Once-a-day HIV pills that combine multiple medicines, such as Truvada, are easier to take, but they can be more expensive than pills that contain only one active ingredient. The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from discriminating against people with serious illnesses, but some marketplace plans sidestep that taboo by making the drugs that people with […]
Category: Personal
Bernie Sanders Continues Assault on Big Pharma
WASHINGTON – Two top lawmakers on Thursday demanded information from a drug company that has raised prices on a leukemia drug, calling increases of tens of thousands of dollars a sign the company puts profits before patients. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government […]
Wells Fargo Criminal Investigation Underway
Wells Fargo is under criminal investigation for identity theft by the state of California, the latest fallout from its fake account scandal. California Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a warrant that there is probable cause to think the San Francisco-based bank committed felonies including identity theft and false impersonation. Wells Fargo has drawn the […]
Historically Low Raise to Social Security to Take Effect
Millions of Social Security recipients and federal retirees will get a 0.3 percent increase in monthly benefits next year, the fifth year in a row that older Americans will have to settle for historically low raises. The adjustment adds up to a monthly increase of less than $4 a month for an average recipient. The […]
As Flint Suffers, Big Pharma Hikes Lead Poison Drug Price By 2,700%
Outrage is growing this week amid revelations that the pharmaceutical company Valeant raised the price for its critical lead-poisoning treatment by more than 2,700 percent in a single year. Before Valeant took control of the medication, known as Calcium EDTA, in 2013, the average price for a package of vials was stable at $950, the […]
Major Autism Research Foundation No Longer Seeking Cure
For the first time, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization has revamped its agenda and one notable objective is no more. Autism Speaks’ board of directors voted in late September to modify the organization’s mission statement, marking the first such change since the nonprofit was established in 2005. The new iteration is shorter and strikes […]
Does New Plant Based Burger Taste Like the Real Thing?
Our nation’s obsession with red meat takes a large toll on the environment and our health, but Beyond Meat—the company behind the 100 percent vegan, plant-based Beyond Burger—wants to change all that. It introduced a savory patty made strictly from plants that it claims looks, cooks, and tastes like red meat. Its ultimate goal: To […]
Some doctors no longer recommending weight loss
Several years ago, I was meeting a young woman in my clinic for the first time. She was healthy but had been obese most of her adult life, even though she had tried many methods of losing weight. We spoke for a few minutes about diet and exercise, and she agreed to see the nutritionist. […]
Zika spreading to new areas
Public health officials in Florida have identified a new area in Miami-Dade County where the Zika virus is being spread by mosquitoes, according to a report by the Florida Department of Health. In total, five people — three people living in the area and two who either visited or worked in the area — are […]
Siamese Twins conjoined at head, successfully seperated
Two formerly conjoined twins are recovering after undergoing a lengthy surgery that separated them. Jadon and Anias McDonald underwent a rare surgery at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City on Thursday that lasted more than 20 hours as doctors carefully separated the boys, according to the hospital’s Facebook page. Anias is still being operated […]
Oregon votes on marijuana expansion
Last year, Golden Leaf Holdings, a leading cannabis company, paid $3.3 million for almost 100 acres of land in Oregon to build a marijuana growing, processing and research site. The future looked bright: Oregon voters had legalized recreational marijuana in 2014. But Measure 91 gave counties and towns the opportunity to opt out and ban […]
Police demanding boycott of Ben and Jerry’s due to Black Lives Matter support
Blue Lives Matter, a group of active and retired law enforcement officials, issued a statement on Monday demanding all Americans boycott Ben & Jerry’s after the ice cream maker announced its public support of Black Lives Matter last week. “Ben & Jerry’s went beyond making a statement in support of civil rights when they actively […]