Americans have been brainwashed into disbelieving a fundamental truth about their legal system: Lawsuits actually are good for the country. They aren’t as costly nor as numerous as conventional wisdom holds. And they play a crucial role in keeping in check the greed and harm that business interests otherwise might inflict with impunity. Says who?….
Continue ReadingArchives for May 2016
“Accurate” medical tests can still be mostly wrong
It sounds so simple that many Americans, especially with modern DIY technology, may want to try: To get healthier, why not go out and get every possible diagnostic test done? Especially if all it takes is a drop or two of blood: Wouldn’t this increase early detection of disease and make for quicker treatment and better….
Continue ReadingCongress acts on opioid drug epidemic as judge unseals OxyContin files
Here are some developments worth watching in the nation’s battle against the epidemic of opioid drug misuse that killed 28,000 Americans in 2014 alone: CONGRESS ACTS: Congressional negotiators now must confer to determine which parts of House and Senate measures to combat opioid drug abuse will go forward. The House just passed a package….
Continue ReadingUncle Sam, California crack down on e-cigarettes, vaping, smoking
Big Tobacco has gotten a major kick in the pants over one of its insidious means to hook a new generation on harmful habits. The federal government says it will regulate the booming e-cigarette business, banning sales of the products to those younger than 18 who “vape” and requiring photo IDs for e-cigs’ purchase by….
Continue ReadingSouth Dakota accused of bias in confinement of sick and disabled
Severe diabetics, the blind, and the mentally ill all too often get sent to sterile and restrictive group or nursing homes by South Dakota officials who can’t seem to find other care options because they discriminate against thousands of the disabled, the federal government says. The Justice Department is investigating the state under federal laws….
Continue ReadingGlum about ‘Biggest Loser’ study? Stay calm, carry on weight watching
If you’re staring at that chocolate éclair or slice of apple pie ala mode with special guilt after reading about the weight woes of extreme contestants on a popular television show, fret a wee bit less, please. It’s true that many pound-conscious people have hit the doldrums after reading in the New York Times that….
Continue ReadingTaking poor people to court over unpaid medical bills
Pro Publica─ the online, Pulitzer-winning investigative web site─has reported on a disturbing trend in Nebraska, where hospitals and collection agencies have exploited low fees and accommodating courts to sue patients and their families over unpaid medical bills. Some of the suits hound the poor for charges as small as $60, and one missed payment can….
Continue ReadingDid drug maker fuel abuse by insisting that OxyContin works for 12 hours?
OxyContin in two decades not only has become a highly profitable, exceedingly popular prescription, it also has become one of the nation’s most abused painkillers─for a crucial reason, the Los Angeles Times says. The paper investigated and found that the drug’s maker wrongly has promoted the medication as having a 12-hour effectiveness─twice that of generic….
Continue ReadingFast-takes on health care developments worth watching
Here are some fast takes on some developments in health worth watching: Good news: Birth rates among teen moms have declined to historic lows, falling most sharply (by almost half) for blacks and Hispanics, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported. Many factors may have contributed to this important trend, including greater….
Continue ReadingMedical error ranks as No. 3 killer in U.S., claiming 250,000 lives annually
Medical errors claim the lives of roughly 685 Americans per day─ more people than die of respiratory disease, accidents, stroke and Alzheimer’s. That estimate comes from a team of researchers led by a professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins. It means medical errors rank as the third leading cause of death in the U.S., behind….
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