Ralph Nader: America's Pay-or-Die Health Care SystemMay 6, 2008 | The Story of Lisa Kelly
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Advised by her physician to go to M.D. Anderson for urgent treatment of her leukemia, Mrs. Lisa Kelly was told she had to pay $105,000 up front before being admitted. The hospital declared her limited insurance unacceptable.
Sitting in the business office with seriously advanced cancer, she asked herself – “Are they going to send me home?” “Am I going to die?”
Time out from her torment for a moment. M.D. Anderson started this upfront payment demand in 2005 because of a spike in its bad debt load.
The Wall Street Journal explains – “The bad debt is driven by a larger number of Americans who are uninsured or who don’t have enough insurance to cover costs if catastrophe strikes. Even among those with adequate insurance, deductibles and co-payments are growing so big that insured patients also have trouble paying hospitals.”
It isn’t as if non-profit hospitals like M.D. Anderson are hurting. Look at this finding in an Ohio State University study: net income per bed at non-profit hospitals tripled to $146,273 in 2005 from $50,669 in 2000. And you also may have noticed the huge pay packages awarded hospital executives.
M.D. Anderson, exempt from taxation, recipient of funds from large government programs and research grants has cash, investments and endowment totaling $1.9 billion, with net income of $310 million last year, the Journal reports.
Back to the 52 year old, Lisa Kelly. She and her husband returned with a check for $45,000. After a blood test and biopsy, the hospital oncologist urged admittance quickly. Then the hospital demanded an additional $60,000-$45,000 just for the lab tests and $15,000 for part of the cost of the treatment.
To shorten the story, she received chemotherapy for over a year. Often her appointment was “blocked” until she made another payment.
In a particularly grotesque incident, she was hooked up to a chemotherapy pump, but the nurses were not allowed to change the chemo bag until Mr. Kelly made another payment. ...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Health care workers sue state over pay-cut plan - San Jose Mercury News
Health care workers sue state over pay-cut plan - San Jose Mercury NewsBy Shaya Tayefe Mohajer | Associated Press | Article Launched: 05/06/2008 01:37:48 AM PDT
LOS ANGELES - A coalition of health care groups sued the state Monday to prevent pay cuts to doctors, dentists, pharmacists and others who treat the poor, elderly and disabled.
The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of California health care providers seeks an injunction to halt 10 percent cuts to Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal reimbursements scheduled to take effect July 1. ...
LOS ANGELES - A coalition of health care groups sued the state Monday to prevent pay cuts to doctors, dentists, pharmacists and others who treat the poor, elderly and disabled.
The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of California health care providers seeks an injunction to halt 10 percent cuts to Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal reimbursements scheduled to take effect July 1. ...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Getting married for health insurance - 25% keep or change jobs for health insurance ...
Getting married for health insurance - Los Angeles Times
| By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer | April 29, 2008
Seven percent of Americans say they or someone in their household decided to tie the knot in the last year so they could receive healthcare benefits, a poll finds.
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"It's a small number but a powerful result, because it shows how paying for healthcare is reflected not only in family budgets but in life decisions," said Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which commissioned the survey as part of its regular polling on healthcare.
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On a broader scale, the survey found that healthcare costs outranked housing costs, rising food prices and credit card bills as a source of concern. ...
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But with employer-based health insurance averaging $12,000 for family coverage and $4,500 for individuals, the public concern with costs is understandable. Nearly a fourth of Americans said they had decided to keep or change jobs in the last year because of health insurance. ...
| By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer | April 29, 2008
Seven percent of Americans say they or someone in their household decided to tie the knot in the last year so they could receive healthcare benefits, a poll finds.
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"It's a small number but a powerful result, because it shows how paying for healthcare is reflected not only in family budgets but in life decisions," said Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which commissioned the survey as part of its regular polling on healthcare.
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On a broader scale, the survey found that healthcare costs outranked housing costs, rising food prices and credit card bills as a source of concern. ...
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But with employer-based health insurance averaging $12,000 for family coverage and $4,500 for individuals, the public concern with costs is understandable. Nearly a fourth of Americans said they had decided to keep or change jobs in the last year because of health insurance. ...
(28 percent) report that the recent economic downturn has caused "serious problems" paying for medical care and insurance ...
April 29, 2008 | Ouch! Health costs rise as the economy falters | Chicago Tribune
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Slightly more than 1 in 4 Americans (28 percent) report that the recent economic downturn has caused "serious problems" paying for medical care and insurance, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a California policy group.
It’s the third most frequent type of problem people are encountering, behind problems paying for gas (44 percent) and getting a raise or a good paying job (29 percent).
Research shows what happens when people get caught in this kind of economic squeeze – they stop writing checks for insurance premiums or they stop taking medications (even $10 per prescription can add up) or going to the doctor (avoiding those $10 or $15 co-pays for each visit).
The new survey confirms this is happening: 29 percent of people said they or a family member have postponed getting needed care; 24 percent went without a recommended medical test or treatment; 23 percent didn’t fill a prescription; and another 19 percent cut pills in half or skipped medication doses. ...
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Slightly more than 1 in 4 Americans (28 percent) report that the recent economic downturn has caused "serious problems" paying for medical care and insurance, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a California policy group.
It’s the third most frequent type of problem people are encountering, behind problems paying for gas (44 percent) and getting a raise or a good paying job (29 percent).
Research shows what happens when people get caught in this kind of economic squeeze – they stop writing checks for insurance premiums or they stop taking medications (even $10 per prescription can add up) or going to the doctor (avoiding those $10 or $15 co-pays for each visit).
The new survey confirms this is happening: 29 percent of people said they or a family member have postponed getting needed care; 24 percent went without a recommended medical test or treatment; 23 percent didn’t fill a prescription; and another 19 percent cut pills in half or skipped medication doses. ...
median income flat ... but family portion of health insurance jumps 25%
April 29, 2008 | 660,000 Illinois jobs lose medical benefits | Chicago Tribune
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Here’s the latest data: the number of jobs in Illinois with medical benefits plunged by 660,000 between 2001 and 2005, according to a study released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Driving the trend are soaring medical costs – a consequence of more medical services and more expensive technologies -- that make health insurance ever more expensive for workers and employers.
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While median income for Illinois families was essentially flat between 2001 and 2005, the portion that they paid for health insurance provided by employers jumped 25 percent this five-year period. ...
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Here’s the latest data: the number of jobs in Illinois with medical benefits plunged by 660,000 between 2001 and 2005, according to a study released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Driving the trend are soaring medical costs – a consequence of more medical services and more expensive technologies -- that make health insurance ever more expensive for workers and employers.
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While median income for Illinois families was essentially flat between 2001 and 2005, the portion that they paid for health insurance provided by employers jumped 25 percent this five-year period. ...
