What should be a new era of medical board governance has begun with what looks more like a finger to the eye of the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 22, a federal district judge in Austin, Texas heard arguments to determine whether a rule adopted earlier in the month by the Texas Medical Board should take effect on June 3. No decision on a temporary restraining order has yet been issued, but the hearing offered a preview of litigation likely to arise under federal antitrust law as it was recently clarified by the nine justices. In February 2015, the Supreme Court decided North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission, a case involving “cease and desist letters” sent to non-dentist teeth whitening businesses. By a 6-3
Category: health Journal
Report proposes new “vital signs” to measure the nation’s health
Doctors use vital signs as a relatively straightforward way to detect an illness or monitor a person’s health. Key ones include blood pressure, body temperature, breathing rate, and heart rate. A report from the newly christened National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) proposes using 15 “vital signs” to track how health care in the United States measures up: life expectancy well-being overweight and obesity addictive behavior unintended pregnancy healthy communities preventive services access to care patient safety evidence-based care care that matches patient goals personal spending burden population spending burden individual engagement community engagement. Why bother creating such a list? Health care costs in the U.S. are the highest in the world, yet people in many countries that spend less
All women are health workers
The following post originally ran on Health Populi on May 26. See the original post here. The spiritual and emotional top the physical in women’s definition of “health,” based on a multi-country survey conducted in Brazil, Germany, Japan, the UK and the U.S. The Power of the Purse, a research project sponsored by the Center for Talent Innovation, underscores women’s primary role as Chief Medical Officers in their families and social networks. The research was sponsored by health industry leaders including Aetna, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cardinal Health, Eli Lilly and Company, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Merck KGaA, MetLife, Pfizer, PwC, Strategy&, Teva, and WPP. The study’s summary infographic is titled How the Healthcare Industry Fails Women, which in itself is a sort of
The Post-Launch Problem: The Affordable Care Act’s Persistently High Administrative Costs
Last year we, and many others, drew attention to the chaotic and costly roll out of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) exchanges. The chaos is mostly over (unless King prevails over Burwell), but the costs will linger on. The roughly $6 billion in exchange start-up costs pale in comparison to the ongoing insurance overhead that the ACA has added to our health care system — more than a quarter of a trillion dollars through 2022. Bloated Administrative Costs We calculated these new overhead costs from the official National Health Expenditure Projections for 2012-2022 released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’ Office of the Actuary in July 2014. The projections included separate tables projecting costs with, and without, the effects of the ACA, allowing calculation of
Health Affairs Event: The Medi-Cal Waiver: Perspectives On Promoting Health System Improvement In California
California’s five-year federal waiver to help revamp the state’s $95 billion Medi-Cal program is set to expire on October 31, 2015. While crucial changes have been made to the program in terms of flexibility and accountability, and coverage has been vastly expanded, much work remains to be done before Medi-Cal can be considered truly transformed. With support from Blue Shield of California Foundation and California HealthCare Foundation, the editors of Health Affairs invite you to join us for an important briefing on Thursday, June 11, in Sacramento. At this event, “The Medi-Cal Waiver: Perspectives on Promoting Health System Improvement in California,” experts will discuss how waivers are being used to promote system improvement, delve into California’s experiences with and lessons from
The Post-Graduate Detox
It’s graduation season and recent grads are finding themselves at the epicenter of the perfect storm of anxiety, nostalgia, debt, hopefulness and new beginnings. Graduation is a time of great joy but it can become a time filled with many unknowns. Handling these new feelings and situations takes a bit of practice and patience. Twenty months ago, I found myself entering into a graduate program without any expectation other than receiving a Master of Communications while bolstering my knowledge and earning potential. But the friendships I left with and the transformations I experienced created a safety net of sorts for me that I’d grown accustom to. The effects of that final surreal week were not felt until the Monday after graduation was over. Had I known
Exceptional Opportunities in Medical Science
In a JAMA Viewpoint, Dr. Collins highlights areas of research showing great promise for advancing biomedical research and technology, treatments and therapies, and improving human health. JAMA. January 13, 2015. Volume 313, Number 2.
Teva To Pay $1.2B To Settle Charges That A Subsidiary Blocked Lower-Cost Generics
SOURCE: Kaiser Health News – Read entire story here.
Missed our Indoor Tanning Event, Don’t Fret…We’ve got a Recap
Our Skin Cancer Awareness Month series comes to a close today. Below is a recap of Wednesday’s event co-hosted with the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program, The Hazards and Allure of Indoor Tanning Beds on College Campuses. It was a late night call to Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi that made dealing with melanoma a personal experience. Tanzi, a dermatologist who previously had many difficult face-to-face conversations with patients to discuss a skin cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment options, had decided to test a sample of her own skin after discovering noticeable symptoms. She had no risk factors, limited sun exposure, and at 37 years of age, she hadn’t been in a tanning bed since she was college-aged. But when she listened to her voicemail,
New Working Group to Chart the Course for the NIH National Library of Medicine
In order to help chart the course for the next era of health and biological science information.
Birth of Pull the Plug on Tanning Beds
With May being Skin Cancer Awareness Month and in tandem with yesterday’s event co-hosted with the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program, The Hazards and Allure of Indoor Tanning Beds on College Campuses we are running a series on skin cancer. Be sure to check back daily for posts on skin cancer including how you prevent and detect it. Enjoy! Eight years ago, my daughter Jaime died from melanoma, which the doctors believed was from her use of tanning beds in high school and college. She was diagnosed when she was 20 and fought the evil beast of a disease until her death at 29. My Jaime’s story gave me the passion and conviction to become “the indoor tanning industry’s worst nightmare.” The day