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RIVERSIDE (CBS) ― Kaiser Permanente is laying off 650 workers in Southern California. Another 1,200 jobs are being cut in Northern California. The cutbacks will reportedly involve temporary, on-call or short-hour employees, but no doctors or nurses. The company's vice president cited uncertainty over Medicare and health care reform. Kaiser is offering a severance package to employees and trying to place them in other jobs.

Policy Makers say the only way to achieve social justice is to deliver an equal and adequate amount of health care, directed by a well motivated government central plan. No more crude private system, flawed, uneven, and unfair. I have a day job as a physician. A great job, a wonderful job, better because I do it in the emergency department at a very big army base, so I can thank soldiers and retired soldiers for their service. I also get to teach, and emergency medicine is a great niche for a physician suited to it. I did my internship...

One sick flick Peter Foster, Financial Post Published: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 "There's no doubt that a documentary by someone of Michael Moore's stature will help the world see the deeply humane principles of Cuban society." -- Jose Ramon Balaguer, Cuban Health Minister Michael Moore has said he wants to make movies from which people emerge saying, "I don't believe what I just saw." He has certainly hit the mark with Sicko. His latest attack on the American way of life is, literally, incredible -- a typical combination of bent facts and leftist grandstanding. It's not that health-care policy...

Americans in Canada prefer U.S. health care Joanne Laucius, CanWest News Service Published: Thursday, June 21, 2007 OTTAWA -- Americans living in Canada prefer the U.S. health-care system for speed, quality and diagnostic technology, says a new study. But they also applaud the equity and cost-effectiveness of Canada's system. And in the final analysis, 40 per cent prefer the Canadian system. The study, released yesterday in the online medical journal Open Medicine, was based on the responses of 310 Americans living in Canada between two and five years, mostly in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. There have been many studies...

LOS ANGELES - More than a year after an elderly hospital patient was found wandering a crime-ridden area in a hospital gown and slippers, the nation's largest HMO agreed in a settlement with the city to changes aimed at ending the dumping of homeless patients on streets. Kaiser Permanente will create new protocols for discharging homeless patients in its chain of hospitals, train staff and allow a retired U.S. district judge to monitor its progress, officials said Tuesday. Carol Ann Reyes, 64, was discharged from Kaiser's Bellflower hospital in March 2006 and dropped off by a taxi outside the Union...

Thousands of Canadian-trained doctors ply their trade in the U.S., study finds Helen Branswell, The Canadian Press via Canada.com, Monday, April 09, 2007 TORONTO -- One in nine trained-in-Canada doctors is practising medicine in the United States, says a study published in Tuesday’s issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. If Canadian-educated doctors who were born in the U.S. are excluded, the number is one in 12 - and the study suggests that luring back some of these Canadian physicians would go a long way towards solving the country’s doctor shortage. While they admit the exodus has abated a...

A task force established by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to draft a plan for dealing with skyrocketing health costs in California is considering calling for repeal of some treatment mandates on health maintenance organizations. Administration aides said the proposal -- which would require approval by the Legislature -- is one of many under consideration as part of the long-awaited plan the Republican governor says he will unveil in his State of the State speech in January. "Right now, the administration is combing through hundreds of ideas and concepts," said Adam Mendelsohn, the governor's communications director. "No idea is in, no idea...

1. A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs - and I was in the wrong one. Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Antonio, TX. 2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. "Big breaths," I instructed. "Yes, they used to be," replied the patient. Submitted by Dr....

It is widely conceded by pundits of varying ideological stripes that America faces a health care crisis. Both liberals and conservatives tout the problem; sadly, few quality solutions are proposed. The greatest problem within this crisis, also admitted widely, is the high cost of health care and health insurance. Liberals set about to “solve” this problem by proposing universal, government-provided health insurance. This, of course, only compounds the problem and does nothing to lower real costs. Presumably liberals feel high costs are a problem when they are borne by citizens as health care consumers, but somehow acceptable when they are...

President Bush's proposed expansion of Health Savings Accounts depends on a premise that research shows is questionable: that Americans want more financial choices in their lives.

California HMOs Send Some Enrollees to Mexico By Sonya Geis Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, November 6, 2005; Page A03 TIJUANA, Mexico -- There are world-class hospitals in San Diego, not far from where Luis Gonzales lives. But when he or a member of his family needs a doctor, they drive 50 miles south to a clinic in Tijuana. The Gonzaleses are members of a Blue Shield of California HMO that provides all of the family's nonemergency care in Mexico. They are among 20,000 California workers and their dependents in health plans that cost 40 to 50 percent less than...