“We have a deficit and a war.” ... NIH loses 2 per cent of funding every year for 7 years ....
Too few funds to fight cancer in U.S. | By Robert Weiner and Patricia Berg | April 18, 2008
With more than 500,000 cancer deaths in the United States each year, the underlying buzz all around the just concluded San Diego meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, with 17,000 scientists from throughout the nation and the world, was, “Where is the federal government?"
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Despite fear of the torturous physical slide of cancer – people's No. 1 health fear – federal funds for research into early diagnosis, treatment and cures are plummeting. The National Institutes of Health has lost 2 percent of its budget to inflation in real dollars every year for the last seven years, a 14 percent decline, points out leukemia researcher Michael Sheard of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Ellen Sigal, chairwoman of Friends of Cancer Research in Arlington, Va., and the chair of a forum at AACR on alternative funding mechanisms, confirmed Sheard's numbers.
When we asked Sigal why there is the drop in federal funds, she responded, “We have a deficit and a war.” If funding potential disease cures is part of the price of Iraq, it is no wonder that 70 percent of Americans oppose the war and want its cost to end in the scheme of priorities. ...
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NCI now funds fewer than 10 percent of requested research projects, down from 25 percent a decade ago. President Clinton had doubled NIH's budget – explaining many of the amazing recent breakthroughs – but now, with the budget dropping, private organizations are desperately trying to pick up the pieces so that innovative science can continue. ...
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The bar is now impossibly high for many new discoveries. At NCI, researchers “must show real leads, not discovery,” says Barker. ...
With more than 500,000 cancer deaths in the United States each year, the underlying buzz all around the just concluded San Diego meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, with 17,000 scientists from throughout the nation and the world, was, “Where is the federal government?"
...
Despite fear of the torturous physical slide of cancer – people's No. 1 health fear – federal funds for research into early diagnosis, treatment and cures are plummeting. The National Institutes of Health has lost 2 percent of its budget to inflation in real dollars every year for the last seven years, a 14 percent decline, points out leukemia researcher Michael Sheard of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Ellen Sigal, chairwoman of Friends of Cancer Research in Arlington, Va., and the chair of a forum at AACR on alternative funding mechanisms, confirmed Sheard's numbers.
When we asked Sigal why there is the drop in federal funds, she responded, “We have a deficit and a war.” If funding potential disease cures is part of the price of Iraq, it is no wonder that 70 percent of Americans oppose the war and want its cost to end in the scheme of priorities. ...
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NCI now funds fewer than 10 percent of requested research projects, down from 25 percent a decade ago. President Clinton had doubled NIH's budget – explaining many of the amazing recent breakthroughs – but now, with the budget dropping, private organizations are desperately trying to pick up the pieces so that innovative science can continue. ...
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The bar is now impossibly high for many new discoveries. At NCI, researchers “must show real leads, not discovery,” says Barker. ...
Heparin Contamination Reveals Dirty Secret: Their Pills are Made in China! ... [but] FDA warned Americans not to buy drugs from Canada
Heparin Contamination Fiasco Reveals Dirty Secret of Drug Industry: Their Pills are Made in China!Thursday, May 01, 2008 by: Mike Adams
(NaturalNews) Remember a couple of years ago how the FDA warned Americans not to buy prescription drugs from Canada because they might be "contaminated by terrorists?" I'm not making that up: That was the official announcement of an FDA spokesperson, and it was part of their fear strategy for enforcing a monopoly on U.S. consumers so that Big Pharma could continue engaging in rampant price fixing.
The implication in that warning is that drugs purchased in the United States are therefore safer, correct? What the FDA didn't tell anyone, however, is that most pharmaceuticals purchased in the United States are manufactured outside the U.S.; many from China or Puerto Rico. So they're not even made in the U.S. anyway, and drug companies are simply importing them from other countries just like a consumer might do if she drove across the border and bought her medications in Canada or Mexico.
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Enter the blood-thinning drug Heparin. This blood-thinning drug, made by Baxter International, was recently discovered by consumers to have been manufactured in China. Worse yet, the quality controls in China were so low that this FDA approved, brand-name prescription drug was apparently deliberately contaminated with an adulterated chemical that has now resulted in the death of dozens of consumers in the United States. Sound familiar? It's precisely the scenario dreamed up by the FDA to warn consumers away from pharmaceuticals purchased in Canada, Mexico or elsewhere. But guess what? It turns out that brand-name, FDA-approved prescription drugs sold at monopoly prices right here in the United States are adulterated too!
Fact #1: Most U.S. prescription drugs aren't even made in the U.S.
Fact #2: Many U.S. prescription drugs are made in China, a country widely known to have the lowest quality control standards in the world.
Fact #3: U.S. drug companies don't even run quality control checks on the drugs they import from China!
That third fact should send a chill up your spine. What it means is that U.S. drug companies contract with cheap, low-end Chinese chemical factories to manufacture their drugs at something like two cents a pill (which they can mark up to $20 a pill or more...), and then they import these Chinese-made pills and don't even test them before selling them to U.S. consumers!
If it wasn't for the fact that so many Americans have now died from this, the whole thing would be quite hilarious. Why? Because the FDA and Big Pharma are always running around touting how "safe" their products are while screaming about how dangerous herbs and supplements are. And yet nutritional supplement companies test their ingredients for contaminants with far greater frequency than drug companies. ...
(NaturalNews) Remember a couple of years ago how the FDA warned Americans not to buy prescription drugs from Canada because they might be "contaminated by terrorists?" I'm not making that up: That was the official announcement of an FDA spokesperson, and it was part of their fear strategy for enforcing a monopoly on U.S. consumers so that Big Pharma could continue engaging in rampant price fixing.
The implication in that warning is that drugs purchased in the United States are therefore safer, correct? What the FDA didn't tell anyone, however, is that most pharmaceuticals purchased in the United States are manufactured outside the U.S.; many from China or Puerto Rico. So they're not even made in the U.S. anyway, and drug companies are simply importing them from other countries just like a consumer might do if she drove across the border and bought her medications in Canada or Mexico.
...
Enter the blood-thinning drug Heparin. This blood-thinning drug, made by Baxter International, was recently discovered by consumers to have been manufactured in China. Worse yet, the quality controls in China were so low that this FDA approved, brand-name prescription drug was apparently deliberately contaminated with an adulterated chemical that has now resulted in the death of dozens of consumers in the United States. Sound familiar? It's precisely the scenario dreamed up by the FDA to warn consumers away from pharmaceuticals purchased in Canada, Mexico or elsewhere. But guess what? It turns out that brand-name, FDA-approved prescription drugs sold at monopoly prices right here in the United States are adulterated too!
Three astonishing facts about brand-name pharmaceuticals
So far, then, there are three astonishing facts that have come out of this recent news about Heparin:Fact #1: Most U.S. prescription drugs aren't even made in the U.S.
