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Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report
The Latest Reports in Health Policy
Administration News
President Bush Signs Genetic Nondiscrimination Legislation Into Law
[May 22, 2008]
President Bush on Wednesday signed into law a bill (HR 493), the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, that prohibits discrimination based on the results of genetic tests, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (Feller, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 5/22). Under the bill, employers cannot make decisions about whether to hire potential employees or fire or promote employees based on the results of genetic tests.
In addition, health insurers cannot deny coverage to potential members or charge higher premiums to members because of genetic test results. The House this month voted 414-1 to approve the bill, while the Senate last month approved the legislation 95-0 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 5/2).
Bush said the bill "protects our citizens from having genetic information misused ... without undermining the basic premise of the insurance industry" (Ward, Washington Times, 5/22).
After signing the legislation, Bush thanked Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), who waged a "13-year battle" to get genetic nondiscrimination legislation passed, and other congressional members instrumental in passage of the bill, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports. According to the Democrat and Chronicle, in order to pass the bill, legislators had to overcome opposition from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups, who said that the legislation could lead to frivolous lawsuits against employers (Kelly, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 5/22). Reaction
Supporters called the bill the "first major civil rights act of the 21st century" and said they hope it will encourage more people to participate in clinical research for treatments of specific genetic sequences, according to the Chicago Sun-Times (Thomas, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/22).
Slaughter said, "I am absolutely overjoyed. Americans have been waiting a very long time for the protections that this bill provides, and I am so proud that the wait is over. I'm especially excited to watch the advancements in science and medicine that will surely follow this enactment" (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 5/22).
 C-SPAN video of Bush signing the bill is available online (C-SPAN, 5/21).
CMS Places Three-Year Moratorium on Construction of New Long-Term Care Hospitals
[May 22, 2008]
CMS officials this week announced a regulation that places a three-year moratorium on the construction of new long-term care hospitals and limits the effects of payment reductions to existing facilities, CQ HealthBeat reports. According to CQ HealthBeat, admissions criteria among long-term care hospitals and the industry's "Medicare-fueled growth" had "raised eyebrows among policy makers."
As a result, several regulatory provisions, including a proposal to reduce base rates and the extension of the so-called 25% rule, were "putting the hurt" on the long-term care hospital industry. The 25% rule reduced payments for care of each patient from a single referring facility above one-quarter of a long-term care hospital's patient load. According to CQ HealthBeat, the 25% rule addressed hospitals building long-term care facilities within their own facilities to capture higher revenues associated with long-term care. The new regulation implements provisions of a measure signed by President Bush last year regarding Medicare and Medicaid payments and an extension of SCHIP.
The new revisions "ease the impact" of the 25% rule and block the base rate reduction, according to CQ HealthBeat. In addition, the regulation sets policies for implementing the moratorium and determines which facilities will be prohibited from new construction. CMS will be evaluating exemptions on a case-by-case basis, according to Alec Vachon, a Washington, D.C. consultant and former Senate Finance Committee staffer. The regulation will be published in the Federal Register on Thursday (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 5/21).
Health Care Marketplace
CBO Finds Health Information Technology Unlikely To Generate Significant Savings
[May 22, 2008]
Health information technology by itself is unlikely to produce the significant cost savings projected by economic analysts and policymakers, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reports. The analysis particularly questioned a RAND report that estimated annual savings of about $77 billion from widespread adoption of health IT. According to the CBO analysis, adoption of health IT could generate savings under certain circumstances, such as if it is combined with broader health care measures. However, CBO Director Peter Orszag said, "By itself, it's generally not sufficient" to reduce costs.
The analysis states that since 2006, 12% of physicians and 11% of hospitals in the U.S. have adopted health IT systems. According to CBO, there could be some savings if the federal government would mandate some form of technology, such as electronic prescribing, and penalize providers that do not participate.
