.9 percent of them will return to the hospital within 30 days, 24.5 percent of patients admitted for heart failure will return to the hospital within 30 days, and 18.2 percent of patients admitted for pneumonia will return to the hospital within 30 days.
07/09/2009
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION READIES SWINE FLU VACCINE FOR OCTOBER
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - Officials with the Department of Health and Human Services have announced the administration is willing to spend nearly $8 billion for swine flu preparedness. The announcement was made during a day long summit today on the government's latest developments involving the H1N1 strain of the flu, which struck earlier this year, and has spread more quickly overseas. Officials again confirmed earlier assessments from HHS, that the H1N1 strain of swine flu may well worsen in the fall -- when the regular flu season hits, or even earlier, when schools start to open -- which is only five or six weeks away in some cases. The administration has also proposed another $3 billion dollars if needed should the type of swine flu strain become more deadly. HHS press release on swine flu preparedness. 07/09/2009
CDC TO HOLD OBESITY SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Called, "Weight of the Nation" the Centers for Disease Control will be holding a two day summit on the problems and solutions to obesity. The dates are July 27-29, 2009 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel 2500 Calvert Street, NW Washington, D.C.
The event will:
Highlight strategies that overcome barriers to the primary prevention of obesity for youth and adults in four settings: communities, medical care, schools, and workplaces.
Provide economic analysis of obesity prevention and control efforts, such as the cost burden of obesity on healthcare system and employers and the cost effectiveness of prevention.
Highlight the use of law-based efforts to prevent and control obesity.
Determine promising strategies for the prevention and control of obesity. 07/07/2009
HEALTH CARE LOBBY SPENDING 1.4 MILLION PER DAY ON HEALTH REFORM FIGHT
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL FINDS MORE IMPROPER STERILIZATIONS AT VA MEDICAL CENTERS / QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT H-I-V EXPOSURE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-During testimony this morning before the House committee on Veterans Affairs, Dr. John Daigh Jr, from the Office of Inspector General told members of the committee that VA medical facilities have not complied with multiple directives to ensure endoscopes are properly reprocessed. Daigh claims that unannounced OIG inspections on May 13 and 14, 2009, found that medical facilities:
Have the appropriate endoscope Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) available 78 percent of the time.
Have documented proper training of staff 50 percent of the time.
Are compliant with both recommendations 43 percent of the time.
Daigh claims this has As a result of the improper reprocessing of colonoscopes, 6,387 veterans were notified by the Murfreesboro, Tennessee, VAMC, and 3,260 veterans were notified by the Miami, Florida, VAMC, that they were at risk of these viral infections. Improper processing of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) endoscopes at the Augusta, Georgia, VAMC, resulted in the notification of 1,069 veterans that they were at risk for these same diseases. The VA claims that the actual risk to patients was minimal, but some VA critics say it is too early to know the extent of the problem. Daigh statement to the committee, copy click here. 06/16/2009
OBAMA TELLS DOCTORS HE'LL AGREE TO SOME MALPRACTICE RELIEF BUT OPPOSES MALPRACTICE CAPS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Barack Obama, speaking before the annual convention of the American Medical Association stood his ground on several points he has insisted on in the health care reform debate. he told doctors gathered for the Chicago convention that he welcomes talks to lower malpractice expenses for doctors, but does NOT favor malpractice caps. He also said argued that offering a public plan is not socialized medicine, insisting that a public option was needed to extend health care to the uninsured and those priced out of the current private market. The President, referring to an article handed him by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) which talked about rising health care costs and the rising number of uninsured. That article, Obama said, was written in 1960, "Before I was born". He cited the article as a reason why reform must take place now, so that the country will not be facing certain financial ruin, bywaiting another 50 years. Obama speech text, copy click here. Obama video of speech from C-SPAN, click here. 06/15/2009
OBAMA FACES TOUGH SELL ON HEALTH REFORM PLAN IN SPEECH MONDAY BEFORE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
OBAMA PUSHES PUBLIC HEALTH PLAN TO COMPETE WITH PRIVATE INSURERS AT GREEN BAY TOWN HALL / SAY SINGLE PAYER INSURANCE NOT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Choosing a city where health care outcomes are higher and health care costs lower, President Obama took his latest Town Hall to Green Bay Wisconsin. The president emphasized that a single payer health plant is not socialized medicine. That a single payer plan is similar to Medicare and Medicaid, but private medical providers would NOT work for the government, as is the case with socialized plans. The President told the audience that the last 50 years of health care in this country serves as proof that reform must happen this year. Video of President Obama explaining public health plan. Summary and link to text of Obama's speech in Green Bay, copy click here. 06/11/2009
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE DIRECTOR WORKED ON REVIEW OF '93 CLINTON PLAN / CONGRESS EAGERLY AWAITS HIS VIEW OF NEW PLAN
UPDATE: HEALTH CARE REFORM / U-S HOUSE TRI COMMITTEE PROPOSAL HAS PUBLIC PLAN THAT WOULD COMPETE WITH PRIVATE PLANS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Despite confusion from earlier reports, congressional leaders connected to the Tri Committee health reform proposal, say THERE IS a public plan provision that would compete with the private sector. There appeared to be some confusion earlier in the morning as some members of congress and media reports seemed to suggest the public plan would simply be a subsidy of private plans. But, a revised report from Congressional Quarterly today underscored the existence of a separate private plan that is being formulated in the house and forwarded through committees. According to the outline presented today to the full House Democratic Caucus, the plan would require individuals to obtain insurance and employers to help pay for it, and would create a government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. Congressional Quarterly updated article, copy click here. Actual Tri Committee Proposal, copy click here. 06/09/2009
NEW REPORT FINDS WIDENING DISPARITIES AMONG MINORITIES AS COUNTRY SPENDS MORE FOR MEDICAL CARE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A new report released today by Health and Human Services shows disparities among minorities in access to health care continues to expand as the country spends more money. One aspect of the report concentrated on health insurance. The report claims more than one in three Hispanics and American Indians – and just under one in five African Americans – are uninsured. In comparison, only about one in eight whites lacks health insurance. Four in 10 low-income Americans do not have health insurance, and half of the nearly 46 million uninsured people in the United States are poor. About one-third of the uninsured have a chronic disease, and they are six times less likely to receive care for a health problem than the insured. In contrast, 94% of upper-income Americans have health insurance. Entitled, "Health Disparities, Closing the Gap", the report traces the fallout from disparities in access and care. Research, once again, confirms that people who do not have access to a usual source of primary preventive health care are more likely to end up in the emergency department or in the hospital. "Indeed, African Americans use the emergency department at twice the rate of whites", according to the report. Low-income adults and children struggle to obtain routine but needed care that serves to prevent the occurrence of more serious health problems. Twenty percent of low-income Hispanic youth have gone a year without a health care visit – a rate three times higher than that for high-income whites. HHS Health Disparities Report, copy click here. 06/09/2009
H-H-S AND V-A JOIN TO PUSH FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE FOR OLDER AMERICANS AND VETERANS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Department of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs today announced a $10 million dollar program to help older Americans and veterans find community based long term care. According to Acting Assistant Secretary for Aging Edwin Walker said the additional money will pay for development of a nationwide community-based long-term support program to help older Americans and Veterans of all ages with Disabilities remain in the community. H-H-S's Administration on Aging has established a national network of aging and community-based organizations that support older Americans and family caregivers. Among those programs is the National Family Caregiver Support Program which has provided significant support and assistance to families struggling to care for their loved ones for close to ten years. HHS and VA join press release on the program, copy click here. 06/04/2009
OBAMA SENDS CONGRESS REQUEST FOR 2 BILLION TO FIGHT FLU
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The publication, Congressional Quarterly, is reporting that President Obama has requested $2 billion for the fight against flu pandemics. The Senate had already appropriated more than $1.5 billion dollars. But, the recent battle with Swine Flu and the formulation of inoculations to battle an anticipated second outbreak, fueled concerns that the country was not adequately funded. White House press release on Obama order, copy click here. 06/03/2009
WHITEHOUSE COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISORS LAYS OUT CRISIS NEEDING HEALTH CARE REFORM
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- As President Obama made the rounds on Capitol Hill to press for health care reform, his Council of Economic advisors gave him new ammunition in the battle for his cause. The council says that the average family's out of pocket costs will be over $10,000 a year for health care by the year 2030, unless something is done now. Christina Romer, Chair of the CEA, led the press conference announcing the report this morning, and also penned an op-ed for Yahoo! News discussing it:
Years of diagnosis on the ills of the U.S. health system have produced no cure. Health care expenditures in this country are currently 18 percent of GDP and, without change, will keep rising, until they account for nearly one-third of our total output by 2040. Even with this exorbitant bill, about 46 million Americans lack health insurance coverage today, and this number is predicted to rise to 72 million over the next three decades.