Fact #2: Many U.S. prescription drugs are made in China, a country widely known to have the lowest quality control standards in the world.
Fact #3: U.S. drug companies don't even run quality control checks on the drugs they import from China!
That third fact should send a chill up your spine. What it means is that U.S. drug companies contract with cheap, low-end Chinese chemical factories to manufacture their drugs at something like two cents a pill (which they can mark up to $20 a pill or more...), and then they import these Chinese-made pills and don't even test them before selling them to U.S. consumers!
If it wasn't for the fact that so many Americans have now died from this, the whole thing would be quite hilarious. Why? Because the FDA and Big Pharma are always running around touting how "safe" their products are while screaming about how dangerous herbs and supplements are. And yet nutritional supplement companies test their ingredients for contaminants with far greater frequency than drug companies. ...
Friday, May 2, 2008
Merck - Vioxx Is Accused of Deception ... moving slowly to warn of possible hazards .. dressnig up studies
Maker of Vioxx Is Accused of Deception | By David Brown | Washington Post Staff Writer | Wednesday, April 16, 2008; Page A01
Two teams of researchers with access to thousands of documents gathered for lawsuits over the painkiller Vioxx allege that Merck waged a campaign of deception to promote its drug, moving slowly to warn of possible hazards while at the same time dressing up in-house studies as the work of independent academic researchers.
The reports in today's Journal of the American Medical Association in effect accuse one of the world's biggest pharmaceutical makers of various forms of scientific fraud.
One study alleges that Merck gave the Food and Drug Administration an incomplete accounting of deaths in a clinical trial of Vioxx in people with mild dementia. Federal regulators eventually received the data, which added to growing evidence that Vioxx increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Simultaneously, Merck was using what the JAMA authors call "guest authorship and ghostwriting" to make it appear that research done by its employees or contractors was the work of scientists at medical schools and universities. That presumably gave the findings more credibility when they were published, in medical journals, boosting Vioxx's profile in the crowded painkiller market.
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Since then, Merck has been named in 26,500 lawsuits by people who say the drug harmed them. Last fall, the company created a $4.85 billion fund to settle the claims while not admitting that Vioxx caused heart attacks, strokes or deaths.
The two JAMA papers -- which were based on access to company documents made public through the lawsuits -- say they provide a look at widespread practices in the pharmaceutical industry. This view was endorsed in an editorial signed by Catherine D. DeAngelis, the journal's editor, who wrote: "But make no mistake -- the manipulation of study results, authors, editors, and reviewers is not the sole purview of one company." ...
Two teams of researchers with access to thousands of documents gathered for lawsuits over the painkiller Vioxx allege that Merck waged a campaign of deception to promote its drug, moving slowly to warn of possible hazards while at the same time dressing up in-house studies as the work of independent academic researchers.
The reports in today's Journal of the American Medical Association in effect accuse one of the world's biggest pharmaceutical makers of various forms of scientific fraud.
One study alleges that Merck gave the Food and Drug Administration an incomplete accounting of deaths in a clinical trial of Vioxx in people with mild dementia. Federal regulators eventually received the data, which added to growing evidence that Vioxx increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Simultaneously, Merck was using what the JAMA authors call "guest authorship and ghostwriting" to make it appear that research done by its employees or contractors was the work of scientists at medical schools and universities. That presumably gave the findings more credibility when they were published, in medical journals, boosting Vioxx's profile in the crowded painkiller market.
...
Since then, Merck has been named in 26,500 lawsuits by people who say the drug harmed them. Last fall, the company created a $4.85 billion fund to settle the claims while not admitting that Vioxx caused heart attacks, strokes or deaths.
The two JAMA papers -- which were based on access to company documents made public through the lawsuits -- say they provide a look at widespread practices in the pharmaceutical industry. This view was endorsed in an editorial signed by Catherine D. DeAngelis, the journal's editor, who wrote: "But make no mistake -- the manipulation of study results, authors, editors, and reviewers is not the sole purview of one company." ...
FDA Raises Estimate of Deaths Linked to Blood Thinner - ingredients from China
FDA Raises Estimate of Deaths Linked to Blood Thinner - washingtonpost.comBy Marc Kaufman | Washington Post | Staff Writer | Wednesday, April 9, 2008; Page A03
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday raised from 19 to 62 its estimate of the number of people who may have died after having allergic reactions to contaminated Chinese-produced batches of the blood thinner heparin.
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In previous statements, the agency said it did not know whether the cheaper contaminant -- which may have come from pig cartilage -- was deliberately added to the crude heparin or was the result of a production problem.
China is now the world's largest producer of the raw ingredients in heparin. The contaminated batches of the drug have increased concerns among lawmakers and the public about the globalization of drug-manufacturing in lightly regulated nations. ...
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday raised from 19 to 62 its estimate of the number of people who may have died after having allergic reactions to contaminated Chinese-produced batches of the blood thinner heparin.
...
In previous statements, the agency said it did not know whether the cheaper contaminant -- which may have come from pig cartilage -- was deliberately added to the crude heparin or was the result of a production problem.
China is now the world's largest producer of the raw ingredients in heparin. The contaminated batches of the drug have increased concerns among lawmakers and the public about the globalization of drug-manufacturing in lightly regulated nations. ...
creating jobs and managing the nation's finances, Democratic presidents demonstrate success while Republican presidents show failure
David Fiderer: The Simple Arithmetic of Republican Failure - Business on The Huffington PostApril 20, 2008 | David Fiderer
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When it comes to creating jobs and managing the nation's finances, Democratic presidents demonstrate success while Republican presidents show failure.
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When it comes to creating jobs and managing the nation's finances, Democratic presidents demonstrate success while Republican presidents show failure.
Job Creation
Jimmy Carter, 1977-1980: 10.5 million new jobs
Bill Clinton, 1993-1996: 11.6 million new jobs
Bill Clinton, 1997-2000: 12.4 million new jobs
Total: 33.6 million jobs created over 12 years, or 2.8 million jobs per year
Ronald Reagan 1981-1984: 5.2 million new jobs
Ronald Reagan 1985-1988: 10.8 million new jobs
George H.W. Bush 1989-1992: 2.6 million new jobs
George W. Bush 2001-2004: 0.2 million fewer jobs
George W. Bush 2005-2007: 5.5 million new jobs
Total: 24 million jobs created over 19 years, or 1.3 million jobs per year
Government Spending
How much did the government spend for every dollar of revenue?
