When retail clinics promised to be the next big thing in medical care, everyone from start-ups to national retailers opened their own versions of the clinics. Now the building boom is leveling off, with several high-profile players closing outlets around the country. Those in the industry say it was simply supply outstripping demand, with too many clinics opening too quickly.
In the last six years, 114 prostate-cancer patients at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center might have received radiation doses below what was prescribed, say hospital officials. The men underwent brachytherapy, in which radioactive rods or seeds were implanted in and around the prostate to destroy cancer cells. "The program was suspended as soon as the problem was discovered," hospital spokeswoman Fern S. Billet told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We are in the midst of an investigation to find out what happened."
Despite a $25 million state effort approved by lawmakers, it could take up to four years to extend healthcare coverage to all of Iowa's children. Although it will take some time to cover all of the state's children, a special commission has already turned its attention toward covering more adults. The commission is now likely to spend months planning how to expand coverage. The commission includes former governors, and representatives from business, labor, healthcare, insurance and consumer advocacy groups.
Fewer than half of eligible U.S. patients received medical devices to shock their faulty hearts back into rhythm, though the products can cut death rates by more than one-third, according to a study.
Hospitals implanted the $33,000 cardiac resynchronization therapy devices in 12.4% of heart failure patients, according to a survey of 34,000 cases. Cost is a factor at some hospitals, as is the lack of trained specialists to implant the devices and physicians' reluctance to embrace the relatively new technology, say the study's authors.
Massachusetts businesses are balking at a proposed state regulation that they say will force small companies to spend thousand of dollars more in health insurance for their workers, and could lead many employers to drop coverage altogether. The proposed rules are intended to help close a gap in funding the state's universal healthcare law. The regulations, if adopted, would take effect Oct. 1, and raise about $45 million this fiscal year.
Facing rising health-insurance premiums a struggling economy, an increasing number of small-business owners and individuals without job-based insurance are turning to professional associations and trade and affinity groups that offer grouplike health coverage to their members. State medical associations, bar associations, local chambers of commerce, and associations for people with similar interests or hobbies often offer insurance to their members. Before enrolling in a plan, individuals must first join the association, which typically involves paying a membership fee and proving they meet its entry requirements.