Health News
E-Clips
An electronic healthcare news link service
provided by UHA,
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Play ball: Insurers should get real about health reform (Editorial, Salt Lake Tribune, October 7, 2008) The Legislature's Health System Reform Task Force is pulling toward a November deadline, but there's one group that's deliberately rowing out of sync: the insurance companies. Some other members of the task force crew say that the insurers are doing their best to sink the boat. http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_10653843
Charity is laudable, but it can't provide health care for all (Opinion, Salt Lake Tribune, October 6, 2008) The headline above the latest op-ed submission by the Sutherland Institute (Opinion, Sept. 28) says it all: "Not a right: Health care is an opportunity to give." http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_10647629
VVMC celebrates
accreditation (The Spectrum, October 6, 2008) Officials with Valley View
Medical Center are slated to host an open house Oct. 7 to celebrate the
hospital’s cancer treatment center earning accreditation through the Huntsman-Intermountain
cancer network. http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081003/NEWS01/81003015/1002/NEWS01
Budget cuts hurt the
disabled and their families (Salt
Veterans nursing home on schedule (Salt Lake Tribune, October 6, 2008) State officials say a new 120-bed veterans nursing home in Weber County is on schedule despite recent cuts to the state budget. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10650228
Tiny worm earns U. oncologist a nice fellowship (Deseret News, October 6, 2008) A tiny worm that has been around since the Earth cooled and was the only survivor of the Challenger space shuttle disaster is the research focus of a Utah oncologist selected this year for a $500,000, no-strings-attached fellowship by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700264402,00.html Also found at http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700264536,00.html (Deseret News, October 6, 2008)
Woman sues state over
what she calls a ‘bureaucratic mistake’ (KSL.com, October 7, 2008) A woman
from Sunset has had a kidney transplant and two pancreas transplants, and
Medicaid paid for all of them. But now she is suing the state, claiming a
bureaucratic mistake by Medicaid led to the loss of her pancreas and left her
in failing health again. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4458889&autostart=y
Health-care revolution needed, group says (Deseret News, October 7, 2008) A reformation of the nation's health-care system is all fine and good, but a revolution is what it will take, say a group of top-tier executives, medical school administrators and leading academics who began a two-day summit here Monday. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700264666,00.html
Utah Wellness Week mixes fun, serious message about kids' health (Salt Lake Tribune, October 7, 2008) Nine-year-old Jasmine Clark, a fifth-grader at Salt Lake City's Wasatch Elementary School, knows that the colors of her favorite Starburst candy have nothing in common with the colors of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_10656144
Bubonic plague: Four
Corners health alert as man sickened, prairie dogs dying (Salt Lake
Tribune, October 7, 2008) A northeast
National Healthcare Headlines
Mental-health parity law a big win for Kennedys (Boston Globe, October 4, 2008) Tucked into the Wall Street bailout bill was a breakthrough for the estimated 113 million Americans suffering from mental illness - a provision making it illegal for health insurance companies to discriminate against patients suffering from psychological or behavioral disorders. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/10/04/mental_health_parity_law_a_big_win_for_kennedys/
Top Psychiatrist Didn’t Report Drug Makers’ Pay (New York Times, October 4, 2008) One of the nation’s most influential psychiatrists earned more than $2.8 million in consulting arrangements with drug makers from 2000 to 2007, failed to report at least $1.2 million of that income to his university and violated federal research rules, according to documents provided to Congressional investigators. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/health/policy/04drug.html?th&emc=th
Coming to a Plate Near You (Opinion, New York Times, October 4, 2008) Genetically modified fish and beef may be moving closer to your dinner table. After years of pondering the complexities, the Food and Drug Administration has finally issued draft regulatory guidelines that should open a pathway to commercialization for potentially useful products that have thus far been research curiosities. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/opinion/04sat3.html?th&emc=th
No Pay for Harm (Editorial, New York Times, October 4, 2008) It is good to know that hospitals will no longer profit from their mistakes under a new payment policy just inaugurated by Medicare. Too bad the same will not be true of doctors, at least not yet. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/opinion/05sun3.html?th&emc=th
Medicare expands its crackdown on fraud (USA Today, October 7, 2008) Acting Medicare chief Kerry Weems on Monday announced new efforts to combat fraud in seven states, focusing on companies that improperly provide patients with medical equipment such as wheelchairs and oxygen supplies. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-10-06-fraud_N.htm
Rampant
Medicare fraud suspected in
A Tale of Taint
(Editorial,
Suit on Tobacco Ads Sparks Feisty Debate (Washington Post, October 7, 2008) The Supreme Court waded yesterday into a complicated legal debate over whether tobacco companies can be sued in state courts for deceptive advertising of "light" cigarettes, a dispute that has divided government regulators and the business community. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602934.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Many newly insured still flock to ERs (Boston Globe, October 6, 2008) Even though thousands more Massachusetts residents now have health insurance under the state's health care mandate, they are still seeking care at hospital emergency rooms. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/10/06/many_newly_insured_still_flock_to_ers/
