Washington State Could Let Terminally Ill Patients Take Lethal Drug Doses

Voters in Washington State will decide on Tuesday whether to allow dying patients to get a prescription from their doctors for a lethal dose of medication.

Michigan May Legalize Medical Marijuana, Expand Stem Cell Research

Michiganders will vote next week on two of the most controversial subjects in health care.

Obit: Fred Baron, Democratic Donor Whose Tysabri Plea Made Waves

Baron, the prominent plaintiffs lawyer whose family was assisted by Bill Clinton and Lance Armstrong in an effort to get access to the drug Tysabri, died Thursday.

Diabetes Rate Nearly Doubles; More Scrutiny of Avandia

The CDC came out with state-by-state estimates of diabetes rates yesterday, a watchdog group called for a ban on GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia, and the American Diabetes Association recommended against use of the drug.

Drug, Therapy Combination Best for Kids’ Anxiety Disorders

The finding, from a study of children and teens age 7 to 17, is the latest piece of evidence in the long-running debate over antidepressants and kids.

Aetna Pushes Do-Overs for Breast Cancer Test

The test determines whether patients may be candidates for Genentech's Herceptin.

How Long Will Patients Spend In the ER Before They Get Mad?

Three and a half hours is the magic number, after which patient satisfaction plunges.

Doctors’ Offices Work to Keep Patients During Economic Downturn

A recent survey says revenues at doctors' offices are down 3.5% this year, compared with a rise of 6% last year. Some doctors are responding with more services to woo patients.

Pinched By Paperwork, Doctors Can’t Find Time to Heal

A family doctor struggles to to keep paperwork and financial concerns from overwhelming the art of medicine.

Women Pay More Than Men for Health Insurance

During the child-bearing years, women tend to use more health care services than men -- and on the individual market, women often pay far higher premiums for health insurance.

Biogen, Elan Plummet On Report of Tysabri Brain Infection

It was the third report this year of PML, the infection that caused Tysabri to be pulled from the market a few years back.

FDA Official: Preemption Argument ‘Based On a False Assumption’

Some senior FDA officials opposed an agency shift that could make it more difficult for injured patients to sue drugmakers.

Medtronic Exec: Medical Devices ‘Finished’

The company's senior VP for medicine and technology said biotechnology will ultimately displace medical devices.

Arizona’s Proposition 101 Would Block Universal Health Coverage

Opponents say the measure could have unintended consequences, including driving up Medicaid costs. Supporters say it will keep the state from encroaching on the private sector.

Grim Outlook for Big Pharma on Capitol Hill

Big Pharma's support of Democrats may serve to speed up the arrival of federal price controls, an industry "death sentence," says an editorial in the Journal.

A Bad Year for U.S. Drug Sales Gets Worse

The number crunchers at IMS Health just cut their growth estimate for U.S. drug sales to 1% to 2% for this year, way down from the 4% to 5% they'd previously estimated.

Cigna Rolls Out Posh Health Plans for Individuals and Small Businesses

The bells and whistles include discounts for fitness club memberships, coverage of acupuncture and 24-hour health information lines.

Wyeth Joins R&D Restructuring Parade

Wyeth's research move is part of a larger plan, dubbed Project Impact, to boost efficiency at the company. It's also a response to regulators tougher stance on the applications for new medicines.

FDA Warns On Bayer Aspirin Combined With Calcium, Phytosterols

The company got into trouble by failing to get approval for pills that combine dietary supplements with aspirin.

Celebrity Ad Presses McCain and Obama on Chronic Disease

A consortium of patient advocacy groups, backed in part by Big Pharma, has enlisted celebrity women in a TV ad urging viewers to press the presidential candidates about funding of care for chronic disease.

Celebrities Press McCain and Obama on Chronic Disease

A consortium of patient advocacy groups, backed in part by Big Pharma, has enlisted celebrity women in a TV ad urging viewers to press the presidential candidates about funding of care for chronic disease.

Should Doctors Talk Politics With Their Patients?

Suppose should a doctor answer when a patient asks, "Who are you going to vote for, and what do you think of Obama and McCain's health plans?"

A Shrinking Program to Insure the Uninsurable in California

Working people who have health problems and don't get insurance from their employer fall into a gaping hole in our system: They don't qualify for government-backed insurance for the poor, but their health problems make them uninsurable on the open market.

