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Romanian authorities arrested two Israeli fertility doctors under investigation in Bucharest, Israeli Consul in Romania Lili Ben Harush announced on Tuesday evening. It was not immediately known why Prof. Nathan Levitt and Dr. Genya Ziskind were arrested, but it was assumed to be after an alleged attempt to escape the country and obstruct the local investigation into the suspected illegal activities of the Sabyc fertility clinic. Levitt and Ziskind were among the 30 people arrested in Bucharest last Monday on suspicion of paying Romanian women for donating their eggs to the Israel-owned Sabyc fertility clinic, some of whom, according to...

Treating people equally 1. Lottery Hard to corrupt; little information about recipients needed, Ignores other relevant principles Military draft; schools; vaccination Include 2. First-come, first-served Protects existing doctor-patient relationships; little information about recipients needed, Favours wealthy, powerful, and well-connected; ignores other relevant principles ICU beds; part of organ allocation Exclude Favouring the worst-off : prioritarianism 3. Sickest first Aids those who are suffering right now; appeals to “rule of rescue”; makes sense in temporary scarcity; proxy for being worst off overall, Surreptitious use of prognosis; ignores needs of those who will become sick in future; might falsely assume temporary scarcity;...

According to the AMA, in many communities around the United States, there is a physician shortage, which presents a serious health care problem. For a host of reasons, more than twenty million people are affected by the inability to access quality medical services. While the premise of a popular television show, “Northern Exposure,” alluded to this very predicament some time ago, most viewers were likelier caught up in the relationships between the quirky inhabitants of Cicely, Alaska instead of pondering the very real implications for those without access to a qualified doctor.1 Similar to the circumstances in which the main...

Health Reform: If Democrats in Washington think their health care reform with a public option is a good thing, why have they exempted themselves from it? Why isn't what's good for their constituents good for them?During ABC's June 24 infomercial for government-run health care broadcast from the White House, President Obama was asked if he and his family would abide by the restrictions and limitations that came with his proposed reforms. In what Ed Morrissey at HotAir.com called "Obama's Michael Dukakis moment," President Obama refused to make such a pledge and confessed that if "it's my family member, if it's...

If the House of Representatives passes the health-care bill approved by the Ways and Means and Education committees, midwives--who sometimes deliver babies in place of doctors--will receive the same level of government reimbursement as obstetricians. Section 1304 of the Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200) would raise government Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for certified nurse midwives to the same level as the reimbursement for doctors who perform the same services. Under current law, midwives only receive 65 percent of what a doctor receives for equal services. Originally introduced in February as the “Midwifery Care Access and Reimbursement Act...

As I write this the polls are not yet in on how many Americans actually watched President Obama’s press conference on Wednesday night or if the 55-minute exercise helped sell his ideas for health care overhaul. But there’s one group he clearly didn’t help himself with: America’s hardworking, generally honest, generally top-notch doctors. Already radio talk shows like Bill Bennett’s “Morning in America” report being deluged by calls from doctors who are furious about what they heard. And who can blame them? The president used incredibly condescending language, implying over and over again that there is waste in the system,...

RUSH: No, no, no, my point is not to say Obama was wrong when he said doctors take out tonsillectomy -- take out tonsils for profit. Not wrong. Didn't make a mistake. He was on the attack. To him, the villains in health care are insurance companies and doctors. And he's out to destroy 'em. Like he's destroying your job market. ............. RUSH: I want to tell you what he was trying to do with that comment. For the president of the United States to accuse pediatricians of looking at a fee reimbursement chart and seeing that a tonsillectomy pays...

"Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that's out there. ... The doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, 'You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid's tonsils out,'" Obama told a prime-time news conference. The president added: "Now, that may be the right thing to do, but I'd rather have that doctor making those decisions just based on whether you really need your kid's tonsils out or whether it might make more sense just to change — maybe...

Washingtonosis(n): a disease most often found in people working within three miles of the U.S. Capitol building...Symptoms include an overwhelming desire to associate and be seen with those in power or those perceived to have power and/or fame. Those infected tend to lose judgment, values, principles and sense of honesty as well as common sense. Last week, officials of the American Medical Association (AMA) revealed that they had caught the disease. They endorsed the House version of the health care bill even though it would reduce the incomes of many of their members, restrict their freedom to practice medicine as...

The AMA and new President James Rohack sold out its members and its patients with their recent support for ObamaCare. Today the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons called them on it. Boy are they ticked, and who can blame them. This was a bargaining ploy all along.

