Monday, December 29, 2003

Anything that can be done to thwart the constraints of managed healthcare is a plus! Some Doctors Letting Patients Skip Co-Payments. Some doctors and clinics have begun to foil the cost-control efforts of health plans by waiving extra charges. By Milt Freudenheim. [New York Times: Health] 10:14:52 AM

	Friday, December 05, 2003

The flu is in full swing in my area and has had very tragic consequences. In the last two weeks we have have 2 children under 3 years and one 16 year-old die from complications related to the flu. Upon the death of the last child our health services have become overwhelmed with people asking for the flu shot. Of course, we are out like everyone else. I sent my daughter, who lives in a dorm, all over Shreveport to try to find a flu vaccine as neither she or her boyfriend got it when it was available. So far they have been unable to obtain one. I guess when the CDC said it was going to be an extremely bad flu season we all should have listened. And to think I am a nurse. 2 Makers of Flu Shot Say They Are Out of Vaccine. The two makers of flu shots in the United States said Friday they have run out of vaccine and will not be able to meet a surge in demand resulting from fears of a particularly bad flu season. By The Associated Press. [New York Times: NYT HomePage] 5:49:49 PM

Medicare reimbursment is poor overall. Hospitals are punished monetarily for providing even what would be called only adequate care. Hospitals Say They're Penalized by Medicare for Improving Care. A network of hospitals in Utah and Idaho says it saves at least 70 lives a year. But under Medicare, none of these good deeds go unpunished. By Reed Abelson. [New York Times: Health] 9:03:03 AM

Medicare reimbursment is poor overall. Hospitals are punished monetarily for providing even what would be called only adequate care. Hospitals Say They're Penalized by Medicare for Improving Care. A network of hospitals in Utah and Idaho says it saves at least 70 lives a year. But under Medicare, none of these good deeds go unpunished. By Reed Abelson. [New York Times: Health] 9:00:23 AM

	Thursday, December 04, 2003

Study Suggests Switching Drugs Could Aid Breast Cancer Patients. In a study comparing two drugs designed to prevent a recurrence of breast cancer, women who switched from the standard drug tamoxifen to a newer type of treatment fared better. By Andrew Pollack. [New York Times: Health] 11:06:48 PM