Jimmy Carter, 1977-1980: $ 1.16
Bill Clinton, 1993-1996: $1.25
Bill Clinton, 1997-2000: $1.01
Democratic Average: $1.16
Ronald Reagan 1981-1984: $1.31
Ronald Reagan 1985-1988: $1.38
George H.W. Bush 1989-1992: $1.34
George W. Bush 2001-2004: $1.27
George W. Bush 2005-2007: $1.24
Republican Average: $1.29
The difference between $1.16 and $1.29 may not seem like a lot, but the impact on the national debt is huge, especially when you consider that $1.29 applies to 19 years, and the budgets under this president are so much larger.
Increases in Government Debt
Growth In Debt Held By the Public [$US trillions]
Jimmy Carter, 1977-1980: 0.2
Bill Clinton, 1993-1996: 0.7
Bill Clinton, 1997-2000: -0.3
Democratic Total: 0.6
Ronald Reagan 1981-1984: 0.6
Ronald Reagan 1985-1988: 0.7
George H.W. Bush 1989-1992: 0.9
George W. Bush 2001-2004: 0.9
George W. Bush 2005-2007: 1.1
Republican Total: 4.3 ...
reventable diseases and lagging public health care ...Life Expectancy Slips in Poor Parts of America
Life Expectancy Slips in Poor Parts of America | April 22, 2008
New Study Shows Drop in Life Expectancy in Deep South, Parts of Midwest, Texas and Appalachia, Particularly for Women
"One out of five American women have had their health either getting worse or at best not getting better," said Dr. Majid Ezzati of the Harvard School of Public Health.
The joint Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington study found that 4 percent of the male population and 19 percent of the female population experienced either decline or stagnation in mortality beginning in the 1980s.
Researchers say it comes down to preventable diseases and lagging public health care. The downward trend of life expectancy was most pronounced in just a few parts of the country, including the deep South, the southern portion of the Midwest, parts of Texas and Appalachia.
In these parts of the country, doctors say they're finding alarming increases in cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease.
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New Study Shows Drop in Life Expectancy in Deep South, Parts of Midwest, Texas and Appalachia, Particularly for Women
"One out of five American women have had their health either getting worse or at best not getting better," said Dr. Majid Ezzati of the Harvard School of Public Health.
The joint Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington study found that 4 percent of the male population and 19 percent of the female population experienced either decline or stagnation in mortality beginning in the 1980s.
Researchers say it comes down to preventable diseases and lagging public health care. The downward trend of life expectancy was most pronounced in just a few parts of the country, including the deep South, the southern portion of the Midwest, parts of Texas and Appalachia.
In these parts of the country, doctors say they're finding alarming increases in cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease.
...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Merck Wrote Drug Studies for Doctors ... raised broad questions about the validity of much of the drug industry’s published research
Merck Wrote Drug Studies for Doctors | By STEPHANIE SAUL | Published: April 16, 2008
The drug maker Merck drafted dozens of research studies for a best-selling drug, then lined up prestigious doctors to put their names on the reports before publication, according to an article to be published Wednesday in a leading medical journal.
The article, based on documents unearthed in lawsuits over the pain drug Vioxx, provides a rare, detailed look in the industry practice of ghostwriting medical research studies that are then published in academic journals.
The lead author of Wednesday’s article, Dr. Joseph S. Ross of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said a close look at the Merck documents raised broad questions about the validity of much of the drug industry’s published research, because the ghostwriting practice appears to be widespread.
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The drug maker Merck drafted dozens of research studies for a best-selling drug, then lined up prestigious doctors to put their names on the reports before publication, according to an article to be published Wednesday in a leading medical journal.
The article, based on documents unearthed in lawsuits over the pain drug Vioxx, provides a rare, detailed look in the industry practice of ghostwriting medical research studies that are then published in academic journals.
The lead author of Wednesday’s article, Dr. Joseph S. Ross of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said a close look at the Merck documents raised broad questions about the validity of much of the drug industry’s published research, because the ghostwriting practice appears to be widespread.
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Combing through the documents, Dr. Ross and his colleagues unearthed internal Merck e-mail messages and documents about 96 journal publications, which included review articles and reports of clinical studies. While the Ross team said it was not necessarily raising questions about all 96 articles, it said that in many cases there was scant evidence that the recruited authors made substantive contributions.
One paper involved a study of Vioxx as a possible deterrent to Alzheimer’s progression.
The draft of the paper, dated August 2003, identified the lead writer as “External author?” But when it was published in 2005 in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, the lead author was listed as Dr. Leon J. Thal, a well-known Alzheimer’s researcher at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Thal was killed in an airplane crash last year.
The second author listed on the published Alzheimer’s paper, whose name had not been on the draft, was Dr. Ferris, the New York University professor. Dr. Ferris, reached by telephone Tuesday, said he had played an active role in the research and he was substantially involved in helping shape the final draft.
“It’s simply false that we didn’t contribute to the final publication,” Dr. Ferris said. ...
Trade Debt: service amounts to $2000 for each working American per year ... [Econmy smaller] This comes to about $10,000 per worker
Peter Morici: The Corrosive Consequences of the Trade Deficit March 17, 2008 | The Damage Worsens Each Month | By PETER MORICI
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In the 2007, the United States had a $106.9 surplus on trade in services and a $106.9 billion surplus on income payments. This was hardly enough to offset the massive $815.9 billion deficit on trade in goods, and net unilateral transfers to foreigners equal to $104.4 billion.
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U.S. investments abroad were $ 1,206.3 billion, while foreigners invested $1,863.7 billion in the United States. Of that latter total, only $204 billion or 11 percent was direct investment in U.S. productive assets. The remaining net capital inflows were foreign purchases of Treasury securities, corporate bonds, bank accounts, currency, and other paper assets. Essentially, Americans borrowed or sold off real estate and other assets of about $600 billion to consume about 5.3 percent more than they produced.
Foreign governments loaned Americans $412.7 billion or 3 percent of GDP. The Chinese and other governments are essentially bankrolling U.S. consumers, who in turn are mortgaging their children's income.
The cumulative effects of this borrowing are frightening. The total external debt now is about $6.5 trillion. The debt service at 5 percent interest, amounts to $2000 for each working American.
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Lost growth is cumulative. Thanks to the record trade deficits accumulated over the last 10 years, the U.S. economy is about $1.5 trillion smaller. This comes to about $10,000 per worker.
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Peter Morici is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Business and former Chief Economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission.
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In the 2007, the United States had a $106.9 surplus on trade in services and a $106.9 billion surplus on income payments. This was hardly enough to offset the massive $815.9 billion deficit on trade in goods, and net unilateral transfers to foreigners equal to $104.4 billion.
...
U.S. investments abroad were $ 1,206.3 billion, while foreigners invested $1,863.7 billion in the United States. Of that latter total, only $204 billion or 11 percent was direct investment in U.S. productive assets. The remaining net capital inflows were foreign purchases of Treasury securities, corporate bonds, bank accounts, currency, and other paper assets. Essentially, Americans borrowed or sold off real estate and other assets of about $600 billion to consume about 5.3 percent more than they produced.
