Postmortem analysis of health care bill - Capitol Weekly

Postmortem analysis of health care bill - Capitol Weekly: "Who killed health care and why? That was the question circulating around the Capitol this week in the wake of the Senate Health Committee’s vote killing the compromise bill brokered by Speaker Fabian Núñez and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Democrats Question FDA Proposed Rule On Drug and Device Labels

Democrats Question FDA Proposed Rule On Drug and Device Labels - CQ.com: "A group of House and Senate Democrats say a proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation is intended to shield drug and medical device makers from liability for injuries consumers receive from unsafe products."

Office of Inspector General Issues Two Gainsharing Opinions

Office of Inspector General Issues Two Gainsharing Opinions: "The Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Department of Health and Human Services posted two new gainsharing advisory opinions on January 14, 2008 concerning arrangements to reduce costs during designated cardiac surgery procedures. One opinion addresses an arrangement between a hospital and a group of cardiac surgeons; the other addresses a similar arrangement between a hospital and a group of anesthesiologists. The OIG stated that it would not impose sanctions in connection with these arrangements."

Report: Calif. Biotech Up but Uncertain - Forbes.com

Report: Calif. Biotech Up but Uncertain - Forbes.com: "California's biotechnology industry is growing steadily, but the looming possibility of increased government oversight could stifle new drug development, according to an industry-supported report set for release Thursday. The California Healthcare Institute reported that biotech businesses and research generated $73 billion in revenue in 2006 in California, up nearly 20 percent from 2005. Including medical device and diagnostics firms, California biotech companies brought in just over 40 percent of the $7.4 billion in biotech venture capital - about three times as much as Massachusetts, the state's nearest competitor. And the National Institutes of Health bestowed $3.3 billion in grants on California researchers, significantly more than any other state, the report found."

New device may help heart - Deseret Morning News

Deseret Morning News New device may help heart - A device designed to treat mitral valve regurgitation is being tested in a Phase II clinical trial at a hospital in Utah. Evalve's MitraClip is inserted through a patient's groin to fasten together the valve's leaflets and reduce backflow of blood toward the lungs.

Critics troubled by ads pitching medical devices- NJ.com

Critics troubled by ads pitching medical devices- NJ.com: "Direct-to-consumer ads for surgically implantable devices, such as artificial hips and artery stents, have stirred up debate among different parties, including some physicians and patient and consumer organizations. Critics contend that such ads provide little information about the possible risks associated with the products and often lead patients to inquire about specific brands of devices. But a principal at one health care advertising agency said that medical-device ads create awareness and encourage patients to communicate with their doctors about treatment options. "

Clinton's state lead stays solid - sacbee.com

Clinton's state lead stays solid - sacbee.com: "Two weeks from the California vote, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is hanging on to a double-digit lead in the Democratic presidential primary and benefiting from the added urgency of the economy as a campaign issue, according to the latest Field Poll."

Medicare boasts of supply bids - TheHill.com

Medicare boasts of supply bids - TheHill.com: "Medical equipment suppliers are lining up in droves to take part in a new Medicare competitive-bidding program the industry has sharply criticized for being exclusionary, according to a senior official. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acting Deputy Administrator Herb Kuhn said on Wednesday that the agency received more than 6,300 bids in the first round of the program to provide equipment ranging from oxygen tanks to power wheelchairs to walkers. That level of interest, Kuhn said, represents the industry’s desire to stay in the Medicare market and suggests that the program will have the desired effect of generating competition among providers. To the industry, though, the number only means that suppliers are going along because they have no other choice."

The martyrdom of John McCain - Jonathan Martin - Politico.com

The martyrdom of John McCain - Jonathan Martin - Politico.com: "McCain’s lagging rivals don’t mention his name in stump speeches, they don’t criticize him and they aren’t even airing negative ads against him. You’d hardly know that from the McCain campaign, though. They recognize that there is sympathy to be gained by playing the victim and they’re milking it for all it's worth. The campaign is savvy enough to understand the almost unslakable thirst among national reporters to write stories heavy with tales of the sort of down-and-dirty tactics that characterized the race between McCain and George W. Bush in 2000."

