MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'administration:'. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:54:25 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886649&cid=t_275871_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FR7LcuCQ5FUE%2F Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a potentially fatal genetic disorder caused by a deficient or abnormal blood protein called C1 inhibitor. It causes swelling of the extremities, face, trunk, abdomen or airways. Abdominal attacks can result in severe pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea. The attacks can be spontaneous but may also be triggered by stress, surgery or infection. Death may result when the airways close because of the swelling. Only 1 in 50,00 to 150,000 people worldwide/ 1 in 10,000 to 50,000 in the US is affected by this rare dominant mutation, but the mortality is quite high (30%) so it’s really good that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment Hereditary angioedema. The FDA announced that Berinert has been approved for adults and adolescents wi... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886649 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:58:27 +0100 2886649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886420&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcdkWpQ9AAWA%2F The two-decade-old conflict in Somalia has entered a new phase, which presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the United States. To best encourage peace in the devastated country, Washington needs a new strategy that takes into account hard-learned lessons from multiple failed U.S. interventions. In a new study, author David Axe argues that Washington should err on the side of nonintervention, and recommends: The Obama administration should work to build a regional framework for reconciliation, the rule of law, and economic development that acknowledges the unique risks of intervention in East Africa….Somalia’s best hope for peace is the moderate Islamic government that has emerged from the most recent rounds of fighting, despite early opposition from the United States... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886420 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:49:18 +0100 2886420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879392&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb7kFuiLywKI%2F Hours after thanking the world for the Nobel Peace Prize this morning, President Obama will gather with his war advisers to ponder sending 60,000 more troops into a country where our national security objectives are unclear at best. Instead of embracing General McChrystal’s proposal for a substantial increase in the U.S. military presence — or even adopting a “McChrystal-Light” strategy — the Obama administration should begin a phased withdrawal of troops over the next 18 months, retaining only a small military footprint relying on special forces personnel. Otherwise, America will be entangled for years — or decades — in pursuit of unattainable goals. We need to “define success down” in Afghanistan. That means abandoning any notion of transforming ethn... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879392 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:15:18 +0100 2879392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876013&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNdAs9FKceq0%2F Think the bailouts are over?  Think again!  The Federal Housing Administration could become the next Fannie Mae. Reports the New York Times: Problems at the Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees mortgages with low down payments, are becoming so acute that some experts warn the agency might need a federal bailout. Running questions about the F.H.A.’s future — underscored by interviews with policy makers, analysts and home buyers — came to the fore on Thursday on Capitol Hill. In testimony before a House subcommittee, the F.H.A. commissioner, David H. Stevens, assured lawmakers that his agency would not need a bailout and that it was managing its risks. But he acknowledged that some 20 percent of F.H.A. loans insured last year — and as many as 24 percent of those from 20... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876013 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:27:10 +0100 2876013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876023&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FB8yG0FYKSns%2F Hey Rajiv Chandrasekaran, what the heck happened back in March when Obama decided to send 17,000 more troops into Afghanistan and started telling everyone we needed a more expansive approach there? Everyone, save Vice President Biden’s national security adviser, agreed that the United States needed to mount a comprehensive counterinsurgency mission to defeat the Taliban… [...] To senior military commanders, the [implications were] unambiguous: U.S. and NATO forces would have to change the way they operated in Afghanistan. Instead of focusing on hunting and killing insurgents, the troops would have to concentrate on protecting the good Afghans from the bad ones. And to carry out such a counterinsurgency effort the way its doctrine prescribes, the military would almost certainly ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876023 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:04:25 +0100 2876023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865630&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FRPJkVaR9b_k%2F As part of San Francisco’s push toward broader health-insurance coverage, city businesses with 20 or more employees must offer health insurance or pay a fee that goes toward health care for the uninsured. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court wants to know what the Obama administration thinks of that idea. The city’s restaurant association has been fighting the ordinance in court, arguing that federal law says only the federal government can mandate employer benefits. Lower courts have gone back and forth on the issue; the Supremes earlier this year refused to issue an emergency order blocking the fees while the case is pending, the San Francisco Chronicle notes. Obama has proposed a federal requirement that would compel many employers to offer health insurance or pay a fee, as part of t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865630 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:23:13 +0100 2865630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865811&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fis-your-data-safe-5-tips-for-data-security-in-your-dental-practice%25e2%2580%25a6%2F Protecting patient data is a critical part of the modern dental practice – especially in light of HIPAA requirements. How does this translate into daily operations at your practice? Tom Terronez of Medix Dental has put together some tips to make sure you are doing all you can to protect your patient’s data… 1. Are you emailing patient information and digital x-rays to other doctors? Make sure that your office and the receiving office utilize encrypted email services. If you don’t, your data can easily be read on its path from your practice to theirs. HIPAA states that you are responsible for making a reasonable attempt at protecting your data. 2. Do you have a wireless router in your office? If you are using wireless Internet for internal purposes, make sure your router is a curren... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865811 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:42:53 +0100 2865811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865647&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBhg8YnbIfRQ%2F President Obama’s real czar, “pay czar” Ken Feinberg, who has real power, brushes aside such claims even as he prepares to issue his Gosplan-style edicts on future and even past pay agreements: The Obama administration’s pay czar says negotiations over executive compensation with the seven companies that received the biggest federal bailouts have been “a consensual process’’ – not a matter of forcing decisions on them. “I’m hoping I won’t be required to simply make a determination over company objections,’’ veteran Washington attorney Kenneth Feinberg told the Chicago Bar Association in a speech. But note: he’s “hoping” he won’t have to impose his own view. He’s hoping the companies will accede to his power without com... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865647 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:57:21 +0100 2865647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846347&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_TKxtI_qwPg%2F Scott Lincicome sharpens his pencil today and calculates that Congressional failure to ratify the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement–a deal that was signed almost three full years ago–has so far cost American exporters $2 billion.  That tally increases $1.9 million each and every day. Since that time [the trade agreement signing], American exporters have paid approximately $1.9 million per day in Colombian tariffs that they wouldn’t have paid if the Democrat-controlled Congress had just passed the FTA back then and thus allowed it to enter into force. By my math, that means that Congress’ and (now) the President’s partisan stalling has resulted in a pointless tax on American businesses of almost $2 billion ($1.9798 billion = 1042 days times $1.9 million) a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846347 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:32:08 +0100 2846347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842622&cid=t_275871_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fanother-look-incident-reporting-systems When the patient safety field began a decade ago with the publication of the IOM report on medical errors, one of its first thrusts was to import lessons from “safer” industries, particularly aviation. Most of these lessons - a focus on bad systems more than bad people, the importance of teamwork, the use of checklists, the value of simulation training - have served us well. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842622 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:53:44 +0100 2842622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842509&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfWYXSWNnhZo%2F There have been some interesting writings coming out of AEI’s new Center for Defense Studies recently.  On Friday, Daniel Blumenthal offered some thoughts on China.  In the course of making the case that Chinese leaders should realize that we are not trying to contain China, he wrote the following: If countries acted in accordance with rational actor theories of political science, the Chinese would be pretty well assured that we are not going to contain it. We have made clear across administrations that we welcome China’s rise as a great power and urge it to act as a responsible one. But countries do not act in accordance with political science theories. Later in the piece, he wrote the following: China is not the only country that is rising. So is India. But we do not worry abou... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842509 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:57:39 +0100 2842509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832145&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FgSN0QaVCDss%2F Big news: The FDA is holding a public hearing to discuss online promotion of FDA-regulated medical products – including prescription drugs, prescription biologics, and medical devices. The hearing will be November 12 and 13, 2009 in Washington, DC (registration closes October 9 – see also registration instructions from Eye on FDA), but public comments can be submitted in writing or electronically now through February 28, 2010. View the docket details and full Federal Register notice. A common reaction around the Web has been “Finally!” – with remarks like “This is NOT a Hoax!” and “Just in time for Web 3.0,” the FDA has set a date to start figuring out “how to deal with Web 2.0.” (NPR Health Blog). But after the initial shock and sarcas... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832145 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:24:35 +0100 2832145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828186&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgT-ocop5HCg%2F Despite Barack Obama’s frequent paeans to the value of transparency during the presidential campaign, his Justice Department has incensed civil liberties advocates by parroting the Bush administration’s broad invocations of the “state secrets privilege” in an effort to torpedo lawsuits challenging controversial interrogation and surveillance policies. Though in many cases the underlying facts have already been widely reported, DOJ lawyers implausibly claimed, not merely that particular classified information should not be aired in open court, but that any discussion of the CIA’s “extraordinary rendition” of detainees to torture-friendly regimes, or of the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping, would imperil national security. That may—emphasis on m... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828186 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:51:30 +0100 2828186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828357&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Flina-miles%2Flinda-miles-dr-rhonda-savage-on-dental-benefit-plans%2F TWO SIDES OF THE MANAGEMENT COIN: DENTAL BENEFIT PLANS STAFF’S VIEWPOINT: BY: Linda Miles, CMC DOCTOR’S VIEPOINT: BY: Rhonda Savage, DDS Dental insurance can be a frustrating topic for dentists and dental team members. In this article, we’ll review common concerns from both sides, then present an end-of-the-year insurance benefits template that you can use for your insurance patients. Staff’s Viewpoint “There are just too many insurance plans to keep track of. Why don’t the patients understand their dental benefits?” “I get so weary trying to explain these benefits.” “It is so time-consuming to do pre-authorizations, and 80% of the patients still say ‘no’ to treatment after we wait for weeks to get the responses back. What a waste of time!” “Doc... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828357 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:03:02 +0100 2828357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828187&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCGFm_3AIV7c%2F A couple of days ago the Common Core State Standards Initiative released a new draft of its national, “college- and career-readiness” math and English curricular standards. The content of the standards isn’t of huge interest to me — the biggest dangers are in the implementation of standards, not the drafting — but what is of great interest is determining whether having national standards makes sense in the first place. Unfortunately, it appears that many standards fans couldn’t care less about that little concern. To satisfy my interest, I’ve been delving into empirical work that might back claims that national standards are necessary for educational success, or just that they improve academic outcomes. And what have I found? As I laid o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828187 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:27:44 +0100 2828187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823951&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FR7XAGt9qZN4%2F President Obama’s address to the United Nations General Assembly this morning, and his chairing of the UN Security Council on Thursday, is a grand attempt to tell the world–after eight years of George W. Bush–that the United States will no longer go it alone. The president has a very difficult task, however, if he expects to invest the United Nations with renewed credibility. The UN is a weak and fractured institution, whose limited power and authority has been steadily undermined by a progression of U.S. presidents, both Democrats and Republicans. We should not forget that President Bill Clinton explicitly circumvented the UN Security Council when he chose to intervene militarily in Kosovo in 1999. Clinton’s evasion of the UNSC established a precedent for future mi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823951 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:29:12 +0100 2823951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823959&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FC9qHiOTv12g%2F Some comforting news regarding the Obama administration’s approach to the war in Afghanistan: Among the alternatives being presented to Mr. Obama is Mr. Biden’s suggestion to revamp the strategy altogether. Instead of increasing troops, officials said, Mr. Biden proposed scaling back the overall American military presence. Rather than trying to protect the Afghan population from the Taliban, American forces would concentrate on strikes against Qaeda cells, primarily in Pakistan, using special forces, Predator missile attacks and other surgical tactics. I’m an analyst, not a fortune teller, so anyone’s guess is as good as mine as far what course Obama will choose to take in Afghanistan. I will say, however, that I will not be surprised if the president decides to send more troo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823959 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:53:35 +0100 2823959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824219&cid=t_275871_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fsocial-security-administration-has-lot-prove-its-it-systems One doesn't necessarily put federal government agencies in the category of innovation, but the Social Security Administration (SSA) is doing some pretty forward-thinking things with healthcare IT. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824219 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:12:07 +0100 2824219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814397&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdOUTrF4ueVU%2F Pakistan long has tottered on the edge of being a failed state:  created amidst a bloody partition from India, suffered under ineffective democratic rule and disastrous military rule, destabilized through military suppression of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) by dominant West Pakistan, dismembered in a losing war with India, misgoverned by a corrupt and wastrel government, linked to the most extremist Afghan factions during the Soviet occupation, allied with the later Taliban regime, and now destabilized by the war in Afghanistan.  Along the way the regime built nuclear weapons, turned a blind eye to A.Q. Khan’s proliferation market, suppressed democracy, tolerated religious persecution, elected Asif Ali “Mr. Ten Percent” Zardari as president, and wasted billion... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814397 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:45:20 +0100 2814397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807573&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfW_As3G7OtI%2F As Tim Lynch noted earlier this week, Barack Obama’s justice department has come out in favor of renewing three controversial PATRIOT Act provisions—on face another in a train of disappointments for anyone who’d hoped some of those broad executive branch surveillance powers might depart with the Bush administration. But there is a potential silver lining: In the letter to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) making the case for renewal, the Justice Department also declares its openness to “modifications” of those provisions designed to provide checks and balances, provided they don’t undermine investigations. While the popular press has always framed the fight as being “supporters” and “opponents” of the PATRIOT Act, the problem with many of the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807573 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:23:43 +0100 2807573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803879&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fjz3QwzQlqBA%2F STRATFOR—a group I hadn’t heard of before—provides, in their words, “geopolitical intelligence – independent, non-ideological and non-partisan analysis and perspective that is unavailable anywhere else in the world.” They also say they provide the “intelligence behind the headlines.” Well, I was struck—delighted, really—to see them outright contradict the headlines in a report of theirs that mercilessly skewers H1N1 (swine) flu fears: It has been five months since the A(H1N1) influenza virus — aka the swine flu — climbed to the top of the global media heap, and with the start of the Northern Hemisphere’s annual flu season just around the corner, the topic is worth revisiting. If you take only one fact away from this analysi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803879 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:25:10 +0100 2803879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803888&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F21p5UjsSTFk%2F The Obama administration has been touting its wasteful “stimulus” package as the answer to the recession.  Now that Uncle Sam has started his spending binge, John Cogan, John Taylor, and Volker Wieland assess the result.  Their conclusion:  for all of the money spent, the effort wasn’t much of a stimulus. They write in the Wall Street Journal: Direct evidence of an impact by government spending can be found in 1.8 of the 5.4 percentage-point improvement from the first to second quarter of this year. However, more than half of this contribution was due to defense spending that was not part of the stimulus package. Of the entire $787 billion stimulus package, only $4.5 billion went to federal purchases and $17.7 billion to state and local purchases in the second quarte... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803888 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:40:10 +0100 2803888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803891&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0J1C00uzXig%2F KPMG has released its annual survey of personal income tax rates around the world. The survey covers 86 countries, including all the high-income nations and many middle- and lower-income nations, such as Brazil, China, and India. The chart shows the top personal income tax rates in 2009 for national governments, per the KPMG study. The current top U.S. rate is 35 percent, which is substantially above the 86-country average of 28.9 percent. The Obama administration plans to let the U.S. rate jump to 39.6 percent in 2011, which would be almost 11 points higher than the international average. Worse still, the United States has state income taxes with rates up to 10 percent that are piled on top of the federal tax. Some of the nations in the survey (e.g. Canada) also have subnational in... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803891 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:48:54 +0100 2803891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803893&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOcSb6u6tsWM%2F Andrew C. McCarthy has an article up  at National Review criticizing a recent decision by Obama administration officials to improve the detention procedures in Bagram, Afghanistan. McCarthy calls the decision an example of pandering to a “despotic” judiciary that is imposing its will on a war that should be run by the political branches. McCarthy’s essay is factually misleading, ignores the history of wartime detention in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, and encourages the President to ignore national security decisions coming out of the federal courts. More details after the jump. McCarthy is Factually Misleading McCarthy begins by criticizing a decision by District Judge John Bates to allow three detainees in Bagram, Afghanistan, to file habeas corpus petitions testing the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803893 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:42:23 +0100 2803893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800369&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPXaZmmp6wYQ%2F Item: The Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy, a group of concerned scholars and authors who work on international security and U.S. foreign policy, have issued an open letter to President Obama warning him not to expand U.S. involvement in that country.  (Full disclosure: I was a signatory.)  The list of signatories includes many of the scholars who urged President Bush not to invade Iraq.  Politico was the first to run the story: see here. Item: Via Michael Cohen, former CIA counterterrorism honcho Paul Pillar takes to the pages of the Washington Post to think through the concept of “safe havens” in Afghanistan.  His conclusion? Among the many parallels being offered between Afghanistan and the Vietnam War, one of the most disturbing concerns inadequate examination o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800369 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:44:15 +0100 2800369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800333&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FvjSAg9JwYlM%2F The proposed bill from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus to overhaul the health-care system is out and it is projected to cost $856 billion over 10 years. (Here’s a rundown from the WSJ.) As many had speculated, this bill — unlike the one from the House — doesn’t include a government insurance plan to compete with private insurers, and instead includes a proposal for nonprofit health insurance co-ops. It does include a mandate that individuals purchase insurance, though lower-income individuals would receive federal subsidies to help pay for it. The bill also includes language that prohibits insurers from excluding sick patients, which President Obama has been touting as a critical element to the health-care overhaul. Baucus Bonus: In his own words, Bauc... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800333 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:07:53 +0100 2800333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793132&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F5WPgmS6lEPk%2F Numbers and anecdotes about the insurance industry included in President Obama’s health-care speech last week aren’t accurate, Scott Harrington, a professor of health-care management and insurance and risk management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an adjunct scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, writes in an op-ed appearing in the WSJ. He points out that the president’s stories about people who have been dropped by the insurer once they get sick, a practice called recission, are a result of some pre-existing condition that should have been disclosed at the time the insurance was acquired, the typical rationale for recission. People in “good standing” with their insurer should never be dropped, according to Ha... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793132 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:48:24 +0100 2793132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2789094&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fyou-can-lead-patients-to-the-dental-office-but-will-they-convert%2F With the precious resources you devote to marketing – time and money – what if someone told you that your front office team is losing 10-50% of potential patients who actually take the first step of calling your office? In “On Schedule,” an article in Dentaltown Magazine this month, Jay Geir of The Scheduling Institute shares these statistics with us. The repercussions could amount to thousands upon thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Most dentists try to boost new patient numbers by doing more or different marketing. But if your marketing is working, the problem may rest on the reception your potential patients receive. These patients don’t normally drop by the office as a first point of contact. On the contrary, they usually call or email. So how can you assess conversion in ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2789094 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:55:29 +0100 2789094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788508&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrhqSE5FFHac%2F Terrorists are weak actors who use violence to induce overreaction on the part of their stronger victims. That lesson was on display today when someone overhearing radio traffic from a routine Potomac River Coast Guard exercise misinterpreted it and alerted the media. Among the results was a 20-minute grounding of planes at Reagan Airport. The good news is that the country is relatively safe. Americans and the national security establishment are tuned to the threat of terrorism. No attack to rival 9/11 ever occurred, and it’s unlikely that one ever will. But the 9/11 attacks had a dastardly effect. To match the results of those attacks, we imagined that terrorists had outsized technical skills, support networks, and insights. Vigilance and continued antiterror efforts will ensure tha... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788508 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:02:56 +0100 2788508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2785899&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FrMtzSzUUl1I%2F Will or won’t illegal immigrants be insured in a health care system overhaul? The question has come to the forefront since Rep. Joe Wilson’s cried out “You lie!” during president Obama’s health care speech the other night. Though the answer isn’t entirely clear, the WSJ notes that the House health reform proposal excludes illegal immigrants from the mandate of buying health insurance or paying a penalty. It also denies them the “affordability credits” that would reduce their out-of-pockets costs of buying insurance on their own, but they could participate in the insurance exchange, where individuals and small businesses can shop for coverage. Obama’s plan wouldn’t allow them to participate in the exchange at all, according to the ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2785899 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:04:34 +0100 2785899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782006&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FV_dzgomYqlU%2F Did the deals that industry stakeholders have made with Obama administration on health reform reflect in the president’s speech last night? Health insurers took the brunt of Obama’s attack, while the hospital and pharmaceutical industries — who have agreed to a combined $225 billion in cost savings over 10 years — were barely mentioned, notes Bloomberg. “Those deals obviously paid off tonight,” an analyst with Pali Capital LLC told Bloomberg. “I didn’t hear a peep about drug costs. I heard them talk about hospital infection rates, but there was nothing in this that would be negative for the hospitals that wasn’t already known.” Wellpoint, a large health insurer, said Obama continued his “mischaracterization” of the in... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782006 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:49:48 +0100 2782006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778385&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FFYBRk4wQHwE%2F Obama battled for health reform in his home state of Illinois in 2004, a dry-run to his current campaign to overhaul the national system, reports the Washington Post. The Post paints a picture of his style then, as now, as methodical and inclusive, his goals vague and his pace slow. He brought Republicans and industry stakeholders to the table, as he has done on the national scale as well, and also focused on gaining local support through town hall meetings. “He worked it slow but sure,” Denny Jacobs, a Democratic Illinois state senator, told the Washington Post. “Barack doesn’t let too much grass grow under his feet. If he’s got an idea that he thinks is good, he’s going to push it.” When he didn’t make much progress with industry players, ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778385 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:47:18 +0100 2778385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774601&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FI0S4PLvzxq0%2F Congress is back from recess today, and Obama will address them in a joint session tomorrow. Meanwhile, here are some of the highlights about health reform this morning: A proposal making the rounds among the Senate Finance Committee would require new fees for industry stakeholders but not for individuals, offer a lower-cost insurance option to adults 25 and younger and expand Medicaid coverage to millions who are currently ineligible, reports the New York Times. As expected, the plan contains no government-run health plan option, but instead proposes member-run co-operatives as an alternative. President Obama continued to push for a public option in a speech to the AFL-CIO yesterday (read coverage from the WSJ, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post). He also challenged his critics in the ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774601 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:37:15 +0100 2774601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2781988&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F09%2Ffull-video-and-text-of-the-presidents-speech-and-the-gop-response.html Transcript of the GOP Response to Obama's Speech The full text of President Obama's address on health care to the Joint Session of Congress: --------- Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, and the American people: When I spoke... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2781988 Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2781988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2768623&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FhNXiQcGEgZE%2F An Internet tactic popularized during the last presidential campaign is getting a workout in the current health-care debate: buying ads linked to popular search terms. The Los Angeles Times says that while interest groups have experience buying ads to appear in response to certain Internet search terms, the health overhaul has sparked more such ads than any previous public-policy donnybrook. “Looking back at previous issue battles — even thinking about the Iraq war, which was a passionate issue — we didn’t see anything close to the amount of online activity,” Peter Greenberger, Google’s director of political advertising, tells the LAT. As an example, type in a Google search for “death panels” and an ad often appears with the headline “Death Panel Myt... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2768623 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:53:35 +0100 2768623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2768625&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQNKXrH0TK1M%2F Here’s a look at some of the pre-holiday talk involving the health overhaul: The White House is pushing Democrats to remember, rather than to forget, the last time they tried to climb the health-reform mountain 15 years ago under President Clinton, says Politico. The message: “The lesson of 1994 is not that tackling health reform is politically perilous. It’s that failing to act could be devastating,” says Dan Pfeiffer, the White House deputy communications director, according to Politico. Politico also says the latest Democratic strategy for getting an overhaul through Congress will depend on at least two “wild cards” falling into place. One is getting Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine to join the 59 Senate Democrats in a filibuster-proof majority for the bill. The other is t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2768625 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:35:59 +0100 2768625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2765997&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FB493KuxXxbI%2F The housing boom and bust that occurred earlier in this decade resulted from efforts by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — the government sponsored enterprises with implicit backing from taxpayers — to extend mortgage credit to high-risk borrowers. This lending did not impose appropriate conditions on borrower income and assets, and it included loans with minimal down payments. We know how that turned out. Did U.S. policymakers learn their lessons from this debacle and stop subsidizing mortgage lending to risky borrowers? NO. Instead, the Federal Housing Authority lept into the breach: The FHA insures private lenders against defaults on certain home mortgages, an inducement to make such loans. Insurance from the New Deal-era agency has enabled lending to buyers who can’t make a big d... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2765997 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:23:40 +0100 2765997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766003&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-zYKRXFN79Q%2F Glenn Greenwald, author of Cato’s much-discussed paper on the success of drug decriminalization in Portugal, writes about cults of presidential personality. He notes that Jay Nordlinger of National Review and other conservatives — not to mention a few libertarians — have criticized the Obama administration’s plan to broadcast a presidential speech into American schools and push teachers to post Obama quotes in their classrooms and encourage students to talk about how President Obama inspires them. Greenwald never actually defends the Obama plan. But he does argue that conservatives have short memories when they say that this is something unique. In particular, he reminds us of the notorious Monica Goodling’s questions to job candidates at the George W. Bush D... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766003 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:01:35 +0100 2766003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761840&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FkHJVircje2U%2F After a summer when the health-care reform narrative seemed to be all opposition, all the time, President Obama is going to kick off the fall with a big speech to a joint session of Congress. The WSJ suggests that Obama could propose a compromise plan that expands health-insurance coverage without creating a new, government-backed plan — but also includes a fallback that would push individual states to offer a government-backed plan if private insurers don’t meet certain benchmarks. Obama doesn’t plan to insist on a public option, Politico says, citing senior White House aides. The Washington Post says Obama may look for Republican support by tightening the cost controls and slowing the expansion of insurance coverage. But the New York Times says Obama’s potential c... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761840 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:26:25 +0100 2761840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761820&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F09%2Four-president-is-on-the-ropes-.html By DR. STEPHEN KARDOS Recent pictures of President Obama suggest he is battered and on the ropes. Our President can recover if he chooses to change his fighting strategy to improve health instead of budgeting health. There is clearly emerging... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761820 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2761820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2752047&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Finformed-consent-greater-risk-for-practitioners%2F In two recent cases, in Maryland and Wisconsin, proof of medical negligence was not required for the plaintiffs to bring an informed-consent claim. So what does that mean to the average dental practitioner? A lot! We are responsible for providing the appropriate technical information by which our patients make choices, i.e. a root canal or extraction, medicate first or extract the hopeless infected tooth or even an implant or a three unit bridge? These two decisions basically stated that our informing the patient of “appropriate” technical information is not enough and that all alternate, viable medical modes of treatment, including diagnosis, as well as the benefits and risks of such treatments, must be explained. A simple example of this is: do we use lidocaine, mepivacaine or artica... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2752047 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:27:02 +0100 2752047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744054&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fim1QPFz52KY%2F The White House and the CBO announced this week that: The nation’s fiscal outlook is even bleaker than the government forecast earlier this year because the recession turned out to be deeper than widely expected, the budget offices of the White House and Congress agreed in separate updates on Tuesday. The Obama administration’s Office of Management and Budget raised its 10-year tally of deficits expected through 2019 to $9.05 trillion, nearly $2 trillion more than it projected in February. That would represent 5.1 percent of the economy’s estimated gross domestic product for the decade, a higher level than is generally considered healthy. What is the right response to these deficits? One view holds that most current expenditure is desirable — indeed, that expenditure should ideall... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744054 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:55:57 +0100 2744054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744058&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FRbJxW9Z-O08%2F Deep into Congress’s August recess, here is some of the latest on health care reform: Claims that health reform will be disastrous for businesses and government are wrong, writes Gary Locke, the U.S. secretary of commerce in an op-ed in the WSJ. Making his case for reform, Locke says that climbing health care costs already cost American businesses jobs and revenue, as well as entrepreneurship, and that isn’t sustainable. “In the short term, health-care costs pose a major problem for companies and their employees,” writes Locke. “In the medium and long-term, these costs pose serious challenges to our economy.” Health insurers wonder how they’ve become the villains in the reform debate, according to the New York Times. Some reasons that employees at ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744058 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:26:50 +0100 2744058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741344&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fm2TGf8GpJIs%2F Just when you were thinking it was safe to go back into the mortgage market, today’s Wall Street Journal  is highlighting the next source of mortgage fraud, the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) reserve mortgage program.  In a typical reverse mortgage, the bank sends the borrower a monthly check (or a lump sum payment at the beginning of the loan). It seems that some creative individuals have figured they could deed a run-down house to an elderly individual, and then get a reserve mortgage on that property; leaving them with the cash and the government with the run-down worthless property.  Of course, this requires getting an appraiser to go along with the value of the home, but since the Clinton HUD decided to do away with FHA control of appraisers and let the lender p... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741344 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:58:14 +0100 2741344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737707&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FHx0ZwxGQ0-k%2F Betsy McCaughey, the former lieutenant governor of New York and long-time voice on the health-care scene, takes on Obama health adviser Ezekiel Emanuel in a WSJ op-ed this morning. Emanuel says that doctors should serve both the patient and society, according to McCaughey. She cites a JAMA article in which Emanuel wrote of the rapidly escalating cost of U.S. health care and described the need “to provide socially sustainable, cost-effective care,” adding that “the progression in end-of-life care mentality from ‘do everything’ to more palliative care shows that change in physician norms and practices is possible.” His beliefs about making decisions based not only on the good for the individual but also on conserving societal resources discriminate against... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737707 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:41:23 +0100 2737707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734024&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FpLttgreO4TU%2F The Obama administration updated its economic forecast in its mid-session budget review this morning (read the WSJ story here and a post by budget director Peter Orszag here). Costs associated with health care, it says, are at the center of the government’s financial woes. In its own words: The Federal Government’s long-term fiscal shortfall is driven primarily by escalating health care costs. If health care costs continue to grow at their historical rates, Medicare and Medicaid will double as a share of spending on Federal programs within the next 30 years. These growth rates are simply unsustainable and are why slowing the growth in health care costs is the single most important step we can take to put the Nation on firm fiscal footing. For example, slowing the rate of healt... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734024 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:05:49 +0100 2734024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734265&cid=t_275871_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FHzcYL-Z4VuE%2Fmany-turning-to-online-health-insurance.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734265 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:36:00 +0100 2734265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2730063&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fva-computer-error-causes-health-scare%2F There was a  health care SNAFU at the Veterans Administration early this month. A computer coding error by the Veterans Administration led to more than 1,800 Gulf War veterans being sent letters informing them that they had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal neurological disease more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Can you imagine opening up your mail and being told that as a veteran with ALS, they were entitled to disability compensation of up to $2,700 a month with additional money for their children and spouses. Most would have been left scratching their head and wondering how in the world they suddenly had Lou Gehrig’s disease and why the heck no one had told them before. According to a VA spokesperson, the letter no way inferred a medical diagnosis of ALS. The VA has... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2730063 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:04:07 +0100 2730063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2727089&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FTGFEbpt88Kw%2F Hope your weekend was pleasant. Now it’s back to the same old grind: the debate over health care reform. Tom Daschle, the man who was a hair’s breadth from leading the Obama administration’s health care team, still talks health policy with the president and key officials. But he also works for a DC law and lobbying firm as an adviser to health industry companies such as UnitedHealth. The New York Times and the Washington Post both ran stories this weekend on Daschle’s dual role. “The message I deliver to labor unions and business leaders is the same one I share with doctors, hospitals and insurance companies,” Daschle wrote in a statement to the NYT. “I do not tailor my views to any specific group or client.” A roundup of lawmakers’ ra... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2727089 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:14:53 +0100 2727089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724823&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FJRPz98D7VjA%2F Here’s some of the news this morning from the health care debate: Some of the elderly growing increasingly worried that an overhaul will come at a cost to Medicare, even though President Obama has repeatedly said that it will not, according to the New York Times. AARP, the 40-million member organization that represents older Americans, has seen dissension among its members about health-care reform and 60,000 have quit the group since July 1, reports the WSJ. While Obama has mentioned AARP’s support for health reform as evidence that Medicare won’t be harmed, AARP says it has not endorsed any of the major health bills yet, though it does support health reform in general. Meanwhile, the group is running TV ads and holding meetings in over 80 towns this month to dispel rumo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724823 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:25:12 +0100 2724823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724913&cid=t_275871_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F21%2Fdubious-blue-light-iphone-app%2F Recently a press release crossed my desk advertising a blue light application for your iPhone (now) and for the Blackberry and Palm soon. I was amazed at the brash medical claims this software maker was claiming — claims that one might think might need to evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration because they relate to the claimed treatment of seasonal depression. What’s so special about blue light? In recent years, there’s been a growing body of research that suggests light in the 460 - 470 nm wavelength spectrum can be particularly effective in helping people with seasonal affective disorder (also called seasonal depression or SAD). It’s also been theorized to help fight fatigue and drowsy driving. But here’s the rub. When you examine those studies, you... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724913 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:15:35 +0100 2724913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724817&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOK5ffHsJt-c%2F Former congressman, governor, and secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge is a long-time GOP loyalist.  But he apparently doesn’t have good things to say about the Bush administration on its vaunted war on terrorism. A new report on his upcoming book warns: Tom Ridge, the first head of the 9/11-inspired Department of Homeland Security, wasn’t keen on writing a tell-all. But in The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege…and How We Can Be Safe Again, out September 1, Ridge says he wants to shake “public complacency” over security. And to do that, well, he needs to tell all. Especially about the infighting he saw that frustrated his attempts to build a smooth-running department. Among the headlines promoted by publisher Thomas Dunne Books: Rid... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724817 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:18:32 +0100 2724817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2715920&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUrtpVTrB35Q%2F Pardon me while I pile on the post earlier today by my colleague Sallie James about the Obama administration refusing to allow more sugar to be imported to the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week declined to relax the quotas the federal government imposes on imported sugar despite soaring domestic prices and understandable complaints from U.S. confectioners and other sugar-consuming businesses about potential shortages. For all his talk about change, President Barack Obama has shown no inclination to pursue meaningful reform of U.S. agricultural programs. He supported the subsidy-laden and protectionist farm bill that finally passed Congress in 2008. On the eve of the U.S. presidential election in October 2008, he wrote a letter to the U.S. sugar industry reminding ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2715920 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:49:07 +0100 2715920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712065&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FacawJ5E21T8%2F Since the June House vote on the Waxman-Markey “cap-and-trade” bill, lawmakers from both chambers have backed significantly away from the legislation. The first raucous “town hall” meetings occurred during the July 4 recess, before health care. Voters in swing districts were mad as heck then, and they’re even more angry now. Had the energy bill not all but disappeared from the Democrats’ fall agenda, imagine the decibel level if members were called to defend it and Obamacare. But none of this has dissuaded the editorial boards of the The New York Times and Washington Post. Both newspapers featured uncharacteristically shrill editorials today demanding climate change legislation at any cost. The Post, at least, notes the political realities facing cap-and-trade and ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712065 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:41:08 +0100 2712065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709114&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FG2ojSPhCFNI%2F Having Congress charter a health insurance “cooperative” is just another way of creating a new government-run program that would drive private insurers out of business. The definition of a cooperative is a health plan governed by its enrollees. Since a government chartered co-op won’t have any enrollees at first, it will be governed like any other government program. So when the Obama administration and congressional Democrats say, “We’re going to create a co-op,” what they mean is, “We’re going to create a new government health program but we will turn it over to the members in five years. We promise.” As I explained in a recent Cato study, a government-chartered co-op would become just another Fannie Med: It makes no difference whethe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709114 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:11:34 +0100 2709114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709123&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FCiRYAIJiKgw%2F It’s time for your health-care-debate news narrative of the day: Obama Administration Won’t Require New Government-Backed Health Plan. Stories on that theme land on the front pages of the WSJ, New York Times and Washington Post. It’s been clear for a while now that the Senate Finance Committee — a key player in the health-reform picture — might not include a new government plan (known as the “public option”) in its health-reform bill. And it’s been clear that, despite the Obama Administration’s support of the public option, the issue wasn’t a dealbreaker for the president (see, for example, the the WSJ story from June headlined “Obama Open to Health Overhaul Without Public Plan“). Instead of a new government plan, we m... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709123 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:41:37 +0100 2709123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2691461&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FChjmwphly8I%2F In his town-hall meeting today, President Obama hit on the familiar theme that there is a “severe shortage” of primary care physicians. “Primary care physicians, they make a lot less money than specialists,” he said. “[O]ne of the things we can do is to reimburse doctors who are providing preventive care and not just the surgeon who provides care after somebody is sick.” He also called for “helping pay for medical education for those who are willing to go into primary care.” Of course, we’ve all heard this sort of thing before. What do the two big health-care bills introduced so far this year in Congress actually do to address these issues? Deep in the 1,018-page House bill (p. 879) is a description of a “primary care training an... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2691461 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:53:47 +0100 2691461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678609&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F07sRhlHBztM%2F Though Congress is adjourning for its summer recess, the health care debate is still a hot topic. A few of the highlights this morning: The first industry stakeholder to the table apparently gets a deal from the Obama adminstration, and the honor appears to go to drug makers. The New York Times reports that the pharmaceutical industry was assured by the administration that it wouldn’t have to bear any more of the costs of health reform beyond the $80 billion over 10 years that it previously agreed to. That pledge appears to be at odds with allowing Medicare to negotiate prices on prescription drugs — a provision included in a bill that recently cleared a House committee. Billy Tauzin, president of the drug industry trade group, told the NYT, “We were assured: ‘We ne... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678609 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:40:51 +0100 2678609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2674391&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdentists-can-survive-and-thrive-in-economic-downturn%2F If you’re not sure what tomorrow holds for your business, or if you’ve begun to worry about financial stability and success in light of the economy, listen to the experts. Apply their advice. See what happens. Brandon Parkhurst, CPA, CFP, tells us in this month’s Dental Products Report that “What Goes Down, Must Come Up.” Based on a survey by DPR, half of general dentists will not make an investment in new products for the office this year as a direct result of the lagging economy. But should they? That’s just one piece of the puzzle, actually. Many factors contribute to a dental office’s success. Parkhurst and other experts recommend these tips: Manage costs - Parkhurst Don’t pay down debt too quickly. Keep your cash fluid for emergencies and the future. Consolidat... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2674391 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:47:24 +0100 2674391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670784&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F5qCpWbllf_o%2F Watch out: Congress and the health industry are coming to your town. The president and Congressional Democrats will be holding town-hall-type meetings across the country and running TV ads during Congress’ August break, the New York Times notes. The goal is to counter the insurance industry’s opposition a public health plan option, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The health insurer’s trade group is calling for confrontation in public meetings from its members. And the success of such live public forums depends on who shows up. Politico.com notes that some Democratic leaders have already faced a spate of protesters at recent events. “Special interests and opponents have figured out how easy it is to disrupt town halls and get their own message out,” Ma... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670784 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:52:22 +0100 2670784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653680&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FPautPNdMPsk%2F Concern over Medicare is one theme of this morning’s health-reform coverage. Here are a few highlights: Seniors are worried about cuts to their Medicare benefits as a result of calls for reduced Medicare spending, reports the New York Times and WSJ. Members of AARP met with the president last night to discuss their concerns about seniors’ ability to continue to get costly services, like hip replacements. Obama tried to reassure them that the goal of cuts — the House bill proposes to reduce Medicare spending by $246 billion over the next decade — is to reduce wasteful Medicare spending, not benefits, notes the WSJ. Doctors’ groups don’t like the idea of an independent commission that would set the size of Medicare payments to health-care professionals, re... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653680 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:58:37 +0100 2653680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2637912&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fare-you-the-dentsit-theyll-choose%2F In Living Magazine this month (July 2009, p 36), an article ran entitled “Need a Dentist? Who You Gonna Call?” by Mimi Greenwood Knight. Now, you know that your target audience is women. They’re the ones who choose the family dentist. What is this women’s magazine saying to your target audience? The article is about choosing the right dentist to fit your family ’s needs. Readers are encouraged to self assess, then consider questions such as (paraphrased): Is the dentist an ADA member? How long has he practiced? Does he have digital X-ray? Does he offer emergency care, 24/7? Will you have to wait? Is the team friendly? Is the dentist conservative in his recommendations? Will you have to see a specialist, or can the dentist do all of your work? Will the office... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2637912 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:43:43 +0100 2637912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2637792&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FEjU-zvntdbA%2F After Sen. Harry Reid said yesterday that the Senate health bill won’t come up for a vote before the August break, much of the news coverage on health reform this morning centers on what the missed deadline means. Democratic leaders downplayed the idea that the delay means that overhaul efforts could lose steam, but the holdup gives opponents more time to critique the bill that emerges from the Senate Finance committee, notes the New York Times. The committee’s bill is now due before the recess begins on Aug. 8. Dems are feeling the pressure from President Obama, and members in the House held a “contentious” closed-door meeting yesterday to talk about things, Politico says. Some Senate Finance Dems are telling committee chief Max Baucus that their votes shouldn&#82... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2637792 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:05:23 +0100 2637792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630092&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FdVOJzr-B4aE%2F In the mounting debate over possible costs and benefits of dueling health-reform proposals, the estimated cost of the status quo has sometimes been overlooked. So one of the interesting details in President Obama’s health-care press conference last night was his emphasis on the estimated cost of leaving the current system in place: If we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket. …if somebody told you that there is a plan out there that is guaranteed to double your health care costs over the next 10 years, that’s guaranteed to result in more Americans losing their health care, and that is by far the biggest contributor to our federal deficit, I ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630092 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:20:57 +0100 2630092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630099&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQdGSmJY7Zb0%2F Here are a few stories on health-care reform that caught our eye this morning: One thread common to all three major bills under consideration in Congress is a mandate that would for the first time require every American carry health insurance, just like the requirement that all drivers have car insurance, notes the Washington Post. Most of those without coverage would be required to purchase it or face financial penalties, with lower-income Americans getting waivers or discounts. In Massachusetts, after an individual mandate was put in place, an additional 148,000 residents enrolled in employer-sponsored plans, according to the Post. President Obama has been on a tear talking about the health overhaul to Congress and stakeholders across the country, and tonight will address the public in a... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630099 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:40:44 +0100 2630099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630100&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fzotpa-3V8m4%2F President Obama is repeating Clinton-era mistakes of the ’90s in trying to overhaul the health-care system, taking a “fundamentally dishonest approach to reform,” says Bobby Jindal, Louisiana’s Republican governor, in an op-ed in today’s WSJ. Jindal faults the Clinton plan because it was “concocted in secret without the guiding hand of public consensus-building, and because it was a philosophical over-reach.” In the Obama-led effort, he targets the “hollow” promise that Americans can keep their current health-care plans. He says this isn’t true because the Democrats’ goal is to get more people to join the public health plan that has been proposed in various bills, which would allow the government plan to set prices. Anoth... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630100 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:53:13 +0100 2630100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2637809&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F07%2Foped-healthcare-reform-why-have-the-objectives-been-abandoned-so-quickly.html By DR. ALBERT WAXMAN In the campaign of 2008 and the first six months of 2009, the call for healthcare reform has been a refreshing and important theme. It has been widely recognized that 1. Healthcare costs are out of... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2637809 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2637809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630122&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F07%2Foped-healthcare-reform-why-have-the-objectives-been-abandoned-so-quickly.html By DR. ALBERT WAXMAN In the campaign of 2008 and the first six months of 2009, the call for healthcare reform has been a refreshing and important theme. It has been widely recognized that 1. Healthcare costs are out of... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630122 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2630122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2625986&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FUpCHyw2qdcs%2F Here’s your morning roundup of a few of the health overhaul stories that caught the Health Blog’s eye. President Obama added a bit of breathing room to the deadline he set for Congress of passing health bills in each chamber before the August recess. A key quote from his interview with Jim Lehrer on the NewsHour last night: ” … if there are no deadlines, nothing gets done in this town. … If somebody comes to me and says, it’s basically done; it’s going to spill over by a few days or a week — you know, that’s different.” And in remarks at a children’s hospital yesterday, he said: “Let’s pass reform by the end of this year.” He kept up the push this morning on the Today show, where he repeated his nothing-get... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2625986 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:33:46 +0100 2625986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2621767&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fuw7Cn8TBsDE%2F All eyes will remain on the plan to overhaul the health-care system this week, notes the Washington Post, though the Obama administration’s goal to have both the House and Senate deliver a bill to the president by August has softened, according to the New York Times. One of the issues highlighted in this morning’s health-reform coverage is the tax surcharge on wealthy Americans contained in the House bill. Currently, the bill proposes a tax increase on individuals making more than $280,000 and families making more than $350,000 a year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Politico that she thinks the income threshold should be raised to individuals making $500,000 and families making $1 million annually “so it’s a millionaire’s tax.” She also said that much of he... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2621767 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:11:29 +0100 2621767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613839&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FGmrcqQ8eXsI%2F Controlling Medicare costs is a political minefield for Congress. So, with everybody talking about the costs of health-care reform, some key Washington figures are arguing that another body should make some of the hard decisions about Medicare. Peter Orszag, who runs the Office of Management and Budget, today sent Nancy Pelosi a piece of legislation that would create a new council to make recommendations on Medicare payment rates and other issues. Members of the council would be appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate and serve five-year terms. The group would make recommendations, which the president could then accept or reject as a package. If the president accepted the package, Congress would have 30 days to block it by joint resolution. In the absence of such a resolution, ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613839 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:38:25 +0100 2613839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613820&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FtFN8J64JQs0%2F Yesterday I had the opportunity to moderate a fascinating panel: Drug & Food Safety in the Age of Social Media and Transparency. The panel was part of the Driving the Adoption of Health IT Through Innovations in Social Media conference in Washington DC. There were three panels in all. Mine was the second panel. After opening remarks by Craig Stoltz, Founder of Web 2.Oh…Really (and Former Editorial Director, Revolution Health and Former Editor of the Washington Post Health section), we heard from experts on H1N1 Influenza: How Social Media Improves Communication & Collaboration For Public Health. After my panel, we heard from experts (including Disruptive Woman’s March Man of the Month, Dr. Ted Eytan of Kaiser Permanente) on Electronic Health Records: Using Social Media To Driv... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613820 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:26:30 +0100 2613820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610885&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOY3cVixhG4g%2F Well, kinda. In this oped for Kaiser Health News, I explain how the deals that the Obama administration has struck with (some) drug companies, Wal-Mart, and (some) hospitals are “the same old Washington game of bribes, backroom deals, profiteering and protectionism — and a harbinger of what health care will look like if the president’s reforms succeed.” (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610885 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:50:32 +0100 2610885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605955&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fyc3NDgeVft0%2F Until her nomination this week to be surgeon general, Regina Benjamin of Alabama was one of about 50 political and health celebrities signed up with Speakers on Healthcare. The roster of clients include almost-Surgeon General Sanjay Gupta of CCN; Bob Schieffer of CBS; Lance Armstrong of — last time we checked — somewhere outside Limoges hitting the flat plain section of the Tour de France; former Assistant Surgeon General Susan Blumenthal, wife of Democratic Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts; Richard Simmons; and Carrie Fisher, forever Princess Leia. The site describes Benjamin, who had run a rural health clinic, as “one of the most inspirational speakers available to today’s health care community. Consistently guided by a strong sense of social conscience.” The sit... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605955 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:21:40 +0100 2605955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598201&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FmaD2v_M-g6c%2F Surgeon general is a largely symbolic post — potentially useful as a bully pulpit, but without a lot of administrative authority. So it makes sense to look for the symbolic implications of Barack Obama’s choice of Regina Benjamin as surgeon general. They aren’t hard to find. Regina Benjamin is a family doctor who runs a rural clinic that treats many poor patients in the town of Bayou La Batre, Alabama. She has an MBA and she was the first black woman to be elected to the AMA’s board of trustees. How does her work speak to American health care more broadly? People who are poor and who live in rural places often have a harder time getting access to care. Black people also have poorer access and fare worse than average Americans on a wide range of health outcomes. Fami... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598201 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:35:15 +0100 2598201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588184&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fn1CSRqpQTXQ%2F In a recent post, I noted how Department of Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano was “taking the national ID tar baby in a loving embrace.” Now the administration seems to be similarly embracing the E-Verify government background check system. Starting September 8th, it will go forward with a Bush administration plan to require federal contractors to check their employees against federal databases. The E-Verify program is riddled with problems, and it will send many American workers and legal immigrants into Kafkaesque ordeals when they find they aren’t approved by the federal government to earn a living. Ultimately, “internal enforcement” of immigration law, which is what E-Verify is about, requires a biometric national identity system. Wasn’t a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588184 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:39:47 +0100 2588184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588191&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FO89qw_xD8YQ%2F The day-in, day-out coverage of the Washington health-reform debate has taken on the feel of campaign coverage, with daily stories converging on a theme. This morning, for example, we find a raft of articles suggesting that the effort is stalling amid dissension in Washington and beyond. This seems like a natural enough narrative for the moment when Congress actually has to figure out how to restructure health insurance and — even tougher — how to pay for the trillion-dollar package. (See our post from yesterday on the dimming prospects for taxing high-end health benefits.) Here are a few headlines that caught our eye this morning: “Healthcare Overhaul Bill Stalls in Congress,” this morning’s Boston Globe says. The story quotes Democrat Max Baucus, perhaps th... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588191 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:48:10 +0100 2588191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588192&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FYF_JbeBTjkI%2F The National Institutes of Health hasn’t had a permanent chief since radiologist Elias Zerhouni left in September after 6 1/2 years at the helm. Today President Obama nominated a noted geneticist, Francis Collins to takeover as head of 18,000-employee organization. Collins, 59 years old, served as director of the NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute from 1993 to 2008 and oversaw the international collaboration known as the Human Genome Project. That project, completed in 2003, determined the sequence of the three billion base pairs that make up human DNA. Moreover, it spurred the field of genomics and the dream to personalize medicine for individuals based on their genes. His nomination is being applauded by organizations like the American Heart Association and Person... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588192 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:33:06 +0100 2588192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584139&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FYF_JbeBTjkI%2F The National Institutes of Health hasn’t had a permanent chief since radiologist Elias Zerhouni left in September after 6 1/2 years at the helm. Today President Obama nominated a noted geneticist, Francis Collins to takeover as head of 18,000-employee organization. Collins, 59 years old, served as director of the NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute from 1993 to 2008 and oversaw the international collaboration known as the Human Genome Project. That project, completed in 2003, determined the sequence of the three billion base pairs that make up human DNA. Moreover, it spurred the field of genomics and the dream to personalize medicine for individuals based on their genes. His nomination is being applauded by organizations like the American Heart Association and Person... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584139 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:33:06 +0100 2584139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584142&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FtMIjJ-19a1w%2F In an overhaul unrelated to health reform, the Obama administration pledged to improve the country’s food safety system with sweeping changes designed to prevent outbreaks of food-borne illness instead of responding to them after they occur, according to the WSJ. Among the aims of the overhaul: to set up a federal “command system” that would respond to outbreaks and develop industry guidelines to help the government track contaminated products. The FDA and USDA are also setting new standards to reduce salmonella and E. coli infections, says the WSJ. The New York Times describes many of the measures announced yesterday as “more aspirational than actual.” But, improving food safety has been a goal of federal agencies for years, and the current system is widely... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584142 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:44:31 +0100 2584142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584143&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FxkhEN92L49Q%2F As proposals continue to be bandied about on how to lower the cost of a health-system overhaul, one idea appears to be losing steam, that of taxing employer-provided health insurance. Sen. Chuck Grassley had talked up the proposal just last week. But the WSJ notes that other senators including Kent Conrad, he of the health co-op idea, say that a first-ever tax on such benefits is unpopular and would be difficult to explain to voters. Though it’s not completely off the table, the Senate is considering a broader spate of options to help fund the huge price tag of reform, including “modestly” limiting the tax deductions for the wealthy, a proposal President Obama has raised repeatedly. Just 30% of voters support a tax on benefits, according to a telephone poll conducted in ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584143 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:31:02 +0100 2584143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2580209&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F07%2Fa-second-city-warning-to-obama.html By MICHAEL MILLENSON For all those Obama-ites confident that they won't make the same mistakes pushing health care reform that the Clinton administration did, might I suggest a trip back home? Just a few minutes into the Second City comedy... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2580209 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2580209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2580373&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdb-column-two-sides-of-the-management-coin%2F True Teamwork How to bring the staff and doctor(s) together Staff Viewpoint by Linda Miles – Doctor’s Viewpoint by Dr. Rhonda Savage Life would be great, at times, if it weren’t for other people! Yet it is through relationships with others that you’ll often obtain the greatest rewards! Your dental office is where you spend many hours of your life. Getting along and working productively is so important, yet many offices experience stress because team members argue, give each other the silent treatment or allow someone else to do all the work. How well does your team work together? Can you depend on each other? Trust and respect one another? Trust and respect are two essential key elements for a dental office. Staff Viewpoint by Linda Miles: Why do I have to work with her? She’s on... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2580373 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:08:23 +0100 2580373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576558&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FtavgDQ0I7Do%2F The Obama administration today issued final guidelines regarding use of stem cells for research purposes and in the process, it announced rules expected to make even more stem cells available for lab work. In a draft of the guidelines outlined by the National Institutes of Health in April, only stem cells from excess embryos at fertility clinics that would otherwise have been discarded and that had received donor consent were to be eligible for federal funding. In the final guidelines, stem lines developed before the guidelines go into effect tomorrow won’t be asked to show that they were derived from the specific ethical requirements set forth in the guidelines, according to the Washington Post. Instead, older stem cell lines that were derived in the spirit of the ethical principl... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576558 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:52:41 +0100 2576558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576560&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FOyimcepTWHg%2F President Obama has said he is open to the idea of the health-care cooperative option proposed by Sen. Kent Conrad. But how feasible is is it to get such a plan, in which consumer owners would negotiate rates with private insurers, up and running quickly? Not very, according to Bloomberg. Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, tells Bloomberg that if existing regional co-ops are the model, such plans can take decades to fully develop. “If we had 25 years, and we weren’t staring down the barrel of a shotgun on health costs, it’s a pretty neat concept,” Keckley told Bloomberg. “It’s a politically interesting solution. I just don’t think it’s a real practical one.” Seattle-based Group Health, the oldest... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576560 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:41:47 +0100 2576560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2572919&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F07%2Fwashington-posts-salon-disaster-and-health-care-reform.html By CRAIG STOLTZ As a former citizen of the Washington Post newsroom, the recent disaster about the newspaper’s “salon” project is heartbreaking and embarrassing. I won’t belabor the issues many others have so thoroughly covered, including today’s “apology” by publisher... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2572919 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:21:48 +0100 2572919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570934&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdental-trade-alliances-oral-healthcare-cant-wait-free-resources%2F Intro from DentalBlogs: Dental Trade Alliance is launching a new campaign intended to help dentists and dental professionals underline the importance of checkups and following through with treatment plans. To you, this means free resources for marketing - logo, tagline, posters, brochures, a video for your website or YouTube, and more. Visit the website by clicking the green smiley on the left to learn more. ————————- Dental Industry Unites to Warn Consumers About the Risks of Putting Off Regular Chekcups and Recommended Treatment ARLINGTON, VA – JULY 1ST, 2009 – The Dental Trade Alliance (DTA), a nonprofit trade association representing leading dental manufacturers, distributors, and laboratories, recently launched its “Oral Healthcar... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570934 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:46:29 +0100 2570934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556082&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fx2eR4WlcWos%2F The U.S. is not yet out of Iraq, but American forces have pulled back from Iraqi cities.  Iraq’s future increasingly is in the hands of Iraqis.  And most Iraqis appear to be celebrating. Reports the Washington Post: This is no longer America’s war. Iraqis danced in the streets and set off fireworks Monday in impromptu celebrations of a pivotal moment in their nation’s troubled history: Six years and three months after the March 2003 invasion, the United States on Tuesday is withdrawing its remaining combat troops from Iraq’s cities and turning over security to Iraqi police and soldiers. While more than 130,000 U.S. troops remain in the country, patrols by heavily armed soldiers in hulking vehicles as of Wednesday will largely disappear from Baghdad, Mosul and Iraq... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556082 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:40:22 +0100 2556082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553011&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F-YPa0AWJQWg%2F A bit of Washington health-reform action from one of yesterday’s Sunday morning news shows. Chuck Grassley and David Axelrod both talked health care on ABC’s This Week. Grassley plumped for the idea of taxing high-end health benefits. Axelrod said President Obama prefers funding health reform by limiting tax deductions for people making more than $250,000 a year — but wouldn’t rule out going along with a tax on benefits, if that’s what Congress passes. A key quote from Grassley: …we shouldn’t be subsidizing high-end health insurance policies that drive up inflation in health insurance, maybe, one or two percentage points of the seven or eight that it goes up every year. George Stephanopoulos, the host, asked Axelrod whether Obama would go along w... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553011 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:34:38 +0100 2553011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522874&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FZM_GwGCyjHI%2F A plan to reform health-care is going to cost a lot of money and Congress is working to figure out where it’s going to come from. Chairman Max Baucus of the Senate Finance Committee says he has crafted a new set of policy options that will allow the plan to be be fully paid for and that will meet the cost goal of $1 trillion over 10 years, the WSJ and New York Times report. Details from Baucus, however, were scant. Senate aids say the plan is likely to include reducing a tax credit to small businesses for providing health insurance for employees and delaying the expansion of Medicaid, according to the WSJ. The NYT says the bill will likely call for a new tax on employer-provided health benefits and a mandate for employers to help pay some health insurance costs for low-income worker... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522874 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:29:29 +0100 2522874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510295&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FTLoV3SF0J6s%2F President Obama still supports having a government-backed health-insurance plan compete against private insurers. But if Congress passes a bill without a public plan, he might sign it. He discussed the subject at some length at yesterday’s press conference, arguing for the plan but saying that “we have not drawn lines in the sand.” Here’s a transcript; here are stories from the WSJ, New York Times and Washington Post. Here’s a slice of what he said on the subject: I think there can be some legitimate concerns on the part of private insurers that if any public plan is simply being subsidized by taxpayers endlessly that over time they can’t compete with the government just printing money, so there are going to be some I think legitimate debates to be had ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510295 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:53:09 +0100 2510295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511028&cid=t_275871_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F21%2Fthe-situation-of-pollworkers-and-voting-booths-abstract%2F This article addresses how unconscious bias may play a role in the interaction between pollworkers and prospective voters and discusses some ways in which the potential for unconscious bias to operate in America’s polling places may be mitigated. * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Racial Situation of Voting,” “Why Race May Influence Us Even When We “Know” It Doesn’t,” “The Interior Situation of Undecided Voters,” “On Being a Mindful Voter,” “Implicit Associations in the 2008 Presidential Election,” “The Situation of Political Animals,” and “Your Brain on Politics.” To review all of the previous Situationist posts discussing implicit associations click on the “Implicit Associations” category in the ri... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511028 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:01:01 +0100 2511028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510473&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F06%2Fhow-relevant-is-the-american-medical-association.html By RAHUL PARIKH, MD Like most doctors, I was busy seeing a full schedule of patients when President Obama addressed members of the American Medical Association at their annual meeting in Chicago. The speech was billed as a crucial confrontation... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510473 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2510473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510205&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FhTQ1Ew7PNAE%2F This month, Disruptive Women welcomes Brent Shafer, CEO, Philips Electronics, North America, as our June Man of the Month. Below, he shares his thoughts on the funding of healthcare reform. After years of stops and starts when it comes to healthcare reform, it appears that we are now moving forward at lightning speed. Perhaps so fast that we are trying to change a complex system without the required due diligence needed to make sure that we preserve what works. It has always been the conventional wisdom of most policy makers that true reform needs to be done incrementally, not in one giant overhaul. The growing number of Americans without access to healthcare has increased the urgency to “do something.” Although many are frustrated with what has been perceived as “all talk and no a... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510205 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:34:38 +0100 2510205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512145&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdentists-sexual-harassment-discrimination%2F Every day, it seems, a news story tells us about a dentist or dental professional who has molested a patient during a dental appointment. The nature of dentistry (and medicine) is such that we are in a prime situation to (a) sexually harass and (b) be accused of sexual harassment. Sometimes, though, allegations of sexual harassment (not physical contact) result from how a patient perceives a dentist or dental professional. Mitchell Karp, MSOD, tells us in his article at www.DentalOfficeMag.com, that dentists are considered powerful by patients, and because of this, patients may not feel confident telling their dentist when they feel uncomfortable. Karp’s article, “How to avoid allegation of sexual harassment and/or discrimination: Five things you need to know,” recommends not making ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512145 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:48:18 +0100 2512145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2748160&cid=t_275871_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F06%2F15%2Fcheerios-a-cholesterol-drug%2F In May the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) sent a warning letter to General Mills, the manufacturers of Cheerios indicating that they had found “serious violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act” in that they believe based on the packaging that Cheerios was “is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.” According to the Warning Letter sent by the FDA to Cheerios they were accusing General Mills of marketing an “Unproved New Drug” Based on claims made on your product’s label, we have determined that your Cheerios® Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2748160 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:14:59 +0100 2748160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477551&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FLQQG1eVmbPs%2F In a speech before the American Medical Association today, President Obama pushed his health-reform agenda, defending his push for a public health-insurance option and speaking in favor of a payment system that rewards doctors for the quality of care they provide rather than the quantity. And in what drew the biggest round of applause from the audience, he gave a nod to the idea that the medical-malpractice system needs to be changed — though he also said he wasn’t for capping malpractice awards. Obama acknowledged that doctors had “legitimate concerns” that a public health-insurance plan would mean they would be paid Medicare rates, which they feel are too low. But he said those concerns could be “overcome,” and that reform would mean docs are paid &#82... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477551 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:42:44 +0100 2477551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477555&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F0WTbrUSM_i8%2F President Obama speaks before the American Medical Association today, the nation’s biggest doctors’ group that has already come out against aspects of Democrats’ ideas for a government-run health-plan option, but which is less of a political force than it has been in the past. The AMA now represents only a third of doctors in the U.S., reports NPR’s Morning Edition. Many doctors turn to their specialty physicians groups for representation instead. The change is due in part to some past AMA missteps. The group removed most of its leadership in 1990 after an ill-advised endorsement of some consumer-health products and its failure to win change in the medical malpractice system, NPR notes. Moreover, medicine is no longer “monolithic” and there is internal struggle among the medica... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477555 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:16:47 +0100 2477555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469431&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F36kbou6JIWc%2F Maybe you have wondered, is it possible to get an op-ed published in the Washington Post advocating increased US defense spending without any mention of the enemies the defense budget is meant to defend us against or the wars we might fight with them?  Yes! Michael O’Hanlon proves it. He says: 1. The Pentagon needs two percent annual growth above inflation to maintain its current plans. 2. Therefore the zero percent real growth the Obama administration plans for the next five years is unwise and we need to add $150 billion over that period. The first part is reasonable, but why should the Pentagon maintain all its current programs? O’Hanlon doesn’t say. What the article amounts to is an argument for higher defense spending because defense spending is expensive. That... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469431 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:09:56 +0100 2469431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469493&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F06%2Fthe-health-industrys-achilles-heel.html By BRIAN KLEPPER and DAVID C. KIBBE "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." - Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff Timing matters. The health industry has demonstrated steadfast resistance to reforms, but its recently diminished... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469493 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2469493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464091&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnLsOla36C9Q%2F In the same bill that Congress limited the use of whole-body imaging or “strip-search machines” at airports (text of the amendment here), it required the Transportation Security Administration to study using facial and iris recognition to identify people in line for airport security checkpoints (Sec. 242 of House-passed version here). So glimpses at de-identified bodies are a privacy outrage while massive biometric databases and records of people’s travels are good to go? Not necessarily. Average people (and members of Congress) understand better what a look at the body is, but they don’t understand as well what biometric tracking and databasing of our movements means. So they’re quick to object to the former and lagging on the latter. Those of us who understa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464091 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:48:59 +0100 2464091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464107&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FHsf-J-hS97E%2F Chuck Grassley made news yesterday when he fired off a few shots at President Obama from his Twitter feed. The tweets were on health reform — a subject on which Grassley’s been playing a key role from his perch as the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. That got us wondering what else Grassley’s tweeted on health reform. We found a few and reprinted them below. We looked for a Twitter feed from Max Baucus, Grassley’s Democratic counterpart, but it appears he doesn’t have one. Those seeking a powerful Democrat’s online perspective on health reform might look at Peter Orszag’s blog (specifically, posts such as this one, this one and this one.) Here’s a selection of Grassley tweets on health reform: April 29: 4hrs Finance Comm d... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464107 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:58:32 +0100 2464107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458089&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F06%2Fdatadriven-health-care-an-interview-with-jerry-reeves-md.html An under-the-radar debate is occurring in health care between those who say data shows that practice variations across the land are “unwarranted” and those who maintain that such variation is inevitable given socioeconomic population differences and cost of practice differences... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458089 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2458089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458046&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxOrN1eYAdAo%2F Yesterday the House adopted an amendment to the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act that would prohibit the TSA from using Whole Body-Imaging machines for primary screening at airports and require the TSA to give passengers the option of a pat-down search in place of going through a WBI machine, among other things. You can read the amendment here, and the roll call vote will soon be up here. Use it to decide whether to cheer or jeer your member of Congress. More on strip-search machines here, here, and here. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458046 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:33:08 +0100 2458046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447464&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F0vY4yPGuAos%2F Today we get a follow-up to last month’s rather vague promise from a kitchen sink of health-care players to slow the rise of costs in the coming decade. Here’s today’s letter from (deep breath) AHIP, the AMA, the American Hospital Association, AdvaMed, PhRMA and SEIU. It’s the latest sign that, in public at least, everybody’s still on board with this whole health-reform thing. The letter starts out with an overview of the familiar stuff they all agree on — better management of chronic diseases, streamlining insurance claims, that sort of thing — then gets into specific proposals from each group. A sampling: AHIP, the health insurance trade group, calls for standardizing and automating a bunch of basic insurance functions, including “claims s... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447464 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:43:29 +0100 2447464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424039&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzrXkWFEfTOw%2F The Obama Administration has announced new fuel-economy regulations and emissions rules that will boost the cost of new car by at least $1300. This is probably another nail in the coffin of the American automobile industry, but Jerry Taylor is the guy to provide thoughtful analysis. When I read about the new White House scheme, the first thing that came to my mind was this extremely clever video (yes, I am envious that my videos are not this creative) about the type of car we will all be driving if politicians continue to run amok: (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424039 Tue, 19 May 2009 14:14:24 +0100 2424039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416812&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FFHKH_m3lwK8%2F The White House doesn’t seem to be pushing hard to tax health benefits to pay for health reform, but it keeps leaving the door open. The idea is controversial, but it also could bring in a substantial amount of money. It would be politically awkward for President Obama, who opposed John McCain’s plan to tax health benefits during the election camapaign. But Obama’s budget chief, Peter Orszag in March left the option on the table. He did it again during a conversation with CNN’s John King yesterday. Here’s a portion of CNN’s transcript: King: Let’s talk about paying for health care reform this year. On the table in Congress taxing the health insurance benefits that workers get … saying if you’re at a certain income level we’re goin... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416812 Mon, 18 May 2009 13:48:46 +0100 2416812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416859&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F05%2Freconciliation-or-war.html By ROGER COLLIER Reconciliation. It’s an odd word for something that could precipitate a knock-down, drag-out fight in Congress, but the process that Senate Democrats agreed last week to adopt if health care reform legislation isn’t passed by October 15... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416859 Mon, 18 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2416859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414742&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCC8oU6sDeR0%2F President Obama has appointed New York City health commissioner Thomas Frieden to head the Centers for Disease Control. Public health is an important issue, but as Jacob Sullum points out at Reason, Frieden has a weak grasp of what’s “public” in the world of health: Frieden, an infectious disease specialist who is known mainly as an enthusiastic advocate of New York’s strict smoking ban, heavy cigarette taxes, trans fat ban, and mandatory calorie counts on restaurant menu boards, embodies the CDC’s shift from illnesses caused by microbes to illnesses caused by lifestyle choices. “Dr. Frieden is an expert in preparedness and response to health emergencies,” Obama said today, ”and has been at the forefront of the fight against heart diseas... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414742 Sat, 16 May 2009 21:24:17 +0100 2414742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414754&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FTyv4cDQfh7k%2F The Obama Administration’s health-costs publicity campaign continues today with a piece by OMB chief Peter Orszag on the WSJ’s op-ed page. He cites a few news points from this week — the pledge from the health industry to slow rising costs, and the new estimate that a Medicare trust fund is on track to go bust by 2017. He talks about the wide variations in health costs in different parts of the country, and the fact that Medicare patients in high-spending areas don’t appear to fare better than those in lower-spending areas. And he lays out a four-point plan for cheaper, better care: Expanding health IT, “because we can’t improve what we don’t measure” Conducting comparative effectiveness studies, “so doctors don’t recommend tr... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414754 Fri, 15 May 2009 16:38:07 +0100 2414754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414748&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFp3cH6UgpEE%2F Ask anyone who has experienced life in a country where freedom of movement is not recognized, and you’ll come away impressed with the importance of having the right to travel. That right takes another step back in the United States today. Today the federal government takes over from airlines the process of running passengers against its terrorist watch lists. This means that when you fly, the Transportation Security Administration now requires airlines to give the government your full name, your itinerary, your date of birth, your gender, and an optional “redress number.” Running names against watch lists does not secure against even modestly sophisticated attackers — 17 of 19 9/11 hijackers were “clean skin” terrorists, without histories of activity that w... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414748 Fri, 15 May 2009 16:28:55 +0100 2414748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405023&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNDxdjh4svC0%2F Obama’s new drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, says it is time to move away from the “war” rhetoric surrounding federal drug policy.  Since Kerlikowske has just assumed office, this is exactly the right thing to do — set a whole new tone from the militarized approach we have seen over the past 20-30 years.  Drug abuse is a problem that must be dealt with, but we don’t need to send troops to Latin America, we don’t need former generals like Barry McCaffrey to oversee drug policy, and we don’t need police officers conducting raids on American homes with machine guns and  flash bang grenades. The political climate on drug policy is shifting.  