EMERGENCY ROOM OVERCROWDING WORSENS / MORE CROWDING CAUSED BY INPATIENT BED SHORTAGES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Emergency room overcrowding has long been a documented problem, aggravated by the growing number of uninsured patients with no where else to turn. Now the Government Accountability Office says another dynamic to the overcrowding problem is the shortage of inpatient beds, forcing hospitals to hold patients in the emergency rooms longer than needed. The results is longer wait times in the emergency rooms for those needing emergency care, and more overcrowding. The GAO says , despite numerous strategies to address crowding, they have not been assessed or implemented on a state or national level. The report also states, one reason for a lack of access to inpatient beds is competition between hospital admissions from the emergency department and scheduled admissions--for example, for elective surgeries, which may be more profitable for the hospital. Additional factors may contribute to emergency department crowding, including patients' lack of access to primary care services or a shortage of available on-call specialists. In commenting on a draft of this report, HHS noted that the report demonstrates that emergency department wait times are continuing to increase and frequently exceed national standards. GAO report on emergency room overcrowding, copy click here. 06/01/2009
APPEALS COURT HANDS BIG TOBACCO ANOTHER DEFEAT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A three judge court of appeals panel in Washington has dealt another blow to tobacco companies who are trying to overturn a decision which limits claims on "Light" and "Low Tar" products, and forces tobacco companies to air public service advertisements on television, warning of the dangers of smoking. Washington D.C. Court of Appeals 93 page opinion, copy click here. 05/23/2009
OBAMA DETERMINED TO GET HEALTH CARE REFORM THIS YEAR
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Obama this morning met with congressional leaders to get a status report on efforts to pass health care reform legislation. After the meeting the President held a news conference. The President told reporters, "The House is working to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31st, before they head out for the August recess. And that's the kind of urgency and determination that we need to achieve what I believe will be historic legislation. As I've said before, and as all Americans know, our health care system is broken. It's unsustainable for families, for businesses. It is unsustainable for the federal government and state governments. We've had a lot of discussions in this town about deficits and people across the political spectrum like to throw barbs back and forth about debt and deficits. The fact of the matter is the most significant driver by far of our long-term debt and our long-term deficits is ever-escalating health care costs. And if we don't reform how health care is delivered in this country, then we are not going to be able to get a handle on that". Text of President Ob ama's statement. 05/13/2009
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS SAYS OUT OF WEDLOCK BIRTHS SHARPLY UP
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Out of wedlock births are sharply up because of the raise of births among women in their 20's and 30's. The stats show that women in the older age groups are most often in a cohabitation relationship, which may be less stable that a marital relationship. The agency is a part of the Centers for Disease Control and was a compilation of vital statistics from throughout the U-S. some of the main points:
Childbearing by unmarried women has resumed a steep climb since 2002.
Births to unmarried women totaled 1,714,643 in 2007, 26% more than in 2002. Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. births were to unmarried women in 2007.
Birth rates have risen considerably for unmarried women in their twenties and over, while declining or changing little for unmarried teenagers.
Non marital birth rates are highest for Hispanic women followed by black women. Rates for non-Hispanic white and Asian or Pacific Islander women are much lower.
Most births to teenagers (86% in 2007) are non marital, but 60% of births to women 20–24 and nearly one-third of births to women 25–29 were non marital in 2007.
Teenagers accounted for just 23% of non marital births in 2007, down steeply from 50% in 1970.
"THEY ANTAGONIZED HIM", SAYS FATHER OF MILITARY SON WHO KILLED FIVE AT COMBAT STRESS CLINIC IN BAGHDAD
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Defense Secretary Robert Gates has promised a thorough investigation of the killing of five U-S military personnel at a combat stress clinic in Baghdad. Wilburn Russell, father of Sgt. John Russell of the 54th Engineering Battalion, says his son "broke" after enduring personal financial problems, a third tour of duty and a dying father in law. Russell claims his son's wife told him Sgt. Russell, from Sherman, Texas, complained about pressure from superiors over stress related issues and that his son felt the Army was trying to "push him out". Sgt. Russell shot and killed five others as he was being escorted out of the clinic. The dead were reported to be two officers, who worked at the clinic, and three soldiers who were being treated. Military treatment of personnel with mental health issues has been an ongoing embarrassment for the Defense Department. The suicide rate as well as mental health problems many veterans have after discharge have added to the scope of the problem, beyond those on the battlefront. 05/12/2009
OHIO WOMAN SHOWS RESULTS OF FIRST FACE TRANSPLANT IN U-S
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- In 2004 her husband shot and almost killed her. She lived, her husband was imprisoned. A doctor at the Cleveland Clinic promised he would do what he could to fix her face, badly disfigured in the crime. Five months ago, with the donation of a portion of a face from a dead woman, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic gave Connie Culp a nose and a new look (See pictures below before and after ). Today the Cleveland Clinic introduced Culp to the media explaining the complexity and the hope for such treatment. Although her face is swelled from the more than 30 operations which took bones from other parts of her body to help support her new face. She has had only one mild episode of tissue rejection. More work is needed to help with muscle and nerve development, but the 46 year old mother from Unionport, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania state line, said the doctor did what he said he would do. "I got me my nose!", Culp said with a laugh.
05/05/2009
INSPECTOR GENERAL SAYS INPATIENT REHAB CENTERS OVERBILLED MEDICARE $4.2 MILLION
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Office of Inspector General at Health and Human Services says a review of billing from inpatient rehabilitation centers shows scores of instances of over billing. Their nationwide computer match showed that 448 IRFs billed incorrectly for 986 interrupted stays during that period. If a Medicare inpatient is discharged from an IRF and returns to the same IRF within 3 consecutive calendar days, the IRF should combine the interrupted stay into a single claim and receive a single discharge payment. We determined that the correct value of the stays was $17.5 million, rather than the $21.7 million that the IRFs billed. As a result, Medicare made net overpayments of $4.2 million to the IRFs. The payment errors occurred because the IRFs did not have the necessary controls to identify or correctly bill interrupted stays. Additionally, until April 2005, the Common Working File did not have an edit designed to identify all interrupted stays billed as two or more claims. After its adoption, the new Common Working File edit effectively detected incorrectly billed interrupted stays and prevented overpayments to IRFs. Inspector General Summary, copy click here. 05/01/2009
PBGC TAKES OVER NIAGARA FALLS MEDICAL CENTER PENSION FUND / HOSPITAL WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE PAYMENTS DUE TO MASSIVE INCREASE IN UNINSURED PATIENTS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation has been busy this week with the Chrysler pension and bailout talks. Today the agency took over the pension plan covering more than 1,200 workers and retirees of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, a healthcare provider in Niagara Fall, New York. The PBGC stepped in because the 315 bed medical center missed about $7 million in legally required pension contributions. The medical center is the primary care giver for patients who are uninsured and the cost for caring for that population has taken its toll on the center's finances. Niagara has not paid into the plan since September 2006, and lacks the assets to make past due or future payments. Additionally, Niagara's failure to make such payments left the plan non-compliant with minimum funding standards under the Internal Revenue Code. According to PBGC estimates, the Retirement Plan of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center is about 54 percent funded, with assets of $9 million and benefit liabilities of $21 million. The agency expects to be responsible for about $7.6 million of the $11.8 million shortfall. The PBGC will take over the assets and use insurance funds to pay guaranteed benefits earned under the plan, which ended on April 30, 2009. Assumption of the plan's unfunded liabilities will have no material effect on the PBGC's financial statements, according to generally accepted accounting principles. Retirees and beneficiaries will continue to receive their monthly benefit checks without interruption, and other participants will receive their pensions when they are eligible to retire. PBGC press release, copy click here. 05/01/2009
NEW H-H-S SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS FACES TRIAL BY FIRE ON FIRST DAY / HITS GROUND RUNNING ON SWINE FLU EMERGENCY
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Former Kansas Governor, now Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius moved from the flames of confirmation to the flames of a health emergency. Sebelius, only Tuesday was sworn in, after a battle with Senate Republicans over a financial ties to an abortion rights supporter. She emerged Wednesday to host a news conference detailing the first death in the U-S from the Swine Flu outbreak. Sebelius and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, both former governors, will explain, during a news conference Thursday, how their departments will be working with states where confirmed cases have been recorded. The live webcast will be seen Thursday, 1 pm ET, at http://www.hhs.gov/ . 04/30/2009
ADHD KIDS WHO TAKE THEIR MEDS DO BETTER ON TESTS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A study funded by the U-S government, not drug companies, has concluded that ADHD children taking their meds, do better on academic tests than those who do not. Properly medicated children scored three points better on math tests and 5 points better on reading tests. The study was published in the May issue of Pediatrics, which was released today. About 4 million children in the U-S have been diagnosed ADHD. Most take some type of stimulant drug, though the study did not detail which ones. Pediatrics ADHD study summary, copy click here. ADHD Associated Press report, copy click here. 04/27/2009
SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES KANSAS GOVERNOR KATHLEEN SEBELIUS AS H-H-S SECRETARY / HEARS PROPOSALS ON HEALTH CARE REFORM
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Senate Finance Committee today approved, by a vote of 15-8, the nomination of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as H-H-S Secretary, sending the nomination to a vote by the full Senate. Most Republicans oppose her nomination because of her ties with abortion rights contributors, her late payment of more than $7,000 taxes and her consideration of a public health plan to cover the uninsured. Sebelius does have the support of Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback, and former Senate Majority Leader, Kansas senator and former presidential candidate Robert Dole. Meanwhile the committee heard testimony from a number of experts on health care reform with differing viewpoints. Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD
Director, Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution, says many efforts by health care providers to prevent
complications and implement innovative, lower-cost ways of delivering care – such as spending more time with patients to promote understanding of health risks and needed lifestyle changes or using allied health professionals to help with adherence to medications – actually reduce the two payments they receive. Similarly, patients with chronic diseases often get little support for taking