FDA concerned about dangers of medical fragments left in bodies -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

FDA concerned about dangers of medical fragments left in bodies -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com: "About 1,000 incidents caused by medical device fragments are reported each year, involving more than 200 devices, the FDA said. The most common were catheter guide wires to the heart, followed by bone screws, FDA spokeswoman Peper Long said. Makers of guide wires include New Brunswick, N.J., based Johnson & Johnson and Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc., while bone screw makers include J&J and Warsaw, Indiana-based Zimmer Holdings Inc."

Coalition pushes corporate tax cut - TheHill.com

Coalition pushes corporate tax cut - TheHill.com: "A coalition led by the hotel, financial services and energy conglomerate Loews Corp. is lobbying lawmakers to slash the corporate capital gains rate as part of any stimulus package, saying the measure would boost revenues to the federal government. The coalition, called America Gains, argues that temporarily dropping the rate from 35 percent to 15 would spur companies to offload buildings, plants and machinery that they otherwise would hold to avoid paying the tax. Tempted by the lower rate, companies would want to sell these assets sooner rather than later, unleashing a burst of economic activity and raising receipts for the IRS."

Delay in Doctor Payment Cuts Likely to Be Centerpiece of Medicare Measure - CQ.com

Delay in Doctor Payment Cuts Likely to Be Centerpiece of Medicare Measure - CQ.com: "House and Senate aides are optimistic that they can craft a far-reaching package of Medicare changes this spring, after leaving many wants and needs on the cutting room floor in December. The legislation’s centerpiece, they said, will probably be an 18-month-long halt to a 10.6 percent cut to Medicare’s physician payment rates now scheduled for July 1, according to a Democratic Senate Finance Committee aide.
The legislative action is expected to be driven by the Senate, which also passed a six-month patch to the scheduled physician payment cuts in December. The cuts are mandated by Medicare cost-containment formulas, and Congress has delayed them several times since 2002, when they were first called for. Lawmakers believe that continuing to delay the cuts in physician payments is vital because doctors may stop seeing Medicare patients if the cuts go through. According to the Senate Finance aide, such a package would cost between $12 billion and $15 billion over five years."

Stalemate on stimulus - TheHill.com

Stalemate on stimulus - TheHill.com: "House Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a deal on an economic stimulus package Wednesday, but both sides vowed to keep working on a bipartisan approach that could be enacted quickly."

CA hospitals demand retooling of health care initiative - Capitol Weekly

CA hospitals demand retooling of health care initiative - Capitol Weekly: "One of the principal supporters of the health-care proposal sponsored by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Speaker Fabian Nunez is threatening to pull its support of the initiative that would fund the health care plan – a move that would all but sink the November initiative campaign."

Romney notches a needed win - Los Angeles Times

Romney notches a needed win - Los Angeles Times: "Appealing to voters anxious about an unraveling economy, Mitt Romney scored a decisive victory in the Michigan primary Tuesday, setting up a free-for-all among the leading Republican presidential candidates in this weekend's pivotal party contest in South Carolina."

Cholesterol Drug Bombs - New York Times

Cholesterol Drug Bombs - New York Times: In an editorial, The New York Times calls for pharmaceutical companies to promptly release data from studies of their drugs, responding to the news this week that the popular cholesterol drug Vytorin may not work to protect arteries and may in fact worsen clogging. The Times says that Merck and Schering-Plough conducted a European trial of Vytorin as compared to an older drug, Zocor, and waited to release the results for more than a year. A House committee will explore whether they withheld the results lest they interfere with sales and only released them under pressure from Congress and news media reports. The Times writes that whatever the committee discovers, scientists must insist on the right to review and release data, and perhaps legislation is in order that penalizes companies for not releasing data promptly.

Schwarzenegger still popular with voters - Los Angeles Times

Schwarzenegger still popular with voters - Los Angeles Times: "A poll finds Californians gloomy about the state's course but unwilling -- at least for now -- to blame the governor, who is still seen as an outsider. His proposed budget cuts could hurt him, though."