According to the Journal, the report "dealt a blow to the prospects for broad legislation to boost" the use of health IT and "is a challenge to advocates of [health IT] who have generally argued that it will improve patient safety and achieve significant efficiencies." However, health IT advocates said that the CBO analysis should not affect the prospects for passing health IT legislation and that the findings could encourage further efforts to adopt health IT. Comments
Richard Hillestad, a senior principal researcher at RAND and author of the company's report, defended the RAND findings, saying that its estimate could "actually be relatively conservative" because it did not include other possible benefits from health IT, such as billing efficiencies.
Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), who along with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced legislation for wider use of health IT, in a statement said, "We can squabble over the potential amount of savings, but we know health IT will save lives and money," adding, "The time to act is now."
National Coordinator for Health IT Robert Kolodner in a statement said that "cost savings is just one of the benefits of using health IT" and that the "magnitude of savings to be generated is yet to be determined" (Wilde Mathews, Wall Street Journal, 5/22).
 The report is available online (.pdf).
Capitol Hill Watch
Senate Finance Committee Democrats To Move Forward With Medicare Package That Includes Medicare Advantage Plan Cuts
[May 22, 2008]
Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Wednesday said he will move forward with a Medicare package developed by Democrats that likely will be opposed by Republicans and the Bush administration, CQ Today reports. Baucus said he is retreating from crafting a bipartisan Medicare package that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% cut to physician fees (Armstrong [1], CQ Today, 5/21). Although both parties want to halt the cut, which is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, they have been unable to agree on offsets to pay for the bill, among other issues (Armstrong [2], CQ Today, 5/21).
Baucus said, "It seems clear to me that we're not going to get an agreement in time to meet the deadlines, so I'm going to move forward with a bill that I think has the right policies and priorities for the Medicare program." He also said, "Frankly, the White House is a stone wall. And it makes it very difficult for the Republicans to negotiate," adding, "They just don't want any reductions to any of the (Medicare Advantage) plans."
Baucus and fellow Democrats on the committee have proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage to offset the legislation, including cutting indirect medical education payments to insurers and capping payments to private MA plans. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said capping MA plan payments at 130% of traditional Medicare costs would save $6 billion over five years. Democrats also want to add some other provisions to the measure, including a small increase in the physician fee rate, an electronic prescribing initiative and preventive care programs (Armstrong [1], CQ Today, 5/21). The measure would cost $18.2 billion over five years, according to Conrad.
Medicare legislation drafted by Republicans would cost $14.9 billion over five years, Conrad said (Armstrong [2], CQ Today, 5/21). According to CQ Today, "Republicans will almost certainly block Baucus' proposal to force a compromise after the Memorial Day recess." The compromise package "would likely be a pared down measure," CQ Today reports. Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said, "Before this process is over, I'm confident that we're going to have a bipartisan package that passes the Senate," adding, "There are differences, but there aren't big differences" (Armstrong [1], CQ Today, 5/21). Opinion Piece
"In July, the government health insurance program for seniors and the disabled will automatically begin draconian payment cuts to physicians," and Medicare beneficiaries "will bear the brunt of the cuts to physicians, as doctors are forced to make tough decisions because of cuts that push payments far below the increasing cost of providing care," American Medical Association President Edward Langston writes in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer opinion piece. Langston adds that Medicare physician reimbursements currently are at "about what they were in 2001, while the costs of running a medical practice increase."
He writes, "And now Medicare projects cuts of more than 15% over a year-and-a-half," and, without congressional action to prevent the reductions, "having a Medicare insurance card will not guarantee access to physician care." About 60% of physicians have said they will limit the number of Medicare beneficiaries they treat without congressional action to prevent the reductions, Langston writes.
However, the "silver lining of the cloud is a bipartisan commitment to preserving seniors' access to care," he writes. Langston concludes, "Immediate congressional action will demonstrate real leadership as we work to preserve access to care for current and future generations of Medicare patients" (Langston, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/21).
Top Lawmakers To Question Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff on Detained Immigrants' Medical Care
[May 22, 2008]
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) announced that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and other lawmakers will question Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Julie Myers, assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in a Thursday meeting responding to reports that medical negligence caused the deaths of detained immigrants seeking asylum or awaiting deportation, the Washington Post reports. The meeting is in response to a four-part series in the Post on medical care for detained immigrants, titled "Careless Detention."
