Grant Funds Focus on Women
The Women's Health Career Development Award is being offered for the first time in 2006 by the Dermatology Foundation. This grant funds research into a range of disorders that primarily affect women, from lupus and scleroderma to the effects of hormones and environmental factors on the skin. The grant provides a $55,000 annual stipend effective July 1, 2006. Applications for the grant are due Oct. 17. The grant is open to both men and women. Details are available online at
Assessing Plastic Surgery
About 85% of participants in a telephone survey who said they had considered plastic surgery reported that the benefits far outweighed the risks, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The results are based on 60 in-depth telephone interviews with individuals actively considering plastic surgery. The researchers also conducted an online survey of 644 individuals who reported actively considering surgery. Interviewees said they thought they could minimize their risks by researching the procedure and the surgeons who specialize in that area. Two-thirds of the interview participants said the potential risks would not deter them from seeking surgery, while one-third said they would need to weigh the risks and benefits carefully. The research was funded by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Walter Reed to Close
Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, which has cared for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and dignitaries for the past 96 years, is slated to close as part of the base realignment and closure process. The medical center was tapped by the Department of Defense to be closed and that recommendation was recently approved by members of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The commission sent its final report to President Bush on Sept. 8. If the president agrees with the recommendations, he will send the entire list to Congress for a vote. Congress must accept or reject the list in full, but cannot amend it. If the closure is approved, most of the staff and services from the army hospital will be combined with services at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and renamed the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Other services will be moved to Fort Belvoir, Va. Closures and realignments must begin within 2 years of congressional approval and must be completed within 6 years, according to the base realignment and closure statute.
Census Finds Rise in Uninsured
The Census Bureau reports that 45.8 million Americans were without health insurance in 2004, up from 45 million in 2003. While the increase is statistically small, it means that "an additional 860,000 Americans live without the safety net of health insurance," J. Edward Hill, M.D., president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement. "As the decrease in employment-based health insurance continues, the AMA renews its call for health insurance solutions that put patients in the driver's seat, along with their physicians," Dr. Hill said. Some of these solutions may include refundable tax credits inversely related to income and individually selected and owned health insurance, he said. In other statistics, the number of people with health insurance increased by 2 million to 245.3 million between 2003 and 2004. Those covered by government health insurance rose from 76.8 million in 2003 to 79 milliondriven by increases in the percentage and number of people covered by Medicaid.
Seniors Split on Drug Benefit
Patients' optimism about Medicare's new prescription drug benefit has improved over the last few months, although beneficiaries remain split on their support, an August poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicated. About one in three (32%) seniors have a favorable impression of the benefit and an equal amount (32%) have a negative one. In April, only one in five (21%) said they had a favorable impression. Comprehension of the benefit has improved: Overall, 37% of seniors now say they understand the new benefit "very" or "somewhat" well, which is up from 29% in April. Six in 10 seniors (60%) say they don't understand the benefit well or at all. The poll represented 1,205 adults 18 years and older, including 300 respondents 65 and older, interviewed by telephone by Princeton Survey Research Associates, on behalf of Kaiser.
Chronic Care Projects Launched
Medicare is launching chronic care pilot projects this year aimed at improving care for people with heart failure and diabetes. The program, called Medicare Health Support, will provide free, voluntary services to about 160,000 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries for 3 years. Participating patients will get access to nurse coaches, reminders about preventive care needs, prescription drug counseling, home visits and intensive care management when needed, and home monitoring equipment to track health status. At press time, eight areas had been selected for the program: Maryland, Oklahoma, Western Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Northwest Georgia, Chicago, Central Florida, and Washington, D.C.