Posts for 'Health' Category

The Legislature has until the end of the month to pass or reject several key health bills, making this week a turning point for some reforms related to the new federal health law. Among the measures heading for a final floor vote are bills that would regulate health insurance rates and set up an "exchange" through which consumers would buy insurance under the federal law. The legislative session is set to end Aug. 31, so lawmakers must act on the pending legislation, or the bills will die.

"I've not seen a year with such a combination of significant health care legislation that could be potentially passed and signed," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a statewide consumer and labor advocacy coalition.

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The drug and insurance industries have dramatically amped up their efforts to lobby Congress, spending millions over a three-month period to influence legislation aimed at reshaping the nation's health care system, new reports show.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America reported nearly $7 million in lobbying expenses from July through September. Overall, the group has spent nearly as much during the first nine months of 2009 as it did during the entire previous year.

Individual drug companies also have sharply increased lobbying. Pfizer, for instance, has spent more than $17 million in lobbying during the first nine months of this year, nearly twice its lobbying budget during the same period in 2008. Pfizer spokeswoman Kristen Neese said the spending reflects a commitment to "making our voice heard."

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SHE VOTED FOR IT! She voted for it! After months of being wooed, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine, the most important woman in America - nay, the entire universe - voted yea Tuesday on the Senate Finance Committee's health-care-reform bill. It passed 14-9.

Snowe is the only Republican senator to vote for health reform. She deserves great credit for resisting crushing pressure from fellow Republicans to vote no. So, at least for a day or two, the president has something he can call "bipartisan." But it's a limited time offer. Snowe made it clear that if the final bill is too different after being merged with a bill passed by the Health Education Labor and Pension Committee - she may be outta there.

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President Obama kicked off a crucial week in the health care reform debate Monday by castigating political opponents for spreading distortions about his plan. The president made his remarks during a White House appearance with doctors from all 50 states. His latest public appeal came shortly before a key congressional committee is expected to vote on its version of health care reform legislation and set the stage for heated debates in the full House and Senate.

"At this point we've heard all the arguments on both sides of the aisle," Obama said. He ripped opponents for pushing "crazy claims about death panels" and "misleading warnings" about an impending government takeover of the health care system.

Doctors wouldn't support a reform agenda if they believed it would lead to government interference in the doctor-patient relationship, Obama said. "When you cut through all the noise and all the distractions that are out there, I think what's most telling is that some of the people who are most supportive of reform are the very medical professionals who know the health care system best: the doctors and nurses of America," he said.

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My favorite moment so far in the health care debate was when Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl argued against mandating maternity benefits as part of a basic insurance coverage. "I don't need maternity care," he blurted out. At which point, Michigan's Debbie Stabenow quipped, "I think your mom probably did."  For that matter, so did his wife and daughter. But never mind. We had one brief glimpse into the mind of a politician who doesn't quite see women's health concerns as equal to his own.

Michelle Obama referred to this connection between health care and equality when she told a group of women that overhauling the system was "the next step" in women's advancement for opportunity. Women are not only less likely to have insurance at work, but more likely to face discrimination from insurance companies. They also, she added, can be denied coverage just for the pre-existing condition of having had a C-section.

It is becoming obvious that just having a female reproductive system is a pre-existing condition in the health care debate. The up-and-coming sticking point is abortion. The Senate Finance Committee beat back some restrictions, but the question for Congress is still whether the "reform" that is supposed to increase coverage will instead reduce it. Will women who now have coverage for abortion in their private plans end up losing it?

In the days before Roe v. Wade, we had a hodgepodge of different state laws governing abortion. The argument  in favor of abortion rights was not just about equality between men and women, but equality along economic lines. It was unjust, many argued, to have a system in which a wealthier woman could find and afford a safe abortion while a poorer woman had to put herself at risk.

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Young children, pregnant women, health-care workers, those in remote communities and adults with chronic conditions should roll up their sleeves and prepare to be among the first to receive a shot in the arm.

The long-awaited H1N1 vaccine priority list was released Wednesday by the Public Health Agency of Canada. But Canada's chief public health officer, David Butler-Jones, stressed that despite the recommendations on who should be first in line, the government has ordered enough H1N1 drug for all Canadians.

“We will have sufficient H1N1 vaccine in Canada for everyone that needs and wants to be immunized. No one will be left out,” he told reporters yesterday. Canada, which has ordered 50 million doses from pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, will start delivering the vaccine in mid-November at the latest. Dr. Butler-Jones said public health officials can speed up delivery to Canadians as early as next month if the swine-flu virus turns more severe in the fall.

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A seventh Albertan with swine flu had died, health officials confirmed today. The victim was an elderly man from the Edmonton area who likely passed away earlier this week, although Alberta Health Services does not have an exact date of death.

In total, Alberta has confirmed more than 1,631 cases of H1N1 influenza, the new flu that emerged in Mexico this spring and has since been declared a global pandemic. Last week, an elderly patient in central Alberta with H1N1 died. The virus has been associated with two Calgary-area deaths.

The Health Ministry is encouraging the public and private sectors to use rapid screening tests for those with flu-like symptoms. This was among the additional strategies to battle the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) and to solve the congestion in the public hospitals and clinics. In a statement yesterday, the ministry said the World Health Organisation recommended the use of rapid tests in assisting clinical decisions and for the rapid screening of cluster outbreaks.

“It must be noted that these tests are only 70-75% accurate,” it said. As this meant a proportion of those infected might test negative, patients whose tests show a negative result should still observe all necessary precautions. All clinics and hospitals in the public and private sectors could now treat patients suspected of having contracted A (H1N1) with oseltamvir, better known as Tamiflu.

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Smoking, we all know has a number of bad effects on our health. Ranging from cancer to bronchitis, it can devastate a person’s health. This is why the governments all across the globe have been banning smoking in public places sans mercy. Howver, there are many who just can’t do without a cigarette and the nicotine that gives them a kick.

This is especially felt while at bars and pubs as people enjoy smoking while drinking. United Drinks and Beauty Corporation has unveiled the ‘Liquid Smoking’ which causes an instant high and euphoria among users and causes a similar effect to that of nicotine. The company hopes the drink will be used as a mixer in bars and clubs. However, the drink’s efficacy and safety has not been tested yet.

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The swine influenza A-H1N1 virus is still spreading around the world. Belgium on Wednesday confirmed its first case, becoming the 34th country to report an infection of swine flu. The World Health Organization says worldwide, the number of confirmed cases stands at more than 5,700.

Almost all the deaths from the virus have been in Mexico. Mexican authorities on Wednesday raised the death toll there to 60, though authorities say the outbreak in Mexico is declining.

Swine flu has also killed one person in Costa Rica, one in Canada and three people in the United States. On Wednesday, the U.S. said it had confirmed more than 3,300 cases of the virus. U.S. officials say they expect more.

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