| Managed Care Experts, American Pharmacist Association, Prilosec ...
CINCINNATI, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As Medicare Part D enters its second year, Medicare experts have come together to develop a program to help seniors avoid the coverage gap -- the point at which Medicare stops paying for any portion of prescription medications and patients have to pay 100 percent of the medication costs out-of-pocket. In 2006, an estimated four million seniors fell into this gap, and many of them were caught off guard as they simply were not aware that the gap even existed. "While there is information out there about Medicare Part D, it's not always easy to understand or decipher," said Dr. Timothy Covington, professor and Director of the Managed Care Institute at the McWorter School of Pharmacy at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and co-author of the program's materials.
Obesity-surgery bill is pulled for lack of support
The 23-year-old Midvale woman, who now weighs 150 pounds, implored legislators Wednesday to pass a bill requiring insurance companies to cover the surgery for morbidly obese Utahns. Before her operation, she endured sleep apnea, acid reflux, a diseased gall bladder and joint pain.
"Without this tool, I would not be alive today," she said.
But people rallying for the legislation will have to wait until next year.
Sensing the bill would fail to garner enough support, Rep. Steve Mascaro, R-West Jordan, asked a House committee to send his bill back for study this summer. The panel agreed.
Salt Lake City surgeon Steven Simper said the gastric bypass procedures cost less than treating heart attacks, strokes and other health problems related to obesity.
When good burps go bad
It's totally freaky, but if you always thought heartburn was just heartburn, you may be in for a surprise. Most of the time it is, but for some folks it's really gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a really annoying condition that can potentially lead to other scary illnesses like asthma, lung infection, inflammation of the esophagus and even cancer. GERD is caused by the reflux of stomach contents back into the esophagus, and when those are high in acid it becomes a more serious problem. Once you get GERD, many say, it usually becomes a lifelong problem, meaning you will need treatment for the rest of your life. Is that so? .
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