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Health Care Reform Provisions Kick In
Washington, DC — Several provisions of health care reform went into effect on September 23, 2010, six months after it was signed into law. Insurance companies are now banned from dropping coverage when an enrollee gets sick, are prohibited from denying coverage to children younger than 19 years who have pre-existing conditions, cannot impose lifetime benefit limits, and must offer free preventive services such as mammograms and flu shots. Parents will also be able to insure their adult children up to age 26, and patients will be able to designate a pediatrician or an OB-GYN as their primary care doctor. Some mandates apply only to new plans, and many people who are insured through employee health plans will not notice immediate changes. |
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Survey Reveals Poor Insulin Adherence
Stockholm, Sweden — According to an international survey, more than one in three patients with diabetes fail to take their insulin as prescribed. The Global Attitudes of Patients and Physicians in Insulin Therapy (GAPP) survey, which was funded by Novo Nordisk, was conducted in eight countries with 2,780 respondents (1,250 physicians and 1,530 patients). It was designed to uncover the challenges patients and physicians are facing in obtaining effective outcomes in insulin therapy. The survey revealed that busy lifestyles, difficulty in adhering to prescribed regimens, and fear of hypoglycemia are key contributing factors to poor glycemic control. It also found that 67% of patients feel that diabetes has controlled their lives since starting insulin, while a third of physicians are dissatisfied with the ability of current regimens to fit into patients' lifestyles. |
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Vaccination of Children Remains High
Atlanta, GA — The CDC reports that immunization of children age 19 to 35 months against most vaccine-preventable diseases remains high in the United States. Vaccine coverage against poliovirus, varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and rubella remained relatively stable and near or above the national Healthy People 2010 goal of 90% or higher. In fact, despite reports of measles outbreaks in 2008, only less than 1% of young children receive no vaccinations at all. "While it's encouraging to see immunization rates remaining high, we know that parents have questions about vaccines and we must continue to educate parents about the importance of vaccination to help avoid future resurgences in serious, preventable illnesses," said Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. |
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