Health News E-Clips

An electronic healthcare news link service provided by UHA,

Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association

 

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Friday, October 31, 2008

 

Utah Healthcare Headlines

An unhealthy increase (Editorial, Standard Examiner, October 29, 2008) It's the same for just about all Utahns in the workforce, particularly those employed in the private sector. Insurance costs are rising far faster than our paychecks. http://www.standard.net/live/opinion/editorials/147087/

 

Health care reform advocate wins honor (Salt Lake Tribune, October 29, 2008) Utah health reform advo­cate Judi Hilman is one of 10 people in the country who have been chosen by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to receive a Community Health Leaders Award for 2008. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10844993

 

In Our View: Cancer series profiled courage (Editorial, Daily Herald, October 30, 2008) A four-part series of articles this week in the Daily Herald highlighted the courage of breast cancer patients and the fight to conquer the disease. The stories that were told bring up yet again the need for updated health policies and the obstacles to creating them. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/286372/57/

 

Clinic wants bigger sign OK'd (Standard Examiner, October 30, 2008) The Intermountain Healthcare Clinic here wants to change its zoning from residential to commercial so it can post a bigger sign, but the sign may not fit in with the city's restrictive sign ordinance. http://www.standard.net/live/business/147203/

 

Gingrich urges private-sector health care fix (Salt Lake Tribune, October 30, 2008) Unless America retools its health care system - and fast - it will lose its competitive edge in the world market. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10852192

  • Newt Gingrich makes stop in Salt Lake (KSL.com, October 30, 2008) One of the most powerful Republican voices in recent memory is now calling for bipartisanship in Washington. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4656762
  • Vision needed for health-care reform, Gingrich says (Deseret News, October 30, 2008) Attempts to overhaul the nation's fractured health-care system cannot be done piecemeal, former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705259096,00.html

 

Utah health-care plan to get trial run (Deseret News, October 30, 2008) One of the key fundamental shifts in the way medical care is given and obtained in Utah will get a trial run with low-income Utahns covered by Medicaid, the state's third-largest insurance plan. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705259108,00.html

 

Researcher battles her own cancer (Deseret News, October 30, 2008) What are the odds that a person who studies breast cancer would end up battling the disease herself? http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705259097,00.html

 

 

Familiar face to lead Downtown Alliance (Salt Lake Tribune, October 31, 2008) Salt Lake City's Downtown Alliance has tapped a longtime official from the capital's Convention and Visitors Bureau as its new executive director. http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_10862224

  • New Executive Director for Downtown Alliance (KCPW, October 31, 2008) From his office downtown, Jason Mathis looks out over the city spiked with cranes. And as the new Downtown Alliance executive director, he'll have an important role to play in the completion of the Downtown Rising vision. http://www.kcpw.org/article/6927
  • Downtown Alliance gains a new leader (Deseret Morning News, October 31, 2008) A longtime communication manager for Utah nonprofit groups has been selected as the new executive director of the Downtown Alliance. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705259248,00.html

 

City: Dentist delivers (Salt Lake Tribune, October 31, 2008) Many Salt Lake School District students aren't able to visit a dentist regularly because of financial or other reasons, so the dentist is coming to them. http://www.sltrib.com/closeup/ci_10857097

 

National Healthcare Headlines

Plastic Surgeons, Not Immune From the Economic Slump, Report a Decline in Cosmetic Procedures (New York Times, October 29, 2008) Hotels and clothing chains are not the only businesses feeling the pinch from consumers who are cutting back on retail spending. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/fashion/28plastic.html?_r=1&ref=fashion&oref=slogin

 

Patients say hospitals can fall short on care (USA Today, October 30, 2008) Though most patients generally are satisfied with their care, many hospitals fall short in relatively low-tech areas such as pain control and communication, researchers report Thursday. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-29-hospital-ratings_N.htm?csp=34

 

Insurers entice doctors to prescribe generic drugs (Washington Post, October 30, 2008) All the doctors had to do was show up, enjoy a free dinner at an elegant Rochester, N.Y., area restaurant specializing in steaks, chops and top-shelf wines, and pocket $100 on the way out the door. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/29/AR2008102902811_pf.html

 

States forced to cut health coverage for poor (USA Today, October 29, 2008) Economic troubles are forcing states to scale back safety-net health-coverage programs — even as they brace for more residents who will need help paying for care. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-28-health-cuts_N.htm

 

Medicare drug plan spending drops $6B in 2008 (USA Today, October 31, 2008) In a rare bit of good news for taxpayers, the cost of the Medicare prescription drug program fell $6 billion this year — savings driven by the widespread use of low-cost generic drugs. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-30-medicare_N.htm?csp=34

 

Don’t Blame the Uninsured (Editorial New York Times, October 30, 2008) In the debate over health care, there is a widely held belief that uninsured people are clogging the nation’s emergency rooms to receive free care for minor ailments. As President Bush fatuously proclaimed last year: “People have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.” (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/opinion/30thu3.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

