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AAPS ASKS IF FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE IS AT RISK
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9
Tucson, AZ 85716-3450
Phone: (800) 635-1196
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Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.
A Voice for Private Physicians Since 1943
Omnia pro aegroto |
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News of the Day ... In Perspective
9/4/2008
Is freedom of conscience at risk?
The Bush Administration has proposed a rule that would deny federal funding to medical facilities that discriminate against employees who choose not to provide services they deem to be morally wrong—such as performing abortions or making abortion referrals.
Unlike rules that ban discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual preferences, this one is called an attack on “choice.” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) objected to the proposed rule.
It is feared that the wording could be expanded to include oral contraceptives or the “morning after” pill.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt says the regulation is about abortion, not contraception. But the meaning may depend on what an abortion is. And that depends partly on when pregnancy begins. In 1965, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) decreed that pregnancy begins after implantation, thus avoiding the charge that its members were encouraging, if not performing, early-term abortions in prescribing non-barrier contraceptives.
Read (or comment on) Story: http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0053 |
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BUREAU DIRECTIVES COULD BE MISUNDERSTOOD OR/AND EXPANDED
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SUPREME COURT DECISION ALLOWS SUITS AGAINST INSURERS FOR NON-PAY
HEALTH AFFAIRS PRESS RELEASE 9/3/2008
Supreme Court MetLife Decision May Lead...
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A WELCOME DECISION WHOSE IMPACT IS YET TO BR SWEEN
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DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9
Tucson, AZ 85716-3450
Phone: (800) 635-1196
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Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.
A Voice for Private Physicians Since 1943
Omnia pro aegroto |
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News of the Day ... In Perspective
9/1/2008
Senator Coburn under fire for delivering babies for free
U.S. senators are not allowed to do remunerative work that involves a fiduciary relationship, lest they be unduly influenced by colleagues or customers. Now pro-life Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is in the sights of the Senate Ethics Committee because he delivers babies free of charge at the Muskogee Regional Medical Center.
Coburn continued his obstetrics practice while serving in the House of Representatives, and campaigned for Senate on the pledge that he would continue to serve as a citizen-legislator, as the Founders intended. He earned only enough money as a physician to cover his expenses, such as professional liability insurance.
The Senate, however, does not distinguish between gross and net income, and demanded that he shut down his practice within 9 months. Senate rules allow physicians such as former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a cardiac surgeon, to practice free of charge.
From the Director: Seems the Senate is looking for something to argue about
Read (or comment on) Story: http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0051 |
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IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN OBSTETRICIAN AND A CARDIAC SURGEON?
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PARENTS MAY BE ORDERED TO VACCINATE CHILDREN
PROFESSIONAL ISSUES
Time to get tough? States increasingly offer ways to opt out of vaccine mandates
Too many exemptions have been seen as a risk to public health. But a push to crack down might do more harm than good.
By Kevin B. O'Reilly, AMNews staff. Sept. 8, 2008.
![[download pdf]](http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/images/ic_pdf.gif)
Measles are coming back. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that measles outbreaks have reached a peak not seen since 1996. By late August, 131 cases had been confirmed in 16 states.
Almost half of the cases occurred in children who had not been vaccinated because their parents claimed religious or personal exemptions to vaccine mandates.
"This measles outbreak may be a warning shot," said Paul A. Offit, MD, chief of the infectious diseases division at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "We now have communities that have a lack of herd immunity. That puts children at risk."
Other physicians and public health experts are echoing Dr. Offit's concern. They say states are making it too easy for parents to exempt their children from the vaccines required for school entry. As scientifically unfounded information about vaccine risks swirls around the Internet and among parents, experts say the exemption rate is bound to grow.
But others worry that toughening the opt-out process, or just talking about mandates, could lead to an even greater loss of public trust in the immunization system.
15 states allow a child to be exempt from vaccination if 1 parent signs a form.
