By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang In the continued push to strengthen the mental health care system, a bipartisan group of senators advanced a bill that would improve access to mental health care at a community level. This was met with vocal support from many mental health rights groups. The issue of assisted suicide has […]
By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang 40 years after the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade, the legal fight over abortion continues on. Washington and Arkansas legislatures have been debating new restrictions on availability and coverage of such procedures by state and private insurance. In light of renewed concerns over gun control, there has been […]
By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang As part of its effort to control prescription drug abuse, an advisory panel of experts to the Food and Drug Administration voted on Friday to toughen the restrictions on painkillers containing hydrocodone like Vicodin. According to the new report of the Environmental Protection Agency, lead levels in young children […]
By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang After an estimated 500,000 patients in the United States have received all-metal hip replacements that are failing early in many cases, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing rules that will require manufacturers to produce clinical data to support their devices’ safety and effectiveness. A study published in Science […]
By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang The Food and Drug Administration last Friday proposed two sweeping rules aimed at preventing the contamination of produce and processed foods. Changes include requirements for better record keeping, measures to prevent the spread of contaminants in the first place, and contingency plans for handling outbreaks. An Institute of Medicine […]
By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang In a Time article, Maia Szalavitz expresses concern that two recent First Amendment cases could threaten the ability of FDA and the states to regulate drugs and medical therapies. In one case, the Second Circuit overturned the conviction of a drug company representative for illegal sales practices related to […]
By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang On December 21, a federal judge ordered Alabama to stop isolating prisoners with HIV, ruling in favor of a group of inmates in a class-action lawsuit. The Food and Drug Administration moved a big step closer to approving the first genetically engineered animal — a fast-growing salmon — by […]
By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett joined other Republicans in vowing not to set up a state-wide health care exchange, citing a lack of resources and preparation in order to do so. In making this decision, the Corbett administration will be allowing the Presidential administration to take charge of its exchange. […]
By Hyeongsu Park and Kathy Wang The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), a federal body that advises Congress on Medicare, on Thursday issued its annual report to Congress that recommended increasing hospitals’ inpatient and outpatient Medicare rates by 1% in 2013. This recommendation will be voted on by the full board in January. The Internal […]
By Kathy Wang and Hyeongsu Park In the ongoing medical and legal battle over the deadly meningitis outbreak, the victims have been trying to freeze nearly $500 million in assets. US District Judge Dennis Saylor ruled this past Tuesday for an expedited hearing to determine this issue. As of late, the New England Compounding Center […]