Grassley bill seeks transparency with imaging self-referrals - HealthImaging.com

Grassley bill seeks transparency with imaging self-referrals - HealthImaging.com: "Sen. Charles Grassley from Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, introduced legislation on July 25, which would amend the Stark Law, requiring physicians to disclose their financial interest in certain imaging services provided through the in-office ancillary exception."

Counting SCHIP votes - The Hill.com

Counting SCHIP votes - The Hill.com: "The long-stalled State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill that was vetoed by President Bush is likely to be back on the House floor in the fall." Why should we care? Because this bill is a potential vehicle for physician gift transparency and comparative effectiveness measures.

Bid to Halt Medi-Cal Cuts Rejected - WSJ.com

Bid to Halt Medi-Cal Cuts Rejected - WSJ.com: "LOS ANGELES -- A state court rejected a request by a coalition of California hospitals, doctors and other health-care providers to block a 10% cutback in payments to them for treating the poor who are covered by Medi-Cal, a joint federal and state program. The reductions took effect July 1."

Trade Groups Question Premier’s New Device Requirements

Trade Groups Question Premier’s New Device Requirements: "Devicemakers contracting with Premier healthcare alliance will have to incorporate GS1 Healthcare US supply chain standards in their contracts.
The group purchasing organization announced last week that it will require the standards in its contracts to help improve patient safety. But industry representatives counter that the standards are more focused on supply chain management."

The Evidence Gap - Experts Seek a Data Safety Net for Joint Replacements - NYTimes.com

The Evidence Gap - Experts Seek a Data Safety Net for Joint Replacements - NYTimes.com: "If . .. . patients lived in other countries where artificial joints were tracked by national databases — including Australia, Britain, Norway and Sweden — many might have been spared that risk. And Zimmer might have suspended sales of the cup months ago."

Abbott Says It Received Subpoena in U.S. Probe of Stent Sales - Bloomberg.com

Abbott Says It Received Subpoena in U.S. Probe of Stent Sales - Bloomberg.com: "Abbott Laboratories said it was subpoenaed last month by the U.S. Justice Department in connection with the sales and marketing of bile-duct stents. . . . The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned about illegal sales of stents when it met in March 2007 with the companies that make the devices, among them Boston Scientific Corp., Alveolus Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. Boston Scientific, based in Natick, Massachusetts said in February the Justice Department was investigating whether the company and other suppliers were illegally promoting the devices for unapproved uses. "

Report: Drug companies that promote unapproved uses face little risk of getting caught

Report: Drug companies that promote unapproved uses face little risk of getting caught: "When federal regulators catch a drug company peddling prescription medications for an unapproved use, it takes them an average of seven months to issue a warning, according to a draft report by congressional investigators. It typically takes four more months for the company to fix the problem. During that time, a lot prescriptions can be written."

Op-Ed Contributor - How Medicare Payments Discourage Doctor-Patient - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Contributor - How Medicare Payments Discourage Doctor-Patient - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com: "THE longstanding push-pull between Medicare and Congress has erupted again. Last week, Congress, overriding a presidential veto, canceled Medicare’s scheduled 10.6 percent cut in payment rates for doctors, and instead raised the rates 1.1 percent. But this action fails to address the problem with the Medicare payment system, which is not the amounts doctors are paid but the way their payments are calculated."

House Will Consider Resolution To Put Off Medicare Debate-National Journal CongressDaily

House Will Consider Resolution To Put Off Medicare DebateNational Journal CongressDaily: "The House is expected to weigh a resolution today that would allow the chamber to put off considering legislation to rein in Medicare spending -- legislation sparked by a trigger in the 2003 law that created the Medicare prescription drug benefit."

Health Plan From Obama Spurs Debate - NYTimes.com

Health Plan From Obama Spurs Debate - NYTimes.com: "In speech after speech, Senator Barack Obama has vowed that he will lower the country’s health care costs enough to “bring down premiums by $2,500 for the typical family.” Moreover, Mr. Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has promised that his health plan will be in place “by the end of my first term as president of the United States.”"

Economic View - Means Testing, for Medicare - NYTimes.com

Economic View - Means Testing, for Medicare - NYTimes.com: "No matter who sits in the Oval Office next year, there won’t be many degrees of freedom in the federal budget. That’s because spending on entitlement programs is largely locked into place, and the situation will become much worse as Americans age and health care costs rise."