steps to improve the quality and reduce the costs of their own care. McClellan testimony, copy click here. Ronald A. Williams, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Aetna Inc., agreed with McClellan on the need for value and quality rather than volume, but he lower payment rates paid by public programs result in cost shifting to those who are privately insured. In 2007, commercial payers paid physician at much higher rates than public payers, with Medicare rates at 89 percent of the overall average rate, Medicaid rates at 60 percent of the average and commercial rates at 114 percent of the average. On an aggregate level, the cost shift from public programs to commercial
plans is about $89 billion, leading the average privately insured family to spend an additional $1,788 annually. Williams testimony, copy click here. Testimony from others before the Senate Finance Committee, copies click here. 04/21/2009
VA CONFIRMS H-I-V INFECTIONS IN THREE VETS FROM SUSPECTED CONTAMINATED MED CENTER EQUIPMENT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Office of Veterans Affairs has confirmed that that three patients have tested positive for H-I-V after being tested. About 10,000 patients at VA medical centers in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida, were tested after it was learned some endoscopic lab equipment was not properly cleaned which then passed bodily fluids of other patients infected with H-I-V. But, there is no indication that these are the only cases. But, the testing also confirmed six other patients tested positive for Hepatitis and 19 others testing positive for Hepatitis. The agency admits it also doesn't know whether other VA patients at 150 medical centers and labs may have been treated with contaminated equipment. An earlier press release from April 3d, under the innocuous title of , "VA Continues Notification Process for Veterans Affected by Reprocessing Issues", revealed only one reported H-I-V case. VA April 3 2009 press release, copy click here. 04/20/2009
SENIOR ADVOCACY GROUP SAYS NURSING HOMES SECRETLY PUSHING FOR MORE DEREGULATION
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Center for Medicare Advocacy says the nursing home industry is proposing legislation which has not appeared on its own website, but is consistent with earlier attempts under President Ronald Reagan to soften regulations. The CMA says the American Health Care Association (AHCA), the trade association of for-profit nursing facilities, is asking Congress to turn back the clock on nursing home residents. AHCA wants to repeal the current statutory requirement for annual surveys of nursing facilities and to go back to the Reagan Administration's 1982 proposal for less-than-annual surveys, undermining years of work toward greater facility accountability.CMA also says, AHCA's secret legislative proposal also excludes, and may be intended to delete, long-standing statutory language that authorizes the imposition of various intermediate sanctions against facilities that fail to provide residents with the care and services they need. The proposal deletes enforcement requirements that have been in place for decades, such as the statutory mandate that more serious remedies be imposed for uncorrected or repeated deficiencies However, AHCA and the National Center for Assisted Living did release a statement presented as hearing testimony April 1st, calling for reform of the current Nursing Home Reform Act. The AHCA, among other points, refers to a January 2006 report from the Government Accountability Office that from 1999-2005 there was a nearly 50 percent decrease in the “proportion of nursing homes with serious quality problems.” So the group contends less regulation is needed and that the regulatory and oversight system does little to recognize or reward quality outcomes. In fact, AHCA says, "it defines “success” and quality in a context that is often measured by the level of fines levied and the violations tallied – not by the quality of care, or quality of life, as was Congress’
original intent". Center for Medicare Advocacy, copy click here. AHCA press release, copy click here. But, sources tell Emeritus News that lawmakers are in no mood, after the banking and securities deregulation and oversight fiasco, to deregulate the nursing home industry. In addition, new questions have evolved since a December 2008 report, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, revealing that more than a fifth of the 16,000 nursing homes rated obtained the lowest rating, one star or no star, with 12 percent getting the highest, five stars. The survey was based on already established data from nursing home inspections and condensing to understandable comparison for those comparing nursing home services. Click here to get a copy of the CMS press releases and link to ratings. In response, The American Association of Nursing Homes and Services for the Aged labeled the rating system as, '...poorly planned, prematurely implemented and ham-handedly rolled out". Click here to get a copy of the AAHSA press release. Consumer groups are concerned that too much of the data used in the ratings is self reported by the nursing homes. Because of that, elderly advocacy groups, including The National Senior Citizens Law Center, say the ratings don't tell the whole story. 04/18/2009
MEDICARE NAMES FORTEEN COMMUNITIES FOR PILOT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE CARE FOR SENIORS & CUT HOSPITAL READMISSIONS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - As an answer to study finding of high hospital readmission of Medicare patients, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has picked 14 communities to participate in a pilot project to address the issue.“Our data show that nearly one in five patients who leave the hospital today will be re-admitted within the next month, and that more than three-quarters of these re-admissions are potentially preventable,” said CMS Acting Administrator Charlene Frizzera. “This situation can be changed by approaching health care quality from a community-wide perspective, and focusing on how all of the members of an area’s health care team can better work together in the best interests of their shared patient population.” The Care Transitions Project will be instituted in; Providence, R.I.; Upper Capitol Region, N.Y.; Western Pennsylvania; Southwestern New Jersey; Metro Atlanta East, Ga.; Miami.; Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Evansville, Ind.; Greater Lansing Area, Mich.; Omaha, Neb.; Baton Rouge, La.; North West Denver, Colo.; Harlingen, Texas; and Whatcom County, Wash. The work of the Care Transitions Project will respond to the unique needs of each of the 14 communities. The concept of the project is to promote seamless transitions from the hospital to home, skilled nursing care, or home health care, this community-wide approach seeks, not only to reduce hospital readmissions but to yield sustainable and replicable strategies that achieve high-value health care for Medicare beneficiaries. CMS press release on the Care Transitions Project, copy click here. 04/13/2009
FDA ACCEPTS ADVICE FROM G-A-O / WILL REVIEW SAFETY OF MEDICAL DEVICES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- After a blistering assessment from the Government Accounting Office nearly three months ago, the FDA announced today it will review the safety of medical devices produced before a 1976 law. The FDA today announced that manufacturers of 25 types of medical devices marketed prior to 1976 must submit safety and effectiveness information to the agency so that it may evaluate the risk level for each device type. Devices found by the FDA to be of high risk to consumers will be required to undergo the agency’s most stringent premarket review process. These 25 device types, which are listed in the Federal Register announcement posted today, were marketed in the U.S. prior to the Medical Device Amendments to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1976. That law authorized the FDA to review new medical devices. Today’s announcement is the first step towards completing the review of Class III device types predating the 1976 law, as was recommended by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a January 2009 report to Congress. FDA press release, copy click here. 04/09/2009
PSORIASIS DRUG RAPTIVA TO BE TAKEN OFF MARKET
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Food and Drug Administration today announced that Genentech, the manufacturer of the psoriasis drug Raptiva (efalizumab), has begun a voluntary, phased withdrawal of the product from the U.S. market. The company is taking this action because of a potential risk to patients of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare, serious, progressive neurologic disease caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system. By June 8, 2009, Raptiva will no longer be available in the United States. Generally, PML occurs in people whose immune systems have been severely weakened and often leads to an irreversible decline in neurologic function and death. There is no known effective treatment for PML. On Oct. 16, 2008, FDA updated the FDA-approved labeling for Raptiva to warn of the risk of life-threatening infections, including PML. On Feb. 19, 2009, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory informing patients and prescribers of the risk of PML in patients taking Raptiva, after receiving reports of four patients with PML, three of whom died. On March 13, 2009, the FDA approved a Medication Guide for Raptiva and included additional information in Raptiva's labeling regarding PML. Raptiva was approved by the FDA in 2003. It is a once-weekly injection for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. FDA Raptiva press release, copy click here. 04/09/2009
H-H-S RELEASES $5 BILLION TO HELP STATES WITH RISING T-A-N-F / $2.1 BILLION FOR HEAD START
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Department of Health and Human Services has released an emergency fund of $5 billion dollars, as part of the Economic Recovery Act, to help states pay T-A-N-F (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) benefits. In order to be eligible to receive resources from the Emergency Fund, a state must demonstrate an increase in the number of families receiving assistance from the TANF program or an increase in expenditures on employment subsidies or short-term, one-time benefits in at least one quarter during Fiscal Years 2009 or 2010. In addition, the Recovery Act provides states with more flexibility in using TANF funds unspent from prior years to assist families in need and temporarily modifies the caseload reduction credit to ensure states are not punished as the number of families seeking assistance increase during these difficult economic times. The Recovery Act also continues a supplemental grant program that provides additional support to 17 states with growing populations. H-H-S press release, copy click here. H-H-S ALSO ANNOUNCED $2.1 BILLION FOR HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS. Head Start will also benefit from a separate $235 million increase in funding for fiscal year 2009, bringing the total funding increase for Head Start and Early Head Start to more than $2.3 billion. Grants totaling nearly $220 million will allow current Head Start grantees to serve 16,600 additional children and families. Grants worth nearly $1.2 billion, will support Early Head Start expansion and allow the program to serve 55,000 more pregnant women, infants, toddlers and their families and nearly double the number of Early Head Start participants. Applications for these grants will be available in the coming weeks. The increased number of children and families served by these grants will create new jobs at Head Start and Early Head Start centers as more additional staff are hired to handle increased enrollment. H-H-S Head Start press release, copy click here. 04/08/2009
FED APPROVES MEDICARE PAYMENT ADVANCED SCANS ON TUMORS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- So Called, "PET Scans", which previously were allowed in very limited uses for Medicare patients, will now be allowed for initial testing in solid tumor cases. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the change in a statement released today. The CMS says that since 2005, Medicare coverage of PET scans for diagnosing some forms of cancer and guiding treatment has been tied to a requirement that providers collect clinical information about how the scans have affected doctors’ treatment decisions. This information was gathered through the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) observational study. This decision removes the requirement to report data to the NOPR when the PET scan is used to support initial treatment (or diagnosis and “staging”) of most solid tumor cancers. Medicare collects data from the NOPR under CMS’ Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) program. CED allows Medicare to develop evidence about how a medical technology is used in clinical practice so that Medicare can do the following:
(a) clarify the impact of these items and services on the health of Medicare beneficiaries;
(b) consider future changes in coverage for the technology; and
(c) generate clinical information that will improve the evidence base upon which providers base their recommendations to Medicare beneficiaries regarding the technology.