Schwarzenegger still popular with voters - Los Angeles Times

Schwarzenegger still popular with voters - Los Angeles Times: "A poll finds Californians gloomy about the state's course but unwilling -- at least for now -- to blame the governor, who is still seen as an outsider. His proposed budget cuts could hurt him, though."

'Bundling' hospital processes may help prevent infections - USATODAY.com

'Bundling' hospital processes may help prevent infections - USATODAY.com: "Hospitals are attacking potentially fatal bacterial infections by marrying a series of proven medical treatments in an approach called a 'bundle.' The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, Mass., reports that thousands of hospitals, both national and international, have joined its campaign against preventable complications that requires the adoption of bundles. . . . There are two sepsis bundles: resuscitation and management, which include specific blood tests and the administration of broad antibiotics that kill maximal germs early. Resuscitation is the emergency protocol when sepsis is identified; management is done to prevent further permanent damage to organs."

Children's Health Bill Veto Override Planned for Next Week - The Boston Globe

Children's Health Bill Veto Override Planned for Next Week - The Boston Globe: "House Democrats are planning a vote the following week on overriding Bush's second veto of legislation to expand the federal child health insurance program. The bill passed by a veto-proof margin in the Senate but enough Republicans in the House have stuck with Bush to stop an override there."

Most in US back mandatory health coverage-study | Reuters

Most in US back mandatory health coverage-study Reuters: "As health care generates debate in this year's presidential campaign, about 68 percent of Americans say individuals should be required to have medical insurance, with government help for those who cannot afford it, a survey released on Tuesday found."

Insurers Stop Paying for Care Linked to Errors - WSJ.com

Insurers Stop Paying for Care Linked to Errors - WSJ.com: "Health insurers are taking a new tack in a bid to improve patient safety and reduce health-care costs: refusing to pay -- or let their patients be billed -- for hospital errors. Aetna Inc., WellPoint Inc. and other big insurers are moving to ban payments for care resulting from serious errors, including operating on the wrong limb or giving a patient incompatible blood. The companies are following the lead of the federal Medicare program, which announced last summer that starting this October, it will no longer pay the extra cost of treating bed sores, falls and six other preventable injuries and infections that occur while a patient is in a hospital. The following year, it will add to the list hospital-acquired blood infections, blood clots in legs and lungs, and pneumonia contracted from a ventilator."

FDA Aims To Establish Overseas Staff Posts, Starting In China - Medical Devices Today

Medical Devices Today: FDA Aims To Establish Overseas Staff Posts, Starting In China: "FDA is considering posting staff overseas to perform inspections and foster relationships with foreign government counterparts and industry."

Clinton, Obama vs. pay-go - TheHill.com

Clinton, Obama vs. pay-go - TheHill.com: "The two leading Democratic presidential candidates have put congressional leaders in a bind by suggesting they waive budget rules and borrow tens of billions of dollars to boost the economy. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) have backed away from raising taxes or cutting spending — options that would pay for their economic stimulus packages. This means their approaches would violate the pay-as-you-go budget rules that Democrats adopted after winning control of Congress. Clinton’s package could cost $110 billion. Obama has estimated his proposal at $120 billion."

Schwarzenegger to endorse term-limit changes - Los Angeles Times

Schwarzenegger to endorse term-limit changes - Los Angeles Times: "Softening his past opposition to changes to California's term-limits law, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is endorsing a Feb. 5 ballot measure that would allow many sitting lawmakers to run for office again this year rather than be forced to leave the Legislature."

In California, it's Clinton and McCain - Los Angeles Times

In California, it's Clinton and McCain - Los Angeles Times: "Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a commanding lead over Barack Obama in California as the Democratic presidential contest heads toward the Feb. 5 primary, a new statewide poll has found. John McCain's resurgent campaign claimed a slim lead among Republicans, with a trio of candidates competing to challenge him."

