Did you see the news this week that the two major personal DNA analysis companies, 23andMe and Navigenics, got licensed in California? What a brouhaha it's been--regulators issuing cease-and-desist letters, apparently aiming to protect consumers from sham operators in this nascent industry.  read more »

Is there any personal concern that people may confront that Gov. Rod Blagojevich won't seek to "remedy" through sleight of hand legislation?

The Illinois Senate earlier this week approved a measure paving the way for parents to keep their children on their health insurance policies until they turn 26 — the age limit is raised to 30 if the child is in the military (which is funny, because I'd think someone serving in the military would be covered by the federal government).  read more »

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the state's largest health insurer, soon will no longer administer claims and provide customer service to employees of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, losing the business to another Blue Cross plan in Arkansas.  read more »

Amanda Lappin who was just featured in the Orange County Register on Saturday (front page). She is in need of pancreas and kidney, was 1st on the donor list when her insurance dropped her. I don't know the details, but here is the link.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/amanda-lauren-transplant-2126601-sister-life

We are looking for ways to get the word out so that the insurance company will take responsibility for the transplant.  read more »

August 2008

Incensed Over Incentives
By Leslie K. Paige

The housing bailout bill that President Bush signed on July 23, 2008, H.R. 3221, is a $300 billion handout to home builders, mortgage companies who made bad loans and borrowers who took loans for homes they could not afford. It turns out that there were other nasty surprises tucked into the bill as well.  read more »

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Jonathan Oberlander, Ph.D. has written an excellent review of the candidates plans for healthcare reform in the recent New England Journal of Medicine.  The article includes a comprehensive summary of both candidate's  key elements for health care reform.  His main criticism of the McCain plan is

" its reliance on the individual insurance market."  read more »

Earlier this year, after being recurrently (and then constantly) sick, I went under the knife. Adios, gallbladder. Though all went more or less smoothly, this was my first experience with major surgery--and how much it costs.  read more »

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Monday NOCA was forced to cutback on its workforce. They had to layoff 15 workers as well as take one NOCA ambulance out of service. If you have a public service scanner then you know that with that one ambulance out of service NOCA if forced to call other ambulances (i.e. Menter, SOVAC or McFee) and puts others at risk as well. Now, in 2005 I had you use the ambulance and I was drove 30 miles to a hospital and it cost $800.00, now thats outrageous and it doesnt cost that much in gas for services.