House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) have requested documents from Homeland Security on the issue and plan to hold a hearing after the Memorial Day recess. In addition, Conyers, Lofgren and Menendez introduced legislation (HR 5950) that would establish mandatory standards for medical care for immigrants in detention centers. Myers Article Defends ICE
Myers, in a published article, defended ICE's treatment of detained immigrants and called any deaths "regrettable," adding that any media reports were exaggerated. She wrote that ICE doubled spending, to $100 million, on health care for detainees from 2003 to 2007. In addition, Myers wrote that although the number of detainees increased more than 30% since 2004, the number of deaths fell from 29 in 2004 to seven in 2007. The mortality rate decreased to 3.5 deaths per 100,000 detainees from 10.8 deaths per 100,000 detainees during the same time period, the article said. Comments
Conyers said, "The Department of Homeland Security's denial and delay is leading to death and disability," adding, "It is time for answers, not excuses." During a news conference with family members of immigrants who died in U.S. detention centers, immigrant advocacy groups and the American Civil Liberties Union, Menendez said, "We intend to press them on these issues. We cannot accept the nature of what is going on" (Hsu, Washington Post, 5/22).
Senate Leaders Reach Agreement on Process for Considering War Supplemental Spending Bill, Medicaid Provision
[May 22, 2008]
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday reached an agreement on a process for Senate consideration of the war supplemental appropriations bill (HR 2642), including a provision to delay for one year seven new Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush administration, the AP/Detroit News reports (Taylor, AP/Detroit News, 5/22).
As part of the agreement on the legislation, the Senate will vote on a domestic spending amendment drafted by Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats that includes the Medicaid provision. In the event that the amendment does not receive 60 votes -- the threshold on which Senate leaders agreed -- they will remove the measure, and therefore the Medicaid provision, from the bill. The amendment likely will not receive 60 votes, according to CQ Today.
After the vote on the amendment, the Senate will consider other measures related to war spending and policy conditions for those funds. The Senate likely will send a final version of the bill to the House on Thursday or Friday. The House likely will consider the version of the legislation sent by the Senate during the first week of June, according to a senior House aide.
Senate leaders hope that agreement -- which likely will "anger House Democrats and Senate appropriators, who have wrestled over the package of add-ons and trumpeted their efforts to change war policy" -- will "head off President Bush's plans to veto the measure" (Rogin, CQ Today, 5/21). Budget
House Democrats on Wednesday had to remove a $3.1 trillion fiscal year 2009 budget resolution from the floor because of a technical problem with a farm bill, the AP/Miami Herald reports (Taylor, AP/Miami Herald, 5/21). As a result, the House likely will not consider the resolution, which currently is overdue by more than one month, until June (Clarke, CQ Today, 5/21).
Election 2008
Pharmaceutical, Medical Device Industries Have Shifted Campaign Contributions to Democratic Candidates
[May 22, 2008]
Pharmaceutical and medical device companies have contributed more to the campaigns of Democratic candidates than Republican candidates in the current election cycle, a "sharp reversal" from previous cycles and "one more sign of the campaign difficulties the GOP could face this November," the AP/Miami Herald reports.
In the current election cycle to date, Democratic candidates have received $7.4 million in campaign contributions from political action committees and individuals associated with pharmaceutical and medical device companies, compared with $7 million for Republican candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. During the last six election cycles, pharmaceutical and medical device companies on average contributed twice as much to the campaigns of Republican candidates than Democratic candidates.
In the presidential race, as of Feb. 28, pharmaceutical and medical device companies have contributed $639,124 to Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and $574,828 to Democratic candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), compared with $168,300 for presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
"All three candidates have taken positions that rankle the drug industry," such as their support for proposals that would allow HHS to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies on prices for medications under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and permit prescription drug reimportation, according to the AP/Herald. Move Toward Nonpartisanship?