National immunization rates are high, ranging from 85% to 93%, depending on the vaccine, the CDC said. But in states such as Minnesota and Colorado, the nonmedical opt-out rates exceed 5%. And research shows that the easier the exemption process, the more likely parents are to use it.
The 28 states that have religious-only exemptions saw their opt-out rates remain stable between 1991 and 2004, according to an Oct. 11, 2006, study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. But the 20 states that also allow personal-belief opt outs saw exemptions grow by 61%, to 2.54%, during the same period. Meanwhile, the 15 states with the easiest exemption process -- one parent's signature -- saw their rate jump 48%, to 2.51%, during that time.
These exemptions were not without consequences, according to the study. The religious-only opt-out states had rates of pertussis two times lower than did states that also granted personal-belief exemptions. The hassle-free exemption states had pertussis rates 90% higher than the states where opt outs are the hardest to obtain.
Exemptions: Too many, too easy?
Francesco "Chek" Beuf, MD, is a pediatrician in Boulder, Colo., where vaccination rates are on the decline. Only 62% of 2-year-olds in Boulder County received the pertussis vaccine in 2005, according to health officials, and there have been 510 pertussis cases since 1999.
A Dec. 27, 2000, JAMA study found that exempted children in Colorado -- where signing a form is all it takes for exemption -- were 22 times more likely to contract measles and about six times more likely to get pertussis.
Religious or philosophical exemptions from school-entry immunization mandates are allowed in all but 2 states.
Colorado's anything-goes exemption system "stinks," Dr. Beuf said. "It means that people don't feel social pressure to get their kids vaccinated. ... It's given too many people a blank check to just dither around the subject."
Dr. Beuf favors getting rid of the state's philosophical exemption altogether. A more modest Boulder County Medical Society resolution would limit the number of personal-belief exemptions allowed statewide each year, though it does not specify a cap. The resolution will be considered at the Colorado Medical Society meeting in September.
Other states make it tougher for parents who refuse vaccines. New York allows religious exemptions and authorizes school officials to question parents about their beliefs before letting children enter school unvaccinated.
From the Directror; Some action is necesary despite parent's concerns. Return of these diseases can be fatal to adults/parents. A compromise is essential since all concerns are valid.
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RETURN OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS INCREASING
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CENSUS BUREAU FINDS NUMBER OF MEDICALLY UNINSURED GOING DOWN
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"Ain't it Grand? I listened to Joe Biden's speech last night and heard him promise that Barak Obama will improve quality, ensure universal access, and cut every American's health care bills by $2,500 a year. No problemo!
I know I'm convinced. How's about you?" -- Greg Scandlen 8/28.2008 |
What a Bummer!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  The Dems in Denver got some bad news this week. The U.S. Census Bureau issued its latest "Current Population Survey" results and discovered that the numbers of uninsured dropped between 2006 and 2007. Rats! That undermines the plans to jump on how the health system is bad and getting worse. Don't you hate it when things improve and you are invested in gloom and doom?
In fact, not only did the numbers and percentage of uninsured drop (from 47 million and 15.8% of the population to 45.7 million and 15.3%), but median income grew for the third straight year to $50,233 per household, growing 1.3% in 2007 alone.
Now, the Census Bureau numbers are as questionable as ever and surely overstate the uninsured problem. But it is the most widely used estimate, probably because it overstates the problem. In fact, an article in Investors Business Daily quotes NCPA's Devon Herrick as saying that some 18 million of the uninsured make $50,000 or more and could afford to buy coverage if they saw value in it, and another 14 million are already eligible for government coverage and could enroll for free - if they saw value there. He says, "About 32 million people, or 70% of the uninsured, could easily obtain coverage," again, if the coverage were worth obtaining. But there is a wealth of more detailed information within the Census Bureau report. For instance, the change in percentage between the states from 2004-2005 to 2006-2007 is interesting. The states with the biggest increase in the percentage of uninsured were -
- Louisiana, 3.3%
- Mississippi, 3.0%
- New Mexico, 2.6%
- Nebraska, 2.3%
- North Carolina, 2.1%
- Kansas, 2.0%
- Kentucky, 1.6%
- New Jersey, 1.4%
- Texas, 0.9%
- New York, 0.8%
Katrina probably explains Louisiana and Mississippi, but who knows what explains the rest?
