Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles
Grapefruit Benefits

Reform Editorials Examine Rationed Care, Taxing Health Benefits
Wall Street Journal: A recent decision by CMS to end Medicare coverage of virtual colonoscopies is "a preview of how health care will be rationed when Democrats" create "a new "universal" health insurance entitlement for the middle class," a Journal editorial states. According to the editorial, the prospects of such a health system are "playing out in miniature in Medicare" where CMS has decided that offering an alternative to the traditional colonoscopy is "too pricey." The editorial states that the situation features "precisely the sort of complexity that the Democrats would prefer to ignore as they try to restructure health care" and use comparative effectiveness research to determine what works best for the majority of patients. According to the editorial, "The problem is that what "works best" isn"t the same for everyone." It continues that CMS "made the hard-and-fast choice that it was cheaper to cut [virtual colonoscopies] ... for all beneficiaries. If some patients are worse off, well, too bad." The editorial concludes that the situation is "merely a preview of the life-and-death decisions that will be determined by politics" if Democrats enact their ideal system (Wall Street Journal, 5/19).
generic viagra online
Advanced Arm Dynamics Fits Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) Patient In Indiana
A few weeks ago, Hank Esmond would not have dreamed that he would be operating his prosthetic arms through his thoughts. Mr. Esmond is the first upper extremity amputee in Indiana to be fit with the DynamicArm TMR manufactured by Otto Bock. Advanced Arm Dynamics, the nation"s leading provider of upper extremity prostheses, working with Sam Santa-Rita, CP, owner of SRT (Superior Rehabilitation Techniques) based in Ft. Wayne, recently fit Mr. Esmond with his first set of prosthetic limbs.
News of the day
The Mood Of Depressed People Improves With Weight Loss
Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), July 28 - August 1, 2009, the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, finds that after a 6-month behavioral weight loss program, depressed patients not only lost 8% of their initial weight but also reported significant improvements in their symptoms of depression, as well as reductions in triglycerides, which are a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The results of this study highlight the need for further research into the effects of weight loss in individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders.
Diagnostics

Regulations Seek To Crack Down On Medical ID Theft

New regulations seek to crack down on a little known form of identity theft -- medical identity theft, according to Kaiser Health News. "Armed with as little as a stolen name, Social Security number and date of birth, an imposter can walk into a doctor"s office or hospital and receive services billed to the victim or the insurance provider. Although few statistics are available, the Federal Trade Commission reports that medical identity theft accounts for 1.3 percent to 3 percent of all identity theft crime -- about 250,000 cases each year." A new FTC regulation, the "Red Flags Rule," is set to take effect on August 1 to address at least part of the problem. "The rule would require physicians" offices and hospitals, among other businesses, to create new protocols to spot the "red flags" of identity theft. These could include detecting fake or altered IDs, inconsistencies in a patient"s medical records or fraud alerts from consumer reporting agencies. Doctors are not only required to implement procedures ... that allow them to detect these warning signs effectively but also to spell out what they"ll do when they find something fishy. ... But medical provider groups, including the American Medical Association, insist the rule is misguided. Their reasoning, in part, comes down to the actual language of the law." The statute states that businesses that regularly extend or renew credit are required to implement the new protocols. This category includes auto dealers, lawyers, utility companies and any physician"s office or hospital that accepts insurance or allows a payment plan (Gold, 7/24). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009