Saturday, January 21, 2023
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Is the affordable care act working?
Is the Affordable Care Act Working?
After a year fully in place, the Affordable Care Act has largely succeeded in delivering on President Obama’s main promises, an analysis by a team of reporters and data researchers shows. But it has also fallen short in some ways and given rise to a powerful conservative backlash.
1.Has the percentage of uninsured people been reduced? Yes, the number of uninsured has fallen significantly.
2.Has insurance under the law been affordable? For many, yes, but not for all.
3.Did the Affordable Care Act improve health outcomes? Data remains sparse except for one group, the young.
4.Will the online exchanges work better this year than last? Most experts expect they will, but they will be tested by new challenges.
5.Has the health care industry been helped or hurt by the law? The law mostly helped, by providing new paying patients and insurance customers.
6.How has the expansion of Medicaid fared? Twenty-three states have opposed expansion, though several of them are reconsidering.
7.Has the law contributed to a slowdown in health care spending? Perhaps, but mainly around the edges.
What You Need to Know
1
Friday, January 27, 2012
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
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Sunday, September 5, 2010
Former egg farm workers say USDA ignored complaints | Nation | News from Fort Worth, Dal...
Former egg farm workers say USDA ignored complaints | Nation | News from Fort Worth, Dal...
By Michael J. Crumb
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa -- U.S. Agriculture Department employees worked full-time at two Iowa egg farms at the center of a salmonella outbreak, but two former workers said they ignored complaints about conditions at one site.
The USDA employees worked next to areas where roughly 7.7 million caged hens laid eggs at the two operations, but agency spokesman Caleb Weaver said that their main duties are "grading" the eggs and that they aren't primarily responsible for looking for health problems.
In response to the outbreak that has led to a recall of about 550 million eggs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration examined the Wright County Egg and Hillandale farms and noted in a report this week that inspectors found rodents, wild birds, seeping manure and maggots in the operations there.
Weaver said the USDA employee who oversaw grading at the facility did not recall anyone raising issues.
Two former workers at Wright County Egg facilities, Robert and Deanna Arnold, said they reported problems such as leaking manure and dead chickens to USDA employees, but nothing was done.
The USDA "graders" worked in buildings next to where hens laid eggs, focusing on weighing, measuring and inspecting eggs before they were packaged. They are the people who determine whether an egg is A or AA, for instance.
"It didn't matter which USDA officer was working -- if we reported something they would just turn their heads," Deanna Arnold said. "They didn't care."
She recalled that when she advised one USDA employee of a problem, she was told to ignore it.
"She just said 'Go back to doing your job,' and that there was nothing they
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/09/03/2444556/former-egg-farm-workers-say-usda.html#ixzz0ygIE3veb
By Michael J. Crumb
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa -- U.S. Agriculture Department employees worked full-time at two Iowa egg farms at the center of a salmonella outbreak, but two former workers said they ignored complaints about conditions at one site.
The USDA employees worked next to areas where roughly 7.7 million caged hens laid eggs at the two operations, but agency spokesman Caleb Weaver said that their main duties are "grading" the eggs and that they aren't primarily responsible for looking for health problems.
In response to the outbreak that has led to a recall of about 550 million eggs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration examined the Wright County Egg and Hillandale farms and noted in a report this week that inspectors found rodents, wild birds, seeping manure and maggots in the operations there.
Weaver said the USDA employee who oversaw grading at the facility did not recall anyone raising issues.
Two former workers at Wright County Egg facilities, Robert and Deanna Arnold, said they reported problems such as leaking manure and dead chickens to USDA employees, but nothing was done.
The USDA "graders" worked in buildings next to where hens laid eggs, focusing on weighing, measuring and inspecting eggs before they were packaged. They are the people who determine whether an egg is A or AA, for instance.
"It didn't matter which USDA officer was working -- if we reported something they would just turn their heads," Deanna Arnold said. "They didn't care."