When President George W. Bush, in his second inaugural address, described his vision of an "ownership society," he specified not only the ownership of homes, businesses, and retirement savings, but also that of health insurance. Today, the most visible embodiment of this goal in the health care sector is the health savings account (HSA), which reflects a philosophical shift in emphasis from collective to individual responsibility for the management and financing of care. HSAs form the core of the emerging "consumer-directed" insurance plans, imposing greater cost sharing on enrollees but permitting broader choices than the health maintenance organization (HMO) plans...

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Michael Moore said his next documentary already has HMOs quaking in their boots. Moore has not yet begun shooting the film Sicko but his planned critique of the U.S. health care system, he said, is making "freaked-out" HMOs warn employees what to do if approached by the filmmaker. At this point, we haven't shot anything yet and they're totally discombobulated," Moore said at the inaugural Traverse City Film Festival. Moore, who lives near Traverse City, founded the film festival with local movie buffs to showcase excellent films. Moore described good movies as a bridge across...

"The Schiavo case will probably be the turning point, in our ability to make our case to Americans about the incredible invasiveness of Republicans, when it comes to (citizens) making personal and private decisions," he said. By contrast, the Democrats should be viewed as "the party of individual freedom ... individual and personal responsibility," he said. One problem, however, is that while Dean may speak officially for the Democratic party, he's only one of many players. Sunday, he struggled to explain why so many Senate Democrats barely raised a whimper when the Schiavo intervention bill was sailing through the chamber....

When liberals ask me why they should oppose physician-assisted suicide (PAS), I always reply, "I can summarize a big reason in just three letters: HMO." That always raises an eyebrow. Liberals hate HMOs. Then I ask, "Do you know how much it costs for the drugs used in an assisted suicide?" They usually shake their heads, no. Answering my own question, I say, "About forty bucks," adding, "Since HMOs make money by cutting costs, and it could cost $40,000 (or more) to provide suicidal patients with proper care so that they don't want assisted suicide, the economic force of gravity...

REMEMBER ALL that uproar over the rising cost of medical malpractice insurance? The special session of the Maryland General Assembly four months ago? The emergency bill? The tax on HMO premiums to underwrite malpractice insurance costs? The veto and the veto override? Seems like ancient history now. But here's the peculiar thing: The doctors who were desperate for financial relief from those hefty malpractice insurance bills have gotten no help whatsoever from their insurers or the state. And they've been told not to expect any assistance until July 1 at the earliest. Maryland doctors should be furious about this. Consumers,...

Rising medical costs and the expansion of health benefits for retirees, Guardsmen and Reservists, and their families, are putting a strain on the military health care system, Defense Department health and personnel officials told members of Congress April 21. "Rising health care costs are not unique to the military health system; it's a national concern, and we are struggling with it," Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said in testimony before the personnel subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee. David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, also testified at the...

A momentous article, "Medical Science Under Dictatorship," by Dr. Leo Alexander, the Chief U.S. Medical Consultant at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials, first printed in the July 14, 1949 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, has been reprinted as a monograph, and it could not have been reprinted at a more opportune moment. Today, the concept of managed care, cost containment, and rationing threatens to eradicate the ethics of Hippocrates in medical practice, with the physician less beholden to his individual patient than to the managed care entity which employs him or pays his salary. In fact, many...

Only 27 years ago, congressional Republicans and Democrats agreed that American patients should gently but firmly be forced into managed care. That patients do not know this fact is evidenced by public outrage directed at health maintenance organizations (HMOs) instead of Congress. Although members of Congress have managed to keep the public in the dark by joining in the clamor against HMOs, legislative history puts the responsibility and blame squarely in their collective lap. The proliferation of managed-care organizations (MCOs) in general, and HMOs in particular, resulted from the 1965 enactment of Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the...

"They were there waiting for me when I came back this morning: the sick, the hurt, the scared, the unwise..." "... waiting all night -- for health care..." "...I am the director of the "Fast Track" area of Johns Hopkins Bayview's Emergency Department in Baltimore..." "...Now, like many such facilities across the country, we're often overstuffed with people who simply cannot get care elsewhere..." "...We don't have anyone to whom we can spread the costs of staying open, and we can't afford to expand facilities or personnel..." "...In too many hospitals, people who need inpatient care spend their whole stay...