Barack Obama's fundraising roars to life - Los Angeles Times

Barack Obama's fundraising roars to life - Los Angeles Times: "Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee revved up their money machine in June, outpacing their Republican rivals by almost $25 million, the Democratic presidential candidate's campaign said Thursday."

Ruling may aid drug firms | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/16/2008

Ruling may aid drug firms Philadelphia Inquirer 07/16/2008: "Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement told a gathering of lawyers in Philadelphia yesterday that a Supreme Court decision in February shielding medical-device makers from legal liability could foreshadow sweeping protections for pharmaceutical makers."

Congress, Overriding Bush, Blocks Pay Cut for Doctors - NYTimes.com

Congress, Overriding Bush, Blocks Pay Cut for Doctors - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — President Bush on Tuesday vetoed a bill protecting doctors from a Medicare pay cut, but both houses of Congress swiftly overrode the veto with large bipartisan majorities, so the bill is now law."

Bush Vetoes Medicare Bill, Chambers Expected To Override-National Journal CongressDaily

Bush Vetoes Medicare Bill, Chambers Expected To OverrideNational Journal CongressDaily: "The House was moving toward an override vote today after President Bush vetoed Medicare physician payment legislation, as expected."

Bush to Veto Medicare Bill Today-WSJ Health Blog

Bush to Veto Medicare Bill Today-WSJ Health Blog: "We knew the veto was coming, but we didn’t know just when. The mystery ends today when President Bush will veto a bill blocking Medicare pay cuts to doctors, Congressional Quarterly reports."

Psychiatric Group Faces Scrutiny Over Drug Industry Ties - NYTimes.com

Psychiatric Group Faces Scrutiny Over Drug Industry Ties - NYTimes.com: "It seemed an ideal marriage, a scientific partnership that would attack mental illness from all sides. Psychiatrists would bring to the union their expertise and clinical experience, drug makers would provide their products and the money to run rigorous studies, and patients would get better medications, faster."

Long-Term Fix Is Elusive in Medicare Payments - NYTimes.com

Long-Term Fix Is Elusive in Medicare Payments - NYTimes.com: "Congress has voted to block a cut in Medicare payments to doctors but has done nothing to solve the fundamental problem that caused the cut, and the issue will come back to haunt the next president and the next Congress, lawmakers and health policy experts say."

Medicare bill nearly law but lobbies stay focused - TheHill.com

Medicare bill nearly law but lobbies stay focused - TheHill.com: "Barring extraordinary turns by several Senate Republicans next week, the Medicare bill will end its nearly eight-month journey but some of the special interests working on the bill plan to keep up the pressure until the end."

Schwarzenegger Weighs Post Under Obama - NYTimes.com

Schwarzenegger Weighs Post Under Obama - NYTimes.com: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, who has endorsed Senator John McCain and called his fellow Republican a role model, suggested in an interview broadcast Sunday that he would be willing to serve as an energy and environment czar under Senator Barack Obama should he win the presidency."

Obama mines a Republican stronghold - Los Angeles Times

Obama mines a Republican stronghold - Los Angeles Times: "On Sunday, the Democratic Illinois senator brought his campaign to the center of Republican power and did what he has done better than any other presidential candidate -- raise money. Obama would leave with $1.2 million, an organizer estimated. With this infusion, he may exceed the amount GOP candidate John McCain has raised in Orange County."

Drug Group Sets Marketing Code - WSJ.com

Drug Group Sets Marketing Code - WSJ.com: "The drug industry's trade group on Thursday unveiled a new marketing code of ethics that some critics said would do little to curb its influence on doctors.
The trade organization, PhRMA, said the new code would prohibit member companies from distributing items like pens bearing drug names. It also bans restaurant meals provided to doctors and suggests that companies set individual caps on the amount they pay physician speakers. PhRMA's member companies unanimously endorsed the code, and firms including Eli Lilly & Co., Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC issued statements supporting it."

