“As he campaigns across the country this week in anticipation of the Super Tuesday primaries, Mitt Romney probably won’t say much about the storied health-care plan he signed into law as governor of Massachusetts. For one thing, it is hard to portray yourself as the ideological heir to Ronald Reagan when your healthcare plan is […]
“The state is expanding its CoverTN program at a rate that should not satisfy anybody, state officials included. That said, the program was set up as a modest start toward an important goal, and modest improvements are a good sign. Whatever momentum exists should continue. State officials have announced moderate expansion of the CoverTN program. […]
“Maine has recently joined the growing list of failed state reforms. As with other faillures, the Dirigo Care program was shoved down the throats of a bewildered legislature by an egotistical governor who promised Nirvana. You would think people would learn from experience, but a recent report sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund, Robert Wood Johnson […]
“We are witnessing the rise of the anti-antidepressants. The ’90s, of course, were the age of Prozac, a decade when a class of antidepressants called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) came to dominate psychological treatment and public discusssion about why life in America had become such a downer — even before 9/11. After Prozac’s FDA […]
“The left, of course, has its own fantasy solution set: drugs should be both innovative and cheap. But clinical trials for a single successful drug cost $500 million, and not because the labs have outrageous administrative overhead. Even if the government were in charge of running them, they would still be on the hook for […]
“New on the McDonald’s menu: a takeaway diploma. The government is giving the U.S. burger chain — along with a rail company and an airline — the right to award credits toward a high school diploma to employees who complete on-the-job training programs. The plan, announced Monday, is part of a push to improve skills […]
“As Michigan explores new ways to cover consumers who have lost their health coverage, the Legislature is looking to 34 states that have created high-risk health insurance pools as a possible blueprint. High-risk pools provide health insurance to people with costly medical problems — often those who can’t afford to pay the higher costs insurance […]
“Vanderbilt University Medical Center has decided to stop doctors, faculty members and others who work on campus from accepting meals or gifts from the drug industry in a bid to reduce the companies’ influence on patient care and trim spending on drugs. Under a new conflicts of interest policy, most employees and students would no […]
“The FDA has sent a warning letter to the Hain Celestial Group, instructing the natural and organic food producer to relabel certain products that contain the sweetener stevia. The letter concerned the Celestial Zingers To Go tea and drink mix products, which the FDA charges are being labeled and marketed as food products, even though […]
“On Sunday, millions of Americans will be plopped in front of big-screen TVs watching the Super Bowl — and, yes — stuffing their faces with chips, dip and anything else they can get their hands on. So, this brings up the question: Is double dipping really that bad? A new study by Clemson University set […]
