It's been a tough week, yes? The stock market is waaaaay down. We might be headed for another depression. And C-Mart is closing (ok, maybe I'm the only one who is really bummed about that). 

(sigh)

But look, if you find yourself with the money or need to shop soon, think about putting that money to good use while you're indulging in a little pick-me-up. Hopewell Cancer Support, a community for cancer patients, is holding the 2nd Shop for Hope event from Oct. 16 to Oct. 25. More than 50 local merchants along the Falls Road corridor are offering customers a 10 percent discount and they'll make a 10 percent donation to benefit Hopewell. Proceeds benefit programs and services for individuals living with cancer, their families and caretakers.

Continue reading "Don't Despair. Shop for Hope" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

I know, I know. It's lunchtime, so you're not thinking breakfast food probably. But this morning, I was going to eat a bowl of cereal to start off my day and then I remembered the new Consumer Reports test on breakfast cereals.

Are you like me? I always buy a box of Special K or some good-for-you cereal in my cupboard. But every once in a blue moon, I like to buy a box of Golden Grahams or Corn Pops. mmm mmmm corn pops.

Unfortunately, CR now tells me that:

Continue reading "Might as well eat a glazed donut for breakfast" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Remember the good old days when you'd eat just any old thing without worrying about what you were popping into your mouth? Ah. Ignorance was bliss, or so we thought until we realized what all that fat, salt, trans fat and calories we were ingesting was doing to our bodies.

How many of you out there read food labels more carefully now?

How many of you buy food based on whether it's organic, or trans fat-free, or natural? I'm betting a lot more people read food labels and worry more about where their food comes from than we used to.

Anyhoo, the Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidelines last week for approving genetically engineered (GE), sometimes referred to as genetically modified (GM), produced food.

As the FDA press release on GE food explains:

Genetic engineering generally refers to the use of recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques to introduce new characteristics or traits into an organism. When scientists splice together pieces of DNA and introduce a spliced DNA segment into an organism to give the organism new properties, it's called rDNA technology. The spliced piece of DNA is called the rDNA construct. A GE animal is one that contains an rDNA construct intended to give the animal new characteristics or traits.

Continue reading "Food for thought: Frankenanimals" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Have you been following the battle heating up over consumer plastics and whether a hormone-like chemical contained in those plastics are a health hazard?

USA Today is reporting that scientists and the Food and Drug Administration are fighting over whether bisphenol A, or BPA, should be taken out of food packaging. The FDA says it's not a danger at the level that people are commonly exposed to BPA. Scientists disagree.

BPA has been detected in the bodies of virtually all Americans tested, USA Today says.

The story also says:

The newest research — the first large study in humans — links BPA to both heart disease and diabetes in adults. Adults with the highest BPA levels in their urine were more than twice as likely to have heart disease or diabetes than those with the lowest levels, according to the study of 1,455 people, published online Tuesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The total number of people with these conditions was small: 79 had heart disease and 136 had diabetes.

Continue reading "Consumer plastics a health risk?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Here's some disturbing news last month in case you missed it from NewsInferno.com:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to consumers who filled prescriptions at The Medicine Shoppe pharmacies located at 8035A Liberty Road and 5900 Reisterstown Road, both located in Baltimore, Maryland. The FDA is reporting that such consumers may have received defective drugs that were either expired or suspected counterfeit and is concerned because some of the drugs are for serious diseases and could have an adverse treatment effects. At this time, no other Medicine Shoppe pharmacies seem to be involved.

Because the safety and efficacy of the listed drugs has not been established, the FDA is strongly advising consumers “who filled prescriptions for these drugs at these two pharmacies to contact their prescribing physician immediately for new prescriptions. Additionally, consumers in possession of the above listed prescription drugs from these pharmacies should call FDA at 800-521-5783 for further information on how to dispose of the drugs.” The medications include:

Continue reading "Bad drugs sold in Baltimore" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Here's the July 2008 list of physicians disciplined by the Maryland Board of Physicians:

George M. Hricko, M.D., License # D05500. Area of Practice: Plastic Surgery (Dover, MA) -- Termination of probationary terms and conditions imposed by the Consent Order dated February 26, 2004. The physician has complied with the terms and conditions precedent. Date of Action: July 2, 2008

Mark Davis, M.D., License # D23760. Area of Practice: Internal Medicine (Bel Air, MD) -- Revocation for a minimum of 3 years; the Board will not entertain an application from the physician any earlier than three years from the date of this Final Decision and Order. The physician provided substandard care to patients in his weight management practice and continues to disregard basic medical norms. Date of Action: July 8, 2008

Richard G. Yeron, M.D., License # D41717. Area of Practice: General Practice (Frederick, MD) -- Summary Suspension. The Respondent engaged in a pattern of excessive and unjustifiable prescribing of Schedule II opioid analgesics, that placed his patients at risk for potentia lly serious or life-threatening consequences such as habituation and/or addiction. Date of Action: July 9, 2008

Continue reading "Disciplined Docs in Maryland, Part II" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

We've told you about naughty attorneys, naughty real estate professionals, businesses fined by the state Department of Environment, and all manner of other businesses misbehaving, deceiving the public or disciplined by various federal and state agencies.