Republican governors like Arnold Schwarzenegger are calling for a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405023 Thu, 14 May 2009 17:21:32 +0100 2405023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405051&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%3A80%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FgM4Zr9OhGho%2F The White House may have trumpeted the pledge this week by big players in the health industry to wring $2 trillion in costs out of the system over a decade, but apparently it took a while for the administration to get on board. Nancy-Ann DeParle, head of the White House’s health-reform office, was “skeptical” of the idea when she was first approached about it by Karen Ignani, president of trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans, DeParle told the Washington Post. She added that she thought at the time, “They probably don’t even know what these numbers mean.” By mid-April, the group pushing the idea also included a hospital organization and labor union. DeParle still wasn’t satisfied. Eventually a much larger coalition came together and t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405051 Thu, 14 May 2009 16:08:24 +0100 2405051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405025&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJBpC4vSvZRs%2F This morning in The Wall Street Journal: The Obama administration’s new drug czar says he wants to banish the idea that the U.S. is fighting “a war on drugs,” a move that would underscore a shift favoring treatment over incarceration in trying to reduce illicit drug use. …Gil Kerlikowske, the new White House drug czar, signaled Wednesday his openness to rethinking the government’s approach to fighting drug use. Mr. Kerlikowske’s comments are a signal that the Obama administration is set to follow a more moderate — and likely more controversial — stance on the nation’s drug problems. …The Obama administration is likely to deal with drugs as a matter of public health rather than criminal justice alone, with treatment’s role gr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405025 Thu, 14 May 2009 14:22:01 +0100 2405025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405054&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%3A80%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fgxebn3pIaDY%2F While members of Congress hash out the details of legislation to reform health care, they’re also focusing on another issue: How to sell their ideas. Last week, the Republicans zeroed in on their PR tactics, as Gerald F. Seib writes in the WSJ’s Capital Journal blog. Potential Republican talking points include warning that “Democrats will put bureaucrats in charge of handling the crisis, and your personal health-care decisions to boot,” as Seib describes it. Here’s suggested Republican language that Seib quotes from a presentation circulation Capitol Hill: “In countries with government run healthcare, politicians make YOUR healthcare decisions. THEY decide if you’ll get the procedure you need, or if you are disqualified because the treatment is to... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405054 Thu, 14 May 2009 12:43:27 +0100 2405054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405757&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fpress-release-carecredits-free-cd-for-dental-practice-growth%2F FREE AUDIO PROGRAM HELPS DENTAL TEAMS GROW THEIR PRACTICES – EVEN IN A CHALLENGING ECONOMY COSTA MESA, CA., MAY 2009 — CareCredit, the nation’s leading patient payment program is offering a FREE one-hour educational audio CD, Three Steps to Grow Your Practice Starting Today!, featuring Gary Kadi, founder of NextLevel Practice. Kadi is a recognized authority and author on leadership, management, organizational transformation and performance. His first book, Million Dollar Dentistry is currently distributed in 37 countries while the sequel, Raise Your HDL: Healthy Deserve Level for Successful Dental Teams, was released in early 2009. In this informative, hour-long audio program, Gary Kadi shares his insights and proven formulas to grow a dental practice from the “inside-out” by foc... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405757 Wed, 13 May 2009 13:18:20 +0100 2405757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405759&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdb-column-%25e2%2580%2593-two-sides-of-the-management-coin-2%2F No-Shows and Failed Appointments Staff Viewpoint by Linda Miles - Doctor’s Viewpoint by Dr. Rhonda Savage STAFF VIEWPOINT (Linda Miles) The Dental team members in some practices have no idea that their compensation is very closely associated with effective use of the dental chair time during the workday. It is no mystery to me why some practices have 10 wasted chair hours per day (doctors and hygiene), while others have only 2 hours throughout the day, which, in most cases, is normal. In some practices, the staff feels so overwhelmed with busyness that they find themselves secretly hoping for a no-show or failed appointment, which is the ONLY way they can possibly catch up. Some team members remain neutral and are not stressed about it, but often think, “There is nothing I can do ab... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405759 Mon, 11 May 2009 13:18:33 +0100 2405759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398602&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FXNyBbwPQwqE%2F So the feds are about to start shelling out tens of billions of dollars to encourage a national switch to electronic health records. But a few key details about what docs and hospitals will have to do to qualify for federal money remain unclear: The stimulus bill says providers must show “meaningful use” of “certified” systems, but leaves those terms largely undefined. A definition of “meaningful use” may be coming soon. “Meaningful use is very much on our mind,” David Blumenthal, the feds’ health IT chief, said this morning on a conference call with reporters. “We hope to provide a direction and some specifications in the late spring, early summer.” Figuring out the criteria for certification is also a high priority, but B... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398602 Fri, 08 May 2009 16:29:41 +0100 2398602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398595&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdosPwWxBMmk%2F President Obama’s estimated $17 billion budget cuts for fiscal year 2010 amounts to a measly .5 percent of the president’s total proposed spending, and 1.5 percent of the president’s proposed deficit for the coming fiscal year. His offerings to cut the budget should be dismissed as unserious. In fact, this is reminiscent of the Bush administration’s annual list of minuscule proposed cuts in the face of profligate spending and mounting federal debt. President Obama says his efforts “are just the next phase of a larger and longer effort needed to change how Washington does business and put our fiscal house in order.” Promising more spending and more debt while celebrating relatively insignificant cuts and ignoring the looming entitlement crunch represents businesses as usual, not... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398595 Thu, 07 May 2009 18:09:00 +0100 2398595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398609&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fcoxv6U_KJNw%2F The White House released details of President Obama’s proposed budget for the 2010 fiscal year today. The whole deal is online here; Here’s the proposed budget for Health and Human Services. The WSJ is reporting that the budget includes a $300 million funding boost for the FDA, the largest in the agency’s history. There are increases pretty much across the board, with a particularly large bump for the agency’s regulation of food — a topic that’s received much attention over the past year. Here are a few of the key details from the proposed FDA budget. Program 2008 2009 (est.) 2010 (est.) Foods $508 million $649 million $783 million Drugs $605 million $713 million $800 million Devices and radiological products $238 million $281 million $315 mil... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398609 Thu, 07 May 2009 17:06:48 +0100 2398609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2399002&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fthe-dentist-%25e2%2580%2593-patient-relationship%2F When asked, “What makes your practice different?” most dentists respond, “I build relationships with my patients.” But what does that mean?At dictionary.com, “relationship” is defined as “a connection, association, or involvement” between two people. Your barista at Starbucks interacts with you, and so does your barber. Is that the kind of relationship you build with your patients? Your mother has a connection with you. Would a similar approach make for a healthy dentist – patient relationship? Of course not, on both counts. How do you effectively build a strong bond, that personal connection, with your patients? General Business Advice for Client Relationships Diane Helbig, a professional coach, wrote the article, “7 Tips for Building Relationships & Guaranteeing ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2399002 Thu, 07 May 2009 15:18:14 +0100 2399002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389928&cid=t_275871_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F07%2Fnational-childrens-mental-health-awareness-day%2F In 2006, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services launched an annual national initiative called “National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day.” Awareness Day is designated as a day in May of each year to coincide with May Is Mental Health Month. This day presents an opportunity for children’s mental health initiatives within SAMHSA to promote positive youth development, resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery for children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. The theme of Awareness Day is “Thriving in the Community.” Children’s mental health initiatives will hold similar events and other activities throughout the country to b... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389928 Thu, 07 May 2009 07:00:06 +0100 2389928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398653&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F05%2Fthere-is-a-critical-element-in-the-american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act-arra-that-targets-funds-for-federally-qualified-c.html By JAMES KAHN There is a critical element in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that targets funds for Federally-Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs). An FQHC is an organization defined by the Medicare and Medicaid statutes that receives funding... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398653 Thu, 07 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2398653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390341&cid=t_275871_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FfsYSXahCYg4%2Fwill-president-obama-put-end-to.html Most Americans would  not be surprised to learn that health care spending is an important part of our economy. They would probably be surprised to learn that health care spending exceeds 15 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).To put this in perspective -- health care spending exceeds spending on housing or food.  Health care spending is the single largest component of personal consumption spending in the United States. Imagine, Americans spend more on health care than they do on housing or food. I think this helps explain why so many Americans go without health care -- you have to  eat, and you need a roof over your head, first. Priorities.The government spends a lot on health care. Last year, health care spending accounted for one quarter (25%) of federal government budget spe... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390341 Thu, 07 May 2009 02:22:08 +0100 2390341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389653&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ft7bPpwrc5dg%2F The ever-sensible Shaun Waterman has begun to tally the cost of overreaction to the fear outbreak inspired by the H1N1 flu strain. He reports in ISN Security Watch: Even the precautions that you take against this kind of global flu pandemic could knock about 1.9 [or] 2 percent off global [economic production]. That’s about a trillion dollars,” according to journalist Martin Walker, who cited World Bank figures from a study last year. The Economist reported last week that the crisis in Mexico was costing Mexico City’s service and retail industries $55m a day - not because of the handful of deaths but because of people’s reactions. And that was even before the national suspension of non-essential public activities called for this week by the authorities there, which was expected to d... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389653 Wed, 06 May 2009 18:54:38 +0100 2389653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389742&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F05%2Fan-open-letter-to-the-new-national-coordinator-for-health-it-part-3-certification-as-the-elephant-in.html By DAVID C. KIBBE and BRIAN KLEPPER In the first and second parts of this series we talked about how and why there is no universal definition for the term "EHR." Instead there is a legitimate, growing debate about the... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389742 Tue, 05 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2389742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2387063&cid=t_275871_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fkeeping-you-plugged-in-dr-larry-emmott-on-dentrix%2F Dr. Larry Emmott, DentalBlogs’ tech guru, attended the Dentrix conference and will be posting tips and info on his blog, www.emmottontechnology.com. Dentrix, a Henry Schein company, offers an integrative practice management system that can significantly impact the way a dental office runs. From patient education and file managment to insurance and treatment planning, Dentrix is the leader in practice management software. The latetst version, G4, has many advantages over former generations, including online updates.  Visit www.dentrix.com to learn more. (Source: dental blog for dentists about dentistry) dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2387063 Mon, 04 May 2009 14:13:55 +0100 2387063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386834&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FHq86FGjMWVs%2F Tom Daschle may not be the secretary of Health and Human Services, but he’s still voicing his opinions on the push for health reform. In a lengthy interview with Politico, the former senator put the odds of passing a health-reform bill “of breadth” this year at 50-50. Daschle, who was the majority leader of Senate Democrats, said he’s become “slightly more optimistic” about passage of a health bill in the past month or so, because of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter’s decision to become a Democrat (though Specter said yesterday he’s not an automatic yes vote for a health bill); the processes in congressional committees; and by the option that Dems have called budget reconciliation, which allow them to roll health reform into a bill that&#8217... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386834 Mon, 04 May 2009 13:30:36 +0100 2386834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386830&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7B_duwBBslE%2F On Sunday’s Meet the Press, David Gregory pressed a trio of federal officials about how comments on swine flu like Vice President Biden’s have caused overreactions across the country, such as the diversion of a plane because a passenger had flu-like symptoms, the cancellation of a rap concert, and a variety of other dislocations in American life. Acting director of the Centers for Disease Control Dr. Richard Besser said: Well, y’know, everybody is going to deal with their concerns in different ways, and that’s the nature of people. What we can do is try and tell them what the risks are - what do we know - share information as we have it, and continue to hit the messages of those things that can be really effective. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebeli... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386830 Mon, 04 May 2009 11:36:51 +0100 2386830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382872&cid=t_275871_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F05%2F01%2Ffda-warning-hydroxycut%2F The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products. Linda Katz, M.D. Interim Chief Medical Officer FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. I saw an ad for Hydroxycut in a magazine this morning and was wondering about the safety and claims made by the product. Another one of those…”looks too good to be true” and “buyer be ware.” I guess it was only been a matter of time that something would come up. Today the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued an official release warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxyc... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382872 Fri, 01 May 2009 18:23:33 +0100 2382872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2381349&cid=t_275871_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F01%2Ffriday-flashback-for-may-1-2009%2F It’s Friday, I’m on vacation, so you might as well enjoy these oldies but goodies from years gone by. 10 Years Ago on Psych Central Becoming Stuck Online Ten years ago, I was contemplating my first big career move, leaving a company I had been with for four years in Columbus, Ohio and moving to Austin, Texas to go to work for an Internet startup called drkoop.com. No wonder I was feeling “stuck,” as the job I had created for myself was no longer very challenging (especially with the limited resources I had available versus the rampant resources available to startups). 5 Years Ago on Psych Central J&J Warned on Claims About Antipsychotic Drug In an ominous warning of things to come, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 5 years ago warned the J&J unit... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2381349 Fri, 01 May 2009 09:00:36 +0100 2381349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380721&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXnGJVy-Jw4s%2F A small group of Chrysler debt holders rejected the Obama administration’s restructuring plan last night, leaving Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the most salient option for the company. The Obama administration accused the investors who walked away of “failure to act…in the national interest.” But it’s not difficult to understand why these secured creditors rejected the government’s offer of essentially 29 cents on their investment dollar. If that is how the Obama administration treats capital markets, how exactly do they expect to spur private investment in American companies, as the White House claims it wants to do? Bankruptcy reorganization will probably yield a better deal for investors than the government’s plan. It also will imbue the process with more financial sanity than ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380721 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:45:15 +0100 2380721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380779&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fmr-vice-president-please-get-grip-about.html Overall, I have been impressed by the Obama Administration's handling of the swine flu pandemic, which as these things go, does not appear to be Armageddon. (I am sure the Deep Ecologists are disappointed.) Part of the reason the government was so prepared, according to President Obama, is that the Bush Administration, working with the Congress, put in place a good plan several years ago on just what to do in the event of such a threat. The Administration has been following that contingency plan to good result, which Obama graciously acknowledged in his press conference yesterday. From the transcript:I do want to compliment Democrats and Republicans who worked diligently back in 2005 when the bird flu came up. I was part of a group of legislators who worked with the Bush administration to ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380779 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:48:00 +0100 2380779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380788&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F04%2Freconciliation-or-war.html By ROGER COLLIER Reconciliation. It’s an odd word for something that could precipitate a knock-down, drag-out fight in Congress, but the process that Senate Democrats agreed last week to adopt if health care reform legislation isn’t passed by October 15... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380788 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2380788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375872&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FDOj4JzQKR38%2F Not surprisingly, pork companies aren’t so keen on the term “swine flu.” It’s true that you can’t get swine flu from eating cooked pork, and the disease is now passing from human to human. But the virus’s genetic signature does suggest that it originated in pigs. President Obama and other federal officials this morning referred to the disease as the “H1N1 flu virus” Here’s what that means. All flu viruses — human, bird, pig — have an “H” and an “N” in the name, each followed by a number (the avian flu strain that has been worrying people is H5N1, for example). The letters refer to two proteins (hemagglutinin and neuraminidase) on the surface of the virus. The numbers refer to slight variations in th... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375872 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:38:26 +0100 2375872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375875&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fun7rLgF2hig%2F AP/White House Sebelius is briefed on swine flu in the Situation Room after her swearing in Tuesday. The Department of Health and Human Services finally has a leader, Kathleen Sebelius. With her confirmation by the Senate yesterday, in a 65-31 vote, Sebelius fills the final open post in President Barack Obama’s cabinet. There were plenty of delays along the way, starting with the nomination and withdrawal of Tom Daschle and then a slow-tracking of Sebelius’s confirmation process and debate over her stance on abortion. But if the push for an overhaul of the health-care system wasn’t enough to get Sebelius into the job quickly, then swine flu created an extra incentive. The federal government has been dealing with the outbreak without permanent chiefs at HHS as well as two... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375875 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:28:22 +0100 2375875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375852&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLTDX_h9nBD4%2F President Obama campaigned on a promise of change. But the first 100 days of his administration have seen a continuation of the Bush administration’s irresponsible fiscal policies: more bailouts, higher spending, and mounting debt. The president has already signed a tax hike that disproportionately hurts lower-income people, and is seeking additional tax increases to fund a transition to a more centrally-planned, European-styled economy. Just as previous administrations have done, the president is using the current economic ‘crisis’ to justify further government encroachment upon the private sector. In doing so, dangerous precedents are being set that could have negative repercussions for future economic growth and individual liberty. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375852 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:45:48 +0100 2375852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375879&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F3R3-xcwZII8%2F The proposed commissioner of the FDA may be MIA, but she’s IBD (in big demand) among Democrats, Republicans, and even industry. Never mind that nominee Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg’s history includes a pedigree in liberal politics and a willingness to police corporations. Hamburg is also one of the nation’s experts on bioterrorism and pandemics — like, say, dangerous swine flu outbreaks. She was New York City Health Commissioner during a TB epidemic; a Health and Human Services official who stockpiled smallpox vaccine during the Clinton years; and spent time with the Institute of Medicine and a think tank, where she wrote about containing the avian flu outbreak and how to prepare for the next pandemic. But Hamburg isn’t confirmed yet by the Senate, and that means she’s stuck in l... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375879 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:15:00 +0100 2375879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364927&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLHxEeS-vUXk%2F Over at The Wall Street Journal, Cong. Peter Hoekstra calls for an investigation into “what the Obama administration may be doing to endanger the security our nation has enjoyed because of interrogations and other antiterrorism measures implemented since Sept. 12, 2001.” Hoekstra implies, or at least clearly believes, that Obama’s renunciation of torture has made the country less safe. Rest assured, when the next attack occurs (and there will be another attack), Hoekstra and other supporters of torture will claim vindication, even though they won’t be able to point to direct evidence that torture would have averted the attack. It is equally impossible to prove a negative — why something does not occur — as it is to prove that an action not taken in the p... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364927 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:39:57 +0100 2364927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364934&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fn6rrT2Ob_SY%2F Government-backed equity was offered to adequately capitalized banks in order to remove the “stigma” from banks receiving TARP funds, and the management of these institutions took the bait and accepted the money. Surprise, surprise: now they discover that the money came with strings. Some banks want to pay back the TARP money to extricate themselves from government restrictions on compensation and pressure to make loans the banks view as unprofitable. Treasury Secretary Geithner has made it clear that the decision to pay back the funds early won’t be left to the banks, but to the Treasury: “My basic obligation is to make sure the system as a whole … has the ability to provide the credit that recovery requires.” The banking system has thus become a tool for the government to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364934 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:13:43 +0100 2364934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353759&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FlFo-uyKaA70%2F Anti-abortion groups won more attention for their opposition to Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius, but not enough to prevent her from gaining approval from the Senate Finance Committee. The committee voted 15-8 today to send her nomination to the full Senate for a vote. All of the nays were Republicans. Sen. Chuck Grassley is among the Republicans who expressed concern about campaign contributions that Sebelius received from a Kansas doctor, George Tiller, who performs late-term abortions. While Sebelius initially said that she received $12,450 from 1994 to 2001 from Tiller, she stated on April 14 that she had actually received $39,600 from Tiller, as the WSJ explains. Anti-abortion groups, which had complained that Republicans hadn’t taken a tough enough stand agai... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353759 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:18:49 +0100 2353759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353762&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FdjRAUhz2Q7M%2F Even a booster of electronic systems like David Blumenthal, who just started his Washington post as the national coordinator of health IT, points to a myriad of challenges when it comes to digitizing the nation’s medical records. Just take a look at his piece this month in the New England Journal of Medicine, in which he cites technical concerns and worries about patient privacy, among other things. In an interview with the WSJ, he said problems can crop up if the systems are installed too quickly and without enough technical support. There are plenty of potential advantages that electronic records can bring, from helping hospitals and doctors get information quickly on patients’ medical histories to making catches when two drugs are being prescribed that may interact dangerous... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353762 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:06:41 +0100 2353762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353763&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQ-Tbkb8zC1o%2F Some folks on the left are getting anxious about whether President Obama will go as far as they want on health reform, especially when it comes to the idea of a “public” plan. The idea of a government-sponsored plan to compete with private options has became a point of contention, taking the dialogue around health reform “past the kumbaya phase,” as policy wonk Len Nichols of the New America Foundation put it in an interview with the Washington Post. Obama has signaled a willingness to compromise on the idea. Last week, his health-reform czar, Nancy-Ann DeParle did much the same, saying there was flexibility in how a public plan could be defined. More than 70 House Democrats have given warning shots that they won’t support a health-reform bill that doesn&#82... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353763 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:34:42 +0100 2353763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347778&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2WDcc_II2UY%2F A May 1st Federalist Society lunch will feature William Kristol, Editor of the Weekly Standard speaking on “The Obama Administration and the War on Terror.” Hopefully, it will be a fair-minded inquiry into the utility of the “war” metaphor for combating and suppressing terrorism. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347778 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:01:27 +0100 2347778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347783&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXoayINLz6MA%2F The Obama administration believes in recycling, as shown by the so-called high-speed rail plan it announced last week. Below is a map of the plan, and below that is a map of the Federal Railroad Administration’s 2005 high-speed rail plan. As you can see, the proposed routes are identical. (The grey lines on the first map represent conventional Amtrak routes.) Of course, this is a time-honored practice. Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System was really the Bureau of Public Roads’ Interregional Highway System. There is no doubt that the Federal Railroad Administration is thrilled that Obama has adopted its plan. Yet there are several problems with Obama’s plan. First, it is important to understand that most of Obama’s plan is not bullet trains or TGVs. Instea... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347783 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:27:30 +0100 2347783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347996&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F04%2Fthe-public-planmutual-assured-destruction.html By ROBERT LASZEWSKI I typically don’t talk about my travels on this blog but something happened this week that bears reporting. Whether the federal government should or should not offer a public health plan alternative to compete with private insurers... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347996 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2347996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349568&cid=t_275871_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2FfUV9vjZinpI%2F Yesterday, we were in New York, and a copy of the Times arrived with the morning coffee. On the front page was an article about the following… National Security — The Torture Memos: In response to a longstanding American Civil Liberties Union Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the Obama administration yesterday released four Bush-era legal memos dating back to 2002 and 2005 that provide legal justifications for the CIA to torture al-Qaeda detainees. The chart that was included with the article was both mind-numbing, and strewn with bits of unintentional absurdity. I mean, what about Medical and psychological personnel are physically present or otherwise observing whenever this technique is applied (as they are with any interrogation technique involving physical contact with th... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349568 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:09:17 +0100 2349568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348546&cid=t_275871_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F15%2Fwith-fda-change-ect-may-go-the-way-of-the-dinosaur%2F Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally decided to start taking action to close a loophole that’s been around nearly as long as the agency itself. Last Wednesday it said that it would require safety and efficacy data from manufacturers of medical devices in 25 different categories. This data is equivalent to the types of data the FDA currently requires for medical devices and drugs — data that shows the device is both safe and effective in use for a prescribed disorder. One of those 25 categories is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) machines. Yes, you heard right. For decades, the most notorious of all psychiatric treatments available has never met any type of rigorous FDA approval for their use. How can this be? In the case of electroconvulsive therapy ma... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348546 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:51:52 +0100 2348546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306773&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FxrjEzk2XVKc%2F Abortion-rights opponents hope to use a delay in Kathleen Sebelius’s confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services to push lawmakers to take a tougher stand against her, the Hill reports. Abortion foes have already been lobbying against Sebelius because of her record on the issue, but they haven’t had much traction so far. The groups are frustrated that Republican senators didn’t question Sebelius about her abortion stance or tax issues during confirmation hearings last week, the Hill says. Majorie Dannenfelser, president of the antiabortion Susan B. Anthony List, called Republicans’ silence “appalling” in an interview with the publication. (See the group’s list of questions for Sebelius.) Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for Am... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306773 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:58:19 +0100 2306773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306776&cid=t_275871_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FBkyD5sNiwR4%2F Drug-industry leaders wrapped up the annual meeting of the trade group PhRMA over with weekend with repeated references to “comparative effectiveness,” a buzz phrase being uttered more and more these days. President Obama recently called for $1.1 billion in government funding for such research to determine best practices in medical care, which has been discussed as one way to help rein in costs in the health-care system. The industry is on-board with the concept and some companies are already doing studies to figure out which drugs lead to the best patient outcomes, according to David Brennan (pictured), chief executive of AstraZeneca who was just elected chairman of the trade group, formally known as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, at its meeting in San Antoni... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306776 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:53:46 +0100 2306776