Is ImClone Really Worth More than $70 a Share?

A pension fund is suing ImClone and Lilly over a deal that it says isn't in the interest of ImClone's shareholders.

Financial Turmoil Takes Toll at Teva, Humana

Teva has taken charges related to auction-rate securities, but got a $100 million settlement from the broker for the purchases. Humana was hurt by losing investments in a slew of financial services companies.

Wyeth Builds Case for Enhanced Version of Prevnar Vaccine

The drugmaker reported this morning that data suggest Prevnar 13 offers better protection against pneumococcal disease in young children compared with the current Prevnar.

Patients Who Don’t Fit in ER Hang Out in the Hallway

Some hospitals are holding patients in the hallway as a way to compensate for overcrowding in the emergency room.

Boston Hospital’s Honesty Means Bad News About Botches

Beth Israel's push for transparency has brought some bad publicity over errors and problems that might have gone unnoticed at other hospitals.

Mundane Work & Inflexible Hours Make It Tough to Retain Nurses

Nurses' morale suffers when they're assigned tasks that aren't core to their jobs, like changing bedding and answering phones. And inflexible schedules make it tough to balance work and family responsibilities.

State Medical Society Policy Bans All Gifts From Drug Companies

The Wisconsin Medical Society has adopted a stringent policy that says doctors shouldn't accept even the smallest gifts.

Obama Has Spent $113 Million on Health-Themed Ads

Obama has spent 68% of his ad budget on commercials that include a health-care theme, compared to 13% for McCain.

Half of U.S. Doctors Prescribe Placebos

The finding raises some important questions about doctors' responsibilities to their patients.

Hate Paying Taxes? Maybe You Have ‘Late-Filing Syndrome’

A New York state official who owed about $300,000 in back taxes had "late-filing syndrome," a condition that made it hard for him to for him to fill out his tax returns, his lawyer says.

Big Pharma Could Be Big Loser Under Obama Health Plan

A consulting shop parses the candidates' plans to see how they'd affect the bottom line for big players in the health care sector.

Sales of Obesity Drug Acomplia Suspended in Europe

European regulators said the drug appears less effective and more likely to cause side effects than initial studies suggested. The suspension is a reminder of the limits of clinical trials -- and a vindication for the FDA, which never approved the drug.

Credit Crunch Hits Bristol-Myers Squibb — Again

The company took a third-quarter impairment charge of $224 million on securities tied to subprime mortgages and other forms of debt.

What the McCain and Obama Health Plans Mean for Your Wallet

Here are a few estimates of what the candidates' health plans would mean for individuals and families in the short term.

Pharma Buys TV Ads Praising Favored Lawmakers

The drug industry is running ads supporting congressmen and senators who voted in favor of expanding government-backed insurance for children.

Wyeth: Alzheimer’s Delay, Consumer Products Dip, Lehman Charge

In its earnings call today, Wyeth discussed a delay into Alzheimer's research, a decline in consumer products sales and a charge related to Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual corporate debt.

In Two Days, Four New Drugs Stall at FDA

Delays hit drugs from Pfizer, Schering-Plough, Abbott and Forest Labs.

A Blizzard Of Numbers Obscures Candidates’ Health Plans

Nobody knows exactly the changes proposed by John McCain and Barack Obama would play out in the real world. That hasn't kept the candidates from throwing around lots of numbers.

Merck Cuts Another 7,200 Jobs

The company plans to cut the number of senior and mid-level executives by 25%, outsource manufacturing and close four basic-research facilities.

Aetna Links Up With Microsoft’s HealthVault

Aetna may also work with Google Health.

Universal Coverage Too High at Any Price for Some Employers

Kellen Winslow is only the latest high-profile football player to get a staph infection. A few factors make players particularly vulnerable to the bug.

Kellen Winslow, and Why Football Players Keep Getting Staph Infections

Kellen Winslow is only the latest high-profile football player to get a staph infection. A few factors make players particularly vulnerable to the bug.

JAMA Opposes Drug Industry in Wyeth v. Levine

With an important case set to come before the Supreme Court next month, an influential medical journal argues in favor of preserving patients' right to sue drug makers in state court.

Good News for Premeds: More Medical School Slots Open Up

This year's first year medical student class topped 18,000 nationwide, as the number of applicants fell slightly.

How to Get Help Paying for Prescription Drugs

Many programs help patients deal with the cost of prescription drugs. Here's how to find them.

