Popular Articles
Cellulite Treatment

Xanodyne Receives Approval From The U.S. Food And Drug Administration For ZIPSOR(TM) (diclofenac Potassium) Liquid Filled Capsules
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Zipsor (diclofenac potassium) Liquid Filled Capsules, a new treatment option indicated for relief of mild to moderate acute pain in adults (18 years of age or older).
generic viagra online
Republicans Playing 'Abortion Card' On Health Reform, American Prospect Opinion Piece States
The "religious right and its Republican enablers" are "playing the abortion card" with health care reform legislation by contending that "federal government dollars will pay directly for abortions," according to an American Prospect opinion piece by Dana Goldstein, an associate editor for the magazine. It is "unlikely" that federal money would be used this way, but the groups "want grassroots conservatives to believe it will, hoping the resulting outcry will scuttle attempts to reform our expensive health care system," Goldstein continues. She writes, "This rhetoric is beyond hyperbolic -- it is downright deceptive."Goldstein quotes Adam Sonfield, a senior policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, who said discussion of family planning in federal law ""never includes abortion."" She adds, "In actuality, "family planning" language refers exclusively to contraceptive services, in part because of the Hyde Amendment," which bars the use of federal Medicaid dollars for abortion. She also notes that reproductive health issues are "so politicized ... that even to offer birth control to poor women who do not meet Medicaid"s strict eligibility requirements, individual states must apply for a waiver from the federal government." About half of states have done so, she says. In "choosing what services to cover under any potential public insurance plan," the HHS secretary "will likely be bound by all of the existing laws that prevent the federal government from financing abortion," according to Goldstein. She adds, "None of these restrictions would be explicitly overturned by any of the health reform proposals currently being considered in Congress."Antiabortion-rights Senate Republicans have said they will oppose any health reform bill "that subsidizes abortion coverage or even includes, in the proposed health insurance exchanges, private insurers that cover abortion," Goldstein writes. She adds that 87% of existing health plans include some abortion coverage, meaning that most women would lose coverage under the Republicans" demands. "The result would be a near-blanket restriction on women"s access to insurance-subsidized abortion, one far more radical than the Hyde Amendment," Goldstein says. Meanwhile, women"s health advocates have said that overturning the Hyde Amendment is not currently their top priority because "they are simply too busy playing defense on health reform" and do not have the votes, Goldstein writes.According to Goldstein, by "playing the abortion card, the real goal of anti-choicers is not only to maintain existing restrictions on abortion access, but to use health reform as a vehicle to expand them to the majority of American women." She writes, "If such efforts lead to legislative impasse, many conservatives will be delighted." She concludes, "After all, they"ve never really put any political muscle behind fixing our inadequate health care system" (Goldstein, American Prospect, 7/14).
News of the day
Provectus Completes Patient Accrual In Phase 2 Trial Of PV-10 For Metastatic Melanoma
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company has completed patient accrual and initial PV-10 treatment in its Phase 2 trial of PV-10 for metastatic melanoma. The study involved treatment of 80 subjects with Stage III or Stage IV metastatic melanoma.
Public Health

Use Of Lawyers Linked To Increased Health Care Utilisation Among Trauma Patients, Australia

A survey of trauma patients reported in the Medical Journal of Australia has found that compensation-related factors are significant predictors of health care utilisation. Ian Harris, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of the University of New South Wales" South West Sydney Clinical School, and his colleagues approached patients on a hospital trauma database who had been admitted between 1 May 1999 and 30 April 2004. A total of 355 patients responded to the survey. After examining a broad range of variables, the results showed a definite correlation between compensation and utilisation of health care. "Most notably, we found a significantly higher utilisation rate among patients using a lawyer". This remained true "after allowing for the effects of time since injury, other compensation factors, injury severity, demographic factors and socioeconomic factors". "The reason for this effect is uncertain." The analysis "showed that use of a lawyer and claiming compensation both had a strong effect, but the effect of a compensation claim was not significant after allowing for use of a lawyer." "It is possible that patients with more severe conditions required more health care visits, and were more likely to have a complex claim ò€¦ however, we did not find that injury severity was a significant predictor of health care utilisation." The results also showed that a longer time since injury and having a head injury were significantly associated with lower health care utilisation, whereas being unemployed and having a chronic illness were associated with higher health care utilisation. Professor Harris said the study provided evidence showing both predisposing factors (such as age and chronic illness) and enabling factors (such as compensation) are significant predictors of health care utilisation. Medical Journal of Australia


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