The Way We Die In The US

Today's Philadelphia Inquirer had a very well written and reasoned article on how tortuous the process of dying can be in this country. The article can be found here, though you may need to register to be able to read it.

Medicare Cuts Will Hurt Access To Care For All Patients

As reiterated here by the ACP, should the Medicare rate cuts go into effect on January 1, the decline of physicians entering primary care will accelerate. This is going to affect access to care for all of us, not just seniors, as many of the health insurance plans tie their rates to Medicare. Please call your Congressman and Senators to bring sanity back to reimbusements.

Medical Declaration of Independence

The Politically Active Physicians Association of New Jersey has a Medical Declaration of Independence on their website (link). If you agree with it's principles, and are from New Jersey, please sign on at admin@papanj.com.

FDA calls for stronger warnings on asthma drugs

These warnings apply to Advair, Serevent and Foradil (link). Anecdotally, I've used these drugs extensively and haven't seen the problems noted by the FDA. At this point, I'm not convinced that I should be changing my treatment patterns.

About Pat Robertson: I Couldn't Have Said It Any Better

One of my partners published a letter in the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday, commenting on the latest idiotic comments from Pat Robertson. Here's the letter, in full.

When I read Pat Robertson's latest raving, against the citizens of Dover, Pa. - who had the wisdom and courage to vote out a school board seemingly intent on taking the teaching of biological science back to the prehistoric era - I had two thoughts. First was that there could be no doubt to anyone that intelligent design is in fact nothing but a euphemism for creationism, something that intelligent design supporters have long denied. Why else would Robertson, a voice of the evangelical Christian movement and a longtime George Bush ally, be portending fire and brimstone for the taxpayers of this Pennsylvania hamlet?
Second was that, as a man who believes in not just the U.S. Constitution but also in God, I wondered what vengeful, vindictive God Robertson was referring to. The God I worship would not punish people who showed enough courage and conviction in their beliefs to act upon them, especially by performing that most secular action, voting. Robertson's ravings sound like the threats made by other religious fanatics around the world, who ironically are also determined to disrupt and destroy our American way of life - in the name of God.

I really couldn't have said it any better. Thanks, Scott!

Medical Malpractice Discussion at PointOfLaw.com

One of my favorite legal blog sites is PointOfLaw.com. Today's postings (here) include a featured discussion of medical malpractice. One of the participants is Bill Sage, who's a physician turned lawyer, and who makes some interesting points about how the debate over caps has overshadowed discussions on health care policy in general.