The states with the biggest drop in the percentage of the uninsured were -
- West Virginia, 2.7%
- Massachusetts, 2.4%
- District of Columbia, 2.2%
- Indiana, 2.1%
- Connecticut, 1.5%
- Wisconsin, 1.3%
Massachusetts might be explained by the Connector law signed by Mitt Romney, but West Virginia enacted no such law and did even better. Go figure.
SOURCE:
Census Bureau Press Release.
Census Bureau Statistics.
Investors Business Daily Article.
Business Insurance Article.
USAToday Article.
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OTHER SURVEYS FIND THE NUMBER LOWER THAN REPORTED
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FEMALE HERPES VIRUS VACCINE NOT FOR EVERY WOMEN
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9
Tucson, AZ 85716-3450
Phone: (800) 635-1196
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Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.
A Voice for Private Physicians Since 1943
Omnia pro aegroto |
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News of the Day ... In Perspective
8/25/2008
Judicial Watch reports on the Gardasil public health experiment
Based on records obtained under a May 2007 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Judicial Watch has summarized the approval process, side effects, safety concerns, and marketing practices related to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil. It calls these a “large-scale public health experiment.”
One of the most startling findings is 78 cases of outbreaks of warts following the vaccine in women already infected without knowing it. Besides genital warts, some patients experienced massive outbreaks on the face, hands, or feet, sometimes caused by strains not included in the vaccine.
Read (or comment on) Story: http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0046 | 
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CONSULTATION BEFORE TAKING VACCINE ESSENTIAL
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WARNING FROM ERECTILE DYSFUNCTIONAL HEALTH CENTER
Cialis, Viagra Labels to Note Rare Reports of Transient Global Amnesia http://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/news/20080822/cialis-v...Erectile...
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ASPIRIN AND PENICILLIN HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE FATALITIES
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PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES PLAN HEALTH CARE REFORM
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9
Tucson, AZ 85716-3450
Phone: (800) 635-1196
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Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.
A Voice for Private Physicians Since 1943
Omnia pro aegroto |
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Diagnosing the Obama & McCain health care proposals
The Cato Institute has released an analysis of the healthcare policies and proposals of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, written by Cato senior fellow, Michael Tanner, the co-author of Healthy Competition:What's Holding Back Health Care and How to Free It.
A Fork in the Road: Obama, McCain, and Health Care
by Michael D. Tanner
Executive Summary
Healthcare reform will be one of the top issues of the 2008 presidential election. In the face of widespread public demand for changes in the U.S. health care system, both Barack Obama and John McCain have offered detailed proposals for reform.
Senator Obama's approach relies heavily on government mandates, regulations, and subsidies. He would mandate that employers provide health care coverage for their workers and that parents purchase health insurance for their children. He would significantly increase regulation of the insurance industry, establishing a standard minimum benefits package, and requiring insurers to accept all applicants regardless of their health. He would offer a variety of new and expanded subsidies to middle- and low-income Americans.
In contrast, John McCain emphasizes consumer choice and greater competition in the health care industry. He would move away from our current employment-based insurance system by replacing the current tax exclusion for employer-provided insurance with a refundable tax credit for individuals. At the same time he would sharply deregulate the insurance industry to increase competition.
Senator McCain's proposal is far from perfect, but from a free-market perspective, it appears superior to Senator Obama's plan. Obama's plan, with its heavy reliance on government, leads to the same problems that bedevil universal health care systems all over the world: limited patient choices and rationed care. McCain's proposal is much more consumer centered and taps into the best aspects of the free market.
READ THE ENTIRE REPORT | 
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SENATOR OBAMA'S PLAN IS MODELED AFTER CANADA AND ENGLAND
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THIS WILL COME AS A SURPRISE TO MANY!!!