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Kreme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled. And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that...

Maryland's Democratic legislative leaders vowed yesterday to pay for medical malpractice insurance relief with a tax that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) has previously vetoed, setting the stage for a special legislative session next week that could be neither as quick nor as harmonious as Ehrlich had hoped. Given disagreement over the proposed tax on HMOs and other contentious issues, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said there is a "strong possibility" that the General Assembly could leave town without reaching a deal with Ehrlich. "We're going to try to work with this governor," Miller said. "It's...

It may seem unlikely, given Kaiser's past image as a ham-handed H.M.O., but plenty of others are reaching the same conclusion. High-level visitors from across the political spectrum - the Bush administration and National Health Service of Britain, for example - are coming to California these days to look at Kaiser as an institution that is actually doing some of the things needed to improve health care. Obviously, there is no single model for revamping the nation's costly, disjointed health care system, and Kaiser certainly has its share of problems. But according to economists and medical experts, Kaiser is a...

Rhetoric ANNOUNCER: “Step right up, step right up. Watch the amazing George Bush take three sides of an issue. Gasp as he takes credit for bills he opposed. Gawk in amazement as you listen to George Bush flip-flop on the Patients Bill of Rights.”PRESIDENT BUSH:  “That’s not true, I do support a national Patients’ Bill of Rights. As a matter of fact, I brought Republicans and Democrats together to do just that in the state of Texas, to get a Patients’ Bill of Rights through.”ANNOUNCER:  “The amazing George Bush actually vetoed the Patients’ Bill of Rights. Then it became...

MONDAY, June 21 (HealthDayNews) -- The U.S. Supreme Court handed health insurers a victory Monday by ruling that patients cannot sue them in a state court for malpractice or negligence damages. The justices, in a unanimous decision dealing with both health care and federalism, said that a U.S. law passed 30 years ago trumps various state laws governing patients' rights to sue health plans. While supporters say that limiting lawsuits will save everyone in the long run, critics see the decision as a major blow to patients' rights. "Millions of families... who receive health care from private employers are now...

HMOs Win Supreme Court Malpractice Case 9 minutes ago By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court said Monday that patients who claim their HMOs wouldn't pay for needed medical care cannot sue for big malpractice damages, an issue at the heart of the long debate over efficiency versus service in managed health care. The court was unanimous in saying that two HMO patients in Texas cannot pursue big malpractice or negligence cases against their insurers, as they claimed a Texas patient protection law allowed them to do. The case involves an issue that has stymied Congress,...

In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, green, yellow, and red vegetables of all kinds; so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's and Krispy Kreme. And Satan said, "You want hot fudge with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "I'll have another with sprinkles." And lo they gained 10 pounds. And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the...

A West Miami-Dade man who police say administered a fatal dose of antibiotics to a man seeking treatment for an injured hand was charged Friday with practicing medicine without a license. Anastacio Mongalo, 66, was also charged with selling a legal drug that caused death and possession of a legal drug without a license. Miami-Dade police say the charge could be increased to manslaughter after the medical examiner's office determines the cause of death and finishes a toxicology report. Investigators say that Cipriano Herrera, 41, of Northwest Miami-Dade visited Mongalo's apartment near Sweetwater on Wednesday looking for treatment for a...

For years, health plans have sought to control medical costs by negotiating fees with a group of preferred doctors and requiring patients to pay extra for going outside the network. But some doctors and clinics - eager to help hard-pressed patients or calculating that it can benefit their business - have begun to foil the cost-control efforts by waiving those extra charges. The move by these providers to dispense with collecting what are known as coinsurance payments comes as employers and insurers try to discourage overuse of health care by making patients pay more costs from their own pockets. But...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court said Monday it will settle a fight over patients' legal rights when their HMOs refuse to pay for recommended medical treatment. The case involves an issue that has stymied Congress, which has tried and failed to pass national patients' rights legislation. Some states have their own laws, but the question of where patients can sue and what they can ask for in court still is unresolved. The court's answer could determine whether patients can win large amounts of money if insurers refuse to pay for beneficial or even lifesaving treatment. If the court...