How Doctors Can Avoid Perilous Patient ‘Hand Offs’

Physicians at Johns Hopkins Hospital have developed tips for surgical residents to avoid mistakes as patients are handed from one doctor who's leaving a shift to another who's starting.

Novartis Shows Generics Can Be Tricky Business for Big Pharma

After double-digit growth in 2007 and the first half of 2008, Novartis's generics business showed signs of a slowdown.

U.S. Predicts Rapid Rise of Medicaid Spending

The federal government released a report that predicts Medicaid benefits spending will grow quickly and will total $4.9 trillion over the next 10 years.

China Aims for Universal Health Care

China is working on a plan for universal health care that would broadly nationalize the country's system.

Gaps Remain In Public’s Knowledge of Candidates’ Health

The health histories of McCain, Obama, Palin and Biden aren't entirely clear.

Breast Cancer Patients Try Vaccine Treatment

Terminal breast cancer patients take part in an early test of a vaccine to train their immune systems to attack cancerous cells.

McCain and Obama Agree: Medicare Needs New System for Doctor Pay

Both candidates think Medicare should move toward paying doctors based on patient outcomes.

Rite Aid Faces Delisting

The average closing price of Rite Aid's common stock has fallen below $1 a share over 30 consecutive trading days, putting it in danger of getting the boot from the NYSE.

Former Pfizer Exec Sentenced in Child Pornography Case

Alan Hesketh was sentenced today to six years in prison for possessing child pornography, the Associated Press reports.

Axe Falls On Program to Insure All Children in Hawaii

Hawaii is eliminating its program because of budget shortfalls, and because families were dropping private coverage to get state-subsidized insurance.

Sanofi Zooms on Reported Delay for Lilly Blood Thinner

The FDA may not decide on Lilly's prasugrel until next year, a trade publication reported.

Lance Armstrong and Bill Clinton Help Fred Baron Get Tysabri

Fred Baron has late-stage multiple myeloma. Tysabri hasn't been approved for cancer, but his doctors think it might help.

Senators Probe Cardiologists’ Ties to Stent Makers

Sens. Chuck Grassley and Herb Kohl wrote to Columbia University and a high-profile medical foundation asking about payments from stent makers to the institutions and certain affiliated doctors.

Pfizer Goes Generic

The drugmaker wants to be a bigger player in the rough-and-tumble, low-margins generics business -- and plans to start selling generic versions of competitors' off-patent drugs.

Public Health Officials to U.S. Teens: Enough With the Car Surfing

More than 50 people -- mostly teenage boys -- have been killed or injured riding on the outside of vehicles, according to a tally by public health officials.

Disco Saves Lives!

The Bee Gees' classic Stayin' Alive provides an ideal rhythm to teach people how to do CPR.

A Chicago Hospital Closes, Starved for Capital and Buyerless

The credit crunch may have been the last straw for a failing Chicago hospital that said yesterday it was closing its doors.

The Stent-Industrial Complex Comes Together For Safety Study

The big stent makers and companies that sell blood-thinning drugs are teaming up to figure out the best way to reduce the risk of blood clots for patients who get drug-coated stents.

Build a Better Health Care System, Win $10 Million

A foundation known for offering bounties for things like sending a robot to the moon is taking on a tougher challenge: Lowering costs and improving quality in American health care.

Atrial Fibrillation, the Cause of Dick Cheney’s Heart Trouble

Patients with atrial fibrillation may feel palpitations or shortness of breath, but often it causes no symptoms at all. It increases the risk of stroke, and can be treated in several ways.

Hospitals, Doctors Challenge Crackdown on ‘Balance Billing’

California's been making it tougher for hospitals and doctors to bill patients for charges their insurers refuse to pay. But the doctors and hospitals are fighting back over out-of-network ER bills.

Genentech’s Earnings Show Why Companies Want Cancer Drugs

Sales of Genentech's marquee cancer drugs grew by more than 15% last quarter.

MRSA Infections Come to the Doctor’s Office

MRSA infections have migrated out of the hospital and into the community. A doctor gives a report from the ground.

Despite Crisis, U.S. Drug Companies’ Cash Is Safe*

Drug makers are building up big piles of cash, and keeping it safe. But most of the money is overseas, which is prompting companies to borrow more money at home.