Fruit Juices Block Common Drugs
Grapefruit, Orange, Apple Juices Decrease Absorption of Many Often-Used...
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WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT FRUIT COULD DO THIS
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ADDICTION TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS PREVENTABLE
A18 The Sacramento Bee I Thursday, August 14, 2008
SURVEY 1 Some parents clueless to problem
Prescription...
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PROBLEM STARTS AT HOME ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES
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NEW RULES FOR FLU EPIDEMICS
A8 The Sacramento Bee I Monday, August 18, 2008 *
1918 flu pandemicGives Clues TO Fight
new lethal...
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AS ALWAYS PROTECT YOURSELF--ANTIBIOTICS LESS EFFECTIVE
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WORLDWIDE FLU EPIDEMIC PREDICTED BY WORLD HEALTH ORG.[WHO]
From The Independent [UK]
var articleheadline = "World warned over killer...
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INTERNAtIONAL TRAVELLERS SPREAD DISEASES
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ESSENTIAL TO PREPARE FOR LARGE SCALE HEALTH THREATS
July 15, 2008Pilot Project Shows Potential Of Quality...
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MUST TEACH, PRACTICE AND SEEK UPDATES-ALL ARE ESSENTIAL
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SAVINGS ON CANADIAN MEDICINES DISAPPEARING
FROM GREG SCANDLEN NEWS LETTER # 140August 15, 2008 www.chchoices.org
Drug Reimporting is...
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CAUSED BY THE DECREASINGG VALUE OF THE AMERICAN DOLLAR
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THE 12 GERMIEST PLACES N YOUR LIFE
TIMELY REMINDER
Drug-Resistant Staph Infection Germ's --Toll Is Higher Than Thought.
Soap up!!! The 12 "Germiest" places in your life.
1. Your kitchen sink-- clean your kitchen counter and sink with an antibacterial product.
2. Airplane bathrooms-- toilet seats are surprisingly clean, but use the paper cover when available.
3. A load of wet laundry-- run your washer at 150°.
4. Public drinking fountains, school fountains are the worst-- send your child to school with plenty of their own beverages, tell them to wash their hands throughout the day.
5. Shopping cart handles-- use disinfectant wipes provided by the store or from your own supply..
6. ATM buttons-- use disinfectant wipes from your own supply
7. Ladies handbag-- Don't put it on a public used surface-- wash hands frequently..
8. Playgrounds-- very risky-- use disinfectant wipes and wash hands frequently.
9. Mats and Machines at Health Clubs-- use disinfectant wipes-- wash hands frequently.
10. Your bathtub-- STAPH. bacteria common there-- wash with disinfectant weekly.
11. Your office phone-- use disinfectant wipes
12. The hotel room-- use disinfectant wipes on remote control, door handles, light switches, pens and a faucet handles
List above found by lab tests. [www.msnbc.com 10/27/'07]
From the Director:
Also think of the number of hands that have had contact with the paper money and metal coins in your purse or pocket.
WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLy-- IT SAVES LIVES!!!
For more ways to fight germs, visit www.health.com
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WASh YOUR HANDS OFTEN DURING THE DAY
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17 STATES WRITE ABORTION INFORMED CONSENT RULES
GOVERNMENT & MEDICINE
Ruling puts South Dakota abortion consent law into effect
Doctors must give...
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S.DAKOTA DOCTORS MUST DISCUSS RESULT OF ABORTION
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HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY CAN'T COPE
Nation's Life Style and Expectations are Unrealistic
More than Seven hundred thousand Physicians and the American health care delivery system are held responsible for the care of approximately 300 million Americans including several million illegal aliens, despite many who abuse tobacco products, alcohol and illegal drugs; whose poor nutritional habits can lead to Diabetes, Arteriosclerosis, Asthma and morbid Obesity while reckless driving together with an unwillingness to comply with safe-sexual conduct lead to early death, long term disability, chronic illness and Infertility [unable to have children].
