Half of the employers that offer worker wellness programs find that the programs are underutilized by the high risk employees the programs aim to help. A survey by William M. Mercer, Inc. indicated that all of the programs surveyed promote lifestyle changes aimed at improving health such as weight loss programs or smoking cessation campaigns. The trouble is that most high risk employees avoid participating in the plan. Consultants indicate that maybe employees aren't being offered the right incentive. Companies are being encouraged to offer "non-cash awards" -- more vacation time, for example; discounts on insurance premiums; cash rewards; flexible credits that may be used in a variety of ways; and financial penalties.
Zolkos R. Wellness plans may miss workers with most needs. 1996 (Sep 9) ; 30(37); 2,31
Medicaid inflation could fall to 5-6% range next year according to NGA's Scheppach; Lower growth rate could relieve pressure to cut program. Medicaid inflation may drop from current 9% annual rate to about 6% next year, National Governor's Association Executive Director Raymond Scheppach told HMO executives Sept. 19, 1996. NewsPage Direct 9/20/96
A study in this week's New England Journal of Medicine found that a woman's risk of stroke doubles -- but is still extremely small -- during the six weeks after she delivers a baby. This new study found hat contrary to common belief, the hazard increases just after delivery, not during pregnancy itself. Doctors speculate that hormonal changes are somehow involved. AP 9/11/96
In a speech at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida's annualy meeting, William E. Flaherty, BCBSF's chairman and chief executive officer, said the company recorded strong customer growth and solid financial performance in 1995, adding more than 118,000 new customers and achieving $2.5 billion in consolidated revenues. PR Newswire 9/10/96
In a study in this week's JAMA , it was discovered that more than half the adolescents in a national survey had two or more risk factors that can lead to chronic disease, such as eating fatty foods and not getting enough exercise. The study listed five risk factors for chronic disease, with more than six of 10 adolescents who reported two or more of the risk factors; one in 13 reported at least four of the risk factors. AP 9/10/96
Researchers have linked a high blood pressure drug to an increased risk of strokes and other major circulatory problems, renewing the debate over the safety of some calcium channel blockers. The finding was the unexpected result of a study examining whether the calcium channel blocker isradipine was more effective than a standard diuretic in slowing hardening of the arteries in patients with high blood pressure. Researchers are urging that readers do not overreact to this study as one stated: "We're urging caution in interpreting this study because the study was really not designed .... to detect a problem like this. The study further underscores the need for additional research that's already in progress."
This article discusses alternative solutions to using drugs for heart disease treated with this class of medication. COT urges all readers taking heart medication to discuss their options with their cardiologist. AP 9/10/96
Women who work with mainframe computers and other equipment generating strong
magnetic fields may be at greater risk of developing breast cancer, according to
a new study to be published in the September issue of the journal Epidemiology.
The study found that women whose jobs exposed them to high levels of magnetic
fields, 60 hertz or greater, had a 43 percent greater chance of being diagnosed
with breast cancer than those whose jobs exposed them to minimal levels.
High risk jobs included electrical engineers, computer equipment operators,
working with fluorescent lights and operators of mainframe computers. A study
in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 1994 found similar results.
According to this article, women who use personal computers or word
processors would not have the high degree of exposure found to increase the risk
of breast cancer. AP 8/20/96
A study published Wednesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation found that people who had never smoked but were married to smokers had about a 20 percent higher risk of dying of heart disease than non-smoking couples. "The bottom line is that smokers should cease smoking for their own good and for the good of those about them," according to one of the doctors interviewed for this report. AP 8/14/96
A study in this weeks New England Journal of Medicine found that women who have frequent sexual intercourse and use spermicides and diaphragms, increase the risk of urinary tract infections in women.
Of course, abstinent women get these infections, too. But the researchers found that frequent sexual intercourse, particularly with a diaphragm and spermicide, is often a factor in those who have urinary infections.
AP 8/14/96
A study in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the combination of estrogen and progesterone appear to be just as effective in preventing heart disease in post menopausal women as taking estrogen alone. Since estrogen by itself can also increase the chance of uterine cancer, many doctors have switched their patients to pills that mix estrogen with the hormone progestin. This eliminates the extra risk of uterine cancer, but animal experiments suggest the combination pills may not do as good a job of protecting the heart.
Now, a large study of nurses has found that the combination pills are also highly effective against heart disease. In a statement, the National Institutes of Health, which sponsored the nurses study, cautioned that the results "are not definitive proof" that combination hormones prevent heart disease. For one thing, women who take the pills may be healthier to start with.
Readers are urged to contact their OB/GYN for more information.
AP 8/14/96
Every school should require a standard physical examination to uncover hidden heart diseases in high school and college athletes, the American Heart Association announced Wednesday.
Standards for such an examination were created by a national panel of cardiovascular and sports medicine specialists and published Thursday in the heart association's scientific journal, "Circulation."