HOUSE VETERANS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN SAYS PROPOSED BUDGET BOOSTS HEALTH CARE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), says the House approved budget, now in a joint House-Senate conference committee, included an additional $800 million above the Administration proposal. The Obama Administration budget calls for the biggest increase for veterans programs ever requested by any president's administration. The House Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 85) provides for a $5.5 billion increase over fiscal year 2009, an increase of 11.5% for veterans health care and other programs. Rep. Filner, in a statement released on the committee webpage, says, “ The Committee shares the Obama Administration’s commitment to improving health care for all veterans, increasing access to mental health services, addressing and preventing homelessness among veterans, and honoring the veterans of previous generations". Rep. Filner statement, copy click here. 04/06/2009
SEBELIUS H-H-S CONFIRMATION VOTE DELAYED TILL LATER THIS MONTH
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- After encountering little resistance at hearings this week in both the House and Senate, H-H-S Secretary Designee, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will have to wait on her confirmation. Republicans have blocked a vote on her nomination until later this month. She admitted earlier this week to an inadvertent tax error underpaying by more than $7,000, which she and her husband paid. That did not appear to cause any major problems, but Republicans are concerned about her views establishing a public plan that would compete with a private plan. Sebelius' view is that both can co-exist as they do in various states. Great article on Kaiser Family Foundation website, copy click here. 04/03/2009
STUDY: 20% OF MEDICARE PATIENTS READMITTED TO HOSPITALS WITHIN 30 DAYS / 34% WITHIN 90 DAYS / RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS AND CARE FOR ELDERLY
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-Rehospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries are prevalent and costly. That's the conclusion of a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study was based on data from October 2003 to December 31st, 2004. The report stated that, almost one fifth (19.6%) of the 11,855,702 Medicare beneficiaries who had been discharged from a hospital were rehospitalized within 30 days, and 34.0% were rehospitalized within 90 days; 67.1% of patients who had been discharged with medical conditions and 51.5% of those who had been discharged after surgical procedures were rehospitalized or died within the first year after discharge. In the case of 50.2% of the patients who were rehospitalized within 30 days after a medical discharge to the community, there was no bill for a visit to a physician's office between the time of discharge and rehospitalization. Among patients who were rehospitalized within 30 days after a surgical discharge, 70.5% were rehospitalized for a medical condition. We estimate that about 10% of rehospitalizations were likely to have been planned. The average stay of rehospitalized patients was 0.6 day longer than that of patients in the same diagnosis-related group whose most recent hospitalization had been at least 6 months previously. We estimate that the cost to Medicare of unplanned rehospitalizations in 2004 was $17.4 billion. Rehospitalizations among Medicare Patients report, copy click here. 04/01/2009
GOV. SEBELIUS APPEARS ON ROAD TO CONFIRMATION AS H-H-S SECRETARY BY U-S SENATE / REVEALS $7,000 LATE TAX PAYMENT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- With introductions and support from veteran Republicans in her home state of Kansas, Governor Kathleen Sebelius, showed the steady determined demeanor the Obama Administration is counting on to get health care reform this year. Although some Republican committee members may have problems with some of her views, it was clear from today's hearing she will be confirmed as H-H-S Secretary. Sebelius, the daughter of the late Ohio Governor John Gilligan, will face the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, with a vote expected next week on her confirmation. She shares the Obama agenda getting health care reform through this years, saying states cannot do it alone. As the state's former insurance commissioner, she says skyrocketing costs for patients and employers will never be solved until there is a national program in place. She also supports the establishment of a national program to cover the uninsured, something which is being fought by Republicans, who fear the government will force private insurers out of business. Today's hearing video playback, click here. SEBELIUS ALSO REVEALED THAT SHE AND HER HUSBAND, a federal magistrate in Kansas, paid more than $7,000 recently to cover late tax payments after having their accountant comb through their income taxes before her confirmation hearings. Supporters, both Democrat and Republican said it would not affect their support for Sebelius. 03/31/2009
HEART STENTS WITH MEDICINE MORE EFFECTIVE IN LATEST STUDY
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Heart disease patients 65 and older who receive stents coated with medicine to prevent blockages are more likely to survive and less likely to suffer a heart attack than people fitted with stents not coated with medication, according to a new study supported by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry. The results of the study were released by AHRQ. The agency says a team of researchers from Duke University, AHRQ and Kaiser Permanente found that, compared with patients who received bare metal stents, those fitted with stents coated with medication, called drug-eluting stents, had an 18 percent better survival rate over the 30-month study period and were 16 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. AHRQ press release on heart stent study, copy click here. 03/30/2009
MAJOR PLAYERS IN HEALTH CARE REFORM REACH CONCENSUS / ISSUE CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD FOR ACTION THIS YEAR
ADVOCACY GROUP SAYS "IMPROVEMENT STANDARD" USED TO CUT OFF BENEFITS TO CHRONICALLY ILL ELDERLY VIOLATES MEDICARE ACT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Center for Medicare Advocacy says Medicare patients are denied care based on criteria that violates the Medicare Act. The group claims that for decades Medicare beneficiaries, particularly those with long-term, debilitating conditions and those who need rehabilitation services, have been denied necessary medical and rehabilitative care based on an "Improvement Standard." Indeed, this is one of the leading rationales for unfairly restricting Medicare coverage for chronically ill people in need of health care and rehabilitative services. The "Improvement Standard" is used here as shorthand for coverage denials issued on the grounds that the individual's condition is stable, chronic, or not improving, or that the necessary services are for "maintenance only." This restrictive standard conflicts with the Medicare Act. Nonetheless, it has become deeply ingrained in the system, in all care settings, and is ardently followed by those who make coverage determinations throughout the Medicare decision-making continuum. In fact the Medicare Act and federal regulations support coverage for maintenance health care and therapy. For example federal regulations state: "The restoration potential of a patient is not the deciding factor in determining whether skilled services are needed. Even if full recovery or medical improvement is not possible, a patient may need skilled services to prevent further deterioration or preserve current capabilities…" In addition, the regulations support coverage if the condition will improve "OR the skills of a therapist [are] necessary to perform a safe and effective maintenance program". The Medicare Act itself only refers to the need to improve in order to receive coverage once and that is with regard to a "malformed body member."As for a solution the group proposes that President Obama consider an Executive Order stating that an ability to improve shall not be the deciding factor in making any Medicare coverage determinations. The Executive Order would require a cleansing of all CMS policies and guidelines that conflict with the Order, including those that allow coverage denials because the individual's underlying condition will not improve, or the necessary services are "maintenance only." Center for Medicare Advocacy press release, copy click here. 03/26/2009
CDC STUDY SAYS MOST AMERICANS USE TOO MUCH SALT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Most Americans consume more than double the amount of their daily recommended level of sodium. new study from the Centers for Disease Control claims that more than 2 out of 3 adults are in population groups that should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day of sodium. During 2005-2006 the estimated average intake of sodium for persons in the United States age 2 years and older was 3,436 mg per day. A diet high in sodium increases the risk of having higher blood pressure, a major cause for heart disease and stroke. These diseases are the first and third leading causes of death in the United States.“It’s important for people to eat less salt. People who adopt a heart healthy eating pattern that includes a diet low in sodium and rich in potassium and calcium can improve their blood pressure,” said Darwin R. Labarthe, M.D., Ph.D., director of the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. “Reducing sodium intake can prevent or delay increases in blood pressure for everyone.’’ CDC press release, copy click here. 03/26/2009
SPECIAL ALZHEIMERS STUDY PANEL SAYS COUNTRY MUST DO MORE AS DISEASE SPREADS
COLONOSCOPY PATIENTS AT V-A MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO H-I-V
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- VA medical facilities in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, may have performed colonoscopies with un sterilized water pump equipment, potentially exposing patients to H-I-V, forcing those facilities to notify patients and advise them to get blood tests. At the Miami V-A medical center about 3,260 veterans had colonoscopies, involving this type of water pump since May 2004. Notifications by mail have been sent to 2,500 veterans, telling them to get blood tests to see if they have contracted H-I-V. last month 6,400 veterans at the VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., were sent the same notifications for the same reasons. The V-A medical center in Augusta, Ga., says it sent notifications to 1,800 veterans telling them that instruments to treat earn nose and throat infections had not been sterilized. Florida Senator Bill Nelson and Miami area Congressman Kendrick Meek called for a probe by the Inspector General. Nelson, in a letter to VA Secretary Gen. Eric Shinseki said, " I urge the VA to commit to providing ongoing medical care in cases where it is responsible for exposing someone to a disease". Dr. John Vara, Chief of Staff at the VA medical center in Miami, said during an interview with CNN that the VA was "committed to quality assurance" and that all of those suspected of being exposed to the problem would get the care they needed. Dr. Vara also said there have been no reports of illnesses due to the problem, and he believes the chances for infection are minimal. 03/24/2009
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS FDA TO RECONSIDER MORNING AFTER PILL BAN FOR MINORS / LIFTS BAN ON NON PRESCRIPTION USE FOR WOMEN 17 AND OLDER
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- In a clear a victory for reproductive rights groups, a federal judge has ordered the FDA to lift restrictions on non prescription use of the morning after pill for women age 17 and older, and to reconsider whether there should be any age restriction. The case was prompted by a 2005 decision by the agency, supported by the Bush administration, over the approval and sale of morning after pill. The order came from U.S. District Judge Edward Korman, Eastern District New York. In a stinging assessment of the FDA decision, Judge Korman stated,"...political considerations, delays, and implausible justifications for decision-making are not the only evidence of a lack of good faith and reasoned agency decision-making". Judge Korman ordered the agency to, within 30 days, reconsider whether to approve Plan B for over the counter status without age or point-of-sale restrictions. In the meantime Korman order the FDA to lift restrictions on non-prescription sale of the morning after pill to women age 17 and above. Judge Korman's actual court decision, copy click here.