Doctors move to Panama from the states and abroad so they can truly practice medicine. Many of the doctors you find in Panama will have been top specialists who got tired of the bureaucracy and restrictions on their ability to truly offer the best care to their patients because they were always having to think about insurance and mal-practice law suits. As a result you can get the best medical care in the world in Panama. Every specialist you can imagine is here, and many new aspects of medicine are being offered here. for example the Stem Cell Institute of...

HOUSTON—Two Houston area doctors have been charged by criminal complaint for operating their pain management clinic as a pill mill, United States Attorney Tim Johnson, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, FBI acting Special Agent in Charge Russel Robinson, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Zoran B. Yankovich and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Prekker announced today. Dr. Arun Sharma and his wife, Dr. Kiran Sharma, M.D., both 54, are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to unlawfully dispense and distribute...

Years Pass, but Brooke Greenberg Remains a Toddler. No One Can Explain How or Why.Brooke Greenberg is the size of an infant, with the mental capacity of a toddler. She turned 16 in January. "Why doesn't she age?" Howard Greenberg, 52, asked of his daughter. "Is she the fountain of youth?" Such questions are why scientists are fascinated by Brooke. Among the many documented instances of children who fail to grow or develop in some way, Brooke's case may be unique, according to her doctor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine pediatrician Lawrence Pakula, in Baltimore.

I just received this in my email I love this Doctor Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap. Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a...

WASHINGTON — As the health care debate heats up, the American Medical Association is letting Congress know that it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake the health care system.

David Plouffe, a key player in Barack Obama’s successful campaign for the presidency, cautioned American voters to be wary of right-wing arguments against the President’s proposed health care legislation. “Their contention that a government-run health care plan will infringe on free choice is a false argument,” Plouffe asserted. “As the President himself so astutely put it, the average American is ill-prepared to make informed health care choices. An uninformed choice is no choice at all. Attempts to secure this worthless option shouldn’t be allowed to stand in the way of universal and comprehensive coverage.” “Doctors and government have the expertise...

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s Surgeon General, Maj. Gen. Samir, welcomed Iraq’s military physicians for a two-day medical conference at the MoD’s headquarters here, May 4. The theme of the two-day gathering was, “working together for advanced military medical services.” The conference covered the achievements of the past year and looked forward to the future of Iraq’s military medical professionals. The doctors discussed many challenges facing the military medical corps, including quality control on medications, allocation of supplies, developing a standard medical history form and recruiting new doctors. “We need more doctors and nurses,” Dr. Samir said. The...

Doctors and hospitals would see big changes in how they're paid and what they're expected to do under proposals lawmakers will consider Wednesday as they narrow options for health care legislation. Senators on the Finance Committee will meet behind closed doors to review policy options aimed at making medical providers more accountable for the quality of care. Right now, providers are mainly paid for the number of services they perform, from office visits to tests and procedures. Changes are also in the works for private insurance plans that serve seniors on Medicare, as well as nursing homes, home health agencies...

WASHINGTON — Obama administration officials, alarmed at doctor shortages, are looking for ways to increase the supply of physicians to meet the needs of an aging population and millions of uninsured people who would gain coverage under legislation championed by the president. The officials said they were particularly concerned about shortages of primary care providers who are the main source of health care for most Americans. One proposal — to increase Medicare payments to general practitioners, at the expense of high-paid specialists — has touched off a lobbying fight.

Here's something that has gotten lost in the drive to institute universal health insurance: Health insurance doesn't automatically lead to health care. And with more iand more doctors dropping out of one insurance plan or another, especially government plans, there is no guarantee that you will be able to see a physician no matter what coverage you have. Consider that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reported that 28% of Medicare beneficiaries looking for a primary care physician had trouble finding one, up from 24% the year before. The reasons are clear: A 2008 survey by the Texas Medical Association, for...

Washington, DC -- The Senate on Thursday night rejected an amendment from a pro-life senator that would have provided conscience protection on abortion for doctors and medical centers. The amendment comes at a time when President Barack Obama is considering overturning further protections.

... Many people, just as they become eligible for Medicare, discover that the insurance rug has been pulled out from under them. Some doctors — often internists but also gastroenterologists, gynecologists, psychiatrists and other specialists — are no longer accepting Medicare, either because they have opted out of the insurance system or they are not accepting new patients with Medicare coverage. The doctors’ reasons: reimbursement rates are too low and paperwork too much of a hassle. When shopping for a doctor, ask if he or she is enrolled with Medicare. If the answer is no, that doctor has opted out...