Team Creates Rat Heart Using Cells of Baby Rats - New York Times

Team Creates Rat Heart Using Cells of Baby Rats - New York Times: "Medicine’s dream of growing new human hearts and other organs to repair or replace damaged ones received a significant boost Sunday when University of Minnesota researchers reported success in creating a beating rat heart in a laboratory. Experts not involved in the Minnesota work called it “a landmark achievement” and “a stunning” advance. But they and the Minnesota researchers cautioned that the dream, if it is ever realized, was still at least 10 years away."

Speier joins race for seat in Congress - San Jose Mercury News

Speier joins race for seat in Congress - San Jose Mercury News: "With her hat now formally in the race to represent the 12th congressional district, Jackie Speier described for a crowd of supporters in Foster City on Sunday the changes she would like to see if she wins: Tougher national laws protecting consumers' financial privacy. A revamped Environmental Protection Agency that is on the side of the 'environment and not the polluters.' Better health benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. And a timely troop withdrawal from Iraq."

McCain Moves Into Lead; Obama Gains on Clinton - washingtonpost.com

McCain Moves Into Lead; Obama Gains on Clinton - washingtonpost.com: "The first contests of the 2008 presidential campaign have led to a dramatic shake-up in public opinion nationally, with Sen. John McCain now leading the Republican field and Sen. Barack Obama all but erasing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's once-overwhelming advantage among Democrats, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

N.J. lawmakers back orthotic, prosthetic coverage - Business Insurance News

N.J. lawmakers back orthotic, prosthetic coverage - Business Insurance News: "The New Jersey Legislature has approved and sent to the governor a bill that would require health insurers to cover expenses related to orthotic and prosthetic care."

FDA accepted 19 drugs in '07, fewest it has OK'd since '83 | www.azstarnet.com ®

FDA accepted 19 drugs in '07, fewest it has OK'd since '83 www.azstarnet.com ®: "The Food and Drug Administration approved 19 new drugs in 2007, the fewest in 24 years, after drugmakers focused on developing uses for existing products."

Richardson makes it official – abandons ’08 race - TheHill.com

TheHill.com - Richardson makes it official – abandons ’08 race: "New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson officially ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after his long-shot candidacy failed to gain traction with voters in the early primary states."

Schwarzenegger's budget: cuts across the board, no tax increase - SJMN.com

Schwarzenegger's budget: cuts across the board, no tax increase - SJMN.com: "Confronting the worst fiscal crisis of his political career, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday proposed slashing payments to schools by billions of dollars, releasing tens of thousands of 'low-risk' inmates from prison early and closing dozens of state parks as part of a plan to fill a gaping $14.5 billion hole in the state budget."

DC Bill on Drug Sales Rep Licensure Passes - washingtonpost.com

DC Bill on Drug Sales Rep Licensure Passes - washingtonpost.com: "The D.C. Council gave final approval to . . . [a bill] requiring pharmaceutical sales representatives to obtain licenses to operate in the city, making it the nation's only jurisdiction to do so."

AMA ads target healthcare reform - TheHill.com

AMA ads target healthcare reform - TheHill.com: "The nation’s most prominent physician organization is widening the scope of an ongoing campaign to influence the political debate on healthcare reform during this year’s presidential contest. The American Medical Association (AMA) announced Tuesday that its multimillion-dollar advertising and grassroots-outreach campaign focused on the problems of the uninsured was going nationwide. Televisions ads began appearing on cable networks this week with complementary print advertisements running in U.S. News & World Report. As the general election draws nearer, the AMA will expand the print component to other national magazines, as well as increase its Internet presence via MySpace and Facebook, the two most popular social-networking websites."

Hospitals Score Poorly on Preventing Urinary Tract Infection - Forbes.com

Hospitals Score Poorly on Preventing Urinary Tract Infection - Forbes.com: "According to a new national study, fewer than one in three hospitals are using either bladder scanners or antimicrobial catheters to prevent urinary tract infection and less than one in 10 are using daily, automated reminders that prompt doctors to review the need for a catheter."