Despite their life-style, many Americans feel that prompt and proper health care is their right and should be provided at little or no cost [including the medicines their illness requires]. Their belief is so firm as to expect to return, in good health, to their previous life-style as quickly as possible and, If disappointed, will demand [and expect] monetary compensation, through legal means, from any one in the system who did not meet their expectations.
While ignoring world history, which teaches that It cannot and will not work that way, their demands and expectations are causing serious damage to their health care system.which is without dispute,and despite its faults, the finest the world has ever witnessed. Vincent W Cangello MD, Director HCREI
Many articles in this section serve to demonstrate examples of that damage. [see new problems below]
From the Director:
FDA investigations lead to the arrest and conviction of Doctors who prescribe too much pain relieving medicines while other Doctors are accused of medical malpractice for prescribing too little.
A 70 year old patient died following a necessary surgical procedure. There was no evidence of Malpractice. The family sued the Doctor for "Battery" for failing to inform the patient of that possibility, The Jury awarded the family $150,000.
Needed Doctors are retiring early or curbing services, such as delivering babies, because of malpractice insurance premiums that can reach as high as two hundred thousand dollars per year.
There will be fewer new Doctors since medical school applicants are declining, as well.
Our FDA is being severely criticized for approving drugs that can harm some patients while the majority who use the same drug receive great relief of their illness.
I would remind you that Penicillin and Aspirin have been known to cause deaths. In my many years of practice experience I have not heard of a medicine that didn't hurt someone.
Two plus two doesn't always add up to four in the health care business. Sometimes it's three, four or five depending on your family history, weight, age, blood pressure, Genes, eating and drinking habits and whether or not you use tobacco products etc.
We'll know after we've had a chance to check those things out.
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NATION"S LIFE STYLE OUT OF CONTROL
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GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF HEALTH CARE FAILS AGAIN
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Consumer Power Report
# 139 August 8, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...My role at the conference was mostly to moderate an issues panel on health care. I tried to make the point that there are two great trends going on that are at war with each other - expanding government programs versus empowering consumers. We can look at the track record of each and measure how well they are doing.
The first, expanding government, has been a colossal failure everywhere. Medicare is fairly popular, but only because it has incurred $34 trillion (that's Trillion with a "T") in unfunded liabilities that will be passed on to future generations. Medicaid and SCHIP are so unpopular that one-third of the uninsured are not only eligible for the programs, but many of them have already been covered by them and refuse to re-enroll because they don't see any value - even when enrollment is free. Most of the big state reforms have already been repealed and the ones that are still in effect, like Maine and Massachusetts, are either far more expensive than predicted or have failed to enroll many people. Maine's Dirigo Health has all f 11,000 people in it.
Contrast that with Consumer Driven Health Care that is working exactly as we predicted. Patients are changing their behavior because they are now invested (literally) in their own health. That has resulted in lower costs, greater enrollment, and new demands for information services, price transparency, and more competition ..."
From the Director of HCREI; Some States have used SCHIP funds. for needy adults if there was a low enrollment of Children. Uninsured children in the USA have a variety of government programs that cover their health care needs. |
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CONSUMRT CONTROLLED HEALTH CARE SAVES MONEY
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FEMALE BIRTHS IN INDIA PROTECTED BY LAW
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9Tucson, AZ 85716-3450Phone: (800) 635-1196
Association of...
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SIMILAR CHANGES ALSO OCCURRING IN CHINA
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NUMBER OF HIV/AIDS CASES REVISED UPWARDS
UPDATE 8/8/2008, Mc Clatchy Newspapers, "About 250,000 Americans are HIV positive but unaware...
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GREATER EFFORTS IN EDUCATION AND PREVENTION NEEDED
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WHERE DO OUR HEALTH CARE DOLLARS GO?
BUSINESS
Former CareFirst CEO's severance package cut in half
Maryland's insurance commissioner found the $18 million deal excessive.
By Emily Berry, AMNews staff. Aug. 4, 2008.