03/23/2009
BIRTHRATE FOR TEENAGE MOTHERS UP FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW / UNMARRIED CHILDBREARING REACHES HISTORIC LEVEL
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Perhaps this is the strongest trend toward another "Baby Boom" since post World War II. The Centers for Disease Control says the most recent statistics show the birth rate for U.S. teens aged 15 to 19 increased by about 1 percent in 2007, from 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006 to 42.5 in 2007. This is the second year in a row that teen births have gone up. They increased 3 percent in 2006 following a 14-year decline. Birth rates also increased for women in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, but remained unchanged for younger teens and pre-teens aged 10-14. Only Hispanic teens noted a decline in the birth rate, which fell 2 percent in 2007 to 81.7 births per 1,000. Unmarried childbearing increased to historic levels in 2007 for women aged 15-44. An estimated 1.7 million babies were born to unmarried women in 2007, accounting for 39.7 percent of all births in the United States – an increase of 4 percent from 2006. Unmarried childbearing has increased 26 percent since 2002 when the recent steep increases began. CDC press release copy, click here. 03/19/2009
FOES OF PROSTATE CANCER SCREENINGS GET MORE AMMUNITION FROM TWO STUDIES
PROPOSAL TO BILL PRIVATE INSURORS FOR VETERANS INJURIES APPEARS DEAD
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Veterans advocates and supporters on Capitol Hill have effectively prevented further consideration of a White House proposal to bill private insurers for veterans combat wounds. The idea had been floated among White House aides to save the VA more than $530 million. But Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman, Daniel Akaka, (D-HI), added his voice, among others in the Senate and House, opposing the idea. Many feel the VA is rightly the one who should be paying the bill seeing that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are government operations. Others feel adding the expense of two wars onto an already weak private insurance system would only make things worse. In any event, the White House clearly got the message and administration sources now say the idea is dead. Senator Akaka statement copy click here. LA Times story, click here. 03/18/2009
CEO GROUP-BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE: AMERICA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM A LIABILITY IN A GLOBAL MARKET
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Business Roundtable, a group with primary members being high level corporate executives, says a study of statistics from 2006 shows Americans spent 1,926 per year, per capita for health care. That's at least two and a half times more than any other advanced country. The group also feel that the cost of health care puts the U-S at a competitive disadvantage with most other countries. Business Roundtable is a group, whose membership is primarily CEOs, COOs and CFOs. The report states, On a weighted scale, the results show that U.S. workers and employers receive 23 percent less value from our health care system than the average of five leading economic competitors – Canada, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and France (the “G-5 group”) – and 46 percent less value than the average of emerging competitors Brazil, India and China (the “BIC group”). “This study shows a significant health care value gap,” said Ivan Seidenberg, Chair of Business Roundtable’s Consumer Health and Retirement Initiative and Chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications. “While, in many respects, the employer-based health care system in the United States is the best in the world – we have groundbreaking scientific advances, cutting-edge medical technology, and exceptional doctors and medical institutions – the business model supporting it doesn't’t meet Americans’ needs. When we spend more to get less, we all lose – workers, employers and the government. The study points to a serious need for health care reform that puts customers in the center and uses the power of the market to lower costs, improve quality, create more consumer choice and expand accessibility.”Business Roundtable report copy, click here. PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS THE GUEST SPEAKER FOR THE GROUP, WHICH WAS MEEITNG TODAY IN WASHINGTON. THE PRESIDENT OFFERED REASSURANCE THAT HE'LL WORK TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THAT HE HAS NO PLANS FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OVER BANKING. When one of the executives asked him not to establish a competing government plan for health care, Obama refused to rule it out, explaining the country MUST do something for those who work for employers that don't offer health insurance. 03/12/2009
AMERICANS PAY MORE TO GET LESS HEALTH CARE/ MORE EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Various experts offered their take on what Americans get for their money spent on health care and what it will take to cut costs. In testimony before the Subcommittee on Health, Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director of the Congressional Budget Office said, Concerns about the level and growth of health care spending in this country might be less prominent if it was clear that the spending was producing commensurately good and improving health, but substantial evidence suggests that more spending does not always mean better care. Although many treatments undoubtedly save lives and improve patients’ health, much spending is not cost-effective and in many cases does not even improve health. Indeed, despite spending more per capita than other nations, the United States lags behind lower-spending nations on several metrics, including life expectancy and infant mortality". Douglas W. Elmendorf testimony copy, click here. Alan Levine Secretary of State of Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, pointed out, "Rather than segregate the poor into government programs like Medicaid where they are confined, without choice, to poor outcomes – low‐income Americans could be provided with premium assistance and be permitted to choose their own certified health plan, and have a choice of public or private plans that all meet stringent requirements. The premiums should be risk‐adjusted and align the financial incentives with early identification of people with chronic conditions. Each plan should be measured publicly on key performance metrics, such as how well they improve access and diagnosis – particularly for children; comply with evidence‐based and technology‐based management of chronic disease; and engage consumers in their own health behaviors. Evidence shows these models work, and in fact, when deployed, avoidable hospitalizations, particularly for minorities, has been shown to decrease by as much as 30 percent. We should reward those plans that meet aggressive goals, and financially punish – or even exclude – those that perform poorly". Alan Levine Testimony copy, click here. 03/10/2009
OBAMA SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ALLOW FEDERAL FUNDING FOR EMBYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- During a signing ceremony at the White House, President Obama today reversed a 2001 order signed by former President Bush, which had banned federal funding on embryonic stem cell research. Bush said he was not opposed to research on embryonic stem cells, but opposed destroying the embryos in research made possible by federal funding. But, supporters of stem cell research claimed it was impossible to conduct full scale research on embryonic stem cells without destroying some cells, which was viewed as morally wrong by opponents. President Obama said during the ceremony, that a consensus has developed that medical science can been fit by such research which should not be overruled by ideology. Obama also announced the his administration would promote scientific integrity for governmental decision making. See video of a portion of CNN broadcast of signing, click here. See more coverage of the signing and story on CNN.COM, click here. 03/05/2009
PRESIDENT TO SIGN ORDER REPEALING BAN ON FEDERAL FUNDING OF STEM CELL RESEARCH
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times, all reporting that President Obama intends to reverse a limited ban on federal funding of stem cell research. The limited ban was put in effect by former President George W. Bush due to the fact some embryonic cells are destroyed in the process. Bush considered the limited ban consistent with his views opposing federal funding for abortion to preserve all human life forms. However, supporters and advocates of stem cell research say the practice is necessary to advance treatment of such things as spinal injuries and cancer. According to the Washington Post, The White House is planning an 11 a.m. Monday signing of the executive order. Washington Post story on reversal of federal funding ban on stem cell research. 03/06/2009
GAO SAYS PANDEMIC BATTLE PLANS AND 2010 CENSUS NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME / SUGGESTS PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Government Accountability Office applied its fine tooth comb through pandemic planning and the 2010 Census and came away with another dour assessment. As for pandemic planning, the GAO says it made 23 recommendations in its reports--13 of these have been implemented and 10 remain outstanding. Continued leadership focus on pandemic preparedness remains vital, as the threat has not diminished. The agency claims,"The national strategy and implementation plan omitted some key elements, and HHS found many major gaps in states' pandemic plans. Further actions are needed to address the capacity to respond to and recover from an influenza pandemic. An outbreak will require additional capacity in many areas, including the procurement of additional patient treatment space and the acquisition and distribution of medical and other critical supplies, such as antiviral's and vaccines for an influenza pandemic". AS FOR THE 2010 CENSUS, THE GAO POINTED OUT THAT THE Census Bureau "curtailed a dress rehearsal scheduled for 2008 and was unable to test key operations under census-like conditions. GAO says the bureau's "largest and most costly field operation, was initially planned to be conducted using the handheld computers, but was recently changed to a paper-based system due to technology issues. The Bureau has not yet developed a road map for monitoring the development and implementation of non response follow-up under the new design. Such a plan is essential to conducting a successful non response follow-up. Furthermore, the system that manages the flow of work in field offices is not yet developed. Lacking plans for the development of both non response follow-up and this management system, the Bureau faces the risk of not having them developed and fully tested in time for the 2010 Census". GAO REPORT ON PANDEMIC PLANNING, click here. GAO REPORT ON CENSUS, click here. 03/06/ 2009
HEALTH CARE SUMMIT AT WHITE HOUSE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-President Obama opened a White House summit on health care, saying reform was a, "...moral and financial imperative". The summit has gathered health care advocates and government leaders gathered in separate room discussing various aspects of health care in separate room of the White House to discuss problems and solutions. Webcasts were available from every room where discussions were held at the White House. Later in the afternoon, Obama conducted a town hall meeting to discuss views of all sides with stakes in the debate. .Among the speakers was Sen. Ted Kennedy, who told those gathered that he felt all sides were on board for changes, which has never happened before. Kennedy looked good and received a standing ovation for his attendance as he continues his recovery from brain cancer surgery last year. Video of Obama holding town meeting at White House summit (29 Minutes). 03/05/2009
CNN'S DR. SANJAY GUPTA DECIDES NOT TO TAKE SURGEON GENERAL POSITION
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- CNN has confirmed that Dr. Sanjay Gupta has informed the White House that he is withdrawing from consideration to become U-S Surgeon General. Very little has been heard in recent weeks about Gupta's nomination. Insiders say that Gupta was increasingly being courted by CNN and "other media representatives" in order to continue as a reporter, correspondent, and media expert on health care. Gupta has been asked by the White House if he was interested in the position. White House officials say they were proceeding with the nomination after Gupta responded that he was interested in the job. But, silence and inaction on the nomination led to rumors that Gupta was having second thoughts.In a statement released by CNN, Gupta was concerned how the job of Surgeon General might take too much time away from home, being as he and his wife are exptecting their third daughter at any time. CNN webpage article, click here. 03/05/2009
FAMILIES USA SURVEY SHOWS 1 IN 3 AMERICANS UNINSURED DURING PART OR ALL OF 2007 & 2008
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A survey released today by Families USA reveals that more than half of those who were without insurance during 2007 and 2008 WERE FROM WORKING FAMILIES. Some of the key findings included:
86.7 million people under the age of 65 went without health insurance for some or all of the two-year period from 2007 to 2008.