NIH Suspends Emory Grant Amid Questions Over Pharma Payments

The NIH is putting a hold on a five-year, $9.3 million grant to Emory, after a senator raised questions about drug industry payments to the chair of the med school's psychiatry department.

States Ask Companies to Stop Putting BPA in Baby Bottles

Attorneys general from three states wrote to manufacturers, asking them to stop using bisphenol A in bottles and formula. It's the latest public pressure to reduce use of the chemical, which may be linked to health risks.

NIH Suspends Emory Grant Amid Questions Over Pharma Payments

The NIH is putting a hold on a five-year, $9.3 million grant to Emory, after a senator raised questions about drug industry payments to the chair of the med school's psychiatry department.

States Ask Companies to Stop Putting BPA in Baby Bottles

Attorneys general from three states wrote to manufacturers, asking them to stop using bisphenol A in bottles and formula. It's the latest public pressure to reduce use of the chemical, which may be linked to health risks.

What Recession? J&J Posts Higher Sales, Earnings

J&J's results show why it's good to be in steady, boring businesses during tough economic times.

Baldness Blame Spreads to Dad

New research suggests your father's mother isn't the only one whose genes can lead to baldness.

Nonprofit Hospitals Flee Cities for Suburbs, Leaving Poor Behind

Nonprofit hospital systems are closing money-losing facilities in inner cities while expanding in affluent suburbs. The shift is leaving the poor without adequate care and calls into question the tax breaks the nonprofits receive in return for providing charity care, critics charge.

Pay-for-Performance Gets Doctors to Push Smoking Cessation

Clinics that were in a program that paid bonuses for making smoking-cessation referrals ended up making many more of them.

Four Tips for Saving Money on Health Care Next Year

As open enrollment season kicks off for employer-sponsored health insurance, it pays to spend a little time checking out your options for next year.

Pediatricians Recommend Doubling Vitamin D for Kids

Based on research of vitamin D's benefits, the academy now recommends kids get 400 units of the vitamin per day, twice the previous recommendation.

Weak Economy Could Mean Medicaid Pay Cuts for Doctors

Falling tax revenues and higher enrollment in Medicaid programs are putting pressure on state budgets that could hit doctors' pocketbooks.

Pennsylvania Bill Bans Compulsory Double Shifts for Nurses

The bill aims to reduce errors by curbing mandatory overtime work by nurses.

Why the Sick Economy Makes Health Reform More Plausible

Bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel argues that the economic downturn makes health reform more feasible not less so, contrary to conventional wisdom that says budget pressure will doom substantial change.

Doctors May Miss Heart Disease Diagnoses in Women

When patients are female, doctors are more likely to focus on stress, rather than heart disease, as the cause of chest pain or shortness of breath, a study shows.

ImClone vs. GM — No Contest on Market Capitalization

The biotech company founded in the '80s is worth more than the leading U.S. automaker, as measured by total stock value.

Checking the Facts on Insurance Coverage of Hair Transplants

Are hair transplants really covered by health insurance, as Sen. McCain said? Not usually. The exceptions occur when hair is restored as part of reconstructive surgery after an accident, injury or burn.

Financial Crisis Forces Boston Scientific Founders to Dump Stock

The founders said the sales were automatic trades triggered by the need to cover collateralized loans, and don't reflect on the company.

Nexium, Actos, Ambien Sites Tops for Web Traffic

Big changes in traffic to the most popular prescription-drug sites reflect the quickly shifting sands of the pharmaceutical industry these days.

Hong Kong Launches Emotional Support Hotline for Financial Crisis

Social workers will try to help those facing personal problems because of the crisis. No word on whether they'll take calls from Manhattan.

Merck’s Gardasil Given to 1 in 4 Teenage Girls

The rate is lower than the rate for other vaccines, but it's based on a survey conducted only a few months after a national panel recommended Gardasil.

Nearly 1 in 6 Online Health Insurance Shoppers Are ‘Uninsurable’

Competition and freedom of choice are supposed to be tonics for the health system. But a survey of individual insurance shoppers found that one in six weren't insurable by customary standards.

The Art of Persuasion Comes to Medicine

Diplomas on the wall, "liking" the patient and spilling the secret on personal goals can help improve patient help, a leading psychologist says.

J&J Taps Insider Sheri McCoy to Run Pharmaceutical Business

McCoy, 49, will have a big job of her hands. J&J's pharma unit is the company's largest in sales, and it's also the one struggling hardest to achieve growth.