Curbing Cough Syrup
For Kids (
Staph infections can contribute to children's death from flu (USA Today, October 7, 2008) More children have died from flu because they also had staph infections, according to a new government report that urges parents to have their kids get the flu shot. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-06-flu-staph_N.htm
Fan in Room Seems to
Cut Infants’ Risk of Crib Death (
Blood Tests Ease Search for Down Syndrome (New York Times, October 7, 2008) For three decades, scientists have been trying to develop a noninvasive prenatal test for Down syndrome that would replace amniocentesis, which can cause miscarriages. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/health/research/07down.html?nl=8hlth&emc=hltha2
Study Says Drug Samples May Endanger Children (New York Times, October 6, 2008) A new study suggests that free drug samples, an effective marketing tool for the drug industry, do little to help the poor and may put children’s health at risk. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/health/research/06sample.html?ref=us
French AIDS Researchers Split Nobel With German (Washington Post, October 7, 2008) Two French researchers were awarded the Nobel Prize yesterday for discovering the AIDS virus, bypassing an American researcher now at the University of Maryland who played a key role in the historic feat. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100600156.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Biotechs Race for New Vaccine (
With Merger, Revolution Takes Aim At WebMD (Washington Post, October 3, 2008) Revolution Health Network, the online health care business launched by AOL co-founder Steve Case, is merging with competitor Waterfront Media in an effort to better challenge WebMD as the top source of online health information. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/03/AR2008100303736.html?tid=informbox
We Are at a Saturation Point' (Washington Post, October 6, 2008) In the frantic moments after five bombs tore through markets across the city, Rama ran to the road, cradling his 17-year-old daughter, Puja, in his arms. Blood rushed from her head. Her pulse was slow. She wasn't speaking. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/05/AR2008100502173.html?hpid=moreheadlines
Judge:
Are Bad Times Healthy? (New York Times, October 7, 2008) Most people are worried about the health of the economy. But does the economy also affect your health? (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/health/07well.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Incapacitated, Alone and Treated to Death (New York Times, October 7, 2008) Mr. Green lay in the bed next to the window, 15 floors above the Cross-Bronx Expressway. Fifty-nine years old and suffering from AIDS-related dementia, he was bedbound, permanently tethered to a ventilator and, though conscious, unaware of his medical condition. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/health/views/07case.html
Angst Is Rising, but Many Must Forgo Therapy (Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2008) In the latest sign of the deepening economic crisis, more people are considering cutting back on their mental-health therapy, even as they become more stressed. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122333797880409755.html
Healthcare on the Campaign Trail
Candidates agree on
oil shale, not on health care (
McCain Plans Federal Health Cuts (Wall Street Journal, October 6, 2008) John McCain would pay for his health plan with major reductions to Medicare and Medicaid, a top aide said, in a move that independent analysts estimate could result in cuts of $1.3 trillion over 10 years to the government programs. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122315505846605217.html?mod=todays_us_page_one
Health Care Destruction (Opinion, October 6, 2008) Sarah Palin ended her debate performance last Thursday with a slightly garbled quote from Ronald Reagan about how, if we aren’t vigilant, we’ll end up “telling our children and our children’s children” about the days when America was free. It was a revealing choice. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/opinion/06krugman.html
McCain plan may cost Northeast (Boston Globe, October 6, 2008) John McCain's healthcare plan would bring a dramatic change to the existing system: People would get a flat tax credit worth as much as $5,000 instead of the tax break on the insurance they now get at work, allowing them more flexibility to buy insurance on their own. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/10/05/mccain_plan_may_cost_northeast/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News
Obama assails McCain over
health care proposal (
McCain Is the Real Health-Care Reformer (Opinion, Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2008) With less than a month to go, presidential candidate Barack Obama wants to deliver a knock-out punch by hitting John McCain on health care. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122333750424809705.html?mod=rss_opinion_main
Whose Health Plan? (Opinion,
Obama, McCain tussle on healthcare (Boston Globe Healthcare Blog, October 7, 2008) The Barack Obama and John McCain campaigns are going at it hot and heavy over McCain's healthcare plan. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/10/obama_mccain_tu.html
Business Cool Toward McCain’s Health Coverage Plan (New York Times, October 6, 2008) American business, typically a reliable Republican cheerleader, is decidedly lukewarm about Senator John McCain’s proposal to overhaul the health care system by revamping the tax treatment of health benefits, officials with leading trade groups say. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/us/politics/07health.html?nl=8hlth&emc=hltha6