She recalled that when she advised one USDA employee of a problem, she was told to ignore it.
"She just said 'Go back to doing your job,' and that there was nothing they
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/09/03/2444556/former-egg-farm-workers-say-usda.html#ixzz0ygIE3veb
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Dangerous Supplements
Dangerous Supplements
We Americans do love our dietary supplements. More than half of the adult population have taken them to stay healthy, lose weight, gain an edge in sports or in the bedroom, and avoid using prescription drugs. In 2009, we spent $26.7 billion on them, according to the Nutrition Business Journal, a trade publication.
What consumers might not realize, though, is that supplement manufacturers routinely, and legally, sell their products without first having to demonstrate that they are safe and effective. The Food and Drug Administration has not made full use of even the meager authority granted it by the industry--friendly 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
MORE FROM CONSUMER REPORTS
11 supplements to consider
How to choose the right multivitamin
As a result, the supplement marketplace is not as safe as it should be.
• We have identified a dozen supplement ingredients that we think consumers should avoid because of health risks, including cardiovascular, liver, and kidney problems. We found products with those ingredients readily available in stores and online.
• Because of inadequate quality control and inspection, supplements contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, or prescription drugs have been sold to unsuspecting consumers. And FDA rules covering manufacturing quality don’t apply to the companies that supply herbs, vitamins, and other raw ingredients.
• China, which has repeatedly been caught exporting contaminated products, is a major supplier of raw supplement ingredients. The FDA has yet to inspect a single factory there.
The lack of oversight leaves consumers like John Coolidge, 55, of Signal Mountain, Tenn., vulnerable. He started taking a supplement called Total Body Formula to improve his general health. But instead, he says, beginning in February 2008, he experienced one symptom after another: diarrhea, joint pain, hair loss, lung problems, and fingernails and toenails that fell off. “It just tore me up,” he said.
Eventually, hundreds of other reports of adverse reactions to the product came to the attention of the FDA, which inspected the manufacturer’s facilities and tested the contents of the products. Most of the samples contained more than 200 times the labeled amount of selenium and up to 17 times the recommended intake of chromium, according to the FDA.
In March 2008 the distributor voluntarily recalled the products involved. Coolidge is suing multiple companies for compensatory damages; they have denied the claims in court papers. His nails and hair have grown back, but he said he still suffers from serious breathing problems.
The Dirty Dozen
Working with experts from the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, an independent research group, we identified a group of ingredients (out of nearly 1,100 in the database) linked to serious adverse events by clinical research or case reports. To come up with our dozen finalists, we also considered factors such as whether the ingredients were effective for their purported uses and how readily available they were to consumers. We then shopped for them online and in stores near our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters and easily found all of them for sale in June 2010.
The dozen are aconite, bitter orange, chaparral, colloidal silver, coltsfoot, comfrey, country mallow, germanium, greater celandine, kava, lobelia, and yohimbe. The FDA has warned about at least eight of them, some as long ago as 1993.
Why are they still for sale? Two national retailers we contacted about specific supplements said they carried them because the FDA has not banned them. The agency has “the authority to immediately remove them from the market, and we would follow the FDA recommendation,” said a spokeswoman for the Vitamin Shoppe chain.
Most of the products we bought had warning labels, but not all did. A bottle of silver we purchased was labeled “perfectly safe,” with an asterisked note that said the FDA had not evaluated the claim. In fact, the FDA issued a consumer advisory about silver (including colloidal silver) in 2009, with good reason: Sold for its supposed immune system “support,” it can permanently turn skin bluish-gray.
Janis Dowd, 56, of Bartlesville, Okla., says she started taking colloidal silver in 2000 after reading online that it would keep her Lyme disease from returning. She says her skin changed color so gradually that she didn’t notice, but others did. “They kept saying, ‘You look a little blue.’”
Laser treatments have erased almost all the discoloration from Dowd’s face and neck, but she said it’s not feasible to treat the rest of her body.
