Princess Health and Pfizer Dissident Unplugged. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Pfizer Dissident Unplugged. Princessiccia

Pfizer whistle-blowers

Gusty 12:23 Add Comment

The New York Times reported that Dr. Peter Rost, a Pfizer executive who publicly spoke out in favor of importation of low cost drugs, lost his company email and cell-phone service after he appeared on "60 Minutes," again speaking in favor of drug importation.
A Pfizer spokesman, Paul Fitzhenry, implied that Dr. Rost's communication problems were technical, "there have been cases, through a change of vendor, where some employees have lost service for a period of time." However, Rost also claimed that he no longer has employees who report to him, a secretary, or an identified supervisor, and he now works out an isolated office next to the company security department.
After Rost first publicly came out in favor of drug importation, a Pfizer spokesperson had said, "Dr. Rost has no qualifications to speak on importation."
Rost formerly worked for Pharmacia until it was acquired by Pfizer. He was in charge of the marketing of genotropin.
Rost must have thought he was on the faculty of a university, and thus had free speech and academic freedom (but then again, a look at the FIRE web-site might suggest that university faculty may not always be so privileged either.)

Princess Health and Pfizer Dissident Unplugged.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Pfizer Dissident Unplugged.Princessiccia

Pfizer whistle-blowers

Gusty 12:23 Add Comment

The New York Times reported that Dr. Peter Rost, a Pfizer executive who publicly spoke out in favor of importation of low cost drugs, lost his company email and cell-phone service after he appeared on "60 Minutes," again speaking in favor of drug importation.
A Pfizer spokesman, Paul Fitzhenry, implied that Dr. Rost's communication problems were technical, "there have been cases, through a change of vendor, where some employees have lost service for a period of time." However, Rost also claimed that he no longer has employees who report to him, a secretary, or an identified supervisor, and he now works out an isolated office next to the company security department.
After Rost first publicly came out in favor of drug importation, a Pfizer spokesperson had said, "Dr. Rost has no qualifications to speak on importation."
Rost formerly worked for Pharmacia until it was acquired by Pfizer. He was in charge of the marketing of genotropin.
Rost must have thought he was on the faculty of a university, and thus had free speech and academic freedom (but then again, a look at the FIRE web-site might suggest that university faculty may not always be so privileged either.)

Princess Health and Canadian Ban on Private Health Insurance Struck Down. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Canadian Ban on Private Health Insurance Struck Down. Princessiccia

Canada health insurance

Gusty 12:09 Add Comment

The Globe and Mail reported that the Canadian Supreme Court has just struck down as unconstitutional a law in Quebec that makes private health care insurance illegal. Dr. Albert Schumacher, the President of the Canadian Medical Association, said, "this is indeed a historic ruling that could substantially change the very foundation of medicare as we know it."
The court found "in sum, the prohibition on obtaining private health insurance is not constitutional where the public system fails to deliver reasonable services."
Health Care Renewal has frequently discussed the excesses of the for-profit and private not-for-profit organizations that comprise a major chunk of the US health care system, so Canada's impending leap into a multi-centric health care system may not be an unalloyed success. However, throwing caution about commenting about another nation's politics aside, I can't help but think that putting a little more control of health care into the hands of individual Canadians may not be entirely a bad thing. Maybe some of our friends north of here will comment more knowledgeably.

Princess Health and Canadian Ban on Private Health Insurance Struck Down.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Canadian Ban on Private Health Insurance Struck Down.Princessiccia

Canada health insurance

Gusty 12:09 Add Comment

The Globe and Mail reported that the Canadian Supreme Court has just struck down as unconstitutional a law in Quebec that makes private health care insurance illegal. Dr. Albert Schumacher, the President of the Canadian Medical Association, said, "this is indeed a historic ruling that could substantially change the very foundation of medicare as we know it."
The court found "in sum, the prohibition on obtaining private health insurance is not constitutional where the public system fails to deliver reasonable services."
Health Care Renewal has frequently discussed the excesses of the for-profit and private not-for-profit organizations that comprise a major chunk of the US health care system, so Canada's impending leap into a multi-centric health care system may not be an unalloyed success. However, throwing caution about commenting about another nation's politics aside, I can't help but think that putting a little more control of health care into the hands of individual Canadians may not be entirely a bad thing. Maybe some of our friends north of here will comment more knowledgeably.