Today, we bring you the physicians and physician assistans who you allow to poke, prod, and peer at you in your most vulnerable state... er... you ladies and gents know what I mean if you've been good about getting your annual exams. Do read this carefully because some of them are a doozy. Let's hope your current doctor isn't among those listed.

Here are the June 2008 sanctions from the Maryland Board of Physicians:

Victoria Bagby, RT, License # M00011. Area of Practice: Radiation Therapy (Baltimore, MD) -- Revocation. The Board found that the health care practitioner violated the Medical Practice Act based on her attempt to provide health care services in a condition in which she was unable to complete her assignment, repeated unexcused absenteeism at two medical employers, refusal of a reasonable and proper order to report for health evaluation, and her false answer on an application. Date of Action: June 25, 2008

Jeffrey R. Beck, D.O., License # H55156. Area of Practice: Emergency Medicine (Edgewater, MD) -- Revocation. the Board will not entertain any application for reinstatement for 10 years; order for summary suspension vacated as moot. The Board found that the physician committed unprofessional conduct when he instructed a nurse to remove 2 CDS tablets from a hospital supply and falsified records; prescribed CDS for a friend without maintaining medical records; for rude and insulting behavior to his patients and other health care workers in the hospital workplace; and used his status as a physician to further a prurient relationship with a person whom he believed to be a fourteen-year-old boy. The Board also found that the physician falsified medical records and fraudulently and deceptively used his license in regard to hospital incident involving removal of 2 CDS tablets from a hospital supply. Date of Action: June 25, 2008:

Continue reading "Disciplined Docs in Maryland, Part I" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 6:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Will health savings accounts be enough for your medical needs in old age?

Don’t count on it, according to a study released today by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

A health savings account must be paired with a high-deductible insurance policy. You can set aside tax-free dollars into the account each year to cover the deductible and other medical costs. You won’t pay taxes on the withdrawals if you use the cash for health care.

EBRI’s study says a 55-year-old couple would be able to save $115,000 in a health savings account by 2018 if they made the maximum contributions allowed under law.

But that couple would need to save $325,000 to $654,000 by the time they reach age 65 to have enough money to cover premiums and out-of-pocket costs half the time. They would need $511,000 to more than $1 million if they wanted a 90 percent chance of having enough money to cover those expenses.

EBRI goes on to explain that one of the limitations of health savings accounts is that contributions are capped.

But that doesn’t seem to be the issue to me. If EBRI’s figures are right, you might have to more than $1 million to cover health care costs in retirement. That’s on top of the big nest egg you’re supposed to have to live on.

We don’t need the contribution cap on health savings accounts to be raised. We need a health care system where you don’t have to be a millionaire to afford care.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Ignorance is bliss, right? Well, health officials in New York City think ignorance will kill you. So recently, the Big Apple became the first city in the country to force chain restaurants to post the calorie count of each food in the same size and font as the price.

Yikes.

As this msnbc story on calorie sticker shock says, consumers aren't so sure they want to be jarred into awareness when their tummy is growling for food.

Here's the top of the story:

Nora Cara was flabbergasted.

Continue reading "Restaurant menus dishing up calories" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

In this case, it's not naughty businesses, but individuals.

Paris G. George, 54, of the 1100 block of Dulaney Gate Circle in Cockeysville, pled guilty to charges of felony theft and felony exploitation of a vulnerable adult last week, according to the Office of the Attorney General.

George entered his guilty pleas before Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Cavanaugh, just before the start of a week-long jury trial. Judge Cavanaugh imposed the disposition agreed upon by the State and Defendant’s counsel, and sentenced George to five years in prison with all but three years suspended.

The OAG says that George committed 15 thefts, amounting to $33,210, between Dec. 2000 and May 2006. Homeowners and one church in need of wheelchair lifts and stairlifts responded to local newspaper ads placed by George using various company names.

George responded to each sales call, agreed to provide the necessary medical equipment and required a large deposit prior to delivery. George never supplied the equipment, but kept the money he received from 15 customers, the OAG says.

Kudos to Assistant Attorney General Kate O’Donnell for her work on the case.

Continue reading "More NBotW: Healthcare provider and wheelchair salesman" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Anyone catch Sick Around the World, the Frontline report on healthcare in five countries and how it compares to our healthcare system in the U.S.? I only caught the second half, but it was definitely fascinating on how other countries achieved universal healthcare for residents.

If you missed it, you should check it out. You'll learn how the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland and Germany deliver healthcare to everyone. Click here to read a synopsis how how each country does it.

It's not all socialized medicine out there. Many countries provide universal healthcare with private insurance, private hospitals and private doctors using market ideas. But the main point is that these capitalist countries don't trust healthcare completely to the free market. They all impose limits. The three main ones that correspondent T.R. Reid found:

Insurance companies must accept everyone. They can't make a profit on basic care.

Everybody is mandated to buy insurance and the government pays the premium for the poor.

Doctors and hospitals must accept one fixed standard of set prices.