The Heart Association's recommendations include:
-- Mandatory cardiovascular screening including a physical exam with detailed family medical history for all athletes.
-- Screening prior to playing sports and every two years afterward.
-- Requiring all screenings to be performed by a physician or health care worker trained to recognize heart disease.
-- Listening to the hearts of athletes while they are standing and lying down to detect murmurs and other problems.
-- Blood pressure checks.
Sudden death is rare among young people participating in sports, occurring in about one in 200,000 high school athletes.
But doctors say such exams could reveal heart disease in as many as 50 percent of the athletes who have it. AP 8/14/96
Oxford Health Plans Inc. stated this week that its' profits nearly doubled largely because of stable medical expenses and increased enrollment. Oxford said they earned $22.5 million in the April-June period, up from $11.3 million a year ago. AP 8/7/96
Husbands who have many sex partners outside their marriage may bring cancer home to their wives, according to a study in this week's journal of the National Cancer Institute. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, which is commonly spread by sexual intercourse, is what causes cervical cancer, which is present in 97 percent of cervical cancer cases. To be fair, women who have multiple sex partners may also be at increased risk.
As with sexually transmitted diseases, use of protection, such as condoms, can lower the risk of spreading HPV. Detected early, cervical cancer has a five-year survival rat of about 90 percent. AP 8/7/96
NewsPage Direct 8/5/96
COT advises readers to investigate any potential side effects of references listed below
CHINESE GREEN TEA EFFECTIVE ON LOWERING CHOLESTEROL - Chinese green
tea has a positive effect in controlling cholesterol and is a key to
the prevention of heart disease, according to a study of the
University of Hong Kong. [XINHUA, 160 words]
NEW YORK STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT APPROVES COMMUNITY HEALTH PLAN
AFFILIATION WITH KAISER PERMANENTE - The New York State Insurance
Department has approved the affiliation of Kaiser Permanente, the
nation's largest health maintenance organization , and Community
Health Plan , one of the nation's premier regional HMOs. [Business
Wire, 765 words]
NewsPage Direct 7/29/96
OREGON BALLOT INITIATIVES WOULD LIMIT CAPITATED PAYMENT METHODS, BAR
INSURERS FROM EXCLUDING CATEGORIES OF HEALTH PROVIDERS;
TOBACCOPOLITICS IS UNDERLYING ISSUE. - HEALTH PLANS COULD NOT EXCLUDE
ANY PROVIDER CATEGORY UNDER OREGON BALLOT initiative that goes before
that state's voters in November. [Health News Daily, 1022 words]
CALIFORNIA WORKERS COMP RATES FALL - By Ron Lent
Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News SAN FRANCISCO--Jul. 26--Though
workers comp premiums declined by $3 billion in three years, two
California employer organizations raised concerns that the savings
will not last. [The Journal of Commerce, 440 words]
AMA POLL FINDS AMERICANS WANT TO CHOOSE OWN DOCTOR@ RELEASE AT 6/30
A.M. EDT (1030 GMT) - The freedom to pick a doctor instead of having
one assigned through a health plan remains a priority among
Americans, according to a survey released on Sunday. [Reuters, 261
words]
According to the US Agriculture Department, Americans are eating their vegetables. The average person ate 433 pounds of vegetables and melons in 1995, up 1 percent from a year earler. AP 7/29/96
Once again, a new report demonstrates the horrific results of smoking. A new study released in the current issue of the British Medical Journal, said that babies were at greater risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) if their mothers smoked during pregnancy or if someone else in the household smoked.
According to the report,"The greater the exposure, the higher the risk." AP 7/26/96
Doctors who diagnose and treat Attention Deficit Disorder, a condition which affects both children and adults, are coming under pressure to be more thorough in their diagnoses before they rush off prescriptions for drugs such as Ritalin. In order to provide assistance, guidelines are being prepared to help doctos identify who has the disorder, which is marked by inattentive, impulsive and somethimes uncontrollable behavior. AP 7/22/96
A close vote in the House of Representatives will allow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to go ahead and produce rules regarding injuries caused primarily to the wrist by repetitive movement.
The House of Representatives agreed (216-205) to knock out a rider that would have prohibited ergonomic research or rulemaking regarding repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Critics such as Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas, claim scientific research has not proven any link between workplace conditions and repetitive stress injuries. Bonilla contended OSHA's ergonomic proposals would cost employers, particularly small businesses, billions of dollars.
But Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who supported OSHA, says employers will actually save money if repetitive strain rules are developed to help reduce injuries in the first place.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 515,000 cases of workplace illness reported in 1994, 332,000 were related to repetitive motion. The cost of such injuries to private industry is an estimated $20 billion to $100 billion a year.
