LAS VEGAS—University Medical Center officials are expected to present new contracts with medical groups and health care providers that would save Clark County about $1.3 million per year.
The hospital has been renegotiating the contracts to help ease its $39 million in debt.
Hospital officials say the new contracts would save the hospital $9.5 million over the lives of the contracts, between 4 percent and 20 percent on each arrangement.
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Wednesday, February 25th 2009, 2:05 PM
His day job is running into burning buildings, putting out blazes and saving lives. He saves lives on the side, too, but in a much more subtle way: firefighter Rip Esselstyn has written a bestselling new diet book that shows readers how to lower their cholesterol – and thus their risk of heart attack and stroke.
The 46-year-old former professional triathlete and University of Texas swim team member was Read the rest of this entry »

: …The role of consumers has had considerable attention … because the economy desperately needs additional spending… But it is not … the responsibility of middle-income families to provide that spending. If … families want to … pay down their bills or save a little more, concerns about the economy shouldn’t stop them.
Government is in a far better position to provide immediate economic stimulus. … [E]ven by mortgaging itself Read the rest of this entry »

Generic prescription drugs continue to be filled at pharmacies throughout the state, leaving more brand name drugs on the shelves, saving consumers millions of dollars each year.
For the north country, those savings reached $14.55 million for 2008, according to a report released late last month by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
The estimated savings for Lewis County in 2007-08 are $2.04 million, while the estimated generic savings for St. Lawrence Read the rest of this entry »

A PSYCHOTHERAPIST friend says that several of her patients are fretting about whether they have an obligation to help the nation spend its way out of the current downturn. Some of them are having a hard time making ends meet, she said, yet are reluctant to cut back for fear they would cause the economy to slide further.
The role of consumers has had considerable attention in the press because the economy desperately needs additional spending right Read the rest of this entry »

White House officials and Senate Democrats today were fighting to keep alive former Senator Tom Daschle’s cabinet nomination, the morning after
’s nominee for health and human services secretary faced a tough grilling from his former Senate colleagues over revelations he had initially failed to pay more than $140,000 (£97,700) in taxes and interest.
President Barack Obama yesterday said that he was “absolutely” behind Daschle, former Senate Democratic Read the rest of this entry »

   It will also make up to $3 million available to help retrain, counsel and find jobs for employees being displaced.
   The announcement dashed the hopes of some workers, who have been hitting the pavement and going to civic meetings this past week in an attempt to convince anyone they can that the hospitals are worth saving.
   St. John’s nurse Kim Zambrotta has been a leading figure in the effort to save the hospitals. Now, she Read the rest of this entry »

Generic drugs are just as effective and safe as their brand-name counterparts because they’re virtually the same – except for the price of course. Here’s what you should know.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), generic drugs contain the same active ingredients, dosage and quality as their brand-name counterparts. The only differences between them are the name (generic drugs are usually called by their chemical Read the rest of this entry »

“The coverage becomes a lot more expensive just as your income drops,” said Karyn Schwartz, a senior policy analyst for Kaiser.
And the cost is easy to overlook in your emergency planning.
For one, because employers pay a portion of the annual premium, you may not know the total bill. Also, any contribution you make to the premium is deducted automatically from your paycheck, pretax. With some planning, though, you can make sure you don’t become Read the rest of this entry »

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
There are many good reasons to give up smoking and with the proper help and advice, this time it could work, writes
.
Q I have smoked at least 20 cigarettes per day for the past 15 years and my wife wants me to give them up. I am aware that cigarettes may cause some fatal lung or heart diseases and may eventually kill me. I have tried several times to quit but have failed abysmally and would value some advice on what Read the rest of this entry »