Pfizer, often the largest contributor to campaigns among pharmaceutical companies, in the current election cycle has donated more than $862,000, 52% of which went to the campaigns of Democratic candidates, according to CRP. In an e-mail, Pfizer wrote, "We support candidates and policymakers in both parties who share our common goal of expanding access to medicines, improving health outcomes through medical innovation and delivering value to patients."
Billy Tauzin, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and former chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the shift in campaign contributions to Democratic candidates has resulted from a new focus on nonpartisanship by the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the increase in the number of Democratic lawmakers. He said, "It's only natural, if we adopt a nonpartisan position like we did three years ago, we'll find it easier to work with more and more Democrats who want to work with us for the good of patients."
Former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said that the shift in campaign contributions to Democratic candidates indicates the interest of the pharmaceutical industry in the health care debate. According to Thompson, pharmaceutical and medical device companies are "finally waking up to the fact they can't sit on the sidelines and they have to be a major player in both political parties" (Freking, AP/Miami Herald, 5/22). Opinion Pieces
Summaries of two opinion pieces related to health care issues in the presidential election appear below.
- William Snyder, Omaha World-Herald: The discussion in the presidential campaign about "why only this or that ... candidate can be trusted to fix health care" leaves the "impression that the system is static and the health care industry is sitting on its hands" until 2009, but "changes in the health care system are so many and so rapid that they're almost impossible to keep up with," Snyder, a policy adviser to the Heartland Institute, writes in a World-Herald opinion piece. He cites a number of recent changes made by health insurers, such as the use of "objective provider rating tools," as well as moves by Google, Microsoft and other "established firms" to enter the health care sector. In addition, he cites the launch of a number of health care companies, such as those that offer wellness programs for employees, and increased and improved options for consumers (Snyder, Omaha World-Herald, 5/20).
- John Sweeney/Mike Cerbo, Denver Post: The future of retirees who must work to pay for health insurance to avoid debt is "essentially what's at stake in the upcoming election," AFL-CIO President Sweeney and Cerbo, executive director of the Colorado AFL-CIO, write in a Post opinion piece. They add that the results will determine whether "we as a country ensure that health care is affordable and available to everyone in America." Some, such as McCain and President Bush, "believe that health care is a business proposition, a market-based commodity from which government should step out entirely," and their proposals would make quality health care "like mansions and limousines -- something available only to the very rich," according to the authors. Others, such as Clinton and Obama, who "are skeptical of the idea that the market is the right entity to put in charge," believe "that the lack of guaranteed affordable health care is in itself what must be addressed," they write. According to the authors, "For working families, the choice is obvious." Most voters "agree that we need broad reform to reduce costs, provide care to more Americans and improve the quality of care," they write, adding, "Now it's up to voters to take a close look at the candidates and decide who really has their health and their future at heart" (Sweeney/Cerbo, Denver Post, 5/22).
Medicare
HHS Receives More Than 30 Applications for Electronic Health Records Pilot Program
[May 22, 2008]
HHS has received more than 30 applications from communities that seek to participate in a Medicare pilot program that uses electronic health records, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/20).
Under the pilot program, HHS and CMS will recruit 100 physician practices in 12 communities to participate, with an additional 100 practices in the communities selected to serve as a randomized control group. Physician practices that participate in the pilot program will receive bonuses of as much as $58,000 per physician or as much as $290,000 per practice after they implement EHRs and meet certain quality standards over a period of five years (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/12).
HHS will announce the 12 selected communities in June. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt in a release said that the high number of applications "shows the great appetite for programs that offer incentive to physicians who efficiently use EHRs to improve the quality of care" (CQ HealthBeat, 5/20).
State Watch
Louisiana Gov. Jindal's Administration Asks State Senate To Restore Millions in Health Care Budget Cuts
[May 22, 2008]
The administration of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) on Monday called on state senators to restore millions of dollars in health care program cuts that were approved last week by the House, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. The House approved a $30 billion state budget for fiscal year 2009 that includes $240 million less than Jindal's proposed budget.