 

Hospitals Seek to Limit Use of Transfusions (Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2008) Amid rising blood costs and mounting safety concerns about transfusions, hospitals are adopting stricter measures to manage their blood supplies. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122523396064077821.html?mod=rss_The_Informed_Patient

 

Pets have a place in the sickbed (USA Today, October 29, 2008) Judith Brindley, fighting her way back to health after a rare bone marrow disease nearly took her life, realized one day she would improve no further without the company of her beloved greyhounds, which were banished to a caregiver on doctors' orders. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-28-cancer-pets_N.htm

 

FDA ignored evidence when calling BPA safe (USA Today, October 29, 2008) The Food and Drug Administration ignored evidence when concluding that a chemical in plastic baby bottles is safe, according an expert panel asked to review the agency's handling of the controversial substance. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-28-bpa-fda_N.htm

 

Hospice Chaplains Take Up Bedside Counseling (New York Times, October 29, 2008) Some of the hospice patients talk about their impending deaths, or about God. Most just talk about what people always talk about — unfinished business and unanswered questions: regrets over firing an employee 50 years ago; the pet no one has yet promised to adopt; feeling sick to death of being sick yet not ready to die. About Bach. “How did he dream up that music?” one woman asks. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/nyregion/29hospice.html?hp

 

Medical Grind Hurts Healing Art (Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2008) Did you feel healed the last time you went to the doctor? My bet is no. If you were lucky, maybe you got 10 minutes with the doctor. In not much more time than you might have spent in a fast food drive-thru, the doctor wrote a prescription, ordered a battery of lab tests and sent you off for a thousand dollars worth of imaging studies. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122531865172381909.html

 

Biologics Don't Raise Cancer Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients (Washington Post, October 29, 2008) TNF-antagonists, drugs widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), don't appear to cause cancer, say Spanish researchers who analyzed data on more than 4,000 RA patients treated with the biologics. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102802828.html

 

US gives $1M for disabled in Agent Orange hotspot (Boston Globe, October 29, 2008) The United States and Vietnam launched three new programs Wednesday to help provide job training and health care to disabled people in Danang, where American troops stored and mixed Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2008/10/29/us_gives_1m_for_disabled_in_agent_orange_hotspot/

 

Bio Lab in Galveston Raises Concerns (New York Times, October 29, 2008) Much of the University of Texas medical school on this island suffered flood damage during Hurricane Ike, except for one gleaming new building, a national biological defense laboratory that will soon house some of the most deadly diseases in the world. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/29lab.html?th&emc=th

 

Women Buying Health Policies Pay a Penalty (New York Times, October 30, 2008) Striking new evidence has emerged of a widespread gap in the cost of health insurance, as women pay much more than men of the same age for individual insurance policies providing identical coverage, according to new data from insurance companies and online brokers. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/us/30insure.html?partner=MOREOVERNEWS&ei=5040

 

Our Vote to End Cervical Cancer (Opinion, Washington Post, October 30, 2008) Preventing, treating and defeating cancer are among the greatest scientific challenges and personal triumphs of our time. And right now, we have the power to save our mothers, sisters and daughters from a type of cancer that claims a life every two minutes globally. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/29/AR2008102903476.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Obesity blamed for doubling rate of diabetes cases (Washington Post, October 31, 2008) The nation's obesity epidemic is exacting a heavy toll: The rate of new diabetes cases nearly doubled in the United States in the past 10 years, the government said Thursday. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/30/AR2008103002356.html

 

Certain genetic traits increase incidence (Daily Herald, October 30, 2008) Emerging science suggests that your genes may influence your chances for breast cancer more than traditionally thought. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/286088/

 

Aetna profit down on investments, but meets views (Washington Post, October 29, 2008) Aetna Inc (AET.N) posted a 44 percent drop in third-quarter profit on Wednesday, hurt by investment losses stemming from the credit crisis, and the No. 3 U.S. health insurer lowered its full-year forecast slightly. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/29/AR2008102901004.html

 

High court pits FDA approval against states (USA Today, October 30, 2008) Musician Diana Levine never imagined a trip to a health clinic would end in the loss of her arm and career — a medical misadventure that is now center stage before the U.S. Supreme Court and could affect future lawsuits against drug companies. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-29-supreme-court-fda_N.htm

 

Leading Medical Groups Advise Against Avandia (Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2008) The clouds around GlaxoSmithKline PLC's diabetes drug Avandia darkened, with leading medical groups in the U.S. and Europe calling on doctors not to use the former top-selling drug. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122537774874284331.html

 

Therapy, Drugs Ease Children's Anxiety (Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2008) A combination of a treatment known as cognitive behavioral therapy and an antidepressant greatly reduced the severity of anxiety disorders in children compared with either treatment alone, researchers found. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122538412771884641.html

  • Study: Zoloft plus therapy helps kids with anxiety (USA Today, October 31, 2008) A popular antidepressant plus three months of psychotherapy dramatically helped children with anxiety disorders, the most common psychiatric illnesses in kids, the biggest study of its kind found. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-30-zoloft-children_N.htm