Foreign governments loaned Americans $412.7 billion or 3 percent of GDP. The Chinese and other governments are essentially bankrolling U.S. consumers, who in turn are mortgaging their children's income.
The cumulative effects of this borrowing are frightening. The total external debt now is about $6.5 trillion. The debt service at 5 percent interest, amounts to $2000 for each working American.
...
Lost growth is cumulative. Thanks to the record trade deficits accumulated over the last 10 years, the U.S. economy is about $1.5 trillion smaller. This comes to about $10,000 per worker.
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Peter Morici is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Business and former Chief Economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission.
In the name of free markets, we made ourselves and our economy vulnerable to the worst impulses of a greedy, remorseless few.
Truthdig - Reports - Slap Down ‘Free Market’ PiratesPosted on Mar 26, 2008 | By Joe Conason
For many years, Robert Morgenthau has warned America that the nexus of capitalism and criminality poses a serious threat to our prosperity, security and growth. Now in the wake of the collapse of Bear Stearns, which pushed global markets closer to the brink, perhaps the nation will listen to the Manhattan district attorney, whose scrutinizing gaze is fixed on targets well beyond New York.
As a legendary prosecutor of international financial crime, Morgenthau has long kept a watchful eye on the buccaneering crew at Bear, the firm that now symbolizes the worst in amoral capital. Its executives were notorious for testing the limits of the law by sheltering shady stock promoters and bucket-shop brokerages, and by swelling the assets of its hedge funds with dubious mortgage-backed assets.
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But as Morgenthau insists, we cannot sustain an economy of universal bailouts. A son of FDR’s treasury secretary, he understands how the New Deal saved democratic capitalism from mindless greed 75 years ago, and he knows that the undoing of those reforms during the past 25 years has led to our present troubles. More and more of our capital (including public pension funds) has moved into offshore havens, where banking and corporate secrecy laws allow hedge fund operators to avoid regulation and taxes. This escape from transparency will continue as long as it is permitted by law and rewarded by the tax code.
All that will soon have to end, or we will find ourselves again at the edge of disaster.
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As we mark the end of a long era of conservative excess, we could do much worse than heed Morgenthau’s advice. In the name of free markets, we made ourselves and our economy vulnerable to the worst impulses of a greedy, remorseless few. He saw that on the horizon and tried to tell us. Now, perhaps we will listen.
For many years, Robert Morgenthau has warned America that the nexus of capitalism and criminality poses a serious threat to our prosperity, security and growth. Now in the wake of the collapse of Bear Stearns, which pushed global markets closer to the brink, perhaps the nation will listen to the Manhattan district attorney, whose scrutinizing gaze is fixed on targets well beyond New York.
As a legendary prosecutor of international financial crime, Morgenthau has long kept a watchful eye on the buccaneering crew at Bear, the firm that now symbolizes the worst in amoral capital. Its executives were notorious for testing the limits of the law by sheltering shady stock promoters and bucket-shop brokerages, and by swelling the assets of its hedge funds with dubious mortgage-backed assets.
...
But as Morgenthau insists, we cannot sustain an economy of universal bailouts. A son of FDR’s treasury secretary, he understands how the New Deal saved democratic capitalism from mindless greed 75 years ago, and he knows that the undoing of those reforms during the past 25 years has led to our present troubles. More and more of our capital (including public pension funds) has moved into offshore havens, where banking and corporate secrecy laws allow hedge fund operators to avoid regulation and taxes. This escape from transparency will continue as long as it is permitted by law and rewarded by the tax code.
All that will soon have to end, or we will find ourselves again at the edge of disaster.
...
As we mark the end of a long era of conservative excess, we could do much worse than heed Morgenthau’s advice. In the name of free markets, we made ourselves and our economy vulnerable to the worst impulses of a greedy, remorseless few. He saw that on the horizon and tried to tell us. Now, perhaps we will listen.
ACE Inhibitor as Effective as More Expensive Blood Pressure Drug
ACE Inhibitor as Effective as More Expensive Blood Pressure DrugStudy focused on more than 17,000 people with coronary artery disease or diabetes | By Ed Edelson |
Posted 3/31/08
MONDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with an ACE inhibitor drug was as effective in reducing deaths, heart attacks and stroke in a high-risk group of patients as a newer and more expensive angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) drug, a large international study has found.
The study of more than 17,000 people with coronary artery disease or diabetes found no major differences between those treated with the widely used ACE inhibitor ramipril (Altace) and those given the ARB telmisartan (Micardis).
"This is the first study in such a population that shows ACE inhibitors are as effective as ARBs," said study leader Dr. Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. ...
Posted 3/31/08
MONDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with an ACE inhibitor drug was as effective in reducing deaths, heart attacks and stroke in a high-risk group of patients as a newer and more expensive angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) drug, a large international study has found.
The study of more than 17,000 people with coronary artery disease or diabetes found no major differences between those treated with the widely used ACE inhibitor ramipril (Altace) and those given the ARB telmisartan (Micardis).
"This is the first study in such a population that shows ACE inhibitors are as effective as ARBs," said study leader Dr. Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. ...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Study: Health Insurers Are Near-Monopolies ... 95 percent of the 294 HMO/PPO metropolitan markets studied were above 1,800
Study: Health Insurers Are Near-Monopolies | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 by the Associated Press
Consolidation among health insurers is creating near-monopolies in virtually all reaches of the United States, according to a study released Monday.
Data from the American Medical Association show that in each of 43 states, a handful of top insurers have gained such a stronghold that their markets are considered "highly concentrated" under U.S. Department of Justice guidelines, often far exceeding the thresholds that trigger antitrust concerns.
Consolidation among health insurers is creating near-monopolies in virtually all reaches of the United States, according to a study released Monday.
Data from the American Medical Association show that in each of 43 states, a handful of top insurers have gained such a stronghold that their markets are considered "highly concentrated" under U.S. Department of Justice guidelines, often far exceeding the thresholds that trigger antitrust concerns.
The study also shows that in 166 of 294 metropolitan areas, or 56 percent, a single insurer controls more than half the business in health maintenance organization and preferred provider networks underwriting.
"This problem is widespread across the country, and it needs to be looked at," said Jim Rohack, an AMA trustee and physician in Temple, Texas. "The choices that patients have now are more difficult."
The AMA study cited a Justice Department benchmark in citing antitrust concerns, the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, or HHI. A score above 1,000 shows "moderate" concentration. Those scoring above 1,800 yield a "high" concentration.
Figures show that 95 percent of the 294 HMO/PPO metropolitan markets studied were above 1,800. Raise that HHI bar even higher to 3,000, and 67 percent rise above it.
