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Minister Brady Announces Publication Of 2008 Annual Report Of The Alcohol Marketing Communications Monitoring Body, Ireland
Ms Aine Brady T.D. Minister for Older People and Health Promotion, announced the publication of the 2008 Annual Report from the Alcohol Marketing Communications Monitoring Body (AMCMB). The AMCMB was established to monitor the level of adherence by advertisers and media owners to the Codes of Practice on Alcohol Marketing, Communications and Sponsorship. The AMCMB has concluded that there continues to be overall compliance with the Codes.

Half A Million People In The UK Have Undiagnosed Coeliac Disease
Half a million people in the UK have undiagnosed coeliac disease
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Potential Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor May Face Criticism For Comments On Gender, Ethnicity
Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor -- whose is considered to be "near the top" of President Obama"s list of potential Supreme Court nominees to replace retiring Justice David Souter -- could face criticism over a 2001 speech in which she stated that a judge"s ethnicity and gender "may and will make a difference in our judging," the New York Times reports. According to the Times, Republicans have indicated that "they intend to put the eventual nominee under a microscope," and they have expressed concern that Obama"s emphasis on judicial "empathy" suggests that he is seeking a judge who will promote liberal ideology. Some conservative commentators also have branded Sotomayor a "judicial activist" because of her remarks during a 2005 panel discussion for law students, when she said that a "court of appeals is where policy is made." However, Sotomayor also said that she is "not promoting" and "not advocating" that idea.In her 2001 speech, delivered at the Judge Mario G. Olmos Law and Cultural Diversity Lecture at the University of California-Berkeley, Sotomayor questioned the notion that male and female judges would reach similar conclusions when deciding cases, though she also "sounded many cautionary notes," the Times reports. Sotomayor said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life." Sotomayor also said that the increasing diversity in federal courts "will have an effect on the development of the law and on judging." She said that being a woman or a minority can affect a judge"s perspective because of "experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences."However, Sotomayor also said that women and minority groups do not all share a universal perspective and that she was not referring to any specific case. Although she said that she strives to question her own "opinions, sympathies and prejudices," and aspired to impartiality, she also asked whether achieving impartiality is "possible in all, or even in most, cases." Sotomayor said, "I wonder whether by ignoring our differences as women or men of color we do a disservice to both the law and society?" She added, "Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see." Charles Ogletree, a Harvard Law School professor and adviser to Obama, said Sotomayor"s remarks were appropriate because it is "obvious that people"s life experiences will inform their judgments in life as lawyers and judges" (Savage, New York Times, 5/15).
Nutrition

Senate Bill To Protect Patients' Healthcare By Amending Medicare Coverage

The U.S. Senate has introduced a bill, S. 1221, "The Medicare Prompt Pay Correction Act," a companion bill to H.R. 1392, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and currently has 45 co-sponsors. The Senate bill was introduced by Senators Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Pat Roberts (R-KS). The bill is a step forward in addressing problems with Medicare reimbursement for cancer drugs and in alleviating a national problem affecting the delivery of cancer care treatment to patients, almost all of whom are treated in community oncology clinics close to their homes. "Community cancer clinics play a critical role in our nation"s fight against cancer, especially in rural areas where families do not have access to larger centers," said U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA). "I am pleased to introduce this legislation which will help ensure access for Medicare beneficiaries" to potentially life-saving cancer treatments." This bill will amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure more appropriate payment amounts for drugs and biologicals under Part B of the Medicare Program. It excludes customary prompt pay discounts extended to wholesalers from the manufacturer"s Average Sales Price (ASP). These discounts artificially reduce Medicare Part B drug reimbursement rates for community oncology clinics, jeopardizing the viability of these providers and thus endangering patient access to affordable, quality cancer care in their communities. Excluding distributor prompt pay discounts from the ASP methodology is consistent with existing policy and will create greater uniformity among federal healthcare programs. The Medicaid Average Manufacturer Price (AMP) methodology already excludes these terms. This legislation is an effort to improve the delivery of cancer care treatment to patients. Cancer care must be understood as different from general healthcare in that it is catastrophic in its threat to life, its potency of treatment and its cost. The cancer care delivery system is now in first-stage crisis because Medicare has substantially cut payment for cancer drugs and essential services. Almost all Americans are currently treated in community cancer clinics, many of which have had to cut staff and close satellite facilities. Patients with insufficient or no insurance, especially seniors and the swelling ranks of the unemployed, are increasingly being sent elsewhere for treatment and some patients are actually foregoing treatment. "Especially during these tough economic times, millions of patients should not have to opt-out of quality cancer treatment because they can"t afford it," said U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS). The problem not only centers on payments for cancer drugs, but also on essential services provided to cancer patients, such as treatment planning, which are not reimbursed by Medicare. The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) has aggressively advocated for the prompt pay solution. "We appreciate the leadership of Senator Specter, who has long supported cancer care funding issues, and Senator Roberts for cosponsoring this important legislation," said Patrick Cobb, M.D., president of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and managing partner of Hematology-Oncology Centers of the Northern Rockies in Billings, Montana. "This bipartisan bill is a welcomed and needed first step in supporting community cancer clinics," he continued. "The passage of these congressional bills will enable community oncology clinics to continue providing patients with cancer care treatments currently not properly reimbursed by Medicare." About Community Oncology Alliance (COA) COA is a non-profit organization dedicated solely to community oncology. COA was founded by community oncology to advocate for patients and providers in the community oncology setting, where 84 percent of Americans with cancer are treated. In only six years of existence, COA has mobilized community oncology to become more politically active, and increased awareness on Capitol Hill about the community cancer care delivery system. Additionally, COA has brought together community oncology practices from across the country to share information in order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the cancer care they provide to their patients. Currently, COA is working with the Congress in proving proactive solutions designed to protect the viability of the nation"s cancer care delivery system and patients" access to quality, affordable cancer care. The cancer death rate in the U.S. has declined due to earlier detection, the quality of treatment, and the accessibility of cancer care. However, according to the American Cancer Society, men still have an approximately one in two lifetime risk of developing cancer, with a risk of one in three for women. Community Oncology Alliance


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