At Last the SGR is Dead, Well Maybe.
After years of pleading by physicians and organized medicine organizations, Congress has at last hit upon a plan for eliminating the SGR (sustainable growth rate) formula for Medicare reimbursement. Speaker John Boehner and Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi, together with representatives from both sides of the aisle, have agreed to sponsor the House bill. The change would allow the following: (1) completely eliminate the SGR as of March 31, (2) Increase Medicare physician reimbursement 0.05% per year for four years. The law is expected to be up for discussion and vote before the end of the month when the current SGR patch expires. It is way past time! Senate minority leader Harry Reid is set to obstruct passage if he doesn't get quid pro quo re abortion issues. He has announced that he will not run for reelection, so he has nothing to lose. Thanks for nothing, Harry. I hope he can find a family doctor in Nevada.
He Still has His Wits About Him.
Staying sexually active, and considering sexuality an important part of life, may be tied to higher cognitive abilities as people age. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, reported a study in the Netherlands, involving 1,747 men and women from a larger study of aging, Subjects averaged 71 years old. About three quarters had partners. Researchers assessed cognitive function with tests of memory, mental processing speed, and general fluid intelligence (the ability to reason and think abstractly). Subjects were given four questions about the importance of personal sexuality, the need for intimacy and touching with aging. A quarter of the subjects rated their current or personal sexuality as important or very important. Forty-one percent rated it as unimportant. Sixty-seven percent believed intimacy and touching are still needed in older people while 12% did not. Subjects who didn't see a need for sexual activity and considered their current sex life as unimportant or unpleasant had lower average cognitive scores compared with those who felt sexuality was important and needed their current sexual activity. A belief that sexuality was unimportant was significant in both sexes, but seemed stronger in women.
Coumadin Can Move to the Sidelines?
Boston Scientific Corp. won approval for their stroke device designed to protect the heart in cases of atrial fibrillation. The device, called Watchman, works as a plug sealing off the left atrial appendage so blood can't coagulate and escape into arteries. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had twice declined to approve the device because of fears about its safety and effectiveness. On three occasions, the FDA convened advisory committee meetings of outside experts to evaluate Watchman. The device will serve as an alternative to a commonly used blood thinner (frequently Coumadin) to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Boston Scientific estimates the global market for Watchman is $500 million annually. They need the revenue to offset sluggish growth in its core markets of pacemakers and defibrillators.
Come on, Doc, Talk to Your Patient.
Alzheimer's Disease affects 5.3 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the nation. There is no cure. Among other factors about the disease, doctors sometimes withhold the news, due to uncertainty about the diagnosis, lack of time to fully discuss it, or fear of causing emotional distress. Of the patients whose doctors listed Alzheimer's in their Medicare claims, 45% said they'd been told they had the disease. By contrast, 90% of patients with cardiovascular disease or breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer were told of their conditions. Seventy-two percent of Parkinson's disease patients said they were informed. The same survey revealed that 53% of Alzheimer's caregivers knew the diagnosis. When patients answered, only 33% said they had been told of the diagnosis. Beth Kallmyer, Alzheimer's Association vice-president said, “We are alarmed. This means that people are being robbed of the opportunity to make important decisions about their lives.” The course of the disease is highly variable, and there are medications that can slow its progress. Some patients live 10 years or more after diagnosis and can participate in decisions about their care.
I've Made Up my Mind. Don't Confuse Me with Facts.
Bisphenol-A or BPA is used in the lining of metal cans and plastics to ensure structural integrity and keep bacteria like E.coli off the dinner table. It has been widely used for more than 50 years as a covering for everything from tomato soup cans to bicycle helmets. The chemical has been tested and retested in more than 4500 studies over the last 30 years. The FDA has affirmed once again in November 2014 that human exposure to low levels of BPA is not dangerous. All that is not sufficient for anti-chemical activists who have maligned BPA as a toxic substance. The claim is it might act as an “endocrine disrupter” by mimicking hormones in the body. BPA has been allegedly linked to cancer, obesity, impotence, and you name it. Nalgene, a water bottle maker, has stopped using it and label their products “BPA-free.”
Mary and Jesus World Tour
Jesus on a serving of chicken breast in Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania;
Jesus in the fur of a Yorkshire terrier's ear, Swansea, Wales;
Mary on a tree trunk in Polk City, Iowa;
Jesus in the smoke of a house fire in Fresno, California;
Jesus in the bird poop on a car in Crowthorne, England.
Addenda
Gadsby, a novel by English author Ernest Wright, has no word with the letter “e.”
Until Eve arrived this was a man's world.
Do not use a cell phone in your car. Keep hands free for making gestures.
O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet.
ALOHA AND KEEP THE FAITH rts
(Editorial comment is strictly that of the writer.)