The AMA study is the latest piece of evidence — and most comprehensive to date — showing the market power of a few companies, and a large number of regional nonprofit Blue Cross operations, is formidable and growing. And it comes as premiums continue to grow at near double-digit percentage rates.
Critics say that carriers are not only creating monopolies and oligopolies in many regions, they also control the other side of the equation in what is known as monopsony power. That means in addition to having the most enrollees, they're also the biggest purchasers of health care and can dictate prices and coverage terms. ...
Co-Payments for Expensive Drugs Soar - [Is this health insurance or just a drug discount program?]
Co-Payments for Expensive Drugs Soar - New York TimesBy GINA KOLATA | Published: April 14, 2008
Health insurance companies are rapidly adopting a new pricing system for very expensive drugs, asking patients to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for prescriptions for medications that may save their lives or slow the progress of serious diseases.
Health insurance companies are rapidly adopting a new pricing system for very expensive drugs, asking patients to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for prescriptions for medications that may save their lives or slow the progress of serious diseases.
With the new pricing system, insurers abandoned the traditional arrangement that has patients pay a fixed amount, like $10, $20 or $30 for a prescription, no matter what the drug’s actual cost. Instead, they are charging patients a percentage of the cost of certain high-priced drugs, usually 20 to 33 percent, which can amount to thousands of dollars a month.
The system means that the burden of expensive health care can now affect insured people, too.
No one knows how many patients are affected, but hundreds of drugs are priced this new way. They are used to treat diseases that may be fairly common, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, hepatitis C and some cancers. There are no cheaper equivalents for these drugs, so patients are forced to pay the price or do without. ...
...
The system, often called Tier 4, began in earnest with Medicare drug plans and spread rapidly. It is now incorporated into 86 percent of those plans. Some have even higher co-payments for certain drugs, a Tier 5.
Now Tier 4 is also showing up in insurance that people buy on their own or acquire through employers, said Dan Mendelson of Avalere Health, a research organization in Washington. It is the fastest-growing segment in private insurance, Mr. Mendelson said. Five years ago it was virtually nonexistent in private plans, he said. Now 10 percent of them have Tier 4 drug categories.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
California insurers ordered to reinstate policies - San Jose Mercury News
California insurers ordered to reinstate policies - San Jose Mercury NewsBy SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER Associated Press Writer | Article Launched: 04/17/2008 06:03:45 PM PDT
LOS ANGELES—Three of the state's largest health insurance companies have been ordered to reinstate the policies of 26 customers who had their coverage dropped.
A state regulatory agency also warned insurers Thursday that an independent review had been ordered on policies canceled in the past four years, meaning thousands more could be ordered reinstated.
Department of Managed Health Care Director Cindy Ehnes says the practice of dropping coverage, known as rescission, is particularly harsh because it's often done when a consumer is vulnerable. ...
LOS ANGELES—Three of the state's largest health insurance companies have been ordered to reinstate the policies of 26 customers who had their coverage dropped.
A state regulatory agency also warned insurers Thursday that an independent review had been ordered on policies canceled in the past four years, meaning thousands more could be ordered reinstated.
Department of Managed Health Care Director Cindy Ehnes says the practice of dropping coverage, known as rescission, is particularly harsh because it's often done when a consumer is vulnerable. ...
Thursday, April 10, 2008
100 studies have been published documenting the harmful effects of racial discrimination on a variety of health measures in African-Americans
The Toxic Power of Racism | Posted March 26, 2008
...
However, a growing body of research during the past few years indicates that one of the most glaring inequalities experienced by African-Americans is the disparity in health care that they receive. This week, for example, the New York Times reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs found that black patients "tend to receive less aggressive medical care than whites" at its hospitals and clinics, in part because doctors provide them with less information and see them as "less appropriate candidates" for some types of surgery.
Statistics tell the story. A new government report found the difference in life expectancy between poor black men and affluent white women to be more than 14 years (66.9 vs. 81.1 years)! African-Americans have a higher risk of dying from chronic ailments such as coronary heart disease and high blood pressure than any other ethnic group. Only part of this disparity is explained by differences in income and access to adequate medical care. On average, the most affluent African-Americans suffer more health problems than the least affluent whites.
In the past decade more than 100 studies have been published documenting the harmful effects of racial discrimination on a variety of health measures in African-American men and women. For example, a recent study that followed nearly 60,000 African-American women for six years found that women who reported on-the-job racial discrimination had a 32 percent higher risk of breast cancer than others who did not. Women who said they faced racial discrimination on the job, in housing and from the police were 48 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who reported no incidents of major discrimination. Another study of African-American women found that those who reported chronic emotional stress due to their experience of racism had more severely blocked carotid arteries (which supply blood to the brain) than those who did not. In yet another study perceived racism was associated with a significantly increased risk of uterine fibroids in black women, and this was unrelated to differences in health care utilization. ...
...
However, a growing body of research during the past few years indicates that one of the most glaring inequalities experienced by African-Americans is the disparity in health care that they receive. This week, for example, the New York Times reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs found that black patients "tend to receive less aggressive medical care than whites" at its hospitals and clinics, in part because doctors provide them with less information and see them as "less appropriate candidates" for some types of surgery.
Statistics tell the story. A new government report found the difference in life expectancy between poor black men and affluent white women to be more than 14 years (66.9 vs. 81.1 years)! African-Americans have a higher risk of dying from chronic ailments such as coronary heart disease and high blood pressure than any other ethnic group. Only part of this disparity is explained by differences in income and access to adequate medical care. On average, the most affluent African-Americans suffer more health problems than the least affluent whites.
In the past decade more than 100 studies have been published documenting the harmful effects of racial discrimination on a variety of health measures in African-American men and women. For example, a recent study that followed nearly 60,000 African-American women for six years found that women who reported on-the-job racial discrimination had a 32 percent higher risk of breast cancer than others who did not. Women who said they faced racial discrimination on the job, in housing and from the police were 48 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who reported no incidents of major discrimination. Another study of African-American women found that those who reported chronic emotional stress due to their experience of racism had more severely blocked carotid arteries (which supply blood to the brain) than those who did not. In yet another study perceived racism was associated with a significantly increased risk of uterine fibroids in black women, and this was unrelated to differences in health care utilization. ...
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Medicines approved right on deadline by the Food and Drug Administration are more likely to cause safety problems
FDA Deadlines May Impact Drug Safety | By LAURAN NEERGAARD – 20 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vioxx, Bextra, Rezulin, Baycol. Looking at drugs yanked off the market, Harvard researchers found a disturbing pattern: Medicines approved right on deadline by the Food and Drug Administration are more likely to cause safety problems later than those cleared with more time to spare.