State general fund spending next year is expected to increase by nearly $900 million, or by 11%, with the largest portion of growth in Medicaid. Jindal's original budget called for a $600 million increase in Medicaid funding, including about $21 million for new initiatives. The House Appropriations Committee cut the spending increase by $183 million but did not specify where the reductions would come from (Moller, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 5/20). The cuts include state and federal matching funds. State Rep. Jim Fannin (D), who is sponsoring the bill, said the cuts are justified because the state did not spend $183 million in Medicaid funds for providers this year and $218 million in Medicaid provider funds last year (Millhollon, Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/19).
However, state Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine in a letter to House and Senate leaders wrote that the cuts would affect a wide range of health care providers, and the biggest reductions would be for hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies (New Orleans Times-Picayune, 5/20). In the letter, Levine wrote that implementing the Medicaid cuts would require a $38 million reduction in payments to inpatient hospitals, a $11.5 million reduction in payments to outpatient hospitals, $38.6 million in payment cuts to nursing homes and $38 million in cuts to the pharmacy program. Other cuts would include programs for the disabled, according to Levine (Shuler, Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/20).
Pennsylvania State Agency Seeks To Gain Control of Medicaid Managed Care Plans' Prescription Drug Benefits
[May 22, 2008]
The administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has proposed shifting control of the prescription drug component of Medicaid managed care plans to the state Department of Public Welfare, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. According to department officials, the change would enhance services, simplify requirements for medical providers and save the state an estimated $95 million annually.
The state already administers pharmacy benefits for about 800,000 other Medicaid beneficiaries. State Medicaid agencies can negotiate larger rebates from drug manufacturers than managed care plans. The rebates would make up the bulk of the estimated $95 million in savings. Under the proposal, the managed care plans would have "real-time" access to the state's pharmacy claims data and could use the data to ensure patients receive the most appropriate medications for their conditions, Mike Nardone, the department's deputy secretary for medical assistance programs, said.
Estelle Richman, secretary of the agency, said the program would be simplified by establishing a single statewide list of preferred drugs and a list of procedures to submit claims and request prior authorization of certain medications. The formularies would not be as restrictive as those used by managed care plans, she said.
Managed care officials oppose the idea, saying that shifting oversight of the benefits to the welfare department would reduce options for beneficiaries (Fahy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/21).
California Insurance Department Encouraging Residents to Use Online Personal Health Records
[May 22, 2008]
Not enough California residents are using online personal health records offered by insurers and managed care groups in the state, according to a report released on Tuesday by the state Department of Insurance, the Sacramento Bee reports. The report was based on a survey of California's major insurers. The report states that PHRs are secure and efficient and allow people to better manage their health care and handle their health insurance claims. Based on the report, the state is encouraging residents to use PHRs. The department also is expected to announce the creation of a working group that would aim to ensure patients can keep their PHRs when they switch insurance companies.
Some privacy advocates have expressed concern about PHRs. Sue Blevins, founder and president of the Institute for Health Freedom, said, "While providing information is essential when seeking services, one shouldn't be forced to give up privacy and the freedom to withhold consent." Blevins said, "In fact, as the nation moves toward interoperable electronic medical records, it's important for citizens to gain greater privacy and control over their health information." However, state officials on Monday said that the PHRs available through insurers in the state are securely managed (Glover, Sacramento Bee, 5/20).
The report is available online (.pdf).
Opinion
Bipartisan Effort Needed To Meet Demand for U.S. Health Reform, Letter to the Editor States
[May 22, 2008]
Former Rep. Dick Armey (R-Texas) in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece "is remembering the mindset of the 1994 health care debate," Sens. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) write in a Journal letter to the editor, adding, "We understand that mindset because we, along with many [co-sponsors of the Healthy Americans Act], were in Congress then and on opposite sides of the Clinton health reform debate" (Bennett/Wyden, Wall Street Journal, 5/22). The legislation would effectively eliminate the employer-sponsored health care system and replace it with a system in which individuals would purchase private health coverage through state-run purchasing pools. All residents would be required to obtain coverage (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 5/2).