Amid public scrutiny of the business practices at Maryland-based CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the state's insurance commissioner ruled the company's severance deal for its former chief executive officer should be pared down.
Under the ruling, William Jews will still receive $9 million, and the $2.2 million he has been paid since leaving the company will count toward that total.
Jews was CEO of CareFirst from 1993 until 2006. He was forced out, but with an $18 million severance deal.
"The company, under Mr. Jews' leadership, strayed significantly from its nonprofit mission," Insurance Commissioner Ralph S. Tyler wrote in his July ruling.
CareFirst is headquartered in Owings Mills, Md., and has more than 3 million members in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.
The nonprofit plan unsuccessfully attempted to convert to for-profit status in 2002. It has recently fallen under intense criticism for building up surplus funds that critics say far exceed what Blues plans are advised to keep in reserve.
"Commissioner Tyler's action provides us with hope he's going to be looking at insurers' use of their reserves," said Stephen Johnson, JD, interim executive director of MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society.
"People are concerned about how the reserves are being spent," he said.
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THOSE INSURED--NOT THE GOVERNMENT--MUST SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS
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HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS [HSA] SAVING MONEY--HMO RAISING PREMIUMS 12%
UPDATE 8/1/2008 HSA SAVING MONEY---HMO PLANNING 12% INCREASE
HMO premiums in state
to rise an...
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FAMILIES CONTROLLING THEIR HEALTH CARE CHOICES CUT HEALTH CARE COSTS
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UPDATE ON: "WORLD'S BIRTHRATE NOT ADEQUATE" or Properly Balanced
UPDATE FROM CHINAChina may scrap one-child policy, official saysThu Feb 28, 2008 2:57pm IST [-]...
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ARE WE CAPABLE OF MANAGING POPULATION CONTROL?
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WARNINGS CONCERNING VAGINAL "COSMETIC" SURGERY
Australian doctors have raised concerns about clinics offering vaginal cosmetic surgery, warning the trend towards so-called "designer vaginas" may be exploiting vulnerable women.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said procedures being offered included "vaginal rejuvenation, revirgination, designer vaginoplasty and G-spot amplification".
"What is involved in these procedures is often unclear since recognised clinical nomenclature is not being used," it said in a position paper released this week.
The college labelled the procedures dangerous, expensive and unwarranted, and said it strongly discouraged surgery that was not backed by scientific evidence or clinical trials.
"The real risks of potential complications such as scarring, permanent disfigurement, infection, dyspareunia and altered sexual sensations should be discussed in detail with women seeking such treatments," it said.
The college said women should understand that there were a large number of variations in the appearance of normal female genitalia.
"The college is particularly concerned that such surgery may exploit vulnerable women," it said.
Ted Weaver, chairman of the college's women's health committee, said most of the operations cost at least 10,000 dollars (9,500 US), which he described as an "extraordinary amount of money".
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END RESULT MAY BE PAIN AND DISAPPOINTMENT
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BRITISH RESEARCHERS FIND A CURE FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Wednesday, July 30 2008
DM.has("lightBox");
Daily pill that halts Alzheimer's...
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WONDERFUL NEWS FOR MANY THOUSANDS OF SENIORS
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ARE WE TRYING TO DESTROY THE PRIVATE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE #14
FROM GREG SCANDLEN NEWSLETTER #137 7/25/2008Good Press Around the Country
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HSAfinder.com...
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TAX DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH INSURANCE GAINING IN POPULARITY--DESPITE OBSTACLES
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CAUSE OF AUTISM IN CHILDREN IN DISPUTE
HEALTH & SCIENCE
Vaccine-autism link unsupported by science, but theory lives on
A central...
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MANY FEEL THE VACCINE IS SAFE BUT THEIR PRESERVATIVES ARE AT FAULT
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RECENT VETO OVERRIDE ON MEDICARE HAS EXPENSIVE SIDE EFFECTS
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9
Tucson, AZ 85716-3450
Phone: (800) 635-1196
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Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.