Congress set strict deadlines for FDA to speed the arrival of new medications, but critics have long complained that the ticking clock spurred a dangerous rush to judgment.
...
"The article is a wake-up call," said Dr. Steven Nissen, the Cleveland Clinic's influential cardiology chief who helped sound the alarm on the risks of some of those ultimately doomed drugs
"It puts the FDA in a very difficult situation when they're trying to make complex decisions under these very, very tight deadlines," he added. "We've got to reevaluate now whether that's good public policy."
...
"FDA staffers by their own admission feel very much under the gun as these deadlines loom," added Dr. Jerry Avorn of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who co-authored the study. "If they're forced to make decisions prematurely, they may not make the right decisions. That needs to be debated openly." ...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vioxx, Bextra, Rezulin, Baycol. Looking at drugs yanked off the market, Harvard researchers found a disturbing pattern: Medicines approved right on deadline by the Food and Drug Administration are more likely to cause safety problems later than those cleared with more time to spare.
Congress set strict deadlines for FDA to speed the arrival of new medications, but critics have long complained that the ticking clock spurred a dangerous rush to judgment.
...
"The article is a wake-up call," said Dr. Steven Nissen, the Cleveland Clinic's influential cardiology chief who helped sound the alarm on the risks of some of those ultimately doomed drugs
"It puts the FDA in a very difficult situation when they're trying to make complex decisions under these very, very tight deadlines," he added. "We've got to reevaluate now whether that's good public policy."
...
"FDA staffers by their own admission feel very much under the gun as these deadlines loom," added Dr. Jerry Avorn of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who co-authored the study. "If they're forced to make decisions prematurely, they may not make the right decisions. That needs to be debated openly." ...
59 percent of US doctors support universal health care ... up from 49% in 2002 ...
US doctors support universal health care - survey | Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:00pm EDT
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - More than half of U.S. doctors now favor switching to a national health care plan and fewer than a third oppose the idea, according to a survey published on Monday.
The survey suggests that opinions have changed substantially since the last survey in 2002 and as the country debates serious changes to the health care system.
Of more than 2,000 doctors surveyed, 59 percent said they support legislation to establish a national health insurance program, while 32 percent said they opposed it, researchers reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
The 2002 survey found that 49 percent of physicians supported national health insurance and 40 percent opposed it. ...
...
"Across the board, more physicians feel that our fragmented and for-profit insurance system is obstructing good patient care, and a majority now support national insurance as the remedy," Ackermann said in a statement.
The Indiana survey found that 83 percent of psychiatrists, 69 percent of emergency medicine specialists, 65 percent of pediatricians, 64 percent of internists, 60 percent of family physicians and 55 percent of general surgeons favor a national health insurance plan. ...
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - More than half of U.S. doctors now favor switching to a national health care plan and fewer than a third oppose the idea, according to a survey published on Monday.
The survey suggests that opinions have changed substantially since the last survey in 2002 and as the country debates serious changes to the health care system.
Of more than 2,000 doctors surveyed, 59 percent said they support legislation to establish a national health insurance program, while 32 percent said they opposed it, researchers reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
The 2002 survey found that 49 percent of physicians supported national health insurance and 40 percent opposed it. ...
...
"Across the board, more physicians feel that our fragmented and for-profit insurance system is obstructing good patient care, and a majority now support national insurance as the remedy," Ackermann said in a statement.
The Indiana survey found that 83 percent of psychiatrists, 69 percent of emergency medicine specialists, 65 percent of pediatricians, 64 percent of internists, 60 percent of family physicians and 55 percent of general surgeons favor a national health insurance plan. ...
Infants born early are more likely to die during childhood and, if they survive, less likely to have children
Premature birth has lasting effects, study finds | By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
4:26 PM PDT, March 25, 2008 Infants born early are more likely to die during childhood and, if they survive, less likely to have children of their own, researchers report.
...
The study, conducted using Norwegian birth data, suggests that, as the percentage of premature infants who make it through their first year continues to grow because of advances in neonatology, the number of troubled infants and adults will also rise.
...
Experts said the situation is probably worse in the United States.
...
One in eight American infants is now born prematurely, a total of more than half a million per year, despite the best efforts of physicians to bring more pregnancies to full term -- defined as 38 weeks or longer.
...
A total of 5.2% of the births were premature, less than half the percentage in the U.S.
For boys born the most prematurely, between 22 and 27 weeks, their risk of death was 5.3 times normal between the ages of 1 and 6 and seven times normal between 7 and 13. For boys born between 28 and 32 weeks, the risk of death was 2.5 time normal in early childhood and 2.3 times normal in late childhood.
The most premature girls had 9.7 times the normal risk of death between ages 1 and 6, but no increased risk between 7 and 13. Girls born between 28 and 32 weeks did not have a significantly increased risk of death.
The investigators are not sure what accounts for the increased risk, but some of it is due to cancer and congenital abnormalities, Swamy said.
In adulthood, boys born the most prematurely were 76% less likely to reproduce, with only about one in seven having children. Women were 67% less likely to reproduce, with one in four having children.
...
4:26 PM PDT, March 25, 2008 Infants born early are more likely to die during childhood and, if they survive, less likely to have children of their own, researchers report.
...
The study, conducted using Norwegian birth data, suggests that, as the percentage of premature infants who make it through their first year continues to grow because of advances in neonatology, the number of troubled infants and adults will also rise.
...
Experts said the situation is probably worse in the United States.
...
One in eight American infants is now born prematurely, a total of more than half a million per year, despite the best efforts of physicians to bring more pregnancies to full term -- defined as 38 weeks or longer.
...
A total of 5.2% of the births were premature, less than half the percentage in the U.S.
For boys born the most prematurely, between 22 and 27 weeks, their risk of death was 5.3 times normal between the ages of 1 and 6 and seven times normal between 7 and 13. For boys born between 28 and 32 weeks, the risk of death was 2.5 time normal in early childhood and 2.3 times normal in late childhood.
The most premature girls had 9.7 times the normal risk of death between ages 1 and 6, but no increased risk between 7 and 13. Girls born between 28 and 32 weeks did not have a significantly increased risk of death.
The investigators are not sure what accounts for the increased risk, but some of it is due to cancer and congenital abnormalities, Swamy said.
In adulthood, boys born the most prematurely were 76% less likely to reproduce, with only about one in seven having children. Women were 67% less likely to reproduce, with one in four having children.
...
Accident -- brain damage -- $1m award --- $417,000 after attorneys ... then Wal-Mart's health plan sued for remainder !
Brain-damaged woman at center of Wal-Mart suit | By Randi Kaye | CNN
JACKSON, Missouri (CNN) -- Debbie Shank breaks down in tears every time she's told that her 18-year-old son, Jeremy, was killed in Iraq.
...