Under the DSHEA, it is difficult for the FDA to put together strong enough evidence to order products off the market. To date, it has banned only one ingredient, ephedrine alkaloids. That effort dragged on for a decade, during which ephedra weight-loss products were implicated in thousands of adverse events, including deaths. Instead of attempting any more outright bans, the agency issued warnings, detained imported products, and asked companies to recall products it considered unsafe.
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on Yahoo!
Copyright © 2006-2010 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission.
We Americans do love our dietary supplements. More than half of the adult population have taken them to stay healthy, lose weight, gain an edge in sports or in the bedroom, and avoid using prescription drugs. In 2009, we spent $26.7 billion on them, according to the Nutrition Business Journal, a trade publication.
What consumers might not realize, though, is that supplement manufacturers routinely, and legally, sell their products without first having to demonstrate that they are safe and effective. The Food and Drug Administration has not made full use of even the meager authority granted it by the industry--friendly 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
MORE FROM CONSUMER REPORTS
11 supplements to consider
How to choose the right multivitamin
As a result, the supplement marketplace is not as safe as it should be.
• We have identified a dozen supplement ingredients that we think consumers should avoid because of health risks, including cardiovascular, liver, and kidney problems. We found products with those ingredients readily available in stores and online.
• Because of inadequate quality control and inspection, supplements contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, or prescription drugs have been sold to unsuspecting consumers. And FDA rules covering manufacturing quality don’t apply to the companies that supply herbs, vitamins, and other raw ingredients.
• China, which has repeatedly been caught exporting contaminated products, is a major supplier of raw supplement ingredients. The FDA has yet to inspect a single factory there.
The lack of oversight leaves consumers like John Coolidge, 55, of Signal Mountain, Tenn., vulnerable. He started taking a supplement called Total Body Formula to improve his general health. But instead, he says, beginning in February 2008, he experienced one symptom after another: diarrhea, joint pain, hair loss, lung problems, and fingernails and toenails that fell off. “It just tore me up,” he said.
Eventually, hundreds of other reports of adverse reactions to the product came to the attention of the FDA, which inspected the manufacturer’s facilities and tested the contents of the products. Most of the samples contained more than 200 times the labeled amount of selenium and up to 17 times the recommended intake of chromium, according to the FDA.
In March 2008 the distributor voluntarily recalled the products involved. Coolidge is suing multiple companies for compensatory damages; they have denied the claims in court papers. His nails and hair have grown back, but he said he still suffers from serious breathing problems.
The Dirty Dozen
Working with experts from the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, an independent research group, we identified a group of ingredients (out of nearly 1,100 in the database) linked to serious adverse events by clinical research or case reports. To come up with our dozen finalists, we also considered factors such as whether the ingredients were effective for their purported uses and how readily available they were to consumers. We then shopped for them online and in stores near our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters and easily found all of them for sale in June 2010.
The dozen are aconite, bitter orange, chaparral, colloidal silver, coltsfoot, comfrey, country mallow, germanium, greater celandine, kava, lobelia, and yohimbe. The FDA has warned about at least eight of them, some as long ago as 1993.
Why are they still for sale? Two national retailers we contacted about specific supplements said they carried them because the FDA has not banned them. The agency has “the authority to immediately remove them from the market, and we would follow the FDA recommendation,” said a spokeswoman for the Vitamin Shoppe chain.
Most of the products we bought had warning labels, but not all did. A bottle of silver we purchased was labeled “perfectly safe,” with an asterisked note that said the FDA had not evaluated the claim. In fact, the FDA issued a consumer advisory about silver (including colloidal silver) in 2009, with good reason: Sold for its supposed immune system “support,” it can permanently turn skin bluish-gray.
Janis Dowd, 56, of Bartlesville, Okla., says she started taking colloidal silver in 2000 after reading online that it would keep her Lyme disease from returning. She says her skin changed color so gradually that she didn’t notice, but others did. “They kept saying, ‘You look a little blue.’”
