Chiropractic OnLine Today's
In The News feature: Part Seventeen.

July 28, 1997 - November 7, 1997

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The unanimous decision of a three-judge panel of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania prohibits chiropractors from advertising or holding out that they provide physical therapy services, based on the state's Physical Therapy Practice Act.

Alignis Becomes First Chiropractic Network to Receive URAC Utilization Review and Workers' Compensation Utilization Management Accreditation Alignis is the first chiropractic preferred provider organization in the nation to receive National Utilization Review and Workers' Compensation Utilization Management accreditation from the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission/URAC. [Business Wire, 218 words]

SAFE STORAGE GUN LAWS WORK In an effort to curb the large number of children killed or injured each year by firearms, 12 states passed laws between 1989 and 1993 making it a criminal offense to store guns at home in a manner in which a child could gain access to the weapon. [New England Journal, 184 words]

FDA overhaul bill clears House
WASHINGTON - The House approved fundamental changes in the way the Food and Drug Administration operates Tuesday in an effort to speed approval of breakthrough drugs and medical devices.

The FDA regulates food, drugs and cosmetics - goods that make up some one-quarter of the gross domestic product. Although reforms in recent years have cut the time for getting new drugs and equipment on the market, it is still faulted by some for taking years to complete new drug reviews.

Among the main features of the bill, it makes it easier for doctors to get access to experimental drugs and sets up a fast-track procedure for drugs that may be used for serious or life-threatening diseases.

Fractures Increase Hospitalizations Even for Unrelated Reasons, According to UCSF Researcher
Fractures caused by osteoporosis dramatically increase a woman's risk of being hospitalized -- even for reasons unrelated to osteoporosis or bone fractures -- according to a UCSF researcher who is presenting study findings during the annual meeting ... [Business Wire, 569 words]

Method for anchoring a surgical suture to bone (Assignee -- RayMedica, Inc.)
Abstract: A surgical method and tools for anchoring a suture to bone is disclosed. The method includes forming an opening through a top surface of the bone, positioning a suture within the opening and crimping a region of the top surface of the bone surrounding the opening ... [MicroPatent, 245 words]

TUBERCULOSIS BY MISTAKE
No laboratory test result can be trusted completely, even one as clearcut as the growth of *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* from a sputum or bronchial lavage sample. [New England Journal, 234 words]

UCLA Research Released Today Links California Cuisine With Prevention of Cancer, Heart Disease; UCLA Center for Human Nutrition Also Unveils New "California Cuisine Food Pyramid"
There is evidence to suggest that Californians live longer than residents of other states and are less likely to die from cancer and heart disease, a phenomenon due in part to dietary patterns and the increased popularity of California cuisine. [Business Wire, 310 words]

White House shifts strategy on tobacco deal
President Bill Clinton is expected to push soon for tough modifications in the landmark tobacco accord but may delay disclosing some of the specific changes he wants, administration officials said on Saturday. [Reuters [WS], 509 words]

Heart group aims to alert women to their risks: USA Today 9/10/97
American women still dramatically underestimate their risk of heart disease and stroke and overestimate their risk of cancer, especially breast cancer, a new survey shows.

The American Heart Association, which sponsored the survey, announced a new campaign Tuesday to alert women that heart disease and stroke are, by far, the biggest causes of chronic illness and death for women, killing more than 500,000 a year.

Female Genital Mutilation; Who Is At Risk In The United States?
Female Genital Mutilation; Who Is At Risk In The United States? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 168,000 girls and women living in the United States in 1990 were at risk for or had been subject to female genital mutilation/female circumcision . [CW Henderson, 309 words]

FTC proposes cigarette tar, nicotine testing changes@ (Updates with Tobacco Institute declining comment, 13 graf)
Federal regulators on Tuesday proposed changing how tar and nicotine levels in cigarettes are measured and reported to reflect more accurately the varying ways people smoke. [Reuters [WS], 459 words]

Fla. Settles Tobacco Suit

Florida is declaring victory today in its war against the U.S. tobacco industry. The state has announced a $11.3 billion settlement in a lawsuit to recover medical costs for treating sick smokers. Gov. Lawton Chiles and industry lawyers signed the settlement in West Palm Beach, Fla. Chiles said the industry has agreed to pay Florida at least $11.3 billion over 25 years, with the first payment of $1 billion due within a year. Chiles said the deal also would immediately end tobacco advertising within 1,000 feet of Florida schools, and billboards advertising cigarettes would have to be taken down within six months. The accord also bans cigarette advertising in sports arenas, kiosks and mass transit stations.

ACA Applauds New York Law Requiring Insurance Coverage of Chiropractic The American Chiropractic Association today lauded a New York law requiring insurance coverage of chiropractic as a victory for health care consumers and an example for other states that are serious about cutting health care costs. [PR Newswire, 394 words]

Study suggests smoking damage may be long-lasting
People who smoked for many years may face a permanently increased risk of lung cancer, even after giving up the habit, research at the University of Pittsburgh indicates. [Reuters [WS], 453 words]

President Clinton meets with New York State Assembly speaker on Aug. 15, offering to explore raising New York's federal/state Medicaid matching ratio.
CLINTON OFFERS TO EXAMINE RAISING NEW YORK MEDICAID MATCHING RATE during an Aug. 15 meeting with New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver . [Health News Daily, 472 words]

JOHN WILEY & SONS/ Menstrual phase linked to mammograms missing breast cancers Menstruating women face twice the risk of false-negative mammogram results when breast cancer screening is done during the last two weeks of their menstrual cycle, according to a study in the August 15 issue of CANCER. [M2 Communications, 418 words]

Parkinson's Disease; Therapy Demonstrated To Protect Key Neurons from Degeneration
Parkinson's Disease; Therapy Demonstrated To Protect Key Neurons from Degeneration A new gene therapy significantly improved survival of key neurons in an animal model of Parkinson's Disease. [CW Henderson, 399 words]

An article in today's NY Times presents the current percentage of enrollees in various types of health care plans.