Shank suffered severe brain damage after a traffic accident nearly eight years ago that robbed her of much of her short-term memory and left her in a wheelchair and living in a nursing home.
...
Two years after the accident, Shank and her husband, Jim, were awarded about $1 million in a lawsuit against the trucking company involved in the crash. After legal fees were paid, $417,000 was placed in a trust to pay for Debbie Shank's long-term care.
Wal-Mart had paid out about $470,000 for Shank's medical expenses, but in 2005, Wal-Mart's health plan sued the Shanks for the same amount.
The Shanks didn't notice in the fine print of Wal-Mart's health plan policy that the company has the right to recoup medical expenses if an employee collects damages in a lawsuit. ...
...
Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley, who called Debbie Shank's case "unbelievably sad," replied in a statement: "Wal-Mart's plan is bound by very specific rules. ... We wish it could be more flexible in Mrs. Shank's case since her circumstances are clearly extraordinary, but this is done out of fairness to all associates who contribute to, and benefit from, the plan." ...
JACKSON, Missouri (CNN) -- Debbie Shank breaks down in tears every time she's told that her 18-year-old son, Jeremy, was killed in Iraq.
...
Shank suffered severe brain damage after a traffic accident nearly eight years ago that robbed her of much of her short-term memory and left her in a wheelchair and living in a nursing home.
...
Two years after the accident, Shank and her husband, Jim, were awarded about $1 million in a lawsuit against the trucking company involved in the crash. After legal fees were paid, $417,000 was placed in a trust to pay for Debbie Shank's long-term care.
Wal-Mart had paid out about $470,000 for Shank's medical expenses, but in 2005, Wal-Mart's health plan sued the Shanks for the same amount.
The Shanks didn't notice in the fine print of Wal-Mart's health plan policy that the company has the right to recoup medical expenses if an employee collects damages in a lawsuit. ...
...
Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley, who called Debbie Shank's case "unbelievably sad," replied in a statement: "Wal-Mart's plan is bound by very specific rules. ... We wish it could be more flexible in Mrs. Shank's case since her circumstances are clearly extraordinary, but this is done out of fairness to all associates who contribute to, and benefit from, the plan." ...
"In this invasion we used even more DU bullets. ... "We are living through another Hiroshima," Iraqi doctor says
"We are living through another Hiroshima," Iraqi doctor says | Sherwood Ross | March 24, 2008 - 8:41am
The U.S., Great Britain and Israel are turning portions of the Middle East into a slice of radioactive hell. They are achieving this by firing what they call "depleted uranium" (DU) ammunition but which is, in fact, radioactive ammunition and it is perhaps the deadliest kind of tactical ammo ever devised in the warped mind of man.
There's a ton of data about this on the Internet for the skeptics: from sources such as the 1999 report of the International Atomic Energy Commission to oncologist members of England's Royal Society of Physicians to U.S. Veterans Administration hospital nuclear medicine doctors to officials at the Basra maternity and pediatric hospital to reporter Scott Peterson of the Christian Science Monitor. Peterson used a Geiger counter in August, 2003 to find radiation readings between 1,000 and 1,900 times normal where bunker buster bombs and munitions had exploded near Baghdad. After all, a typical bunker bomb is said to contain more than a ton of depleted uranium.
...
And from U.S. veterans: Tom Cassidy, of the 1st Cavalry Division who saw service in Iraq in 2003-05: "After the first gulf war, the level of radiation was 300 times what is considered normal. In this invasion we used even more DU bullets. The effects there are horrible," he told the UCSC paper. Added Dennis Kyne, from the U.S. Army's 18th Airborne division and Desert Storm veteran and who suffers from an "undiagnosed illness": "The scientists call it cell disruption, and they don't know why it's happening to veterans, but it's really radiation sickness, and it's because the DU is all over."
The U.S., Great Britain and Israel are turning portions of the Middle East into a slice of radioactive hell. They are achieving this by firing what they call "depleted uranium" (DU) ammunition but which is, in fact, radioactive ammunition and it is perhaps the deadliest kind of tactical ammo ever devised in the warped mind of man.
There's a ton of data about this on the Internet for the skeptics: from sources such as the 1999 report of the International Atomic Energy Commission to oncologist members of England's Royal Society of Physicians to U.S. Veterans Administration hospital nuclear medicine doctors to officials at the Basra maternity and pediatric hospital to reporter Scott Peterson of the Christian Science Monitor. Peterson used a Geiger counter in August, 2003 to find radiation readings between 1,000 and 1,900 times normal where bunker buster bombs and munitions had exploded near Baghdad. After all, a typical bunker bomb is said to contain more than a ton of depleted uranium.
...
And from U.S. veterans: Tom Cassidy, of the 1st Cavalry Division who saw service in Iraq in 2003-05: "After the first gulf war, the level of radiation was 300 times what is considered normal. In this invasion we used even more DU bullets. The effects there are horrible," he told the UCSC paper. Added Dennis Kyne, from the U.S. Army's 18th Airborne division and Desert Storm veteran and who suffers from an "undiagnosed illness": "The scientists call it cell disruption, and they don't know why it's happening to veterans, but it's really radiation sickness, and it's because the DU is all over."
[Depleted Uranium] worms in the Dumfries testing ground had significant traces of poisonous uranium isotopes in their bodies.
Depleted uranium turns earthworms into glowworms | By Jasper Hamill | Mar 25, 2008, 18:38 | Fears that radioactive material has tainted ecosystem.
EARTHWORMS WERE pushed into the firing line last week after a resumption of the testing of depleted uranium shells at Dundrennan.
Significant levels of radioactive uranium isotopes were found in the flesh of worms at the Ministry of Defence's Dumfries weapons range last year. Despite concerns from environmentalists and the international community, the MoD last week started a series of tests of depleted uranium (DU) shells, supposed "safety checks".
A report published in the Journal of Environmental Monitoring found that worms in the Dumfries testing ground had significant traces of poisonous uranium isotopes in their bodies.
Worms are a crucial part of the ecosystem, aerating the soil and aiding the nutrient uptake of plants. If they are contaminated, it suggests the wider environment is tainted. ...
EARTHWORMS WERE pushed into the firing line last week after a resumption of the testing of depleted uranium shells at Dundrennan.
Significant levels of radioactive uranium isotopes were found in the flesh of worms at the Ministry of Defence's Dumfries weapons range last year. Despite concerns from environmentalists and the international community, the MoD last week started a series of tests of depleted uranium (DU) shells, supposed "safety checks".
A report published in the Journal of Environmental Monitoring found that worms in the Dumfries testing ground had significant traces of poisonous uranium isotopes in their bodies.
Worms are a crucial part of the ecosystem, aerating the soil and aiding the nutrient uptake of plants. If they are contaminated, it suggests the wider environment is tainted. ...
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