Laser treatments have erased almost all the discoloration from Dowd’s face and neck, but she said it’s not feasible to treat the rest of her body.
Under the DSHEA, it is difficult for the FDA to put together strong enough evidence to order products off the market. To date, it has banned only one ingredient, ephedrine alkaloids. That effort dragged on for a decade, during which ephedra weight-loss products were implicated in thousands of adverse events, including deaths. Instead of attempting any more outright bans, the agency issued warnings, detained imported products, and asked companies to recall products it considered unsafe.
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on Yahoo!
Copyright © 2006-2010 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Xenadrine increases weight loss, may have side effects - News
Xenadrine increases weight loss, may have side effects - News
It has been three weeks and two days since the majority of Americans vowed to follow through with their New Year's resolution and lose weight. Because over half of the American population is over-weight, this is a valid goal.
When exercise and diet do not produce results, many people turn to diet supplements. Before anyone commits to a particular supplement it is best to educate yourself about the possible outcomes.
The General Nutrition Center's best-selling diet supplement is Xenadrine RFA-1. Elizabeth Refner, general manager of a GNC in North Houston, said Xenadrine aids dieters by suppressing appetite.
"Xenadrine contains caffeine and Excedrin, which decreases appetite," Refner said.
According to an advertisement in "Max Sports and Fitness" magazine, Xenadrine increases weight loss 38.6 times more than diet and exercise alone.
Although Xenadrine has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, clinical studies conducted at Eastern Michigan University states that compared to the placebo group, the Xenadrine group experienced 759 percent more weight loss without reducing their food intake.
As convincing as ads can be, one question remains—do diet supplements really work?
Former Personal Trainer, Neil Maddox said he lost 30 pounds in two months on Xenadrine.
"Through my training I saw results in just a month with and without working out," he said.
Although several products claim to be clinically tested, you have to find the product that works best for you, said Maddox.
"If a person is going to exercise, the results obviously come faster. I would recommend running or some kind of cardio-exercise," he said.
As is the case with any drug, diet supplements can cause side effects. Because some supplements contain caffeine, Maddox suggest avoiding soft drinks and drinking a lot of water.
Nervousness, increased heart rate, and mood swings are a few of the possible side effects, said Refner.
It is best to take diet supplements before 3 p.m. to avoid sleeplessness. To prevent bad reactions to diet supplements, Refner tells her clients to take a multi-vitamin to fall back on.
"Taking more protein depletes the caffeine," said Refner.
If side effects do occur, Refner said you should stop taking them and switch to a natural energizer. Diet supplements are not for everyone.
"People with high blood pressure should not take Xenadrine," said Refner.
To learn more about Xenadrine visit their Web site at www.Xenadrine.com.
http://media.www.houstonianonline.com/media/storage/paper229/news/2002/01/31/News/Xenadrine.Increases.Weight.Loss.May.Have.Side.Effects-173610.shtml
It has been three weeks and two days since the majority of Americans vowed to follow through with their New Year's resolution and lose weight. Because over half of the American population is over-weight, this is a valid goal.
When exercise and diet do not produce results, many people turn to diet supplements. Before anyone commits to a particular supplement it is best to educate yourself about the possible outcomes.
The General Nutrition Center's best-selling diet supplement is Xenadrine RFA-1. Elizabeth Refner, general manager of a GNC in North Houston, said Xenadrine aids dieters by suppressing appetite.
"Xenadrine contains caffeine and Excedrin, which decreases appetite," Refner said.
According to an advertisement in "Max Sports and Fitness" magazine, Xenadrine increases weight loss 38.6 times more than diet and exercise alone.
Although Xenadrine has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, clinical studies conducted at Eastern Michigan University states that compared to the placebo group, the Xenadrine group experienced 759 percent more weight loss without reducing their food intake.
As convincing as ads can be, one question remains—do diet supplements really work?