Doctors 'prescribed drugs for dead' Some 100 Sicilian GPs accused of swindling state (ANSA) - Trapani, March 18 - Some 100 doctors in this Sicilian city are suspected of prescribing drugs for dead people and pocketing the money. The general practitioners allegedly wrote prescriptions for people who had died as long as nine years previously, according to tax police. The GPs are accused of embezzling some 50,000 euros from the Italian state. Tax police busted the scam after comparing parent IDs with some 30,000 suspect prescriptions issued between 2004 and 2007. They focused on elderly patients using expensive drugs and...

A little boy looks up after receiving a toy car at the Abbas Hospital March 12. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson. FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — In an effort to provide sustainable health projects in the Wasit province and maintain a clear line of communication, local Iraqi doctors met with the medical team from the 41st Fires Brigade at the Al Abbas Hospital March 12. The visit was part of Operation Gunner Med, a joint medical civil-military operation between the Wasit Director General of Health and the 41st Fires Brigade, designed to restore the medical capacity in Wasit...

In the maddened times, reason disappears, and old scores are ripe to be settled by those who live for such opportunities. But sometimes the mad overreach, and an outcry from others who will not accept further madness... can made a pivotal difference. An organization is quietly under assault, perhaps one that you've never heard of- AAPLOG. They are a group of physicians who insist that the right to disagree was never reserved for liberals alone. The email speaks for itself..... ************************************** ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Donna Harrison Date: Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 9:02 AM Subject: A brief chance...

FOB DELTA — Iraqi doctors at the Karama Hospital in Kut discussed surgery procedures and techniques with members of the 848th Forward Surgical Team, March 5. The visit was part of ‘Operation Gunner Med,’ a joint medical civil-military operation between the Wasit director general of health and the U.S. doctors from the 41st Fires Brigade, designed to restore medical capabilities in Wasit and bring medical care up to the regional health care standard. Five different Iraqi doctors presented their cases to the U.S. team, sharing how they conducted their surgeries and discussed the issues they face at the hospital. “Our...

Washington, DC -- President Barack Obama has taken the next step to remove the new protections the Bush administration put in place to protect pro-life medical centers and staff who do not want to do abortions. The protections provided better enforcement for existing conscience laws for medical professionals. The Bush administration put the protections in place after learning that medical centers and staff were facing increasing pressure to be involved in abortions despite three federal laws prohibiting such discrimination. Obama officials had told media outlets that the president wanted to merely clarify the existing rules, but the administration published in...

Washington, DC -- The White House quietly announced on Friday that President Barack Obama is starting the process of overturning protections President Bush put in place to make sure medical staff and centers are not forced to do abortions. The move is the latest that will add to Obama's growing pro-abortion record. Existing federal laws already make it so doctors and hospitals are not required to perform abortions. Because those laws aren't always followed, the Bush administration added additional protections. Now, the Obama administration is Starting the process to remove them.

Covertly slipped into GL Obama’s faux “stimulus bill” last weekend—by leftist Democrats—was the Socialist Universal Healthcare program. Contained within the bill is the provision that doctors will now be forced to report any and all of their patient treatments to the federal government for approval to treat. Also contained within this portion of Obama’s non-stimulus bill is the rationing of healthcare services to senior US citizens and the withholding of potentially life-saving measures. As Democrat Tom Daschle wrote in his book “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis” senior citizens “should be more accepting of the conditions that...

Buried in the bowels of the stimulus plan the Senate passed Tuesday are key healthcare provisions that will set America on the road to socialized medicine, involve the government in your choice of a doctor, and inevitably trigger another funding crisis that will be used to justify still greater federal intervention in America’s healthcare industry, experts tell Newsmax. Among the most controversial parts of the bill are new federal guidelines that will require the government, rather than a doctor, to decide whether a patient should get medical care. Ironically, the stimulus bill that will cost more than $1 trillion will...

TIKRIT — It seemed like a normal Tuesday morning for the Iraqi doctors and nurses of Tikrit Teaching Hospital as they filed into the conference room recently for their weekly senior physician case study presentations. It did not take long for them to realize something was different when an American doctor stood up and began teaching on pediatric complications. “I was very surprised,” said Dr. Muran, the senior chief of internal medicine. “I did not know anything about U.S. Army doctors coming today. [This is] a very good opportunity for us!” Lt. Col. Lance Cordoni, the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat...