Can Americans accept ideas like that? Reid says America already uses these ideas to cover some segments of the population. We just don't use them to universally cover everyone. Definitely some intriguing ideas worth looking into, especially when you find out that in these five other countries, it's practically unheard of for anyone to go bankrupt due to healthcare costs.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Here's a no-brainer. If you went into a hospital to get your appendix removed and they amputated your left leg instead, would you have to pay for that horrible mistake? Or, if you went in for surgery and found out the doctor left a doo-hickey inside of you, again, do you think you'd have to pay for that botched-up service?

Turns out, the answer is yes. You most certainly have to pay for it! Sounds preposterous, but it's true. But it's a ridiculous practice that may not go on for much longer since Medicare announced that starting in October, it won't pay for certain types of hospital mistakes anymore. That move was soon followed by other major insurers.  

According to the story, the movement to get hospitals to clean up their acts has been building since 2005. That was when HealthPartners of Minnesota said it would not pay for hospital errors. Since then, Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare, Minnesota and Massachusetts and large insurers like Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield have followed suit to make hospitals absorb the cost of making mistakes.

Continue reading "Paying for hospital mistakes" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

You guys are probably sick of me going on  and on about the smoking ban and how it treats smokers like second class citizens. Again, before you all yell at me... here's my disclaimer: I am not a smoker. I have never been a smoker. I have no interest in smoking. I think smoking is bad for you so I choose not to smoke.

But see that word there? Choose. I choose not to do it. I have a choice. Just as all smokers should have a choice on where they spend their time and money, and bar owners should have a choice whether they want to allow smokers or not.

I just don't like the idea of government telling us what to do in every single aspect of our lives because I worry about where all that meddling ends. Think I'm worrying for no reason? Guess again. First it's smokers who are banned. Now, obese people are the target.

A state lawmaker in Jackson, Miss., wants to ban restaurants from serving food to fat customers! Chew on that while you're eating your lunch today!

Continue reading "Banning fat people" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Healthcare guru (and my noted pod-mate) Bill Salganik is writing a very interesting story for tomorrow about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield launching a new program that will pay higher fees to doctors who rank well in patient care.

On the face of it, it sounds like a good thing. As Bill says in his story: Doctors can earn up to 7 percent above CareFirst's standard fees for meeting standards of process (if women get needed mammograms), service (if there are weekend or evening hours) and outcomes (if patients lower their cholesterol).

I don't have a problem with ranking physician performance. I agree that more information for consumers is good. But why am I worried (besides the fact that I am a natural born worrier from way back)? Read this WPost story on insurers ranking physician performance and how it can go horribly wrong.

Continue reading "CareFirst rates physician performance" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Thanks to Reader Joe for pointing this out:

http://www.tanglewoodwellnesscenter.com/staff.php

(This appears to be current?  Note the 301 area code in the contact information!)

If you missed it, this question is related to my earlier post about two "docs" that the Maryland Board of Physicians sanctioned for practicing medicine without a license.

I called the 301 area code number up and got "the" Loren Lockman on the phone. He then told me that...

Continue reading "He's no Doc!" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The Maryland Board of Physicians whacked the two "docs" at Tanglewood Wellness Center, where individuals went to stay "from periods ranging from several days to several weeks to engage in supervised water-only fasting with the purpose of promoting the self-healing of the body."

If you think that sounds like a bunch of hooey, the board did, too.

They issued public cease and desist orders to Loren Eric Lockman and Timothy Scott Trader (don't those names sound like they come out of a cheesy soap opera?) for practicing medicine without a license and representing to the public that they were authorized to practice medicine.

Tanglewood first opened in Bethesda and then later, Thurmont, the state board says. The facility where these two were working is no longer operating, but...

Continue reading "Naughty businesses Part III --- Health practictioners" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Ha! Just kidding. I'm not dying... although I'm sure you're all just sick of my pity-me-woe-is-me-I'm-so-ill-(cough cough)-whiny prattling. But in keeping with the health theme, I was surfing the Web and remembered this terrific site where you can check the background of any doctor in the state.

I am searching for a new doctor in the city and I'm open to any suggestions. Since my dog isn't giving me any good tips, I figured a good place to find one would be here at the Maryland Board of Physicians' Web site. Type in any name and it'll tell you where your doc was schooled, what specialty board certifications they earned and whether they have an active license.

That's not all.

Continue reading "Find me a doctor, stat!" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

(Image courtesy of USDHHS)

Do you love to procrastinate? Are you a fan of that saying, "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?" Well, Healthcare Guru Bill Salganik has a warning for seniors out there who are putting off signing up for Medicare until the last minute. Granted, you have until the end of the year to sign up, but do so at your own risk. Bill says:

Although the deadline is Dec. 31, experts advise seniors to make sign-up decisions sooner, ideally by about Dec. 8.
If you wait and switch plans on New Year's Eve, it may take some time for the Medicare and insurance and pharmacy computers to get updated, and you may have problems getting prescriptions filled in early January.
If you're not changing plans, a late decision won't matter -- but you need to check soon to see whether you need to switch plans. Many have increased their premiums and co-payments and changed their lists of approved drugs, so the plan that was good for you this year might not be the best choice for next year.

Continue reading "Medicare slow filers" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)