Hotels are starting to to hit smokers with hefty fines for violating their no smoking policies. Take Dan Cole. He didn’t light up in his non-smoking Marriott room, honest. Those butts in his garbage can? Um, he smoked them somewhere else and threw them out in the room?
health
Cancer Patient Wins $9 Million From HealthNet In Arbitration Settlement
By 2.22.08
The award issued by an arbitration judge was the first of its kind and prompted Health Net to announce it was scrapping its cancellation practices that are under fire from state regulators, patients and the Los Angeles city attorney.
Beware Dirty Lemon Wedges At Restaurants
By 2.21.08
The slightly alarmist HealthInspections.com has a story about dirty lemon wedges in restaurants—apparently they’re a “witch’s brew of bacteria,” to use the hilariously over-the-top language of the video narrator, who speaks in a parody of a newscaster voice. Our favorite trick of theirs: overlaying gigantic bacteria animations on everyday objects, as you can see in this screen capture. But anyway, the point is a microbiologist from New Jersey found various bacteria on three quarters of the lemons she tested from 21 different restaurants: “The very first sample that we took was loaded with fecal bacteria.”
By 2.18.08
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If you don’t have private insurance, you’re more likely to get a cancer diagnois after the disease is in its later stages, a new study shows. [NYT]
22,000 People Died As Bayer Reaped Profits, Withheld Key Study From FDA
By 2.17.08
The FDA yanked the heart surgery drug Trasylol off the market last November, but a medical researcher now claims that 22,000 lives could have been saved if Bayer AG hadn’t withheld the results of an earlier internal study proving the drug’s danger. An FDA committee held hearings in September 2006 to determine Trasylol’s safety, but three of the committee members had a financial interest in Bayer, and the drug maker had underwritten the committee chairman’s research.
Pokemon Valentine's Day Lollipops Should Not Contain Razor Blades
By 2.17.08
A 10-year-old elementary school student found a razor blade in the Pokemon lollipop he was about to hand to his sister. Dollar General, which sold the lollipop for $1, immediately recalled the remaining Pokemon Valentine Cards and Pops from its 8,300 stores, but they are concerned that “most of this candy has already been purchased.”
Stephen Colbert Weighs In On McDonald's Sponsored Report Cards
By 2.16.08
Stephen Colbert interviewed Susan Pagan, a mother offended by McDonalds’ sponsorship of her daughter’s elementary school report card, for his segment “People Destroying America.”
Glass Baby Bottles Hit The Market To Answer Concerned Parents' Fears Of Plastic
By 2.16.08
Earlier this month, several consumer groups announced that heated plastic baby bottles leach bisphenol A “in amounts that were within the range shown to cause harm in animal studies.” Now a reader writes in to tell us that companies are already starting to respond to the issue with announcements that they’ll be releasing glass bottles in addition to plastic versions.
This Is Your Brain On Chantix?
By 2.15.08
NY Magazine has published a interesting personal account from a patient who was taking the smoking-cessation drug Chantix. The FDA has reported 37 suicides and more than 400 reports of suicidal behavior in connection with Chantix, a pleasure blocking drug that sits in the nicotine receptors and prevents the smoker from properly experiencing their nicotine high. The FDA recently issued a patient advisory about the drug, requesting that patients carefully monitor their moods. The possible side-effects of Chantix now include “anxiety, nervousness, tension, depressed mood, unusual behaviors and thinking about or attempting suicide.”
Tell Us: How Do You Choose A Doctor?
By 2.14.08
We just saw a piece on CNN about how to choose a doctor in which they suggested that people make a bunch of appointments for “a hangnail” and shop around.
Blue Cross Wants Your Doctor To Help Them Cancel Your Health Insurance
By 2.12.08
The LA Times says that doctors are objecting to a letter sent by Blue Cross of California requesting that the docs help “indentify members who have failed to disclose medical conditions on their application that may be considered pre-existing.”
5 Most Butt-Blimping Fast Food Burgers
By 2.11.08
We took a look at the big three burger joints—McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King to locate the most butt-blimping, ass-widening, delicious-but-probably-not-worth-it fast food burgers we could find from a top national chain.
Picked A Laser Eye Doctor
By 2.11.08
Last month I asked the readers for help finding a laser eye surgeon, and to make up for the slight abuse of editorial privilege by letting you know how I picked him. I believe I have settled on one that was suggested by several of the readers, Dr. Koplin with Laserone. His name was mentioned by several of the readers. I wanted someone close by because of the followup visits. I felt comfortable with the staff when I went in for an evaluation. He’s with the esteemed New York Eye and Ear hospital. The job will only cost around $3,000. Sweet. I just gotta schedule the surgery and then I’m going under the laser. Pew pew!
Humana Delays 93 Year Old's Medicine For 3 Weeks
By 2.11.08
John writes:
Had a problem with my Mom’s Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan with Humana. Their mail order pharmacy (RightSource) advertises a two-week turnaround from date of sending-in an order to receipt of medications. However after three weeks, RightSource had not acknowledged receipt of the order. A RightSource phone rep said the logging-in of orders was being delayed by two to three weeks due to heavy volume. This delay — in the case of meds for a 93 year-old lady — was unacceptable.
Tainted Puerto Rico Pills Hit U.S. Mainland
By 2.6.08
A review of FDA reports shows that Puerto Rico’s pharma industry has exported pills with metal in them, pills with incorrect dosages, and pills with paint from the factory doors embedded in the finishing, among other defects. One company, responding to the findings, said “some metallic material was to be expected because the manufacturing equipment is made of metal.” The FDA says the problems in Puerto Rico, which makes 13 of the top 20 best-selling drugs, are proportional to those found on the mainland. Consumer advocates contend that that just shows how ineffective the FDA is, both on the island, and on the mainland. If those are the defects inspectors found, imagine which ones they didn’t, and are inside our bodies right now.
Obese And Smokers Cheaper For Society To Treat
By 2.6.08
A new study shows that overweight people and smokers aren’t actually the big drain on the health care system we’ve thought them to be. Actually, it’s the skinny healthy people! Reports the AP:
The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them in the long run.
Emphasis added. Should society being try to help out those addicted to food and cigarettes? Yes, but we shouldn’t do it because we think we’re saving money.
Aetna Doesn't Want To Cover Colonoscopy Anaesthesia
By 2.5.08
Aetna Insurance doesn’t want to cover propofol anesthesia during colonoscopies. They say general sedation works just as well and is cheaper. Doctors says that propofol lets them tell their patients that they won’t experience any pain, which is important to calm their fears and get them into the needed surgery. Coolorectal cancer is the number two cancer killer in the US. Wonder if health insurance executives ever have to pay for their medical costs using their own insurance system.
Chemicals In Baby Products May Be Dangerous
By 2.5.08
A recent study shows that phthalates found in some baby products such as shampoos and lotions may be, well, seeping into your baby. Phthalates are thought to cause reproductive problems in children, especially males. They’re not listed on the labels, so its hard for concerned consumers to avoid them.
