Jun 2007
Challenge to mammography screening before 50.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 Filed in:
Medical
The American College of Physicians
noticed that all those mammograms in younger women may not be a
good idea. This article doesn't mention the downsides like
compression possibly rupturing tumor capsules or high radiation
exposure from mammograms (which increase the risk of breast cancer, particularly in
women at high risk). They did also admit that mammograms cannot prevent most
breast cancer deaths. So, the final recommendation is that women 40-49 should discuss it
with their doctors. If only more doctors knew about alternatives
like thermography.
Thermography web site up!
Sunday, June 03, 2007 Filed in:
Office
After a month of tinkering and slaving
away, I finally have a workable website for Ann Arbor Thermography. Please stop by http://aathermography.com and check it out. There's a
contact page there where you can tell me what you
think. I also have 2 other domain names that point to the same
place: http://a2thermography.com and http://annarborthermography.com. Use whichever is easiest for
you.
BCBS limiting prescriptions?
Sunday, June 03, 2007 Filed in:
Medical
I got the Blue Cross "Physician Update"
the other day and noticed something alarming. In their quest to
reduce expenditures, they are trying to limit what they are
spending on prescriptions. Some of the things they are doing are
reasonable (using generics where reasonable), but one is
disturbing: "Enforcement to Exclude Off-Label Coverage", which
"Helps curb prescription drug misuse."
"Off-label use" means using a drug for something other than what the FDA approved it. Keflex (cephalexin) is an antibiotic that has an approved use (the manufacturer did studies to show a benefit for) bacterial infections. There is a common off-label use for preventing bacterial cardiac infections in people who could get them from dental procedures (it is used for this in people who are allergic to penicillin, the usual medication for this).
In addition to the incredibly common off-label prescribing all physicians do, alternative doctors are prone to use things for off-label uses that aren't so common: Omacor (fish oil) for reducing joint pain, Clomid (clomiphene) for increasing low testosterone in men, low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as an immune stimulant in all kinds of diseases (MS, pancreatic cancer, rheumatoid arthritis...), etc. Indeed, it is the innovative use of current medications that drives progress and benefits patients without increasing costs.
Now BCBS seems to be saying that they will know better then the doctor what is appropriate for the patient. Maybe they are the ones practicing medicine without a license?
If you combine this with their threatening to take me off their PPO for "over-utilizing" (spending more than the average 6-15 min appt with patients and getting thorough testing on people), they're not my favorite insurance company right now.
"Off-label use" means using a drug for something other than what the FDA approved it. Keflex (cephalexin) is an antibiotic that has an approved use (the manufacturer did studies to show a benefit for) bacterial infections. There is a common off-label use for preventing bacterial cardiac infections in people who could get them from dental procedures (it is used for this in people who are allergic to penicillin, the usual medication for this).
In addition to the incredibly common off-label prescribing all physicians do, alternative doctors are prone to use things for off-label uses that aren't so common: Omacor (fish oil) for reducing joint pain, Clomid (clomiphene) for increasing low testosterone in men, low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as an immune stimulant in all kinds of diseases (MS, pancreatic cancer, rheumatoid arthritis...), etc. Indeed, it is the innovative use of current medications that drives progress and benefits patients without increasing costs.
Now BCBS seems to be saying that they will know better then the doctor what is appropriate for the patient. Maybe they are the ones practicing medicine without a license?
If you combine this with their threatening to take me off their PPO for "over-utilizing" (spending more than the average 6-15 min appt with patients and getting thorough testing on people), they're not my favorite insurance company right now.