One out of three people (33.1 percent) under the age of 65 were uninsured for some or all of 2007-2008.
Number of Months Uninsured
Of the 86.7 million uninsured individuals, three in five (60.2 percent) were uninsured for nine months or more. Nearly three-quarters (74.5 percent) were uninsured for six months or more.
Among all people under the age of 65 who were uninsured in 2007-2008, one quarter (25.3 percent) were uninsured for the full 24 months during 2007-2008; 19.5 percent were uninsured for 13 to 23 months; 15.4 percent were uninsured for nine to 12 months; 14.3 percent were uninsured for six to eight months; and 20.1 percent were uninsured for three to five months. Only 5.4 percent were uninsured for two months or less.
Work Status of the Uninsured
Four out of five individuals (79.2 percent) who went without health insurance during 2007-2008 were from working families: 69.7 percent were in families with a worker who was employed full-time, and 9.5 percent were in families with a worker who was employed part-time.
In addition, 4.6 percent were looking for work.
Of the people who were uninsured during 2007-2008, only 16.2 percent were not in the labor force—because they were either disabled, chronically ill, family caregivers, or not looking for employment for other reasons.
SURVEY SHOWS MORE EVIDENCE OF DISPARITY IN HEALTH CARE FOR THE POOR AND MINORITIES
- More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Seattle area advocacy groups, the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, The Washington Community Action Network, and the Minority Executive Directors Coalition, announced results of a study which showed disparity in health care treatment for minorities and the poor. Virginia Mason Medical Center was rated as the worst in that category and the facilities with the least amount of charity care among the four major medical centers in the area. In a report from the Seattle Times, the Virginia Mason Medical Center responded that the report does not give a true picture of what it does for the community. Northwest Federation of Community Organizations Home Page, click here. After the meetings, all the groups came together for another meeting with President Obama, to report what had been discussed and where they see the effort for reforms to be headed. Obama said he put forward a plan for health care reform, but did not assume that it it could not be improved. He told those gathered, he is open to reform through more involvement by government or the private sector. That his bottom line is, "How we can improve the system?". Video of Obama meeting with health care reform summit participants after group meetings. (Not yet Loaded). 03/04/2009
SUPREME COURT DEALS $6.7 MILLION LOSS TO WYETH PHARMACEUTICALS/SAYS FEDERAL APPROVAL OF DRUGS DOES NOT SHIELD COMPANY FROM LAWSUITS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A Vermont musician, who lost an arm after the drug Phenergan was accidentally injected into a vein, has won a case against the drug's manufacturer in the U-S Supreme Court. Diana Levine had won a jury judgment against Wyeth in a Vermont trial court. Levine had claimed there was not adequate warning nor advisory stating the dangers of intravenous application, accidental or otherwise. According to the Supreme Court decision, "The Vermont jury determined that Levine’s injury would not have occurred if Phenergan’s label included an adequate warning, and it awarded damages for her pain and suffering, substantial medical expenses, and loss of her livelihood as a professional musician. Declining to overturn the $6.7 million dollar verdict , the trial court rejected Wyeth’s argument that Levine’s failure-to-warn claims were pre-empted by federal law because Phenergan’s labeling had been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed". The U-S Supreme Court, in their decision said, "Federal law does not pre-empt Levine’s claim that Phenergan’s label did not contain an adequate warning about the IV-push method of administration". Actual U-S Supreme Court decision, click here. 03/04/2009
QUESTIONS SURROUND WHITE HOUSE PICK TO HEAD OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE REFORM
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- When former HHS Secretary Designate Tom Daschle withdrew, the White House decided to split the duties of HHS Secretary and White House Office of Health Care Reform. The White House today announced the selection of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as the new HHS Secretary Designate, but it also announced the selection of Nancy Ann DeParle for the White House Office for Health Reform. The White House provides information as to DeParle's experience as Tennessee's Commissioner of the Department of Human Services, where she handled health care budget issues and managed Medicare and Medicaid. But, the New York Times is reporting that DeParle was also employed, is now or has been a director, of huge health care companies including Medco Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefit manager; Cerner, a supplier of health information technology; Boston Scientific, a medical device company; DaVita, which runs kidney dialysis centers; and Triad Hospitals. White House press release on Sebelius and DeParle appointments, click here. New York Times article on appointments, click here. 03/02/2009
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE DIRECTOR GIVES CONGRESS IDEAS ON HEALTH CARE REFORM
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Douglas Elmendorf, the new Director of the Congressional budget Office today offered and his and his agency's take on the health care reform debate. The CBS found that Premiums for employment-based plans are expected to average about $5,000 per year for single coverage and about $13,000 per year for family coverage in 2009. Premiums for policies purchased in the individual insurance market are, on average, much lower—about one-third lower for single coverage and one-half lower for family policies. One of the most interesting parts of his testimony, before the Senate Finance Committee is the ageny's finding that... "Overall, the effect of uncompensated care on private-sector payment rates appears to be limited. According to one recent set of estimates, hospitals provided about $35 billion in uncompensated care in 2008, representing roughly 5 percent of their total revenues. Roughly half of those costs may be offset, however, by payments under Medicare and Medicaid to hospitals that treat a disproportionate share of low-income patients. Estimates of uncompensated care provided by doctors are considerably smaller, amounting to a few billion dollars, so the costs of providing such care do not appear to have a substantial effect on private payment rates for physicians". Testimony text by CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf, click here. Video of Testimony, click here. 02/25/2009
OUTBREAK OF INTRAVENOUS BACTERIAL INFECTIONS TIED TO NORTH CAROLINA COMPANY THAT BYPASSED STERILIZATION
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-Associated Press is reporting prosecutors investigating AM2PAT, a Chicago company with a North Carolina subsidiary, say the firm's sale of non sterilized needles has led to five deaths and sickened an estimated 200-300 patients nationwide. A central figure in the probe is AM2PAT CEO Dushyant Patel. Investigator believe he left the country to India after being inducted last week on numerous federal charges including fraud. Two former workers at the North Carolina subsidiary have already plead guilty to shipping tainted syringes and have provided evidence against Patel. the workers claim the company bypassed sterilization to cut costs. North Carolina's Eastern District, U.S. Attorney George Holding says officials are confident they will be able to track down Patel and return him to the U-S to face charges. US Attorney of Eastern District, North Carolina web page with press release. 02/24/2009
THE INSIDE STATUS ON HEALTH CARE REFORM/BACKROOM TALKS BETWEEN THE MAJOR PLAYERS
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FACE $1 TRILLION IN UNFUNDED RETIREE HEALTH CARE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom - A survey by USA Today, published in today's edition shows that states and local governments have more than a trillion dollars in unfunded health care coverage for retirees. Alth the stimulus bill signed into law today by President Obama will help fund current liabilities. Those on the horizon appear to have no funding mechanism in place to take care of them as "baby boomers" head toward retirement. This is in addition to the 50 trillion dollars of expected liabilities from Medicare and Social Security. USA Today article. click here. 02/17/2009
CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID GRANT LIMITED ACCESS TO BARIATRIC SURGERY IN OBESE PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Bariatric surgery involves intestinal diversion as a last resort to reduce weight in morbidly obese patients. The Centers for medicare and Medicaid Services this week announced it would pay for this treatment for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. Although CMS has allowed use of this surgery for such things hypertension and coronary artery disease, it had not been approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes. CMS says it will pay for the treatment for those with a body mass index of 35 and above. The procedure can only be done at a CMS approved facility. CMS press release click here. 02/13/2009
SPECIAL COURT RULES AGAINST VACCINE-AUTISM LINK
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- In what some advocates consider can only be described as a setback for parents of autistic children, a U-S Court of Federal Claims has ruled against a Massachusetts couple who claimed their daughter's autism was caused by vaccine. One of the judges responded, "After a complete analysis of the record, I conclude that I must reject both petitioners’ general theory concerning the causation of autism, and their contention that the measles virus substantially contributed to Michelle’s own autism. Petitioners have failed to demonstrate that it is “more probable than not” either that the MMR vaccine can cause or contribute to autism in general, or that a MMR vaccination did cause or contribute to Michelle’s autism". Federal Court of Claims copy of Michelle Cedillo decision. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ISSUED A STATEMENT TODAY, SAYING , "The medical and scientific communities have carefully and thoroughly reviewed the evidence concerning the vaccine-autism theory and have found no association between vaccines and autism. If parents have questions or concerns about childhood vaccines, they should talk with their child’s health care provider. Hopefully, the determination by the Special Masters will help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism". HHS statement, click here. National Autism Association web page.
