Despite protests about a new law designed to crack down on gifts to doctors, several Massachusetts life sciences companies say they remain hopeful the regulations can be implemented in a way that doesn't hurt their ability to work with physicians. The law requires pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers to publicly disclose gifts and payments of more than $50 to healthcare professionals and places a ban on certain gifts. It also directs the Department of Public Health to draft extensive regulations restricting companies' marketing practices, using the national pharmaceutical industry's own voluntary "code of conduct" as a starting point. But in a letter addressed to lawmakers, Gov. Deval Patrick said the new rules are not intended to force companies to disclose confidential information, impede medical research, or block the training of healthcare providers.
The Cleveland Clinic is putting drug-coated stents from multiple suppliers in its cardiologists' hands for the next year, but it appears industry heavyweight Boston Scientific Corp. isn't in the mix. As a renowned heart hospital, the Cleveland Clinic lends much gravitas to suppliers who win contracts there. In late 2006, Cleveland Clinic signed an 18-month deal that made Boston Scientific a "preferred vendor" at a time when Johnson & Johnson had the only other coated stent available in the U.S. market. After a nearly four-year drought, more devices are now competing for doctors' attention, and multiple companies will be supplying the Cleveland Clinic for the next year now that the Boston Scientific contract has expired, said Clinic representatives.
General Motors Corp. is cracking down on workers who are collecting medical benefits for which they aren't eligible as it tries to trim its nearly $5 billion-a-year healthcare tab. The auto maker is giving its 67,000 hourly workers until Aug. 20 to voluntarily remove dependents who shouldn't be covered from their health policies, and after that employees must prove that covered family members are eligible. If GM paid for health expenses it shouldn't have, workers may be forced to reimburse the company, said GM representatives.
In a country where insurance is out of reach for many, some couples are marrying, or even to divorcing, at least partly so one spouse can obtain or maintain health coverage. There is no way to know exactly how often it happens, but lawyers and patient advocacy groups say they see cases regularly. In a poll conducted this year by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 7% of adults said someone in their household had married in the past year to gain access to insurance. The foundation says the number can be seen as an intriguing indicator that some Americans "are making major life decisions on the basis of healthcare concerns."
Two expos-Your Medical Travel and Health-are set for late October and early November in Dallas and Austin. Put on by Transmarx LLC of Richmond, VA, the events will allow attendees to talk with medical travel facilitators and providers, and will services such as offer free health screenings.
A Canadian human rights lawyer is calling for the International Congress of the Transplantation Society in Sydney, Australia to ban transplant tourism, saying that new evidence shows forced organ removal from Chinese practitioners and prisoners.
A survey by McKinsey Global that looks at business use of Web 2.0 technologies, has found that companies have adopted more Web 2.0 tools this year than in 2007. While some reported satisfaction with how their companies utilize these tools, others are hitting barriers in adopting them.
Medical vacations, which allow a corporation's health insurance plan members to seek surgeries such as knee replacements and hip replacements in foreign countries, are fast becoming a popular option for patients worldwide. And U.S. companies are starting to take note.
Many new and expanding professions are becoming more popular throughout India, creating new opportunities for younger generations. Young women in particular are making a name for themselves in the country's workforce, filling such jobs as gas station attendants and bartenders.
Kaveh Safavi, MD, JD, chief medical officer at Thomson Reuters' Center for Healthcare Improvement, discusses how technology might impact global healthcare and the looming physician shortage. +
With the 2008 Presidential campaign upon us, HealthLeaders Media will post the latest healthcare news surrounding each candidate, as well as breaking healthcare-related news stories from major news outlets across the country. +
