U.S. Congress Fails Maternal Health Crisis

WASHINGTON, March 12 (UPI) -- Amnesty International says healthcare reform proposals in the U.S. Congress fail to address the crisis of maternal health in the United States.

In a report released Friday, the organization said its analysis indicates the legislation won't fix the problems.

"Reform is primarily focused on healthcare coverage and reducing healthcare costs, and even optimistic estimates predict that any proposal on the table will leave millions without access to affordable care," said Rachel Ward, one of the authors of the report.

Ward says the proposed legislation doesn't address discrimination, systemic failures and the lack of government accountability documented in Amnesty International's latest report on maternal healthcare.

The report, entitled "Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA," says the lifetime risk of maternal death in the United States is greater than in 40 other countries.

Obstacles to care are widespread in the United States, especially for minorities, the report says.

SOURCE:http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/03/12/Amnesty-Maternal-health-not-addressed/UPI-29221268399136/

Health Bill: Good or Bad?

Clear evidence of GRAFT in Health Bill Debate

The cost of just getting the health care bill passed is raising eyebrows on Capitol Hill. Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu eventually voted yes to debate the bill, but only after the Senate apparently added $300 million dollars in federal spending for her state. And she is a Democrat. It turns out getting support from Republicans may cost billions of dollars. Could one particular tax loophole benefiting one state have anything to do with a potential “yes” vote? (source: ac360)

West Va. Chamber of Commerce Plays Dirty With Health Care Reform

The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is playing dirty with health care reform. It's pressuring its homestate Democratic senators, Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, to block health care legislation unless the Obama administration ends what the Chamber calls a "war on coal."

Healthcare reform: Is this bill better than nothing?

"...whatever bill this Congress is able to pass will probably set the cause of single payer health care back because it "would leave in place an inefficient, exploitive insurance industry that is dying by its own hand, even as [the bill] props [the industry] up with enormous future profits through subsidized mandates."

Devastating Consequences of the Corporate Health Insurance Bill

Wading through the endless debate over health care has exhausted the patience of most Americans — the zigzags, obscure language, and long-winded discussion is inherently repulsive.

But now the dust is starting to settle, and the Congressional vision for health care in the U.S. is emerging. Instead of being “progressive,” it will amount to a massive, corporate-inspired attack on American workers, the elderly, and the poor.

Health Insurance Reform? What Will Be Mandatory?

The Federal Government’s proposed mandatory health insurance will mean mandatory vaccinations/immunizations.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that for anyone who refuses to keep up-to-date vaccinations, under the new health reform, you will not be able to obtain any health care you may need until immunizations are current.

Impact on “meaningful users” of the new reform system

It was also reported that the new health care reform bill was submitted with a provision that those doctors and hospitals who are not “meaningful users” of the new reform system will also be faced with fines and penalties. As well as the Secretary of Health and Human Services will be “permitted to impose more stringent measures of meaningful use over time.”

Complete commentary
http://www.youronlineinsurance.com/health-insurance/will-fed-governments-proposed-mandatory-health-insurance-work-141/comment-page-1/#comment-9

Drug Risk List Released by FDA

UPDATE: 1 July

Chantix and Zyban (Wellbutrin) to Receive Boxed Warnings for Serious Neuropsychiatric Symptoms
July 1, 2009 — The smoking cessation drugs varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban and generics) will receive new boxed warnings on their labeling regarding the risk for serious neuropsychiatric symptoms such as changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and attempted suicide, the US Food and Drug Administration said today.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from 6/5/09, One of 8 NHN articles on Chantix et al -
I am not sure why the public is so keen on health insurance under the same scheme as is prevalent today with this type of reporting, as well as no inclusion of choice and no mention of coverage for safe supplements that prevent and reverse medical diagnosed conditions.

You would wonder too if you talked to the people who contact me and hear their horror stories with drugs and medicine.

I'd suggest we need a model based on the health freedom law in Idaho, one I helped write the update to in 2003-04.

