* Separate treatment limitations cannot be applied to mental health coverage — for example, limiting the number of outpatient visits covered to treat a child with autism but not for one with a broken foot.
* Criteria a health plan uses to determine whether a mental health procedure is “medically necessary” has to be available to patients upon request.
* Out-of-network benefits — services provided by physicians not contracted by the health plan Read the rest of this entry »

TUESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) — Deaths from overdoses of prescription drugs, primarily pain relievers, appear to be on the rise throughout the United States, new research suggests.
West Virginia, in particular, has seen a large increase in such unintentional deaths, say government researchers, who have uncovered patterns of “doctor shopping” for drugs and overdosing on medications not used as prescribed.
“We found that two-thirds of these Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. regulators are “very far along” in their review of
Eli Lilly & Co.’s
(
LLY) application to market an experimental anti-clotting drug, prasugrel, Chief
Executive
said Thursday.
But Lechleiter, during on a conference call with analysts Thursday, didn’t
provide any more specific projection of when the Food and Drug Administration
might make a decision.
Sept. 26
, but that the review was very far
along. Analysts believe prasugrel could Read the rest of this entry »

A memorial for Stabnick is scheduled for Wednesday.
Officials at the mid-Missouri base say both soldiers contracted
a non-contagious form of meningitis. But the
sent four investigators to investigate. CDC
spokesman Dave Daigle said the group will include two epidemic
intelligence service agents, one epidemiologist and one medical
student.
A news conference was planned for Tuesday afternoon at the base.
Fort Leonard Wood authorities say that Read the rest of this entry »

“Employees love the instant feedback and increased competition of our online challenges,” comments Lisa Brown. “There are other benefits. Internet tracking eliminated the influx of reporting email and weekends of data entry that were once typical. While staff race to health, I’m free to set up health screenings, immunizations, and more exciting online challenges, like our Lighten Up Lee Schools weight loss challenge starting January.” District programming Read the rest of this entry »

Ms. Muth brings nearly 20 years of healthcare research experience to ASTRO. Prior to joining ASTRO, she worked with the American Red Cross for eight years as the research manager, where she was responsible for prioritizing their research agenda, working with volunteers to establish practice and training guidelines, and designing health and safety studies. She has also held positions with the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Read the rest of this entry »

The consensus last week was that the upcoming change at House Energy & Commerce Committee, where California Democrat Henry Waxman will replace Michigan Democrat John Dingell, is something of a wash for pharma and the FDA. That’s because both men were known to be tough on drugmakers and regulators alike, and have launched numerous investigations into pricing, marketing and safety issues.
But it may not be that simple, at least in the short Read the rest of this entry »

The health crisis in Zimbabwe should be the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court, campaign group Physicians for Human Rights says.
President Robert Mugabe’s government is responsible for the collapse of the health, water and sanitation systems – violating human rights, it says.
With no functioning public hospitals, the cholera epidemic has killed far more than 2,000 people, it added.
The US-based group called for the Read the rest of this entry »

Nov 10, 2008 (financialwire.net via COMTEX) –
— November 10, 2008 (FinancialWire) — The Food and Drug Administration said that it will not make a decision on Discovery Laboratories Inc.’s (NASDAQ:
) respiratory drug Surfaxin until next April at the earliest.
The FDA asked Discovery for more information about its drug Surfaxin in May, and the company responded in September. No new clinical trials were required.
Surfaxin is designed to treat Read the rest of this entry »

In the waning days of the Bush presidency, the Food and Drug Administration is pushing to scuttle the government’s advice about mercury-contaminated seafood, a dramatic policy change that would, in effect, encourage women and children to eat more fish despite growing concerns about the toxic metal.
The FDA’s recommendations, sent recently to the White House Office of Management and Budget for approval, prompted a sharp rebuke from scientists at Read the rest of this entry »