02/12/2009
ELDER ABUSE CASES RISE WITH CUTS IN SOCIAL SERVICES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Boston Globe is reporting that an elderly protective services group has received a record number of calls regarding elderly abuse. That, according to Dale Mitchell, executive director of Ethos, a Boston nonprofit agency that handles the city's protective services program under a state contract. Mitchell said his office received 134 reports of alleged elder abuse and neglect in January, the highest for any month in the agency's 32 years of running the program. Because of the caseload, workers are more frequently "triaging" cases, investigating only the most serious ones. Boston Globe story click here. 02/09/2009
LEGAL GUIDE FOR NURSING HOME ISSUES/WHAT TO AVOID WHEN SIGNING NURSING HOME CONTRACTS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- It's called, "The Baby Boomers Guide to Nursing Home Care". The National Senior Citizens Law Center is promoting the book as a "Nuts and Bolts approach for nursing home residents and their families. Included is advice about
-Finding a good nursing home;
--Medicare payment;
--Medicaid eligibility (including 2006 changes in law);
--Getting the best possible quality of care;
--Supporting a resident’s right to make decisions about schedules, food, etc.;
--Combating illegal terms in admission agreements;
AP: ARMY SUICIDES IN JANUARY MAY EXCEED COMBAT DEATHS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Associated Press, there were 24 suspected suicides in January, compared to five in January of 2008, six in January of 2007 and 10 in January of 2006. Yearly suicides have been rising steadily since 2004 amid increasing stress on the force from long and repeated tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.The service has rarely, if ever, released a month-by-month update on suicides, but officials said Thursday that they wanted to re-emphasize "the urgency and seriousness necessary for preventive action at all levels" of the force.An alarmed Army leadership also took the unusual step of briefing congressional leaders on the information Thursday morning.The big monthly count follows an annual report last week showing that soldiers killed themselves at the highest rate on record in 2008. The toll for all of last year - 128 confirmed and 15 pending investigation - was an increase for the fourth straight year and even surpassed the suicide rate among civilians. Complete Associated Press report, click here. 02/05/2009
HOUSE APPROVES REWRITTEN CHILDREN HEALTH INSURANCE BILL/OBAMA SIGNS INTO LAW
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- By a vote today of 290-135, the U-S House has approved an amended version of Children's Health Insurance Program. The program is for families whose income is too high for Medicaid, but too low for purchase through normal employer or individual health insurance markets. The program calls for spending an additional 32.8 billion dollars and will cover an estimated 4 million more children. NEWCHIP LAW AS SIGNED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA (HR-2) COPY CLICK HERE. 02/04/2009
AETNA AGREES TO $5 MILLION SETTLEMENT FOR UNDERPAID STUDENT HEALTH CARE CLAIMS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- College students from more than 200 campuses across the country were shortchanged from OUT OF NETWORK RE-IMBURSEMENTS FOR MEDICAL CLAIMS. The case involves students medical claims from 1998 to 2008. The company, Chickering, an Aetna subsidiary, has used old data tables for processing Aetna Student Health claims, according to Aetna. the case was initiated by New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The company is responsible for the full claims payment, fines, and depending on each state's laws, interest on the money not paid each student. In New York, the interest rate is 12%. Statement from New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo click here. 02/04/2009
SOCIAL SECURITY ANNOUNCES FAST TRACKING OF DISABILITY PROCESS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-In order to work through the increasing backlog of disability applications, the Social Security Administration has announced their so called, "Fast-Track Disability Processes. More than 100,000 Disabled Applicants Get Quick Decisions". The SSA has taken considerable criticism for it's delays, often blamed for the deaths of applicants, who in some cases get approval after their deaths. Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, says,"In practical terms, this means that this year 100,000 to 125,000 disabled Americans -- those with the most severe disabilities -- will be approved for benefits in about 10 days instead of waiting the three to four months it typically takes for an initial decision," Commissioner Astrue said. "These initiatives are truly a lifeline for those who need it most."Under QDD, a predictive computer model analyzes specific data within the electronic file to identify cases where there is a high potential that the claimant is disabled and where Social Security can quickly obtain evidence of the person's allegations. Through Compassionate Allowances, Social Security expedites the processing of disability claims for applicants with medical conditions so severe that their conditions by definition meet Social Security's standards. These fast-track systems increase the efficiency of the disability process and also help free up resources so the agency can better cope with an increase of about 250,000 cases resulting from the current economic downturn". SSA press release on fast track click here. 01/30/2009
NEW CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE BILL PASSES SENATE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The U-S Senate has passed the latest version of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIP) . The vote was 66-32. The House has already passed the bill. It reconciliation of relatively minor differences between the Senate and House differences, the bill could be on President Obama's desk next week. The President has already said he intends to sign the bill. The new Chip bill allow states, for the first time, to use federal money to cover children and pregnant women who are legal immigrants. Latest version of H.R. 2 as passed by the Senate, copy click here. 01/30/2009
PANEL SUGGESTS FDA BAN PANKILLER DRUG DARVON
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-Associated Press reports an FDA advisory panel has voted 14-12 to recommend that the painkiller Darvon be withdrawn from the market. The article states, "Darvon was first approved in 1957, when there were few alternatives for treating pain except aspirin and powerful narcotics. Now mainly marketed as Darvocet, which includes a dose of acetaminophen, the drug remains one of the top 25 most commonly prescribed medications. More than 20 million prescriptions were written in 2007". AP story on FDA panel vote click here. 01/30/2009
WISCONSIN COURT DECLARES CHEERLEADING A CONTACT SPORT/ LIMITS LAWSUITS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A ruling yesterday from the Wisconsin Supreme Court has categorized cheerleading as a contact sport. This means cheerleaders cannot sue team mates and their school district for stunts in which they were unintentionally injured. The case had captured a lot of attention due to lengthy controversies over financial responsibility for those who are injured. The Wisconsin Supreme Court OVERTURNED a lower court decision that cheerleading WAS NOT a contact sport. Those against the classification of a contact sport argued the cheerleaders were not in contact with opposing teams, however the state Supreme Court ruled that the contact with their own cheerleading team members still qualified as contact. 01/28/2009
CALIFORNIA E-R DOCTORS SUE THE STATE/CLAIM CLOSING HOSPITALS AND E-R'S HAVE HEALTH SYSTEM NEAR COLLAPSE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The state of California now ranks last in access to emergency room care. This article about the continuing crisis in California is another reason why health care reform can't wait. Los Angeles Times article click here. 01/27/2009
BRAIN DAMAGE FOUND IN SIXTH NFL PLAYER LINKED TO HEAD TRAUMA
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE! IT IS WRITTEN BY NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER ALAN SCHWARZ. Click here to be connected to the article. 01/27/2009
CDC STUDY SHOWS MORE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR PARENTS/FAMILIES CUTS CHILD ABUSE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The CDC says a study proves that when parents have information and support services, the number of child abuse cases drops. The CDC study was released in the publication, Prevention Science. The study, which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found lower rates of confirmed abuse cases, child out–of–home placements, and hospitalizations and emergency room visits for child injuries in counties where parenting support was implemented. The agency claims that researchers estimate the results of this study could translate annually into 688 fewer cases of child maltreatment, 240 fewer out–of–home placements, and 60 fewer children with injuries requiring hospitalization or emergency room treatment for every 100,000 children under age 8. CDC press release on the study, click here. 01/26/2009
G-A-O: VETERANS AFFAIRS ESTIMATES FOR HEALTH CARE "UNRELIABLE"
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Obama administration will have their hands full with Veterans Affairs. Last October, a stinging assessment from the Office of Inspector General which found unprocessed claims and benefits applications in shredding bins at a few VA processing offices. Today, the release of a report from the General Accountability Office which found that the VA's estimates for providing health care were too low and/or unreliable. Today's GAO report claims: VA reported planned increases for some long-term care workload, but the workload information VA provided for both nursing home and non institutional care was incomplete. VA estimated that it will increase its long-term care spending over its fiscal year 2008 level, but this estimate is based on cost assumptions and a workload projection that appear unrealistic. And, for non institutional care, VA proposed a spending increase in order to partially reduce gaps in services. However, VA's estimated non institutional spending for fiscal year 2009 appears to be unreliable, because it is based on a cost assumption that appears unrealistically low and a workload projection that appears unrealistically high, given recent VA experience. GAO report on VA health care estimates copy, click here. 01/23/2009
SENATE BILL: DRUG COMPANIES MUST REPORT ANY GIFTS TO DOCTORS OVER $100
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-Sen. Charles Grassley, (R-IA) and Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) have teamed up to introduce the Physician Payments Sunshine Act of 2009 . Sen. Grassley has long campaign against the financial links between pharmaceutics and medical device makers and the flow of money to doctors and researchers. Now, with Democrats in control, Grassley is likely to have more support for stronger regulation. The payments act would, "would establish a nationwide standard requiring drug, device and biologic makers to report payments to doctors to the Department of Health and Human Services and for those payments to be posted online in a user friendly way for public consumption. It would establish penalties as high as $1 million for knowingly failing to report the information. The proposal incorporates many of the new recommendations of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent congressional agency which advises Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program". Physician Payments Sunshine Act press release copy click here. 01/22/2009
BLUNDERS WITH MEDICAL DATA AT VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTERS PROVOKES HOUSE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman, Bob Filner, (D) CA, is calling for changes at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Filner, in a press release on the committee's website, says, " VA continues to discover problems and attempts to fix them quietly and internally, and then downplays them as inconsequential and non-threatening. After numerous offers, VA bureaucrats still refuse to alert Congress to the issues and problems that affect our constituents – our veterans – in a timely and proactive way. I look to President-elect Obama to improve care for our veterans and to provide accountability during this rebuilding process". Rep. Filner's press release copy click here. The VA has been tight lipped about accidental releases of patients social security numbers. Last November, a Portland newspaper, The Oregonian, reported that at least 1,600 patient names were publicly exposed in the transfer of that information to a VA databank. The paper also claimed that information from other VA hospitals was also breached. Although no medical information was reported involved, Social Security numbers were. No one from the VA's Washington offices ever returned our calls, despite repeated attempts. 01/20/2009
SEN. AKAKA RE-INTRODUCES BILL TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN VA HEALTH CARE WORKERS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Addressing staff shortages at VA medical centers is the focus of a bill from Senator Daniel Akaka, (D) HI, entitled, "The Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009. Among the provisions:
Recruitment and retention incentives for VA medical professionals, such as pay, benefits, scholarship programs, and work schedules, to attract top quality clinicians;
Improvements in services and care for women veterans, who compose a significant and growing segment of the military and veteran population; and
Pilot programs to assist family caregivers, provide outreach and assistance to returning servicemembers in their communities, and help prevent homelessness among veterans.