Former Personal Trainer, Neil Maddox said he lost 30 pounds in two months on Xenadrine.
"Through my training I saw results in just a month with and without working out," he said.
Although several products claim to be clinically tested, you have to find the product that works best for you, said Maddox.
"If a person is going to exercise, the results obviously come faster. I would recommend running or some kind of cardio-exercise," he said.
As is the case with any drug, diet supplements can cause side effects. Because some supplements contain caffeine, Maddox suggest avoiding soft drinks and drinking a lot of water.
Nervousness, increased heart rate, and mood swings are a few of the possible side effects, said Refner.
It is best to take diet supplements before 3 p.m. to avoid sleeplessness. To prevent bad reactions to diet supplements, Refner tells her clients to take a multi-vitamin to fall back on.
"Taking more protein depletes the caffeine," said Refner.
If side effects do occur, Refner said you should stop taking them and switch to a natural energizer. Diet supplements are not for everyone.
"People with high blood pressure should not take Xenadrine," said Refner.
To learn more about Xenadrine visit their Web site at www.Xenadrine.com.
http://media.www.houstonianonline.com/media/storage/paper229/news/2002/01/31/News/Xenadrine.Increases.Weight.Loss.May.Have.Side.Effects-173610.shtml
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Defective Drugs
Defective Drugs
Parker Waichman Alonso LLP is a leader in defective drug litigation. He and his law group are currently evaluating cases involving defective drugs throughout the United States. To view more information involving a specific defective drug.
Defective Drugs
Accutane
ACE Inhibitors
Actonel
Actos
Adderall
Advair
Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Complete MoisturePlus
Advil
Aldara
Ambien
Amiodarone
Aptivus
Aranesp
Arava
Aredia
Aricept
Avandia
Avelox
Avonex
Baycol
Bayer Aspirin Supplement Products
Betaseron
Bextra Lawsuit
Bismacine
Bitter Orange
Botox
Byetta
Cardizem
Celebrex Lawsuit
Celexa
CellCept
Chantix
Childrens Tylenol
Cipro
Cleocin
Clozaril
Complete MoisturePlus
Concerta
Cordarone
Coreg
Crestor
Cylert
Cymbalta
Cytotec
Darvocet
Darvon
Daypro
Definity and Optison
Depakote
DES
DES - Third Generation
Desmopressin
Dexedrine
Digitek
Dilantin
Diltiazem
Ditropan
Dostinex
Duragesic Patch
Effexor
Elidel
Enbrel
Ephedra Epilepsy Drugs
Epogen
Estratest
Ethex
Ethex Morphine
Evista
Fen Phen
Fentora
Fleet Enema
Fleet Phospho-soda Recall
Foradil
Fosamax
Gadolinium
Gardasil
Geodon
Ginko Biloba False Claims
Gleevec
Heparin
Herceptin
Humira
Hydrocodone
Hydroxycut Liver Damage
Interceed
Intergel
Ketek
Lamictal
Lariam
Levaquin
Levitra
Levodopa
Lexapro
Luvox
Lymerix
Lyrica
Macugen
Maxipime
Mellaril
Menactra
Meningitis Vaccine
Meridia
Metabolife
Metadate
Methazolamide
Methylin
Minocin Blindness
Mirapex
Mobic
Motrin
Natrecor
Neurontin
NeutroSpec
Nexium
Novantrone
NovoSeven
Omniscan Gadolinium
One A Day Multivitamins
Ortho Evra Patch
Ortho Prefest
Pacerone
Palladone
Paxil
Paxil Birth Defects
Permax Plavix
PPA
Premarin
Premphase
Prempro
Prevacid
Prilosec
Procrit
Propylthiouracil
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Protonix
Protopic
Provigil
Prozac
Qualaquin
Raptiva
Reglan
Regranex
Relafen
Remeron
Remicade
Reminyl
ReNu MoistureLoc
Renu MultiPlus
Requip
Risperdal
Ritalin
Rituxan
RotaTeq
Serevent
Seroquel And Cardiac Death
Simvastatin and Amiodarone
Sinemet
Soriatane
Strattera
Symbyax
Tamiflu
Tamoxifen
Tequin
Terbutaline
Thimerosal
Tiazac
TNF blocker
Topamax
Trasylol
Trileptal
Tysabri
Vincristine
Vioxx
Vytorin
Wellbutrin
Xenadrine
Xenical
Xigris
Xolair
YAZ
Zelnorm
Zevalin
Zicam
Zithromax
Zoloft
Zometa
Defective Drugs NewsRSS Feed:
http://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/defective_drugs
Parker Waichman Alonso LLP is a leader in defective drug litigation. He and his law group are currently evaluating cases involving defective drugs throughout the United States. To view more information involving a specific defective drug.