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond (right), commanding general of 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad, artist Laith Fattah al-Turk (center), a renowned local artist, and Dr. Muayad Muslin Hamid al-Jaburri (left), an Iraqi cardiologist and humanitarian, unveil a gold eagle-head statue in front of division headquarters on Camp Liberty, Feb. 5. Photo by Sgt. DaleAnne Maxwell, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. CAMP LIBERTY — A new symbol of freedom and appreciation now greets Soldiers and visitors to the headquarters of Multi-National Division – Baghdad, after an unveiling ceremony in front of division headquarters here, Feb. 5. Dr. Muayad Muslin Hamid...

A little-discussed provision in President Obama's economic stimulus plan would demand that every American submit to a government program for electronic medical records without a choice to opt out, and it has privacy advocates more than a little alarmed. Patients might be alarmed, too, privacy advocates said, if they realized information such as documentation on abortions, mental health problems, impotence, being labeled as a non-compliant patient, lawsuits against doctors and sexual problems could be shared electronically with, perhaps, millions of people.

Arthritis? Carpal-tunnel syndrome? A hand injury? If so, a New Jersey company claims it has invented a firearm just for you and that it has received federal approval to market the 9-mm handgun as a "medical device," perhaps even with its cost reimbursable to seniors by Medicare. Matthew Carmel, president of Constitution Arms in Maplewood, N.J., says the Palm Pistol is designed to be fired by people who have disabling conditions that prevent them from holding a normal handgun and pulling the trigger. "It's something that they need to assist them in daily living," Carmel, who hopes to manufacture the...

On Tuesday night’s Campbell Brown show, CNN raised liberal worries about the Bush administration’s plan in the final days to broaden the conscience clause for medical professionals who object to performing abortion and sterilization procedures. But Randi Kaye’s report questioning a Catholic doctor in Virginia for daring to refuse to provide "care" (translation: abortion or contraceptives) to female patients was most notable for its lack of timeliness: the interviews are now more than a year old, first appearing on Anderson Cooper 360 on November 26, 2007. CNN did not disclose to viewers that its story was largely a rerun. There’s...

Lack of primary care physicians boosting health costs, hassles. There were days last fall when Gabrielle McGrew felt she must be the most popular physician in Oregon – and she hadn’t even begun practicing. McGrew is one of only three graduating residents who are choosing to practice primary care medicine, and the only one in Portland. Most of the other 31 internal medicine residents are taking fellowships that likely will lead to careers as specialists. the long-term implications of the growing shortage of primary care doctors could be a disaster, experts say, given the steadily growing number of senior citizens...

Primary care doctors in the United States feel overworked and nearly half plan to either cut back on how many patients they see or quit medicine entirely, according to a survey released on Tuesday. And 60 percent of 12,000 general practice physicians found they would not recommend medicine as a career. "The whole thing has spun out of control

Master Sgt. Scott Wilkes checks on Marine Lance Cpl. Geroge Diaz during an aeromedical evacuation mission over Iraq, Nov. 7, 2008. Photo by Airman 1st Class Jason Epley, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. JOINT BASE BALAD — Two doctors from Iraq's Ministry of Defense visited the Air Force Theater Hospital and Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility, Nov. 5 - 8, to study U.S. Air Force aeromedical evacuation procedures. The visit will help the doctors, Maj. (Dr.) Abdul-Razaq and Capt. (Dr.) Mohammed, establish an aeromedical evacuation service for the Iraqi Air Force.Col. (Dr.) Paul Young, the surgeon general and director of Iraqi Air...

Two NHS doctors plotted "indiscriminate and wholesale" murder with car bomb attacks on London and Glasgow Airport, Woolwich Crown Court has heard. Prosecutors say Dr Bilal Abdulla was in a car filled with explosives which rammed the terminal in June last year. He and Kafeel Ahmed, now dead, are also said to have left cars full of explosive material in central London. Dr Abdulla, 29, and Dr Mohammed Asha, 27, deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions. Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC told the court that the men were motivated by revenge for how they believed the UK was...

9/14/2008 - BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- With the assistance of Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team medics, doctors in Panjshir province treated 473 Afghan patients this week in two districts, Rohka and Shutol. Crowds of people gathered at the clinics shortly after Capt. Glenn M. Little, medical team chief, and medical technicians Staff Sgt. Janine Duschka and Tech. Sgt. Dawn Tiemann, arrived to support the medical engagements. "The PRT coordinates medical engagements, or missions where members of the medical team go with local governors and Dr. Samad Karimi, the director of Public Health, to local villages to help Afghans in...

The same California Supreme Court that created a "right" to homosexual "marriage" earlier this year has now ruled that the state may force healthcare professionals to provide services that support an immoral and physically dangerous lifestyle. California's highest court was unanimous in its decision on Monday that Christian doctors may not refuse to perform artificial insemination for homosexual patients. (See "California court says no religious exemption for doctors") Attorney Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), reacts to the ruling. "This is a clear violation of the fundamental rights of individuals to live and practice their faith," he...

