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

October 23, 1997 - June 30, 1998

Insurers Tighten Rules and Reduce Fees for Doctors
Some big health insurers are putting a new squeeze on doctors, sharply cutting the fees they pay and imposing strict new rules that physicians say can undermine patient care. Angry doctors, in turn, are fighting back with lawsuits and complaints to state regulators.

CNN Online from 6/25/98

Liver enzyme may contribute to nicotine addiction

How efficiently the liver gets rid of nicotine appears to influence people's smoking habits, according to researchers at the University of Toronto.

They found that people with an impaired ability to metabolize nicotine, the addictive compound in tobacco smoke, are less likely to smoke, or if they do, are apt to be satisfied with fewer cigarettes.

The researchers studied 244 nicotine-dependent smokers and 184 people who had tried smoking but never got hooked. The findings were reported in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature

CNN Online from 6/25/98

New findings in electric field health debate

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The controversial theory that electric fields like those around power lines can cause cancer is getting a boost from a National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientific panel. Though divided, the group voted Wednesday that such electromagnetic fields should be considered "possible human carcinogens."

NY Times from 6/25/98

House Republicans Wednesday unveiled a long-awaited proposal to define patients' rights and set uniform nationwide standards for health insurance, especially health maintenance organizations. The insurance industry immediately denounced the plan,saying it would increase costs for consumers.

The House Republicans, who have been working behind closed doors for four months on legislation to address voters' anger at the constraints of managed health care, found themselves in the same position as President Clinton four years ago: in the cross hairs of the insurance industry.

Computerworld from 6/22/98

Aetna U.S. Healthcare, the nation's largest for-profit health maintenance organization, is rolling out an electronic claims program to speed payments to member physicians and reduce claims-processing errors. It was announced last week that pledges to pay doctors within 15 business days if they submit referrals and claims through E-Pay.

NY Times from 6/20/98

Advocates for HIV-positive people in New York Friday heard with disbelief the news that the state Legislature had passed a bill requiring that the names of infected people be reported to the state and mandating that government workers contact the sexual partners of those people.

The state Assembly's approval of the HIV tracking measure, in the waning hours of the session, could help change the nation's system of monitoring the epidemic. As the state with the nation's highest rate of AIDS cases, New York could be influential in prompting other states to adopt such reporting.

NewsPage Direct from 6/17/98

French report says drinking worse thancannabis
Flying in the face of official policy, a government-commissioned report published on Tuesday concludes that drinking is a far worse health hazard than smoking cannabis.

But that doesn't mean to take up the latter as a habit either! [Reuters [WS], 281 words, PREMIUM]

NewsPage Direct from 5/18/98

HEALTH/ YOUNG WOMEN NEED MORE EDUCATION, HEALTH SERVICES
The more than 540 million women between the ages of 10 and 19 who make up the world's next generation of mothers, workers and leaders urgently need greater access to education and reproductive health services, according to a new report. [Inter Press Service, 919 words, PREMIUM]

State Health Department Issues Warning on Oysters From Tomales Bay Producers
Consumers who recently purchased oysters are being advised not to eat oysters that originated from the Hog Island Oyster Company or Point Reyes Oyster Company, two producers from Tomales Bay in Marin County. [Business Wire, 212 words, BASIC]

NewsPage Direct from 5/15/98

Complementary Medicine Clinic Opens at Stanford to Supplement Traditional Care
STANFORD, Calif.--(BW HealthWire) via NewsEdge Corporation -- A new UCSF Stanford Health Care Complementary Medicine Clinic has begun supplementing traditional approaches to medical care with less traditional techniques such as hypnosis, biofeedback, medical acupuncture, meditation, massage and psychotherapy support groups.

Warning Issued on Herbal Remedy
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire) via NewsEdge Corporation -- State Health Officer James W. Stratton, M.D., M.P.H. warned the public not to use a Chinese patent medicine product called HUI CHUN TAN because it contains borneol, an ingredient that can cause serious illness and death.