FDA releases list of potential drug risksBy Lisa Richwine, Jun 4, 2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. regulators on Thursday listed two dozen drugs, including weight-loss medicines and sleep disorder pills, that it is at an early stage of reviewing for potential safety problems.

Many of the issues have been previously disclosed, but remain under review by the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA said it was checking Pfizer Inc's smoking cessation drug Chantix for possible risk of accidental injury, vision impairment and other issues, and Cephalon Inc's sleep disorder drugs Nuvigil and Provigil for a potential of serious skin reactions.

Other drugs listed included orlistat, a weight-loss drug sold by Roche Inc as the prescription product Xenical and by GlaxoSmithKline Plc as the over-the-counter drug Alli. The FDA said it was continuing to evaluate liver toxicity reports for orlistat.

The FDA also said Pfizer's overactive bladder drug Detrol was under investigation for reports of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a serious skin reaction.

The FDA releases a quarterly list of safety probes as part of an effort to inform the public about early investigations of potential side effects that have been reported. The list released on Thursday covers October through December 2008.

The problems are potential safety issues and their appearance on the list "does not mean that FDA has identified a causal relationship" with the drug, the agency said.

Roche spokesman Terry Hurley, commenting on the listing of Xenical, said available data "does not suggest that orlistat is causally related" to liver problems, noting obesity itself is a risk factor for liver injury.

Glaxo spokeswoman Mary Anne Rhyne also said "no causal relationship ... has been established" between Alli and hepatitis, a liver disease.

Pfizer spokeswoman Sally Beatty said the maker of Chantix evaluates any reports of health problems and "as with all our medicines, we work with the FDA to ensure our labeling reflects the latest safety information."

The FDA had said last year it was taking a closer look at Chantix after reports of accidents, vision loss and other problems in hundreds of patients

A Cephalon spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Nuvigil and Provigil. Serious skin reactions were identified as an issue with the drugs in 2007 and the FDA continues to study the matter, the agency said.

A spokeswoman for Glaxo could not immediately be reached for comment on the listing of Alli.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's HIV drug, Sustiva, was listed due to one report of an eye-related birth defect. A description of the case was added to the drug's prescribing instructions in March 2009, the FDA said.

Bristol-Myers spokeswoman Cristi Barnett said the drug's label states it should only be used in pregnant women, "if the benefit to the patient justifies the potential risk to the fetus."

The FDA also is probing pancreatitis with Bayer AG's contraceptive Yasmin, the agency's list said. Bayer spokeswoman Rose Talarico said the listing "was not prompted by any change in the existing safety profile" of Yasmin and the company "continues to work with the FDA to ensure that the most up-to-date and accurate safety information" is included in the drug's label.

The FDA posted the list on its Website at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Surveillance/AdverseDrugEffects/ucm161063.htm.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Gary Hill)

Related articles
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/todays-drug-promoting-insanity.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/drugs-contribute-to-dementia-delirium.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/doctors-too-reliant-on-prescribing.html

Another Health Insurance Scam Coming from Congress?

UPDATE: 3 June
More to appease the insurance industry, and is he taxing the fancy perk enjoyed by your member of Congress?
Obama Said to Be Open to Taxing Health-Care Benefits

Please recall that the US is the only place where health benefits are tied to employment and ditated by Big Insurance. Let Max Baucus know just what you think, Teddy Kennedy too!
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If you have CON-cerns about health insurance make sure you take the time to listen to this discussion from Bill Moyers Journal.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05222009/watch2.html

Both Dr. Wolfe and Dr. Himmelstein tell it like it is. To top it off you'll hear from other just what Senator Max Baucus is up to in the way of protecting his Big Insurance buddies at the expense of the uninsured and under-insured, as well as state and federal government.

Change isn't growing in DC and around the Beltway in case you have missed this.

Just another good reason why you need to become your own best health advocate. And one reason Natural Health News and our associated sites are here to help.

AND

If you think Big Insurance isn't going to block this on every point they can, read this article:THE INFLUENCE GAME.

Fix is hard for Medicare, Social Security

If you ask me, just MOS.

Another perspective

and read more here too...