Defective Drugs
Accutane
ACE Inhibitors
Actonel
Actos
Adderall
Advair
Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Complete MoisturePlus
Advil
Aldara
Ambien
Amiodarone
Aptivus
Aranesp
Arava
Aredia
Aricept
Avandia
Avelox
Avonex
Baycol
Bayer Aspirin Supplement Products
Betaseron
Bextra Lawsuit
Bismacine
Bitter Orange
Botox
Byetta
Cardizem
Celebrex Lawsuit
Celexa
CellCept
Chantix
Childrens Tylenol
Cipro
Cleocin
Clozaril
Complete MoisturePlus
Concerta
Cordarone
Coreg
Crestor
Cylert
Cymbalta
Cytotec
Darvocet
Darvon
Daypro
Definity and Optison
Depakote
DES
DES - Third Generation
Desmopressin
Dexedrine
Digitek
Dilantin
Diltiazem
Ditropan
Dostinex
Duragesic Patch
Effexor
Elidel
Enbrel
Ephedra Epilepsy Drugs
Epogen
Estratest
Ethex
Ethex Morphine
Evista
Fen Phen
Fentora
Fleet Enema
Fleet Phospho-soda Recall
Foradil
Fosamax
Gadolinium
Gardasil
Geodon
Ginko Biloba False Claims
Gleevec
Heparin
Herceptin
Humira
Hydrocodone
Hydroxycut Liver Damage
Interceed
Intergel
Ketek
Lamictal
Lariam
Levaquin
Levitra
Levodopa
Lexapro
Luvox
Lymerix
Lyrica
Macugen
Maxipime
Mellaril
Menactra
Meningitis Vaccine
Meridia
Metabolife
Metadate
Methazolamide
Methylin
Minocin Blindness
Mirapex
Mobic
Motrin
Natrecor
Neurontin
NeutroSpec
Nexium
Novantrone
NovoSeven
Omniscan Gadolinium
One A Day Multivitamins
Ortho Evra Patch
Ortho Prefest
Pacerone
Palladone
Paxil
Paxil Birth Defects
Permax Plavix
PPA
Premarin
Premphase
Prempro
Prevacid
Prilosec
Procrit
Propylthiouracil
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Protonix
Protopic
Provigil
Prozac
Qualaquin
Raptiva
Reglan
Regranex
Relafen
Remeron
Remicade
Reminyl
ReNu MoistureLoc
Renu MultiPlus
Requip
Risperdal
Ritalin
Rituxan
RotaTeq
Serevent
Seroquel And Cardiac Death
Simvastatin and Amiodarone
Sinemet
Soriatane
Strattera
Symbyax
Tamiflu
Tamoxifen
Tequin
Terbutaline
Thimerosal
Tiazac
TNF blocker
Topamax
Trasylol
Trileptal
Tysabri
Vincristine
Vioxx
Vytorin
Wellbutrin
Xenadrine
Xenical
Xigris
Xolair
YAZ
Zelnorm
Zevalin
Zicam
Zithromax
Zoloft
Zometa
Defective Drugs NewsRSS Feed:
http://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/defective_drugs
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
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