Bennett and Wyden write, "Today is not 1994. The political climate has changed, the health care crisis has worsened and Americans are no longer looking for a solution; they are demanding one." That demand can only be met by "working in a bipartisan effort, incorporating both Republican and Democratic principles," according to Bennett and Wyden.
They write, "We believe that every American should have affordable, private health insurance," adding, "The Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation have reviewed our bill and reported that it achieves that goal while cutting down costs and saving the government money." According to Bennett and Wyden, the Healthy Americans Act will empower consumers "with both incentives and the responsibility to choose the [health] plan that best meets their needs, and insurers will compete on the basis of price, benefits and quality" (Wall Street Journal, 5/22).
Physician Apologies for Preventable Medical Errors Benefit Patients, Health Care System, Editorial States
[May 22, 2008]
Laws enacted by more than 30 states that make physician apologies to patients for preventable medical errors inadmissible in court are a "sensible step that should be adopted by other states or become federal law," as patients "who have been harmed by negligent doctors can still sue for malpractice, using other evidence to make their case," a New York Times editorial states.
According to the editorial, a recent Times article about a "new policy of promptly disclosing errors, offering earnest apologies and providing fair compensation" adopted by a "handful of prominent academic medical centers" indicates that the policy "appears to satisfy many patients, reduce legal costs and the litigation burden, and reduce malpractice insurance premiums in some cases." The editorial states, "Patients seem far less angry when they receive an honest explanation, an apology and prompt, fair compensation for the harm they have suffered."
"Admitting errors is only the first step toward reforming the health care system so that far fewer mistakes are made," the editorial states, adding, "But reforms can be more effective if doctors are candid about how they went astray" (New York Times, 5/22).
Editorials Address Legislation That Would Increase FDA Funding for Foreign Inspections
[May 22, 2008]
Two newspapers recently published editorials addressing legislation approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee that would provide an additional $275 million to help FDA improve inspections of imported food and drugs.
- Baltimore Sun: "Americans will gain important protections from life-threatening contamination of food and drugs once federal regulators are given an extra $275 million to inspect imported products abroad to ensure they are safe," a Sun editorial states. The Sun continues that Congress and President Bush should approve legislation that would provide the additional funding, "[o]therwise, consumers will lack adequate safeguards from potentially unsafe foreign products for at least another year." According to the Sun, "The Bush administration has added a limited amount of funding for foreign inspections, but it is far from enough to keep up with the rapid growth in drug and food imports." The editorial concludes, "Protecting the health and safety of American people should be a higher priority" (Baltimore Sun, 5/22).
- Los Angeles Times: "Though short of what Government Accountability Office reports have suggested for the agency," the $275 million in increased funding "is what the FDA can realistically use in a single year," according to a Times editorial. The Times writes, "A big, new budget also requires a ramp-up in hiring and operations that cannot be done overnight," adding, "But the FDA also will need new powers to issue recalls and set standards for overseas food and drug companies that sell to the United States." The editorial concludes, "The funding would be a good start," and legislation that would provide it "deserves ... swift approval by Congress and the president to ensure that the government can protect the integrity of our medicines and the safety of our daily bread" (Los Angeles Times, 5/22).
The Latest Reports in Health Policy
NEJM Perspective Analyzes Direct-To-Consumer Advertising for Prescription Drugs, Medical Devices
[May 22, 2008]
"DTCA for PTCA -- Crossing the Line in Consumer Health Education?" New England Journal of Medicine: In the NEJM perspective, William Boden of the University of Buffalo Schools of Medicine and Public Health and Health Professions and George Diamond of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center discuss how direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs and medical devices can fail to fully disclose the benefits and risks of the medications. Boden and Diamond also examine whether DTC ads are targeting millions of people who are "ill-equipped" to make decisions about complex therapeutic issues (Boden/Diamond, NEJM, 5/22).
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