SENATE AND HOUSE MEMBERS INTRODUCE, "THE RETOOLING THE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE FOR AN AGING AMERICA ACT"/AIMED AT REVERSING HEALTH CAR WORKER SHORTAGE
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- As a follow up from a hearing last April before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, the continuing health care workers shortage has lead to a new bill introduced by members of both house of Congress. U.S. Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and Bob Casey (D-PA), along with lead U.S. House of Representatives sponsor Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), introduced legislation to incorporate major recommendations from an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, titled “Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Healthcare Workforce.” Hence, the The Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging America Act aims to expand education and training opportunities in geriatrics and long-term care for licensed health professionals, direct care workers, and family caregivers by amending the Public Health Service Act, the Workforce Investment Act, the Older Americans Act and the Social Security Act. The Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging America Act joint press release click here. 01/19/2009
ELI LILLY PAYS 1.4 BILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT FOR TRYING TO SELL ZYPREXA FOR DEMENTIA
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- It was billed an an aid to help dementia patients sleep. Problem was, Zyprexa was never approved for that by the FDA. Federal prosecutors and Lilly today agreed to a $1.42 billion settlement. In exchange, the company admits no wrongdoing, but did plead guilty to interstate sale of misbranded drugs, a misdemeanor. Zyprexa has been approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Lilly Zyprexa settlement press release click here. 01/15/2008
VETERANS GIVEN WRONG DOSES AT VA MEDICAL CENTERS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Associated Press is reporting that documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act filing show that "Patients at VA health centers were given incorrect doses of drugs, had needed treatments delayed and may have been exposed to other medical errors due to the glitches that showed faulty displays of their electronic health records". The report says that software glitches a factor. The extent of the problems remains to determined, however, Indiana Congressman Steve Byer (R)-IN, the Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee has asked the VA for an answer. Associated Press article click here. 01/14/2009
HOUSE APPROVES EXPANSION OF CHILDRENS HEALTH CARE/ CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE SAYS THE LEGISLATION WOULD HELP LOWER DEFICIT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-The U-S House has approved expansion of the CHIP program. The vote was 289 to 139. It was the most votes a CHIP bill has ever received. It now moves to the Senate where it could be approved by the time President-Elect Obama takes office enxt Tuesday. . The new CHIP bill (H.R.-2) would add an additional state option to use CHIP funding to provide a premium assistance subsidy for children enrolled in a qualified health insurance plan, provide additional funding for outreach grants, and improve access to dental benefits and mental health parity in CHIP plans. The CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would reduce deficits by $1.1 billion over the 2009-2013 period and by $1.7 billion over the 2009-2018 period. That would be accomplished by increasing the tobacco excise tax. The agency claims this would reduce the number of smokers. A decline in smoking among pregnant women would result in fewer low-birth-weight deliveries. CBO estimates that as a result, federal spending for Medicaid would decrease by approximately $0.2 billion over the 2009-2019 period. The legislation contains provisions that would raise several types of excise taxes on tobacco. Those provisions include language that would raise the federal excise tax on cigarettes from 39 cents a pack to $1.00 a pack, and would also increase taxes on other tobacco products. JCT estimates that those provisions would increase revenues by $31.3 billion over the 2009-2013 period, by $64.7 billion over the 2009-2018 period, and by $71.1 billion over the 2009-2019 period. Click here to get a complete report from the Congressional Budget Office. 01/14/2009
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Inspector General in the Health and Human Services says surveys of practices and personnel at the FDA reveal lapse of reporting potential conflicts of interest, that the FDA cannot determine whether sponsors have submitted complete financial information for all clinical investigators because it does not have a complete list of clinical
investigators. In addition, FDA does not use onsite inspections to
confirm that submitted financial information is complete. The Inspector Geenral report provides increasing evidence of loopholes through which the drug and medical device industries may be able to influence, directly or indirectly, results of clinical trials. As a way of addressing the issue The Inspector General's Office says FDA should require that sponsors submit financial information for clinical investigators as part of the pretrial application process. Click here to get the Inspector General report. 01/12/2009
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, now faced a confirmation hearing before the very house he once served. As President-Elect Obama's nominee for HHS Secretary, Daschle says a bi-partisan approach is needed to establish a public health insurance alternative modeled similar to Medicare. Daschle underscored the need to "give consumers, especially the uninsured, an alternative to commercial insurance", which Daschle pointed out, left people uninsured when they could no longer afford the premiums. He was introduced by former Republican Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate Robert Dole. It served a symbol for what likely will be a speedy bi-partisan confirmation for Daschle. 01/08/2008
CDC SAYS TEENAGE PREGNANCY UP/OTHER STUDY SHOWS MORE PATIENTS AT RISK FOR HEPATITUS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Teenage pregnancy is on the rise once again after 15 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control, The teen birth rate increased in more than half of all 50 states in 2006, the most recent year, for which statistics are available. The data shows teen birth rates were highest in the South and Southwest, with the highest rate recorded in Mississippi (68.4), followed by New Mexico (64.1) and Texas (63.1).Teen birth rates in 2006 were lowest in the Northeast in 2006, with the lowest rates occurring in New Hampshire (18.7), Vermont (20.8), and Massachusetts (21.3). The only states with a decrease in teen birth rates between 2005 and 2006 were North Dakota, Rhode Island, and New York. Click here to get the complete report on teen pregnancy from the CDC. ALSO, THE CDC REPORTS THAT IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, MORE THAN 60,000 PATIENTS in the United States were asked to get tested for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) because health care personnel in settings outside hospitals failed to follow basic infection control practices. CDC officials say the report shows the need for ongoing professional education for health care providers, as well as consistent state oversight in detecting and preventing the transmission of blood borne pathogens in health care settings. Click here to get the CDC report on infection control. 01/07/2009
PEORIA NURSE SAYS SHE WAS FIRED DUE TO HUSBAND'S MEDICAL EXPENSES
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-A nurse from Peoria, Illinois claims she was fired due to her husband's rising medical expenses. A Court of Appeals ruling overturned a lower court decision to dismiss the case and will be holding a trial. More from the Chicago Tribune. 01/05/2008
MORE DISABLED COVERED IN NEW AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
More from the Emeritus Newsroom-Forteen elderly care faculties managed by Sunwest Management of Salem, Oregon, and owned by affiliates of the company, as well as it's top executive, have filed for bankruptcy. In statement, the company claims,
"Sunwest Management has not filed for protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and is not expected to do so. However, some of the communities managed by Sunwest are currently under the protection of Chapter 11 to stabilize their operations and services during the restructuring process."
"Chapter 11 means reorganization, not liquidation. In some cases, Chapter 11 protection is a community's best option to serve the interests of residents, employees, and other key constituents. Unlike Chapter 7, which is used for liquidations, Chapter 11 helps a business stay open while resolving its financial challenges. Sunwest's Chapter 11 communities continue to operate just like all the others. "
"If your community is among those we have placed under Chapter 11, you will receive additional information explaining the reorganization process and why it will not affect the care and services you receive."
"In the meantime, you have our commitment that we will update you throughout Sunwest Management's restructuring process."
Sunwest claims that the cause of the recent difficulties is, "The housing crisis and contraction of credit in the U.S. is affecting senior living providers along with other participants in the real estate sector. Sunwest Management has been experiencing financial difficulties for several months. The company has a lot of work to do to restructure its balance sheet and improve its ability to pay debts to lenders, vendors, and investors. That work has been underway for several months and continues now under the leadership of our new Chief Restructuring Officer, who has significant experience and an excellent track record in these kinds of situations". Sunwest has been under increasing pressure to eliminate debt. The company underwent a voracious expansion, at one time operating more than 300 facilities. Seven of those facilities December 30 (Click here for property sale story) to Five Star Quality Care Inc. for 44 million dollars, short of the 57.8 million dollars owed to G-E Financial. The financial structure of the company and ownership through, so called, "affiliates", and Sunwest Management's financial responsibility, is likely to be among the subjects of contention during the bankruptcy proceedings. Click here for story on Sunwest CEO Bankruptcy filing. Click here for story on Sunwest facilities affected by the Bankruptcy filing. Click here for locations operated by Sunwest Management. Click here for statement from Sunwest Management. 01/02/2008
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE SAYS AGING POPULATION NOT BIGGEST FACTOR IN FUTURE MEDICAL COSTS
More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The problem is seen as the cost of medical care itself, not the increasing elderly population from "Baby Boomers". The report challenges those who merely want to blame the rise of "Baby Boomers" as the main reason for U-S GDP increasingly being swallowed by the costs of medical care. According to the CBS study, The rising costs of health care and health insurance pose a serious threat to the future fiscal condition of
the United States. Under current policies, CBO projects that federal spending on Medicare and Medicaid will increase from about 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009 to nearly 6 percent in 2019 and 12 percent by 2050. Most of that increase will result from growth in per capita costs rather than from the aging of the population. B Without changes in policy, a substantial and growing number of non elderly people (those younger than 65) are likely to be without health insurance. CBO estimates that the average number of non elderly people
who are uninsured will rise from at least 45 million in 2009 to about 54 million in 2019. 01/02/201