Wall Street Woes Send Moneyed Class to Therapy

The rich are different, until a harsh market eats away at their assets and identities.

Walgreen Ends Battle with CVS for Longs

Walgreen ended its pursuit of Longs Drug Stores, citing the economic downturn and the refusal of its quarry to negotiate an alternative to a deal from CVS.

Testicles May Provide Alternative Source for Stem Cells

A new source of stem cells may help quell the debate over ethical use of the powerful cells in medical research.

Chicago Hospital Hangs For Sale Sign, Citing Credit Crunch

Lincoln Park Hospital may be in one Chicago's fanciest neighborhoods. But the tony location hasn't spared the facility from the vicissitudes of the financial markets.

Top Sick Day Illnesses Might Surprise You

The illness that led the most folks to miss 10 or more days of work in the last year was heart disease, followed by diabetes and depression, a survey says.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Beauty of Fluorescent Protein

An FDA warning on marketing of an ovarian cancer test without approval vindicates skeptics of the assay who worried it wasn't ready for prime time.

FDA Slams LabCorp for Selling Unapproved Ovarian Cancer Test

An FDA warning on marketing of an ovarian cancer test without approval vindicates skeptics of the assay who worried it wasn't ready for prime time.

Older Workers Pessimistic on Outlook for Medicare, Social Security

Sixty-one percent of older workers say they aren't confident in the government's ability to provide health coverage even a few years down the road, according to a recent analysis. Fifty-percent say the same about Social Security payments.

Many Docs Aren’t Ready to Talk With Patients About Health Spending

Lots of employees are getting pushed into high-deductible health plans that leave them on the hook for more of their health-care spending. But many doctors aren't ready to help patients hash out the costs of their health care.

WellCare Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraud; Shares Rise

The guilty plea suggests the scope of the investigation of the company may be limited.

Obama, McCain Debate Whether Health Care Is a Right or Responsibility

Obama says it's a right; McCain says it's a responsibility. What do you think?

Pfizer Employees Sought to Suppress Negative Neurontin Study

"We are not interested at all in having this paper published because it is negative!!," a Pfizer marketing manager wrote in 2002, two years after the company bought Warner-Lambert and its drug Neurontin.

Drug Coverage Options for Poor Medicare Recipients Dwindle

Only 308 Medicare drug plans have qualified to serve low-income beneficiaries in 2009, almost 200 fewer than this year. In six states, poor seniors will have five or fewer drug plans to choose from.

Doctors Can Talk Frankly to Terminally Ill Without Distressing Them

Researchers find that terminally ill patients who had end-of-life discussions with their doctors didn't experience more emotional distress than patients who didn't have such talks.

How to Keep Cough and Cold Medicines Out of Young Children’s Hands

The biggest risk with children's cough and cold medicines is that kids will get their hands on the medicine when their parents' backs are turned.

On Its Way Out Of Ann Arbor, Pfizer Fights the Tax Man

The drugmaker claims the assessed value of its property in the Michigan town was too high by $119 million, resulting in a tax bill that's $6.3 million too high.

Pfizer Reorganizes but Doesn’t Cut More Jobs

The company's creating new business units for primary care and specialty drugs that will have input into drug development and profit and loss responsibilities.

Lilly Paying $62 Million to Settle State Zyprexa Investigations

The company settled with 32 states, but a federal investigation over the company's flaghship antipsychotic medicine continues.

Genentech Study Failure Highlights Pitfalls of Cancer Drug Combos

Traditional chemotherapy relies on multi-drug combinations, but combining Avastin and Tarceva to treat lung cancer was no better than using Tarceva alone, a Genentech study found.

Colonoscopies Not Recommended After Age 75

For people who have had normal colonoscopies since age 50, a federal task force recommends ending colon cancer screening at age 75.

Insurance Ping Pong Can Aggravate TMJ Pain

About 10% of the population suffers from disorders of the joint that connect the jaw to the skull, but treatments generally fall between the cracks of insurance coverage.

Doctors More Likely to Tell Patients About Obvious Errors

A new survey suggests that many doctors are still reluctant to tell patients about serious medical errors.

Dendreon Shares Climb on Promising Prostate Cancer Data

Early results from a study of a vaccine to treat advance prostate cancer show a 20% lower risk of death among patients on the experimental option than those given a placebo.