Drug Group Sets Marketing Code - WSJ.com

Drug Group Sets Marketing Code - WSJ.com: "The drug industry's trade group on Thursday unveiled a new marketing code of ethics that some critics said would do little to curb its influence on doctors.
The trade organization, PhRMA, said the new code would prohibit member companies from distributing items like pens bearing drug names. It also bans restaurant meals provided to doctors and suggests that companies set individual caps on the amount they pay physician speakers. PhRMA's member companies unanimously endorsed the code, and firms including Eli Lilly & Co., Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC issued statements supporting it."

Medtronic reaches agreement with animal rights group PETA - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

Medtronic reaches agreement with animal rights group PETA - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:: "Fridley-based medical device maker Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) will work to improve its treatment of animals it uses in tests under terms of a deal with Norfolk, Va.-based PETA, a release detailed. The company will also extend protections to animals used in foreign contract laboratories. PETA said in exchange, it withdrew its shareholder resolution calling on Medtronic to stop outsourcing animal experiments to countries with inadequate animal-protection"

McCain Plan to Aid States on Health Could Be Costly - NYTimes.com

McCain Plan to Aid States on Health Could Be Costly - NYTimes.com: "PIKESVILLE, Md. — If Senator John McCain’s radical plan for remaking American health care is to work, he will have to find a way to cover people like Chaim Benamor, 52, a self-employed renovator in this Baltimore suburb. Mr. Benamor never found it necessary to buy insurance before having a mild heart attack last year and now, 13 years shy of Medicare, has little hope of doing so."

Drug Industry to Announce Revised Code on Marketing - NYTimes.com

Drug Industry to Announce Revised Code on Marketing - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — The pens, pads, mugs and other gifts that drug makers have long showered on doctors will be banned from pharmaceutical marketing campaigns under a voluntary guideline that the industry is expected to announce Thursday."

With Nudge By Kennedy, Medicare Bill Passes - washingtonpost.com

With Nudge By Kennedy, Medicare Bill Passes - washingtonpost.com: "Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) made a dramatic return to the Capitol yesterday to help the Senate pass legislation that would rescind a sharp cut in Medicare payments to physicians."

CA Democrats detail tax increase proposals - sacbee.com

CA Democrats detail tax increase proposals - sacbee.com: "Democrats on Tuesday proposed billions in tax increases on businesses and high earners to help bridge California's budget shortfall.
The proposed hikes include rolling back the dependent child income tax credit expanded in the 1990s, creating two higher income tax brackets for the state's biggest earners and increasing corporate taxes.
The long-awaited list of revenue proposals faces near certain defeat, however, as Republican lawmakers have repeatedly said they are unified in their opposition to any tax increases. Approving a budget and increasing taxes requires a two-thirds vote, which means GOP support is mandatory."

Dems to target McCain for Medicare non-vote - TheHill.com

Dems to target McCain for Medicare non-vote - TheHill.com: "Senate Democratic leaders are poised to blame Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for the chamber’s failure to advance Medicare legislation. The measure that would avert a sharp cut in payments to physicians stalled in the Senate on June 26 by one vote. McCain, the GOP presidential candidate, did not attend the vote and has yet to declare his position on the issue."

US Senate to vote Wednesday on cutting Medicare payments to doctors - sacbee.com

US Senate to vote Wednesday on cutting Medicare payments to doctors - sacbee.com: "Doctors say there's much more at stake than their pocketbooks. If Washington sends them less money, they say, they'll respond by treating fewer Medicare patients. And they warn that more patients may be forced to see 'non-top-tier' physicians who might not be their first choice."

Former CA lawmaker considers run at governorship - San Jose Mercury News

Former CA lawmaker considers run at governorship - San Jose Mercury News: "Former South Bay Republican congressman Tom Campbell - a fiscal conservative, social moderate and respected academic who twice before unsuccessfully sought statewide office, is eyeing a possible run in 2010 to replace Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Docs risking ire of GOP on Medicare - TheHill.com

Docs risking ire of GOP on Medicare - TheHill.com: "Lobbying groups representing physicians have been taking a noticeably partisan tack in their fight to protect their Medicare fees, siding with Democrats and risking a backlash from Republicans in the process."

Doctors Press Senate to Undo Medicare Cuts - NYTimes.com

Doctors Press Senate to Undo Medicare Cuts - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — Congress returns to work this week with Medicare high on the agenda and Senate Republicans under pressure after a barrage of radio and television advertisements blamed them for a 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors who care for millions of older Americans."