A Voice for Private Physicians Since 1943
Omnia pro aegroto |
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News of the Day ... In Perspective
7/21/2008
Medicare veto override a triumph for single-payer advocates, Krugman writes
Ostensibly, the vote was against pay cuts for doctors. But it was really about “creeping privatization of Medicare,” writes left-wing columnist Paul Krugman.
Krugman blames Medicare deficits on the Medicare Modernization Act. Not Part D, but Medicare Advantage private fee-for-service plans. He asserts that these rapidly growing plans cost the government 17% more per beneficiary, while threatening to “undermine Medicare’s universality.” Insurance companies “cherry-pick healthier and more affluent older Americans, leaving the sicker and poorer behind”—in the wonderful “traditional” Medicare system that leftists want all Americans to have.
Krugman notes, correctly, that previously payments to doctors were maintained through “bipartisan fudging.” That is, “politicians from both parties got together to waive the rules. In effect, Congress kept Medicare functioning by expanding the federal budget deficit” (NY Times 7/11/08).
Read Story: http://www.aapsonline.org
From the Director: I believe that our President vetoed this bill because of the clauses contained therein that impacted on Medicare equipment costs and enrollment in Medicare Advantage. Not because of the cost of maintaining the existing Medicare Physician reimbursement schedule.
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COMPETITIVE BIDDING IN MEDICARE PURCHASES MAY BE COMPROMISED
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CONGRESS REFUSES TO REDUCE DOCTOR'S MEDICARE FEES
MEDICAL PROFESSION TIRES OF TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK
CMA NEWS 7/21/2008
1. Congress Overrides Presidential Veto;
Medicare Cuts Reversed for 2008- 2009
In a huge victory for CMA and all of organized medicine, Congress last week rebuffed a White House attempt to protect overpaid for-profit Medicare HMOs at the expense of physicians and patients and overturned President Bush’s veto of the bill (HR 6331) to stop the 15 percent Medicare physician payments cuts. The bill becomes law immediately and CMS will retroactively process most claims based on the pre-July 1, 2008 rates. (For more information, see “Medicare Will Automatically Reprocess Physician Claims Paid at Lower Rate,” below.)
CMA extends its heartiest thanks to the physicians of California who met with their Representatives and made phone calls to their offices. This victory was won through the one-on-one grassroots lobbying of physicians and their patients.
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ARE DOCTORS LEARNING HOW TO FIGHT BACK?
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FEWER VACCINATIONS AND MORE CASES OF MEASLES
Source: Health Protection Agency, United Kingdom
Fearing the vaccine more than the disease
After...
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MEASLES IN ADULTS MEASLES CAN BE SERIOUS
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DO WE WAN'T TO END THE PRIVATE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE #13
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9Tucson, AZ 85716-3450Phone: (800) 635-1196
Association...
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LOSS OF MEDICAL RECORD PRIVACY COULD BE A DISASTER
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DO WE WANT TO END THE PRIVATE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE?
Congress overrides Bush's Medicare veto
Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:54pm EDT
By Donna Smith and Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In what likely is the last big showdown between President George W. Bush and congressional Democrats over the popular Medicare health care program, the U.S. Congress on Tuesday voted to override his veto of a bill to keep doctors' payments from being slashed...
By enacting the measure over Bush's objections, Congress rescinded an 11 percent reduction in government payments to doctors treating elderly Medicare patients...
Supporters of the legislation argued that the scheduled 11 percent pay cut for doctors would discourage many of them from taking on Medicare patients...
The bill would offset the cost to the government of restoring the doctors' pay by cutting payments to big insurers, such as UnitedHealth Group Inc and Aetna Inc, which have contracts with the Medicare program...
"I support the primary objective of this legislation, to forestall reductions in physician payments. Yet taking choices away from seniors to pay physicians is wrong. This bill is objectionable, and I am vetoing it," Bush said in a statement to the House...
Doctors and the seniors' group AARP supported the bill and waged an aggressive lobbying effort to prevent the doctors' pay cut.