BAGHDAD, Aug. 1, 2008 – Many families in Iraq have a variety of ailments due to malnutrition and lack of potable water and basic care. With Army Staff Sgt. Jason Torres, a native of Miami, looking on, Dr. Yousif Yousif examines the face of an Iraqi girl who is experiencing swelling in her face during a medical operation in Baghdad's Iraqi Family Village, July 26, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James Hunter, Multinational Division Baghdad  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. It is no different in Baghdad’s Iraqi Family Village, where residents suffer from a myriad of illnesses....

Dr. Dhea Mijwal Shami Maadahidi, 38, a surgeon and manager of the Rutbah General Hospital in Rubah, Iraq, checks the mouth of a child during a cooperative medical engagement in Akashat, Iraq, July 23, 2008. The Baghdad native was one of three medical specialists working with Coalition forces to provide the town with health care. During the event, surgeons and corpsmen were assisted by Iraqi doctors to treat sicknesses ranging from measles to the flu. Photo by Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson, Regimental Combat Team-5, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs. AKASHAT — Navy surgeons and corpsmen with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion,...

Gun regulation is not a public health issue, according to more than 80% of some 2,000 respondents to a MedPage Today poll. When the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine decried the recent Supreme Court decision overturning the District of Columbia's handgun law, they did so claiming the issue is a matter of public health. Now doctors in the trenches have weighed in with their own views. The responses from physicians who are registered members of the site was remarkbly evenly divided. Just over half (52%) said Yes, that gun control is a public health issue. But for...

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa., July 18, 2008 – Medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences are getting a healthy dose of the challenges in providing battlefield medicine during two concurrent field exercises under way here. Air Force Staff Sgt. Lacy Johnson, a staff member at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, applies “moulage” to simulate a combat wound on Army 2nd Lt. Dan Coughlin, a first-year medical student. Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andre Nicholson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. About 360 medical, public health and graduate-level nursing students from the...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 15, 2008 – On a warm morning in early June, a worried Abdullah Haqim walked with his daughter into the weekly coalition medical clinic in Afghanistan’s Farah province. Six-year-old Gulzana was sick, and local Afghan doctors could not diagnose or treat the painful swelling that had engulfed her left eye. Gulzana Haqim, a 6-year-old Afghan girl, and her father, Abdullah, arrive at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, July 9, 2008. Gulzana was treated for a tumor over her eye at Craig Joint Theater Hospital. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Love, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force  (Click...

A disabled foster child whose liver is failing has been removed from a Central Florida hospital's organ-transplant waiting list because hospital administrators fear the state's shaky child-welfare system cannot ensure he has a permanent home in which to recover. Shands Hospital in Gainesville removed the boy, 15, from a waiting list for organ recipients after administrators determined the boy's unstable living conditions make him a poor candidate for a transplant, said Nick Cox, the Department of Children & Families regional administrator in the Tampa Bay area, where the boy lives. The state's next move: appeal to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital,...

I’ve noted the phenomenon of Big Nanny pediatricians quizzing parents about whether they own guns before. The AMA, of course, is notoriously filled with gun-grabbing activists. Read Shawn shares another example via the Raleigh News and Observer. He e-mails: “No longer satisfied with just making sure the kids are in good health, the doctors now see fit to pry into your personal life to see if you have guns in the home.”

Plummeting Reimbursement Rates Have Some Doctors Looking for a Way Out By AUDREY GRAYSON ABC News Medical Unit RSS For the past four years, Dr. Heather Tipsword has owned a family practice clinic that primarily treats Medicaid and Medicare patients in Oklahoma City. As many of her friends and family were looking forward to Fourth of July celebrations this past weekend, Tipsword was anxiously looking forward to another event altogether: Congress' meeting on the Monday after the holiday weekend to discuss some kind of fix to the scheduled 10.6 percent Medicare reimbursement cut. For many doctors, low Medicare and Medicaid...

When Magen David Adom Chairman Dr. Noam Yifrach told Foreign Ministry officials that he had received an entry visa for Indonesia, he was told that entering the country wouldn't be the problem. "They told me, 'We're sure you'll be able to go in,'" he said with a smile. "It's getting back out that we're concerned about." Indonesia, which is home to the largest Muslim population in the world, has no official ties with Israel, and contact between the two countries, while not completely unheard of, is certainly rare. But that didn't stop Yifrach and MDA coordinator to the Red Cross...