NewsPage Direct from 4/27/98

Scientists probe link between diet and alzheimer's
Scientists will unveil research this week that suggests a simple change in diet could protect millions of people from Alzheimer's disease, British newspapers reported on Sunday. [Reuters [WS], 306 words] PREMIUM

Obesity May Increase Risk of Asthma
Harvard researchers say a study of thousands of nurses has provided the first strong evidence that obesity greatly increases the risk of developing asthma. [Associated Press, 468 words] PREMIUM

Seattle named healthiest U.S. city for women
Seattle ranked as the healthiest of 120 major U.S. cities for women because of its excellent air quality, opportunities for outdoor activities and abundance of hospitals and physicians, a national magazine said Friday. [Reuters [BR], 475 words] PREMIUM

SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT/ Amendments to workers' compensation act introduced
Labour Minister Bob Mitchell today introduced legislative amendments to The Workers' Compensation Act. "These amendments improve benefits for working people and ensure greater accountability of the Workers' Compensation Board," Mitchell said. [M2 Communications, 434 words] PREMIUM

USA Today from 4/23/98

FDA warns against sports supplement
WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration Wednesday warned consumers to consult a doctor before using creatine, the popular muscle-building supplement taken by thousands of professional, college and high school athletes.

The warning comes as the FDA is investigating whether creatine played a role in the deaths of three college wrestlers and in serious seizures suffered by two other users.

NewsPage Direct from 4/20/98

Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan advocates technology benefit-cost analyses during Medicare commission testimony April 20.
HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY BENEFITS SHOULD EQUAL/EXCEED ECONOMIC COSTS, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan testified April 20 before the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. [Health News Daily, 523 words, PAY PER VIEW $3.50]

Nation's Top Health Plans Identified In Sachs HMO Honor Roll and Seal of Excellence
Sachs Group today announced the winners of the 1998 Sachs HMO Honor Roll and Sachs Seal of Excellence. The annual awards, now in their third year, recognize an elite group of health plans that are rated superior in their markets by their members. [Business Wire, 876 words, BASIC]

Scientists link smoking with cot death
Scientists warned parents on Monday that smoking and high room temperatures increased the likelihood of cot death, the mysterious syndrome that kills tens of thousands of infants a year. [Reuters [WS], 362 words, PREMIUM]

FDA to propose U.S. fruit juice safeguards
The Food and Drug Administration will unveil new regulations this week to safeguard consumers against fruit juice contamination, an administration source said Monday. [Reuters [WS], 313 words, PREMIUM]

NewsPage Direct from 4/20/98

Brain Research Links Low Levels of Fluoride to Alzheimer's and Dementia
In a study just published in the Journal of Brain Research the presence of low levels of fluoride in the drinking water of test animals, equal to the amount of elemental fluorine found in fluoridated water.

"Fluoride has diverse actions on a variety of cellular and physiological functions, including the inhibition of a variety of enzymes, a corrosive action in acid mediums, hypocalcemia, hyperkalemia, and possibly cerebral impairment." ... [Business Wire, 695 words, BASIC]

High rates of incurable diseases seen in western Japan
TOKYO, April 18 _ Nervous crippling diseases, long thought to have disappeared from Japan, have been seen again at an alarming rate in some parts of western Japan, according to findings by a university research team released Saturday.

AHCPR Awards $7.6 Million in Grants Designed to Improve Health Care Quality
HHS' Agency for Health Care Policy and Research today is announcing eight grant awards designed to improve the quality of U.S. health care. Overall funding will total $7.6 million over five years. [PR Newswire, 1126 words, BASIC]

USAToday from 4/15/98

Drug reaction deaths on the rise
CHICAGO - Bad reactions to prescription and over-the-counter medicines kill more than 100,000 Americans and seriously injure an additional 2.1 million every year - far more than most people realize, researchers say. Such reactions rank at least sixth among U.S. causes of death - behind heart disease, cancer, lung disease, strokes and accidents, says the new report. ''We're not saying, 'Don't take drugs,''' said principal investigator Dr. Bruce H. Pomeranz. ''But what we're arguing is that there should be increased awareness also of side effects, which until now have not been too well understood.''

