The Genetic Information NonDiscrimination Act (GINA) will take effect this weekend. It shields employees from genetic testing requested by employers and group health insurers. Historically, employers and their health insurers have used genetic testing as a means of “weeding out” those with “bad genes,” whether by disputing coverage or cleverly drafting policies to exclude coverage [...]
Nov
16
2009
16
2009
Sep
28
2009
28
2009
74 Lawsuits Allege Serious Injuries From Bayer Drug’s Yaz & Yasmin Birth Control Pills
Bayer, the U.S.’s leading manufacturer of birth control pills, sold Yaz and Yasmin to millions of women, some of whom have experienced heart attacks, blood clots and strokes. These women have filed individual lawsuits around the nation, claiming that the pills caused such harm.
While blood clots are a known side-effect of oral contraceptives, the severity [...]
Sep
25
2009
25
2009
Sep
24
2009
24
2009
Advances in Treating Fibromyalgia
Some clients suffer from fibromyalgia, starting before they retained me to represent them on their personal injury claim (car accident, slip and fall, on-the-job injury, etc). Fibromyalgia, with its unknown origin, is prevalent among men and women later in life. Symptoms consist of varying degrees of body and joint pain and tenderness. Fibromyalgia continues to [...]
Sep
22
2009
22
2009
Food & Drug Administration Seeks Public Opinion – Online Marketing
In a release today on National Public Radio (NPR), the FDA announces that it seeks public input on how to regulate company’s marketing and online advertising of FDA approved products.
A lack of regulation has led to false, deceptive and misleading ads that pose a potential harm to consumers. Earlier this year, a host of pharmaceutical [...]
Sep
17
2009
17
2009
Insurance Bad Faith – recover $$ from your insurer for dropping you
An insurance company owes its insured a duty of acting in good faith and fair dealing. In other words, the insurer must act reasonably in processing and paying your insurance claims. This contractual relation is why you pay your insurer steep monthly insurance premiums – to be covered in times of need.
In South Carolina, an [...]
Sep
8
2009
8
2009
Insured & Bankrupt – NYTimes article
According to Harvard Medical School Professor, Dr. David Himmelstein, 62% of the 1.4-1.5 million bankruptcy filings in the U.S. are due to burdensome medical bills. 3/4 of the 62% had medical insurance.
Sep
1
2009
1
2009
New Federal Law Safeguards Patient Privacy In Health Care Offices Going Green
With the green movement fully underway and technology continually evolving each month, health care providers are systematically changing how they create, maintain and store patient information by going paperless. With any transition or upgrade in technology, comes ease, efficiency and some glitches. Fortunately, federal law was passed that further protects patient privacy in offices that [...]
Aug
23
2009
23
2009
Group Health Cooperative: more affordable than national health care?
Obama’s proposed national, public health care plan has received such fierce opposition, that it has now turned to private cooperatives, like Group Health, to maintain competitive rates against private insurers.
Group Health Cooperative, like other cooperatives, offer its members both insurance and health care services. This system is better known as a health maintenance organization [...]
Aug
22
2009
22
2009
Doctors’ Duty to Patients – Emotional Counselor or Simply a TroubleShooter?
NPR has a story exploring the role of US doctors.
In the midst of health care reform debate – it’s asked: what role do doctors have in caring for their patients? What level of burden shall be placed upon patients when reporting their ailments to their doctor? The answers may determine the doctor’s form of compensation…