Bristol-Myers Loses ImClone but Gains $1 Billion

Bristol-Myers lost ImClone to a higher bidder. But the deal allows Bristol to cash out of its 17% stake in ImClone for $1 billion, while continuing to receive a large slice of the revenues from ImClone's drug Erbitux.

Study Questions the Value of Free Drug Samples for Kids

Poor children aren't more likely than well-off kids to receive free drug samples. And many drugs often given as free samples may later run into safety concerns, a new study suggests.

Health Care Heats Up in Presidential Campaign

Barack Obama attacked John McCain's plan for health reform. A McCain adviser said the Republican would cut spending on Medicare and Medicaid.

What Financial Crisis? Eli Lilly Buying ImClone for $6.5 Billion

Carl Icahn wasn't bluffing, and dealmaking isn't dead on Wall Street.

More Questions About Study of CT Screening for Lung Cancer

A letter to a cancer journal raises new questions about a study that suggested smokers could benefit from CT screening for lung cancer.

Roche Cuts Price on Tarceva in the U.K.

Roche agreed to lower the price of the lung cancer drug Tarceva to make it available in the U.K. It's the latest example of regulators there taking a skeptical view of expensive new cancer drugs.

Grassley Says Emory Psychiatrist Didn’t Report $500,000 in Payments

The allegation from Sen. Chuck Grassley is the latest in his string of investigations into ties between industry and academic physicians. Grassley backs a bill that would require drug makers to report payments to doctors.

In U.S., Amgen Won’t Face Competition from Roche for Anemia Drugs

A federal court finally prohibited Roche from sell its drug Mircera in the U.S. The drug would have competed with Amgen's Epogen and Aranesp.

FDA Rejects Ban On Cough & Cold Medicines for Kids

A panel of FDA advisers suggested banning cough and cold medicines for kids under 6. But an agency official suggested yesterday that no such move is imminent.

Schering-Plough’s Hassan On Growth and Hard Times in Global Markets

Economic troubles could pinch Schering-Plough's sales in developed markets such as Europe. But that may be partly offset by growth in other markets around the world, the company's CEO said.

Glaxo Pays $40 Million in (Another) Paxil Settlement

The settlement is the latest in a string of problems for Glaxo. At issue is whether the drugmaker promoted the antidepressant for unapproved use in children and adolescents, and whether it promptly shared information about possible risks.

Senate Folds Mental Health Parity Into Wall Street Bailout Bill

A mental health parity bill years in the making passed both houses of Congress last week. In a bit of Congressional housekeeping, it wound up tacked onto the big bailout bill the Senate passed last night.

Merck Scratches Controversial Obesity Drug

The drug, taranabant, is in the same class as the Sanofi-Aventis drug sold in Europe under the brand name Acomplia. Both medicines are associated with psychiatric side effects.

Merck Scratches Controverisal Obesity Drug

The drug, taranabant, is in the same class as the Sanofi-Aventis drug sold in Europe under the brand name Acomplia. Both medicines are associated with psychiatric side effects.

Roche Says Credit Crunch Won’t Derail Genentech Bid

Roche says it can still raise the money to buy the rest of Genentech. The market isn't so sure.

Doctor Says Executive Physicals Are Bad Medicine

Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, a doc argues that fancy physicals expose patients to excessive testing that may do more harm than good.

Lilly Emerges as ImClone’s Secret Admirer

Carl Icahn has said that a mystery bidder has made a tentative offer of $70 per share for ImClone. Bristol-Myers Squibb has offered $62.

Note to Hospitals: Don’t Snoop on The Governor’s Wife

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into state law greater protection for patient privacy--not surprising, given that the medical file of his wife, Maria Shriver, was viewed by unauthorized people.

Universal Health Coverage Gets a Boost in San Francisco, Massachusetts

An experiment in mandatory health coverage in San Francisco is upheld by a federal court while a federal waiver on Medicaid income limits for Massachusetts would help fund universal coverage in the state.

Medtronic, Boston Scientific Ordered to Pay J&J $1.2 Billion

A judge ordered the payment in an 11-year-old patent infringement case involving bare-metal stents.

A Family Doctor Rails Against Insurance Pre-Authorization

Insurers sometimes require doctors to get approval before prescribing a drug or performing a procedure. This drives doctors up the wall.