NewsPage Direct from 4/13/98

Vitamins May Help Unborn Children
(NOTE: COT recommends that women obtain profession advice before beginning or altering any nutritional program.)

Why did so many mothers in the nation's fifth-poorest city have tiny, premature babies and other pregnancy complications?

A professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Camden, suspected that a key factor must be poor nutrition.

Dr. Theresa Scholl, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Camden, persuaded the National Institutes of Health to fund research on the effects of nutrition on pregnancy. She ended up heading the Camden (NJ) Study, a 16-year project that is the first such study focused on minority women that measures the benefits of vitamins and mineral supplements on pregnancy outcomes other than birth defects.

HMOs Can Kill a Patient, But You Can`t Sue Them in the State of California, According to the UAPD
California legislators must follow the lead of Texas and pass legislation that will close a federal loophole and allow patients to file malpractice suits against health maintenance organizations that make decisions harmful to patients ... [Business Wire, 324 words, BASIC]

Cigar Smoking Causes Cancer, Heart Disease
Daily cigar smoking can cause several types of cancer and heart disease and cigars should not be considered safe alternative to cigarettes, according to a new study. [Reuters [OL], 240 words, BASIC]

USAToday from 4/13/98

New blood test could help detect cancers
WASHINGTON - A new blood test could help doctors find tumors sooner and improve monitoring of treatment, researchers say. Detecting cancers earlier increases chances of successfully treating the cancer. How much earlier a tumor might be discovered with the new test - which uses magnets to concentrate the cancer cells from blood and lasers to observe them - isn't known yet. But researchers note that some breast cancers can grow for years before becoming large enough to be detected by mammography. The new test lets doctors detect a single cancer cell in a small blood sample.

The new test, which uses magnets to concentrate the cancer cells from blood and lasers to observe them, is reported in a paper in Monday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The test has been used on patients with breast and prostate cancer. Tests on other tumors are planned.

NewsPage Direct from 4/9/98

Doctor Wins $1.75M From Medical Co.
A doctor who says he was fired because he refused to compromise his quality of care in order to save a buck has won what managed care opponents are calling a landmark victory for patient care. [Associated Press, 472 words, PREMIUM]

SUBJECT: Calcium-Supp-&-Osteoporosis
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1998 While some 28 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, a new survey reveals that only one-third of physicians even discuss its prevention with their patients. [Business Wire, 122 words, BASIC]

fat children risk heart disease early, study finds
Fat children show early signs of heart disease such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, researchers said on Wednesday. [Reuters [WS], 344 words, PREMIUM]

Tobacco firms say deal dead but lawmakers push ahead@ (Updates throughout)
Cigarette makers Wednesday declared last year's tobacco settlement ``dead'' in Congress, but President Clinton and key lawmakers vowed to push for laws to combat teen smoking with or without industry cooperation. [Reuters [BR], 719 words, PREMIUM]

National Public Health Week (April 6-10) Celebrates Ex-Smokers;
New Study Finds a Positive Impact on America's Public Health
A major effort to improve America's public health has resulted in an increased number of smokers who have successfully quit. [PR Newswire, 480 words, BASIC]

USA Today from 3/31/98

Move under way to compare HMOs
WASHINGTON - While Congress debates consumer protections in the era of managed care, an independent group says it is preparing a system to rate HMOs to help people compare different plans. The National Committee for Quality Assurance will announce Tuesday a plan to measure the quality of care provided by the HMOs it accredits. The group plans to create a "report card" to separate poor plans and doctors from excellent ones. "We have very little information on the quality of health care in this country," said David Lansky, president of the Foundation for Accountability.