WA State Introduces Bill to Regulate Gifts to Doctors

WA State Introduces Bill to Regulate Gifts to Doctors - (Copy of Bill): Washington state legislators recently introduced a bill that would require companies to report the gifts and/or marketing expenses directed to physician customers. While the bill targets drug companies, the language of the bill includes medical devices.

"For Cause" Inspections Find Galloping Clinical Trial Violation Rate - Medical Devices Today

"For Cause" Inspections Find Galloping Clinical Trial Violation Rate - Medical Devices Today: "The violation rate for clinical trial sponsors shot up in fiscal year 2007, hitting a 10-year high, with FDA finding many of the problems during inspections triggered by complaints, according to CDRH."

'Wolf is back' at state budget door - Los Angeles Times

'Wolf is back' at state budget door - Los Angeles Times: "Returning to policies he advanced without success early in his tenure, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called Tuesday for state government to permanently rein in spending and vowed not to raise taxes next year -- even as he prepared a budget that would increase insurance fees for millions of property owners."

Health Spending Exceeded Record $2 Trillion in 2006 - New York Times

Health Spending Exceeded Record $2 Trillion in 2006 - New York Times: "National health spending soared above $2 trillion for the first time in 2006 and has nearly doubled in the last decade, amounting to an average of $7,000 a person, the government reported on Monday."

Controversy, distrust trail group aiming to help FDA - NJ.com

Controversy, distrust trail group aiming to help FDA - NJ.com: "A foundation created by Congress to help the Food and Drug Administration deal with increasingly complex science, spur innovation and improve safety has come under fire before it has convened its first board meeting. Reflecting a distrust of the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA, a congresswoman with sway over the agency's purse strings and some advocacy groups have been questioning the credibility of the fledgling Reagan-Udall Foundation. They warn it could be used by the pharmaceutical industry to unduly influence the regulatory agenda."

Obama Takes Iowa in a Big Turnout as Clinton Falters; Huckabee Victor - New York Times

Obama Takes Iowa in a Big Turnout as Clinton Falters; Huckabee Victor - New York Times: "A smaller field of presidential candidates arrived in New Hampshire Friday morning facing a dramatically upended campaign after two one-time insurgents — Senator Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat, and Mike Huckabee, the Arkansas Republican — won the Iowa caucuses Thursday night."

From student's lab to commercial viability | IndyStar.com

From student's lab to commercial viability IndyStar.com - A teacher-and-student tandem from Indiana University-Bloomington has developed a rough prototype for a device based on biosensors that may provide an inexpensive and efficient way of quickly diagnosing the blood disease sepsis. Their company, SpheroSense, aims to put the device in research labs by 2009.

Independent Voters May Give Obama Edge in Iowa - washingtonpost.com

Independent Voters May Give Obama Edge in Iowa - washingtonpost.com: "With two days before Iowans go to the polls, significant support for Sen. Barack Obama from political independents has put rival Democratic campaigns on edge, challenging the traditional model of the state's caucuses as a low-turnout exercise dominated by partisan insiders."

Democrats: More Than Health Care - New York Times

Democrats: More Than Health Care - New York Times: "When you look at their policies as a whole, you see that Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama have actually laid out two competing economic philosophies. The fight over health insurance is just one part of their disagreement."

CA Assembly bill would help cover state's uninsured - sacbee.com

CA Assembly bill would help cover state's uninsured - sacbee.com: "The California Assembly has approved legislation that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, say would provide medical coverage to about 70 percent of Californians who are permanently uninsured. If the Senate passes Assembly Bill X1 1 after the Legislature reconvenes next week, voters would be asked next November to approve taxes that would help pay for the $14.5 billion annual tab."

State's minimum wage hits $8 - sacbee.com

State's minimum wage hits $8 - sacbee.com: "California's minimum wage joined the ranks of the nation's highest this year, increasing 50 cents to $8 an hour. Depending on whom you ask, the increase can be chalked up as a boost to low-wage workers or a blow to the state's business community. Meanwhile, those at the bottom of the pay scale wonder whether the raise will actually help workers keep pace with the Golden State's high cost of living."