Princess Health and More Exaggerated Hospital List Prices. Princessiccia

Princess Health and More Exaggerated Hospital List Prices. Princessiccia

health care prices Weill Cornell Medical College

Gusty 11:46 Add Comment

The Opinion Journal (the on-line opinion site of the Wall Street Journal) has a long article about one family's experience in the UK and US health care systems. Of note, the author noted that the charges for 10 physical therapy sessions at Cornell University Hospital in New York City were $27,000. As the author said, "there is something seriously out of whack about 10 therapy sessions that cost more than month's worth of hospital bills in England."
These prices are comparable to the list prices that a Tenet hospital was charging for physical therapy in Florida, but are more than an order of magnitude (i.e., ten times) higher than prices quoted as reasonable by a leader of the American Physical Therapy Association (see previous post here).
So everybody still thinks the reason for rising US health care costs is a mystery?

Princess Health and More Exaggerated Hospital List Prices.Princessiccia

Princess Health and More Exaggerated Hospital List Prices.Princessiccia

health care prices Weill Cornell Medical College

Gusty 11:46 Add Comment

The Opinion Journal (the on-line opinion site of the Wall Street Journal) has a long article about one family's experience in the UK and US health care systems. Of note, the author noted that the charges for 10 physical therapy sessions at Cornell University Hospital in New York City were $27,000. As the author said, "there is something seriously out of whack about 10 therapy sessions that cost more than month's worth of hospital bills in England."
These prices are comparable to the list prices that a Tenet hospital was charging for physical therapy in Florida, but are more than an order of magnitude (i.e., ten times) higher than prices quoted as reasonable by a leader of the American Physical Therapy Association (see previous post here).
So everybody still thinks the reason for rising US health care costs is a mystery?

Princess Health and Local "Naturopathic Doctor" Shut Down. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Local "Naturopathic Doctor" Shut Down. Princessiccia

complementary/ alternative medicine

Gusty 13:17 Add Comment

Our own Providence Journal reported that the RI Health Department shut down the office of a "naturopathic doctor," John E. Curran, after federal agents raided two of his offices. Before reading the news article, it's instructive to look at Curran's web-site, which was still up, at least through today.
On it he:

• claims he can treat "catastrophic" or "unusual or rare" diseases;
• implies that his treatments are harmless, and, in comparison to standard medicine, "Treatments are more natural, gentler, and more easily accepted by our bodies;"
• implies he is a licensed ND, naturopathic doctor;
• claims that his version of naturopathy is "evidence-based;" and
• provides a testimonial of a patient who seems to say that Curran put his Stage 4 head and neck cancer into remission.

The Providence Journal reported that Curran is under federal investigation for wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. The order to shut down his office came after a patient with liver disease was "sickened" by an alcohol based medicine that Curran prescribed. Undercover agents who visited Curran were subjected to a "live blood analysis," which Curran said revealed "parasites" in their blood, or malformed blood cells; and a "biomeridian stress assessment." The treatments Curran proposed for these problems would cost about $10,000.
Curran's practice is listed on a this web-site which has links to a variety of New England based "holistic" practitioners. Some make claims to treat real diseases that seem far from evidence based, for example:

• "The Way to Balance," whose practitioners claim they can treat arthritis, seizures, and asthma
• "The Circle of the Light Studio, " whose practitioners claim that therapeutic touch can treat asthma and cardiac problems, and relieve AIDS symptoms

And the claims found on the web-site for the Tai Sophia Institute, the organization that recently announced a formal collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, are only somewhat less sweeping (see our previous posts here and here.)
At a time when health care is derided for its rising costs, declining accessibility to patients, and stagnant quality, I wonder why do there is so little concern about the costs incurred by these so-called complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, and so little skepticism about the expansive claims they make about the tests and treatments they provide?