NewsPage Direct from 3/30/98

Hypnosis May Help Bowel Syndrome
A clinical psychologist is experimenting with hypnosis to alleviate a painful gastrointestinal disorder that affects nearly one out of 10 Americans but is rarely discussed because of its embarrassing nature. [Associated Press, 610 words, PREMIUM]

STREAMING VIDEO: Chest Pain Evaluation
Centers Are Leading The War Against Heart Disease Each year, between five and six million people enter emergency rooms across America with symptoms that could indicate a possible heart attack. [Business Wire, 122 words, BASIC]

Scientists unlock the mystery of H5N1, HONGKONG STANDARD
THE mystery of why the bird flu killed some Hong Kong people and not others has been unlocked by scientists, raising new hopes for ways to treat the viral disease. [Associated Press, 362 words, PREMIUM]

NewsPage Direct from 3/25/98

New England's Largest PPO to Offer Complementary and Alternative Medicine Benefits
Health Care Value Management , the largest Preferred Provider Organization in New England, has contracted with CommonWell, Inc. of Boston to make complementary and alternative medical care available to HCVM's more than 400,000 members and its 100 different payors. [Business Wire, 708 words, BASIC]

Online Journals For Radiological Society of North America
Community of Science, , today announced that it has just released full-text, World Wide Web versions of two journals, "Radiology" and "Radiographics," on behalf of the Radiological Society of North America . Free access to the new online journals is available until mid-1998 ... [PR Newswire, 550 words, BASIC]

CONSUMERS WANT BETTER INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THEIR USE OF ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES
Nine out of 10 Canadians believe the federal government should increase the amount of information required on the labels of complementary or alternative medicines, according to research presented today by the Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association ... [Canada Newswire, 712 words, BASIC]

NIHR/ Medicine Gets Serious About Patient-Centered Care
WASHINGTON, March 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- At a landmark conference held in Washington this weekend, representatives from over 50 medical schools and hospital centers laid the groundwork for returning medicine to its patient-focused roots. [US Newswire, 556 words, BASIC]

Elbow prosthesis
Abstract: An implantable elbow prosthesis comprises an ulnar component and a humeral component wherein the head of the ulnar component is designed in a bifurcated shape with two horns and the head of the humeral component comprises a rotatable spindle between two projecting flanges . [MicroPatent, 544 words, PREMIUM]

Emergency Physicians Call for Passage of the Health Care Quest Act The American College of Emergency
Physicians , today praised Senator James Jeffords for holding hearings on health care quality and called upon Congress to include the "prudent layperson" standard for emergency care in legislation to protect consumer rights in the health care [PR Newswire, 618 words, BASIC]

CDC Increases Effort To Curb STDs
Chlamydia: 4 million new cases each year.
Gonorrhea: 800,000 new cases a year.
Genital herpes: 200,000 to 500,000 new cases.
[Associated Press, 691 words, PREMIUM]

Key U.S. senator expects tobacco bill in a week
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain on Tuesday said he was making long-awaited progress on a tobacco bill and hoped to take a bill up one week from now. [Reuters [WS], 566 words, PREMIUM]

NewsPage Direct from 3/24/98

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; U.S. Research Homes in on Gene for Gehrig's Disease
Researchers said they had tracked down a gene responsible for a form of the muscle-wasting disease amyotrophic latera sclerosis , also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. [CW Henderson]

USA Today from 3/13/98

Guidelines issued on stroke prevention
Know your blood pressure. If you smoke, stop. Drink alcohol only in moderation. Follow these simple rules and a few others, and you may lower your risk of having a stroke, according to guidelines released Thursday.

These recommendations, the first ever geared to the public, were drafted by a National Stroke Association consensus panel. They are the first stage of a campaign to combat a nationwide epidemic of "brain attacks," the blockage of blood to the brain.

In 1995, the death rate from strokes reached 26.7 per 100,000, up from 26.2 in 1993. That was the first increase in 40 years. It adds up to nearly 160,000 deaths annually.

NY Times from 3/11/98

Regulatory Bill Seeks Cost-Benefit Testing
WASHINGTON -- Reviving efforts to overhaul the federal regulatory system, a Senate committee Tuesday approved a bill that would subject future health, safety and environmental rules to new cost-benefit tests, limiting regulators' discretion and potentially opening their decisions to additional legal challenges.