<p>BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is famous for cutting costs everywhere it can. Today a giant target for the world's biggest retailer is the health-care costs of its employees.</p> <p>Wal-Mart makes new hourly workers wait six months to sign up for its benefits plan and doesn't cover retirees at all. Its deductibles range as high as $1,000, triple the norm. It refuses to pay for flu shots, eye exams, child vaccinations, chiropractic services and numerous other treatments allowed by many other companies. In many cases, it won't pay for treatment of pre-existing conditions in the first year of coverage.</p>

There's a joke circulating on the Internet that goes something like this: And God populated the earth with green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long, healthy lives. And Satan created McDonald's. And McDonald's brought forth the 99-cent double cheeseburger. And Satan said to Man, "You want fries with that?" And Man said, "Super-size them." And Man gained pounds. And God created yogurt, healthful and pure. And Satan froze the yogurt and created chocolate fudge and sprinkle toppings. And woman gained pounds. And God brought forth running shoes, and Man resolved to lose those...

"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew." -- Abraham Lincoln My dad, the sole breadwinner in the family, was a union baker. During the 1950s, I was raised in a tenement in New York's Spanish Harlem, and my dad made union scale, which was $4.35 an hour at the time. Even so, we could afford a doctor who made house calls every time my sister or I would...

Having a candid discussion with a liberal at work about what's wrong with health care. After being told that evil HMO's were the big problem, I stated that HMO's (I hate 'em too, btw)) were invented by Ted Kennedy and his crew back in the late 70's. He said, "well, Monster Zero, you've given me something to go look up."

Wars do not win elections. Harry Truman discovered that in 1952 when he was forced to concede a possible re-nomination from his party because of the Korean conflict. Lyndon Johnson suffered humiliation in the run-up to his re-election in 1968 because of the unpopularity of the Vietnam War. Even popular wars like the Gulf War in 1991 did not coat George Bush Sr. in the flag enough to win him re-election the following year. Very often, presidents have been beaten due to unforeseen issues in elections. In 2004 it appears that Democrats will use health care as their dark-horse issue...

By DAVID B. CARUSO Associated Press Writer In a bid to keep disgruntled doctors from walking off the job Wednesday, Gov.-elect Ed Rendell unveiled a proposal to cut physician payments to a state malpractice insurance fund by two-thirds. The plan, released days before scores of doctors said they would stop work rather than continue to pay high insurance premiums, would cut physician contributions to the MCare fund by $220 million. Instead, the state's health insurers would be forced to pay a one-time "special assessment" to finance the fund, which helps pay court damages to patients who have been injured by...

Thieves who broke into a government contractor's office snatched computer hard drives containing Social Security numbers, addresses and other records of about 500,000 members of the military and their families. The company, Phoenix-based TriWest Healthcare Alliance, provides managed health care to the military in 16 states, including Minnesota. It serves about 1.1 million active-duty personnel, their dependents and retirees. TriWest spokesman Jim Kassebaum said Thursday that no one whose records were stolen has reported a fraud related to the Dec. 14 theft. ``There's a potential for identity theft,'' Kassebaum said. ``If you know anything about identity theft, it's a little...

The question of who makes your medical decisions -- a doctor or an insurance company -- lies at the heart of a landmark case before the federal appeals court in Atlanta. The high-stakes legal feud pits hundreds of thousands of doctors against the nation's largest HMOs, with millions of Americans in the middle. In a decision expected any day, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will decide whether to hear an appeal seeking to throw out a class action lawsuit against the HMOs brought by more than 600,000 doctors nationwide. If the court declines to take the case, the...

And God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach and green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. And Satan created McDonald's. And McDonald's brought forth the 99-cent double-cheeseburger. And Satan said to Man, "You want fries with that?" And Man said, "Super size them." And Man gained pounds. And God created the healthful yogurt, that woman might keep her figure that man found so fair. And Satan froze the yogurt, and he brought forth chocolate, nuts and brightly colored sprinkle candy to put on the yogurt. And woman...

Here's another great example of Davis' hypocrisy from the debate: Davis said: "On health care, 1 million children-1 more million children have health insurance today that are the children of working families." In the Cal-Access Database we can see who is accepting money from HMO's... It's Gray Davis

<p>Washington -- The Bush administration formally rolled back on Friday some major protections for the privacy of medical records adopted by President Bill Clinton. But at the same time, it also set new standards for the use of personal data to market prescription drugs and other health care products.</p>

<p>The HMO's experts say it shouldn't pay for what it calls risky, unproven procedure. An Amador County couple whose three youngsters suffer from a fatal genetic disorder have lost the first round of their battle to obtain a costly treatment that could save two of the children.</p>