The manufacturer of oxycontin agreed to pay $20 million in penalties for encouraging docs to prescribe the drug more often than approved by the FDA.
And that’s just for starters.
May
16
Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
May
16
Richard Eskow of Sentinel Effect reports on the latest revelations about a bit of book-cooking at the VA. Seems the VA has been a bit, or perhaps more than a bit, overly positive about its record.
More troubling than boosterism is the allegation that the VA selectively reported results, and even fabricated conclusions to make the system appear better than it actually is.
As a fan of the VA, I’m concerned about two things.
May
15
Workers comp financials are getting better and better, although more and more that’s due to California.
May
11
I’m on a brief vacation mountain biking in Moab, Utah. A gorgeous place, great people, great riding. And upon return from a long and tiring but very fun ride this am, I open up the latest from Fierce Healthcare to read reports about not one, but two reimbursement scams and one piece on docs who don’t disclose when they make mistakes.
That just crushed the hard-earned buzz.
May
10
The folks over at Fierce Healthcare have posted their Hospital Innovation Awards. These aren’t the standard JCAHO-type plaques, but rather focus on creativity and novel solutions to common problems.
May
9
I’ve been engaged in a rather acrimonious email exchange with a gentleman who was upset that I edited one of his comments. To clarify, here is the comment policy for MCM (and the idea that I actually need to have a “policy” makes me crazy).
May
8
The press is reminding us on a daily basis of the problems inherent in a health insurance system based on private insurers. And it’s not like the media has to go searching very far for examples of egregious misconduct.
And I’m an advocate of private health insurance.
May
7
I met with quite a few managed care execs at RIMS, as well as several network vendors. There’s a disconnect between the two groups.
May
4
Hank Stern, veteran HWR host and erudite observer of all things health insurance and policy related hosts this biweekly edition of Health Wonk Review.
Here’s to Hank!
May
4
Actiq has hit the big-time.
Newsweek’s latest edition will feature an article on the off-label prescribing of the highly potent narcotic lollypop, an article noting that as much as 80% of scripts for Actiq are for off-label use.
Sources indicate this was brought to the reporter’s attention by an unusual source – the risk management department of The Washington Post, Newsweek’s sister publication, noticed a high incidence of Actiq scripts among its workers comp patients, and started digging into the issue.
