Obama Health Plan begins to unfold

Posted on: April 28, 2009  |   Author: Jessica
Filed Under: Access to Care, HMOs & Health Plans, Health Information, Public Health Policy   |   1 Comment

Take any course related to the delivery of healthcare (whether it is a health law class or a health care organizations course) and you will learn about the triangle of cost, access, and quality.  Any attempt to address one of these issues is going to impact the other two.

The Obama administration has made it a goal to reduce the number of uninsured Americans.  This will increase access to primary and preventive care for the previously uninsured- sounds great.  Except there are not enough primary care providers to go around.  There is a shortage of doctors and it is going to cost some money to increase the supply.

Here are some of the current proposals to alleviate the shortage:

  1. Increase Medicare payments to general practitioners.
  2. Increase enrollment in medical schools and residency training programs.
  3. Encourage greater use of nurse practioners and physician Assistants.
  4. Expand the National Health Services Corps.

All of these options will impact the access, cost, and quality to healthcare.  There are powerful stakeholders lobbying for and against all of these proposals.  Something needs to be done.  Even if Obama, like Clinton before him, fails to transform the healthcare delivery system in this country, there will still be a shortage of doctors.  The demand for general practioners is going to continue to increase as the baby-boomers age.

To read more see:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/health/policy/27care.html?_r=1&hp

Zzzzzzzzzz

Posted on: April 28, 2009  |   Author: Holli
Filed Under: Drug & Device, Health Information, Other   |   4 Comments

Economic crisis or journal keeping you up at night?  You’re not alone.  The New York Times reported sales of Advil PM and other similar products are on the rise compared to last year.  While it’s estimated that 30% of Americans have trouble sleeping and 10% have insomnia, the likelihood increases for families in less ideal financial situations: “those with household incomes under $25,000 were 48 percent more likely than the general population to have sleep disorders, and those with no employed adults in the household were 45 percent more prone.”

Read the full article here.

Potential Swine Flu Vaccine and Drugs

Posted on: April 27, 2009  |   Author: Megan
Filed Under: Drug & Device, Health Information   |   1 Comment

Drug maker Baxter International Inc. is working with the World Health Organization on releasing a timely vaccine to control the recent swine flu outbreak. Baxter has patented technology which allows the company to develop vaccines in about half the time it usually takes. This potentially could result in a vaccine being released in thirteen weeks rather than the typical twenty-six. While a timely vaccine is critical, concerns may also arise about such a hurried vaccine and the side effects that it may cause.

Additionally, there are two flu drugs, 1) Tamiflu and 2) Relenza which seem to weaken some of the symptoms of the swine flu. Tamiflu is manufactured by Roche and Relenza is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Manufacturers are on notice and ready to deploy emergency stockpiles of the drug if necessary. As each day brings new swine flu cases, developing vaccines and drugs to combat the flu becomes a priority. Currently, in the United States, swine flu cases have been found in California, Texas, Kansas, and Ohio.

For more information regarding the potential vaccine and drugs, please see:

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D97QDNFG0.htm

For additional information about the Swine Flu, please see:

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/?s_cid=swineFlu_outbreak_internal_001

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/health/6394302.html

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