The bill is a temporary measure designed to stop the pay cut for doctors and give Congress and the next president, who takes office January 20, 2009, time to review broader issues surrounding Medicare. The health care program faces growing financial strains as the 77 million baby boom generation retires and begins to draw on government benefits.
"This bill will improve Medicare for the 44 million Americans who depend on it for quality, affordable health care," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP's executive vice president...
(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by David Alexander
From the Director: This bill merely postpones the next round of this match. Government controlled health care has failed wherever it has been tried.
Now, the "Sigle Payer Canadian System" will allow the [previously illegal] sale of private health insurance in an effort to save their failing system; while, in the UK [England] the government is encouraging citizens to buy private health insurance in order to relieve their Long Waiting lines For Necessary Care.
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A TEMPORARY REPRIEVE TILL NEXT YEAR
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YOU CAN FIND A LAUGH EVEN IN THE SEARCH TO CUT HEALTH CARE COSTS
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9Tucson, AZ 85716-3450Phone: (800) 635-1196
Association of...
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WILL THEY TELL US NEXT THAT "CRIME DOES PAY".
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DO WE WANT TO END THE PRIVATE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE?
From the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, Volume 93, Number Seven..
"... in the US, today, families like the Williamses are increasingly unlikely to find Surgeons like Dr. Jones. Their primary care providers, like Dr. Smith, are often unable to refer their patients locally for common surgical interventions such as hernia repairs, soft tissue biopsies, and gallbladder surgery.The imminent demise of the general surgeon has been a growing concern for the medical community and the general public, who fear an end to a once robust discipline and its consequences for patients with general surgical problems.
In November 2007, Joseph Fischer, M.D.,FACS, sounded an alarm among physicians nationwide with his commentary."The impending disappearance of the general surgeon," Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Dr. Fisher Described the General Surgeons who care for approximately 54 million Americans in rural and small urban areas "essential to the provision of adequate health care." He noted that the reasons for the disappearance are multiple, including fewer graduating surgical residents pursuing general surgery as well as less favorable working conditions and less lucrative reimbursement for practicing general surgeons...
The general public has also been made aware of this impending public health crisis in which patients with common surgical problems will not have access to General Surgeons to treat them. In a February 2008, USA Today, published an article entitled, "Shortage of Surgeon pinches US Hospitals." The article highlighted a coastal Virginia hospital where only 2 General Surgeons are available, down from seven in the past, because Surgeons there are moving or retiring. The hospital, which was started to treat the simple ills such as appendicitis, of its local people, may no longer be able to carry out its mission because of a shortage of surgeons."
From the Director: I would add as a cause for fewer Surgeons. the increasing number of malpractice law suits. the increasing cost of malpractice insurance when at the same time insurance company reimbursement for surgical procedures are being reduced.
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INCONVENIENCE AND DELAYED TREATMENT WILL INCREASE
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RATINGS OF HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES
BUSINESS
Report details how much insurers spend on care in California
The state medical...
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KAISER HOSPITAL HEALTH PLAN TOPS THE LIST
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SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DISCOURAGE PERSONAL CONTROL OF HEALTH CARE
Consumer Power Report
# 128-- May 21, 2008
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-- Attack...
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SOME AMERICANS WANT PERSONAL CONTROL OF THEIR HEALTH CARE
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EUROPE'S BIRTHRATE TOO LOW TO STOP INCREASING AVERAGE AGE
Italian Women Defy Berlusconi Appeals, Choose Jobs Over Babies
By Flavia Krause-Jackson and Flavia...
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AVERAGE AGE IN USA NOW REPORTED TO BE FIFTY [50]YEARS
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EXCESSIVE SUN EXPOSURE CAN LEAD TO SKIN CANCER
More Young Women Get Skin Cancer
Study Shows Increase in Melanoma Among Young Women
By Kelley ColihanWebMD...
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WOMEN MORE AT RISK FOR SKIN CANCER THAN MEN
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MEASLES OUTBREAK IN USA AND EUROPE
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