(CCH Business Owner's Toolkit) CServe's Business Square 7/21/96
On late Friday evening / early Saturday morning, New York Governor George Pataki had his program bill pulled which would have assisted NY Chiropractors in their efforts to attain Insurance Equality. It appears that the Governor has caved in again to pressures from the Business and Insurance communities. COT will stay on top of this story. COT 7/13/96
A study in this week's issure of the journal Nature found that a part of the brain that may be important in addiction reacts the same way to nicotine that it does to cocaine, heroin and other highly addictive drugs. the results provide some of the best physiological evidence yet suggesting that nicotine and cocaine addictions work in similar ways. AP 7/17/96
A report in this week's The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that smokers who were more physically fit, had a greater chance of survival over the least fit in the study. The purpose of the study was to emphasize the benefits of exercise. It was stressed in this AP report that "being fit seems to offset some of the impact of these (risk factors). But it's important to emphasize it doesn't cancel them out. So if you're a smoker, your risk of dying of lung cancer is still far ahead of the rest of the population who don't smoke." AP 7/16/96
Recently, the US surgeon general released a report discussing the benefits of exercise. In today's AP report, it was reported that African -Americans should pay special attention to the surgeion general's warning that exercise is essential to good health. This came from the head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kidney disease, caused by hypertension, or elevated blood pressure, is a leading killer of black Americans. AP 7/16/96
A study reported in this week's issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute states that an analysis of 2,414 breast cancer cases amonth 89,528 female nurses participating in a 12-year health study found that regular aspirin use did not reduce the breast cancer risk. This in spite of the fact that earlier studies suggested that use of aspirin might lower the breast cancer risk.
In 1994, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey linked aspirin use to a 30 percent reduction in breast cancer when compared to women who took no aspirin. One of the people interviewed in this report suggested that it may be "too early to discard the idea that aspirin can protect against breast cancer." This present study found that the rate of breast cancer was about hte same among regular and heavy aspirin users as among aspirin nonusers. AP 7/16/96
The AP reported today that some research facilities are complaining that HMOs are forcing academic medial centers to cut the fees they charge, and this in turn is reducing the money available to conduct medical research. The article reported that approximately one tenth of money received from patients is transfered to medical research funding.
Supposedly, in an effort to provide assistance, New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, introduced a bill which would call for a tax on health insurance premiums. AP 7/14/96
Giant Food, Inc., announced Friday a voluntary recall of some Super-G brand natural vitamin E capusles because one bottle was found to contain a capsule of chloral hydrate, a sedative product that may causedrowsiness.
The recall was for vitamins with a strength of 200 International units, in 100-capsule bottles, lot 4994, expiration date 8-99.
Any customer who purchased the product with lot 4994 was requested to return it to any Giant or Super G store for a full refund. AP 7/12/96
Today's AP reports on possible dangers of using acetaminophen. According to the report, this active ingredient, found in Tylenol and Anacin 3 and other remedies, causes liver damage. Between 1970 and 1991, 33 children below age 13 died of acetaminophen poisoning, according to a Food and Drug Administration report.
The report stresses the need to read and follow the directions on the label. Further, "people must understand that over-the-counter drugs are not innocuous, not risk-free." AP 7/8/96
The CDC reports that polio cases around the world fell by 82% in 1995, compared to seven years earlier.
A breakdown of cases includes the following:
AP 7/5/96
A rare form of HIV, the virus which has been linked to AIDS, has been diagnosed in a Los Angeles-area women. The strain, known as Group O, is the only known case found in the United States. Most other cases have been diagnosed in West Africa. It appears that this particular strain is missed by aintibody tests in about 1 out of every 5 tests. The article stated that improved tests should be available within a year.
There have been only 35 cases of AIDS by blood transfusions in the US since screening of donated blood began in 1985. That works out to fewer than one case for every 450,000 pints of blood. AP 7/5/96
The government says people who use private wells should periodically check the quality of their water, after a report linked the miscarriages of three Indiana women to tainted well water. The women in question drank water which contained high levels of nitrate. About 13 million US households get their drinking water from private wells, which are not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. AP 7/6/96
Please Read This Item In Its Entirety. COT does not recommend the use of Steroids!:
A study in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, found that a shot of testosterone can turn a weakling into a bigger, more muscular fellow. "The researchers (of this study) said repeatedly that their work did not justify the illegal use of drugs for performance or strength enhancement, or for the purely esthetic body sculpturing for which steroids have become increasingly popular."
Some of the side effects of steroid usage include the following:
Decreases in good cholesterol;
Suspected increased risk of prostate cancer;
Shrunken testes;
Infertility;
Stunted growth in young athletes;
plus others.
Researchers are looking for new fields of study in which testosterone and its synthetic derivates are used to restore and enhance muscle mass in those suffering the wasting syndromes associated with diseases like AIDS.
NY Times 7/4/96
NY Times article on female mutilation. Surf Here
New York is in a battle to obtain Insurance Equality for parity with reimbursement policies. Surf here for an editorial in the NY Times opposing this legislation.