In 1988, before the development of point-of-service plans, 71 percent of workers with company-sponsored health insurance were enrolled in fee-for-service plans; 18 percent in HMOs and 11 percent in preferred-provider plans, according to Peat Marwick's Center for Survey Research, which looked into 1,502 randomly selected companies with more than 200 employees for a report published in June.

This year, 48 percent of these workers were enrolled in point-of-service and preferred-provider plans, up from 41 percent last year, while 18 percent used fee-for-service plans, a decline from 26 percent last year, and 33 percent -- the same as last year -- were enrolled in HMOs.

As insurance chairman for the NJ Chiropractic Society, it is indeed a pleasure to report that Gov Whitman has signed into law the Patients protection and quality assurance act. This is the first major legislation to begin to put controls and penalities on the activities of HMOs that are violative of patient's rights. This bill which in actuality was three legislative bills merged into one also contained a point of service -POS- section which mandates that insurance companies must offer a POS option in their plans. There are safeguards against price gouging and the POS must be reasonable. The bill is very extensive and has many interesting statemnts which will be of future benefit.

The NJCS was very effective in it's efforts and was the driving force and author of the POS provisions.

One can only imagine what may be accomplished if every DC in NJ was an active dues paying member of the NJCS. But as Dr. Edwards so eloquently reminds us that it is the FEW that carry the Many.

In any event this is great News.

Dr. E. P. Cianciulli, DC, MS, FICC
ecianc@cybernex.net

CDC Launches New Campaign to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A new campaign developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was unveiled today to promote moderate physical activity among adults. [Comtex, 726 words]

Risk Factors; Violence Has Become A Serious Public Health Risk In The Americas Risk Factors; Violence Has Become A Serious Public Health Risk In The Americas Violence in Latin America is one of the main causes of death in the western hemisphere, and is so common in the region that it has become a serious public health issue. [CW Henderson, 579 words]

President's announcement of new public/private diabetes quality improvement coalition caps dramatic week for millions with diabetes american diabetes association also applauds bi-partisan efforts resulting in
Today, President Clinton announced a groundbreaking initiative spearheaded by the American Diabetes Association, bringing together leading public and private sector organizations to develop universal criteria intended to improve the health care outcomes of people with diabetes. [PR Newswire, 953 words]

U.S. HHS/ NIH releases panel's report on the possible medical uses of marijuana
The National Institutes of Health has made available the report of the group of experts it convened February 19-20, 1997, to review the scientific data concerning the potential therapeutic uses for marijuana and the need for, and feasibility of, additional research. [M2 Communications, 459 words]

Indians turn to Japanese 'reiki' for healing touch NEW DELHI, Aug. 10 _ By: Kanak Nair A year ago, chronic back pain made Mehar Chopra almost wish she was dead before a friend recommended ''reiki,'' a Japanese energy healing system. [Kyodo, 709 words]

Fact Sheet on Executive Order to Ban Smoking in Federal Workplaces WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- President Clinton signed an executive order that will ban smoking in all federal executive branch facilities, except in limited circumstances. [Comtex, 446 words]

WASHINGTON -- Clinton administration officials say they will soon propose a comprehensive federal law to protect the privacy of medical records, to let consumers inspect their own files and to punish any unauthorized disclosures of personal data by hospitals, insurers, health plans or drug companies.

The measure would establish minimum federal standards to control the use of such information in the era of managed care, when insurance companies and health-maintenance organizations have the ability and, in many cases, a financial incentive to collect and sell data revealing the most intimate secrets of millions of patients. NY Times 8/10/97

U.S. HHS/ FDA approves implanted brain stimulator to control tremors The Food and Drug Administration has approved a brain implant device to help control tremors in people with essential tremor or Parkinson's disease. [M2 Communications, 659 words]

Animal Study Demonstrates That Gene Therapy Protects Key Neurons From Degeneration Associated With Parkinson`s Disease Findings Have Potential to Lead to New Treatment
A study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that a new gene therapy significantly improved survival of key neurons in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. [PR Newswire, 542 words]

health care quality leaders address patient confidentiality joint session on security and confidentiality of patient medical information addresses issues in managed care settings
The nation's two leading health care accrediting organizations, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations and the National Committee for Quality Assurance , last week held the first of two strategic meetings ... [PR Newswire, 737 words]

Thanks to Managed Care, Ohio Workers Took Home $274 to $366 in Extra Pay Last Year, Says Ohio Association of Health Plans The take-home pay for Ohio workers enrolled in managed care plans was several hundred dollars heftier in 1996 due to savings generated by their employer-sponsored health plans. [PR Newswire, 395 words]

shanghai doctor uses titanium mesh for bone graft SHANGHAI XINHUA - A surgeon at Shanghai's Changzheng Hospital has successfully used titanium for a bone graft on two cervical spondylosis patients for the first time in China. [Comtex, 173 words]

GORE UNVEILS WEB SITE IN WAR ON CANCER DATABASE PRAISED AS `IMPORTANT NEW TOOL'
Vice President Al Gore and government scientists unveiled a Web site Friday that researchers can use to develop ways to diagnose and treat cancer more effectively. [Rocky Mountain News, 133 words]