But the 8-4 vote by the Governmental Affairs Committee and the debate that preceded it showed that the bill's sponsors had not quite achieved bipartisan consensus.

The legislation approved Tuesday would require elaborate studies by regulators of the costs and benefits of most major rules, setting forth the financial repercussions, the expected health or environmental results, and the range of alternatives. The agencies would have to write detailed risk assessments and invite outside experts to review these studies.

NewsPage Direct from 3/10/98

Experts Characterize Obesity as 'Last Great Risk Factor' for Heart Disease Long-Term Obesity Management Can Significantly Reduce Risks for Coronary Heart Disease
Long-term obesity treatment can control and potentially prevent heart disease according to a series of original papers published today in the supplement to the premiere volume of Nutrition in Clinical Care. [PR Newswire, 1045 words]

DC Foundation and Eli Lilly and Company Launch Program to Battle Emerging Infectious Diseases Worldwide
In an effort to help protect the world's people from emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, the CDC Foundation and Eli Lilly and Company today announced a training fellowship program to prepare laboratory leaders and physicians around the globe. [Business Wire, 478 words]

New York Blues To Ease Claims Appeals
Five New York state Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies announced plans last week to organize an independent claims review system. The review system will look at claims rejected for reasons of "medical necessity," the New York Blues said. [National Underwriters, 533 words]

Some HMOs' Profits Rise
Despite some highly publicized difficulties at a number of managed care organizations, several firms eked out a profit for 1997, although costs and utilization trends continue to move higher. [National Underwriters, 730 words]

Smoking costs Medicaid $13 billion a year-study
Smoking costs Medicaid, the joint state-federal U.S. health program for the poor, $12.9 billion a year, University of California experts reported Monday. [Reuters [BR], 429 words]

WHO insists passive smoking causes lung cancer
The United Nations health agency insisted on Monday that passive smoking causes lung cancer, and denied charges it had suppressed a report suggesting such smoke was not dangerous. ``Don't let them fool you. [Reuters [WS], 243 words]

Food Illnesses on Rise in U.S.
Despite scientific improvements over the past 50 years, stomach illnesses caused by food are on the rise in the United States, in part because Americans like to eat at restaurants and get fruit and vegetables all year round, an expert said Monday. [Associated Press, 464 words]

Influenza; Too Many Meetings May Make Your Workers Sick
If you are an employer worried about the toll that 1998's influenza strains are taking on your work force, San Francisco internist Dr. Jane Hamersley has some advice for you: as soon as employees start to feel "flu-ish," send them [CW Henderson, 634]

NewsPage Direct from 1/13/98

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior; Study Reveals Views of Young People Toward Sex, Health, AIDS
Nearly nine out of 10 young people believe they are invulnerable to getting the AIDS virus, even though 20 percent have had a friend or acquaintance die ... [CW Henderson, 735 words]

Legal Issues; Law Lets Doctors Notify Partners of HIV Positive Patients
A new Wisconsin law allows physicians to alert the sex and drug partners of patients who carry HIV. The law was prompted by a Milwaukee man's refusal to tell his wife he was infected with HIV. [CW Henderson, 263 words]

Health care spending tops $1 trillion
WASHINGTON - National spending on health care topped $1 trillion in a single year for the first time in 1996, the Department of Health and Human Services reported Monday. That breaks down to an average of $3,759 per person, up 4.4% or $126 from 1995. The report also states that the percentage of the economy represented by health care spending has remained at a steady 13.6% since 1993. HHS says low inflation and an increase in the number of people enrolled in managed care programs contributed to the slow expansion.

NewsPage Direct from 1/12/98

Alignis Acquires CHIRO Managed Care Network
Jan. 9, 1998-- Expands Northeast Customer Base and Provider Network Alignis, Inc., a national alternative managed healthcare company announced today that it has completed the acquisition of CHIRO Managed Care Network, a New Jersey based chiropractic managed care organization. [Business Wire, 234 words]

High Number of Flu Cases Called Epidemic in California; Will it Spread Across the U.S.?
Jan. 9, 1998--"California hospital emergency departments are recording significant increases in patient visits -- well over 30% this year as compared to last -- due to the flu," said Wesley A. Curry ... [Business Wire, 505 words]

Study/ Some Fats Reduce Cancer Risk
A new study adds to growing evidence that eating monounsaturated fats _ the kind found in olive and canola oils _ may significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer. [Associated Press, 627 words]

COT always advises obtaining professional counseling prior to initiating any new nutritional programs.