 

Pharma Sells the Rope (Opinion, Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2008) With a liberal supermajority in Washington increasingly possible, business is trying to buy up protection, in the hope that Democrats will go easier on them. Henry Waxman is no doubt grateful for this offer of the rope with which he will hang them. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122523831107978193.html?mod=rss_opinion_main

 

Bayer's Net Drops on Year-Earlier Tax Gain (Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2008) Pharmaceutical and chemical company Bayer AG Wednesday posted a sharp drop in third-quarter net profit, as last year's figure was boosted by a tax gain. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122526455613179573.html?mod=

 

FDA Warns Bayer on Two Aspirin Products (Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2008) Pharmaceutical giant Bayer AG has received warnings from federal regulators for illegally marketing two unapproved over-the-counter medicines combining aspirin with dietary supplements. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122524095732678457.html

 

Cigna Profit Dragged Down by Reinsurance Unit (Wall Street Journal, October 30, 2008) Cigna Corp.'s third-quarter net income decreased 53%, reflecting losses in the reinsurance segment, which is being wound down. Expectations for further losses in that business prompted the managed-care company to lower its full-year earnings outlook. The company also reduced its 2008 membership forecast. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122537051096384051.html

 

Economy to reduce drug companies' sales $10b (Boston Globe, October 30, 2008) The economic crisis may cost drug makers as much as $10 billion in revenue next year as sales of prescription drugs in the United States are expected to increase at their slowest rate on record. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/10/30/economy_to_reduce_drug_companies_sales_10b/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Business

 

New Brain-Disease Case Tied to Drug (Wall Street Journal, October 30, 2008) A U.S. multiple-sclerosis patient taking the drug Tysabri contracted a deadly brain infection, marking the sixth such case and darkening the commercial prospects for the medicine, already withdrawn from the market once over safety concerns. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122533030777282775.html

 

AstraZeneca Boosts Outlook as Strong Sales Lift Net Profit (Wall Street Journal, October 30, 2008) AstraZeneca PLC Thursday reported better-than-expected third quarter profits, driven by a strong performance of cholesterol drug Crestor and its emerging markets business, as well as favorable currency movements. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122536679824783951.html

 

Sanofi best-sellers help lift net profit in 3Q (Washington Post, October 31, 2008) French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis said Friday that higher sales of blood thinners Lovenox and Plavix and diabetes treament Lantus helped lift net profit by 1.9 percent in the third quarter. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/31/AR2008103100261.html

 

Army and Agency Will Study Rising Suicide Rate Among Soldiers (New York Times, October 31, 2008) Conceding it needed outside help in figuring out why the suicide rate among service members was rising, the Army announced plans on Wednesday to collaborate with the National Institute of Mental Health in an ambitious five-year project to identify the causes and risk factors of suicide. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/us/30soldiers.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

 

Healthcare on the Campaign Trail

Matheson, Dew diverge on health care (The Spectrum, October 30, 2008) Amid talk of a recession, policy-makers have some difficult decisions to make regarding the health care industry in the near future, and U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and his opponent in this year's election, Republican Bill Dew, each have different ideas on how to improve the system. http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20081029/NEWS01/810290308/1002

 

Proposed Solutions (Washington Post, October 29, 2008) Health care ranks second only to the economy among the issues that voters say will be most important in their choice for president, according to The Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll. Nearly 46 million Americans were uninsured last year. Almost one-third of Americans say someone in their family has had trouble paying medical bills in the past year, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. Here is a look at how Barack Obama and John McCain propose to help cure the health-care system. (You must register to view this link—no fee)  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102803578.html

 

How They Would Change Health Care: Obama (Washington Post, October 29, 2008) On the ninth floor of an office building just off the Boston Common, a group called Health Care for All runs a help line that, not long ago, got 40 calls a month. Today, the calls each month have swelled to 3,000, as people throughout Massachusetts phone in for guidance in navigating a state experiment in health reform that is the most ambitious in the country -- and a test of Sen. Barack Obama's vision for reshaping health care nationwide. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102803612.html

 

How They Would Change Health Care: McCain (Washington Post, October 29, 2008) When Diane Derichs's husband was retiring from his assembly-line job making fruit bars for ConAgra Foods, the couple invited over an insurance agent to help her find a health plan. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102803501.html

 

Obama Jumps on McCain Adviser's Health Remarks (New York Times, October 29, 2008) Barack Obama's presidential campaign claimed Tuesday that comments by a top adviser to John McCain reinforced Obama's contention that millions would be worse off if they lose employer-sponsored health coverage and end up buying it themselves. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-Candidates-Health-Policy-Dispute.html

 

On the Ballot Tuesday in Michigan, The New Face of an Old Dilemma (Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2008) Seven years after the ban on federal funding of further embryonic stem-cell experiments, the issue has moved onto state ballot proposals for financing and expanding this research. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122540692976785969.html