Healthcare Reform

History Is Made With Healthcare Reform

The House approved legislation Sunday night that will extend insurance coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans and improve the coverage of those with insurance. And for the first time, the American Medical Association is supporting a plan for government-orchestrated healthcare reform after having denounced earlier proposals as dangerous experiments in “socialized medicine.” Republican politicians still argue against what they call a government takeover of medicine. Using phrases like “death panels” and “pulling the plug on granny,” some see the new legislation as dependency on the federal government and the death of freedom. In any case, some notable aspects of the new bill include requiring most Americans to acquire health insurance, helping cash-strapped individuals and families purchase it through government-operated insurance marketplaces called exchanges, increasing Medicaid enrollment by almost 50%, and imposing regulations on private insurers that would prevent them from denying someone coverage based on preexisting conditions. Far from perfect, the new plan is a step toward bringing coverage to those who need it most.

Click here to read the full Medscape Today article: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718911

AMA Supports New Healthcare Legislation—for the Most Part

Considering the healthcare status quo unacceptable, the American Medical Association supports the new healthcare bill, saying people live sicker and die younger if they receive all their medical care in the emergency room. The American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics also support the new healthcare legislation, which just passed the House Sunday night. However, the AMA still finds fault with the bill. Foremost among its criticisms is its lack of a permanent repeal of Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula, which will result in a pay cut for physicians this year. The group also voices its disagreement on penalties for physicians who do not participate in Medicare’s Physician Quality Reporting Initiative and regulations that would effectively ban physician-owned hospitals.

Click here to read the full Medscape Today article: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718909

Health Screening

Are We Being Overtreated?

According to an article in the Washington Post, Americans are getting too many medical tests. A New England Journal of Medicine study suggested that too many patients are getting angiograms and the American Cancer Society cast doubt on routine PSA tests for prostate cancer. This is in addition to the recent guidelines limiting mammograms and PAP smears for women under a certain age. Some doctors, however, argue that these screenings can improve survival chances and that saving even a few lives is worth the cost of routinely testing tens of thousands of people. On the other hand, some say doctors too frequently practice defensive medicine, ordering tests or procedures to protect themselves against lawsuits. Adding to the increase in screenings are patients who they themselves demand routine tests. Patients who want avoid getting tests they really don’t need are advised to thoroughly discuss testing with their doctors, including their individual disease risks, general pros and cons of testing, and possible harms a particular test may cause.

Click here to read the full Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/12/AR2010031201083.html

Obesity

Obesity Is a Problem, So Why Don’t Doctors Talk to Their Patients About It?

Doctors know how critical a problem obesity is, but they have a hard time talking to patients about it. A new report just released by the STOP Obesity Alliance suggests that both doctors and patients are frustrated with the conversations they’re having about weight. While most doctors know it’s their responsibility to help their patients lose weight, they often don’t know what to say because they have little or no training in weight management and nutrition. This often hurts patients, because just being told they’re overweight does little good if they don’t know how to lose it. Dr. William Bestermann Jr., medical director of Holston Medical Group in Kingsport, Tennessee, says the dialogue needs to be ongoing. For patients to be successful in weight loss, their doctor should monitor their progress, offer encouragement and coach them throughout the process.

Click here to read the full New York Times story: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/doctors-and-patients-not-talking-about-weight/

Diabetes

Eat More Brown Rice to Combat Diabetes

A new research study analyzing data from 39,765 men and 157,463 women has found that people who ate 2 or more servings of brown rice per week were 11% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving of brown rice per month. Researchers say that replacing 50 grams/day (about a quarter cup) intake of white rice with the same amount of brown rice was associated with a 16% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas the same replacement with whole grains as a group was associated with a 36% lower diabetes risk. Brown rice is rich in fiber and vitamins, but the process that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. So whenever possible, enjoy the benefits of whole grains by choosing brown rice over white.

Click here to read the full U.S.News & World Report article:  http://www.usnews.com/health/diet-fitness/diabetes/articles/2010/03/03/whole-grains-take-a-bite-out-of-type-2-diabetes-risk.html

Click here to read more about the benefits of brown rice: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128