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Abortion Coverage Likely To Be Next Battle In House Health Reform Legislation
Abortion coverage could become the next "sticking point" in debates over health reform between the House leadership and conservative Democrats, the Los Angeles Times reports. During most of the battle over a health care overhaul, abortion-related issues have taken a "back seat" to clashes between House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats over the cost of the House bill (HR 3200). However, reproductive health issues are increasingly coming into play, with some other conservative Democrats threatening to withdraw support for the bill if coverage of abortion services is not explicitly excluded from receiving federal funding. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and 18 fellow Democrats in June wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stating that they "cannot support any health care proposal unless it excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan." According to the Times, Stupak has "vowed" to press Waxman to include restrictions on abortion coverage in the Energy and Commerce Committee"s version of the House bill. Abortion-rights supporter Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Rules Committee, opposes Stupak"s proposal. Slaughter spokesperson Vincent Morris said, "The starting point for Rep. Slaughter of the health care debate was protecting abortion rights."The Hyde Amendment currently prevents the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion services. The reach of current law restrictions "grows murkier" if the government forms its own health insurance plan to compete with private insurers or creates a new market that allows the public to choose between various private plans, the Times reports. Both options are under consideration in Congress, and abortion-rights opponents fear that abortion services would be covered unless the language of the bill explicitly forbids it.Abortion-rights supporters argue that the bill would maintain the status quo, as insurance companies already are able to choose whether to cover abortion services. New government restrictions could mean that women seeking abortion coverage would have to choose a more expensive private plan rather than a lower-cost, government-subsidized option, according to abortion-rights advocates. Another concern, they say, is that insurers who currently cover abortion would discontinue that coverage to take advantage of government incentives. In a recent statement, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America said, "Opponents of women"s health and health care reform are exploiting health care reform as a way to push for unprecedented prohibitions on abortion coverage in the private marketplace."The Obama administration is attempting to remain neutral on the issue, the Times reports. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs recently said that "a benefit package is better left to experts in the medical field to determine how best and what procedures to cover." The House bill currently establishes a Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend which "essential benefits" should be covered under any government-supported insurance plan. In an interview with CBS News last week, President Obama said that he believes it is "appropriate for us to figure out how to just deliver on the cost savings and not get distracted by the abortion debate."According to the Times, the Obama administration"s silence on the issue is "precisely what worries" antiabortion-rights advocates. Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) said that Obama is "actually making an affirmative statement in favor of" federal funding for abortion services by not taking a stand on the issue (Oliphant, Los Angeles Times, 7/28).
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Advance In Detecting Melamine-adulterated Food
Researchers in Indiana are reporting an advance toward faster, more sensitive tests for detecting melamine, the substance that killed at least 6 children and sickened 300,000 children in China who drank milk and infant formula adulterated with the substance. The improved tests may ease global concerns about food safety, the researchers say. Their report is scheduled for the May 27 issue of ACS" Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
News of the day
Child's Body Composition May Be Shaped By Breastfeeding Duration And Weaning Diet
Variations in both milk feeding and in the weaning diet are linked to differences in growth and development, and they have independent influences on body composition in early childhood, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society"s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Mental Health

First Coast Medicare To Provide Case By Case Reimbursement For The Renessa(R) Treatment For Incontinence In Women

Novasys Medical, Inc., a developer of innovative therapies in women"s health, announced that as of July 1, 2009, First Coast Service Options, Inc. ("First Coast"), a large regional Medicare carrier serving over 3 million beneficiaries in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, has removed the non-surgical Renessa(R) treatment for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) from its noncovered services list and will be looking at claims for the Renessa procedure on an individual case by case basis. On its Web site, First Coast states, "in order to provide an option for those physicians who are appropriately trained in treating women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and who are appropriately trained in performing the Renessa procedure, we will be removing Renessa from our noncovered LCD and we will be looking at claims for the Renessa procedure on an individual case by case basis." First Coast goes on to state that it "expects that providers submitting claims for Renessa are providing the services within the FDA approved guidelines and in accordance with the indications supported by peer-reviewed literature which limits its use to moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in females." "We are very pleased with First Coast"s decision," said Debra Reisenthel, Novasys Medical President and Chief Executive Officer, "as it enables access to this safe and effective treatment option for Medicare beneficiaries in Florida with moderate to severe SUI." First Coast joins Noridian Medicare, a large regional carrier administering benefits in nine states, in providing reimbursement for the Renessa procedure. Other private insurers, including AvMed and HealthFirst in Florida and Aetna US Healthcare nationwide, also cover this safe and effective non-surgical treatment for women who suffer from the debilitating effects of SUI. Female Stress Urinary Incontinence SUI is the involuntary leakage of urine associated with laughing, coughing, sneezing and recreational activities. The condition is caused by a variety of factors, most commonly childbirth, and often restricts the social, professional, and personal lives of a significant number of women. With currently available surgical and non-surgical SUI therapies, many patients and physicians have concerns about safety, recovery, compliance, and/or effectiveness. The FDA-cleared Renessa System includes a small probe which a physician passes through the natural opening of the urethra (transurethral). The probe heats multiple small treatment sites in the submucosa of the bladder neck and upper urethra, denaturing the patient"s own collagen in the tissue, thereby reducing or eliminating leaks. The Renessa treatment can be performed in the convenience of a physician"s office using local anesthesia. There are no incisions, bandages or dressings required. Recovery is rapid and comfortable, with minimal post-procedure limitations. The Renessa treatment offers an option for women who have tried conservative therapies such as Kegel exercises or biofeedback without success, but who cannot have or do not desire an invasive surgical procedure. To date, over 350 urologists, urogynecologists and gynecologists in 40 states have been trained and have performed the Renessa procedure in over 2500 patients. About Novasys Medical Novasys Medical, Inc. is a privately held, venture-backed company which develops innovative therapies in women"s health. The company"s initial focus is the development and commercialization of the Renessa System, a proprietary, non-surgical approach to the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Novasys Medical, Inc


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