Healthy teeth can reduce heart attack risk--report@ (Release at 0001 GMT Jan 10)
Healthy teeth could help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, British dentists said on Saturday. [Reuters [WS], 558 words]

Aetna May Cut Infertility Benefits
Aetna US Healthcare, a pioneer in covering infertility treatment, will eliminate benefits for advanced infertility procedures such as in-vitro fertilization, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today. [Associated Press, 393 words]

British meat should be treated as contaminated-BMA@ (Release at 0001 Monday, January 12)
All raw meat in Britain should be treated as contaminated and a potential source of food poisoning, the influential British Medical Association said on Monday. [Reuters [WS], 225 words]

NY Times from 1/11/98

Health maintenance organizations in the New York area are asking customers to pay larger -- in some cases much larger -- premiums this year after several years of holding down prices to spur enrollment in a region that long regarded managed care with suspicion.

The increases, mirroring those by managed care companies around the nation, vary by plan and who is covered. But even big employers, who are typically able to negotiate the cheapest rates, say they expect the first substantial increases in several years.

On the whole, health care experts said they expected premiums to rise by 5 to 10 percent next year around the New York region, prompting worries about whether the increases are a blip or a troubling sign that managed care is no better than traditional indemnity insurance at controlling costs.

There are many reasons for the increases, experts say: rising drug and hospitalization costs; employers willing to pay more in flush economic times; plans offering wider choices to patients increasingly frustrated by the limits of managed care.

But many analysts in New York state say the primary reason is that managed care companies had kept prices artificially low for years to encourage reluctant New Yorkers to sign up and are only now coming to terms with the actual cost of care.

USAToday from 1/3/98

Clinton budget may add to Medicare
WASHINGTON - President Clinton's next budget will include proposals to expand Medicare to offer benefits to some people under age 65, according to published reports. It also would restore food stamp benefits that legal immigrants lost in the 1996 welfare overhaul. The Medicare proposal would permit people between 62 and 64 to pay up to $400 a month for health coverage, according to The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. It would mark the first time that people under age 65 could obtain coverage.

NewsPage Direct from 11/26/97

First Ever Independent Study of Herbal Dietary Supplement Proves it to be Safe and Effective; Metabolife International Sets Precedent With Proactive Testing
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has released its results on the safety and efficacy of San Diego headquartered Metabolife International's herbal dietary supplement Metabolife 356 . [Business Wire, 342 words]

Report/ Drugs May Harm Kids' Ears
The routine use of drugs to treat children's ear infections can cause more harm than good and should be limited to special problem cases, a researcher said. [Associated Press, 353 words]

Cholera epidemic kills 142 people in Mozambique
Cholera killed four people in the Mozambican capital on Monday, bringing to 142 the number who have died from the epidemic since August, a health official said on Tuesday. [Reuters [WS], 121 words]

Millions Face Barriers to Obtaining Medical Care
Nearly 13 million of the roughly 110 million families in the United States -- 11.6 percent of all families -- experienced difficulty or delays in obtaining medical care or did not get the care they needed during 1996 ... [PR Newswire, 818 words]

lung doctors call for eu tobacco ad ban
Three thousand of Europe's top lung physicians called Tuesday for a European Union ban on advertising and sponsorship by tobacco companies, and restrictions on smoking in public places. [Reuters [BR], 390 words]

USA Today from 11/22/97

Clinton pushes health care 'bill of rights'
WASHINGTON - President Clinton called on Congress on Thursday to implement a consumer "bill of rights" that promises new protections to help patients navigate a changing health-care system of tighter cost controls and less doctor choice.

Among the recommendations were the right for patients to: