Senator Harkin and the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Hold Hearings on the Budget Allocations to the NCI for Cancer Research

On Thursday the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education held its FY 2010 NIH budget hearing. There were two particular items of note for the cancer community. When discussing the NIH funding which was received through the economic stimulus package, Senator Harkin questioned if the current two years the NIH [...]

Funding for the DOD

I have been talking about the need to increase the funding levels for the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer Review Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) for a long period. This program has proven itself to be the single most valuable government funded prostate cancer research program. The program is designed to fund research projects that [...]

“Prostate Research, Imaging, and Men’s Education Act (PRIME)”

Senator Barbara Boxer Introduces Cancer-Related Legislation Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has introduced two bills to improve research on prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. S. 756, the "Prostate Research, Imaging, and Men's Education Act (PRIME)" provides for prostate cancer imaging research and education. The reintroduced, S.755 Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act is legislation to develop new [...]

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance

How can you obtain financial assistance getting your prescription drugs? One possible solution is the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. from their web site: "The Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together America's pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other health care providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines [...]

The Economic Stimulus Package and Its Effect On Prostate Cancer Treatment

There has been a lot of publicity surrounding the $787 billion economic stimulus bill approved by Congress. One thing that the bill will do for the first time is provide substantial amounts of money for the federal government to compare the effectiveness of different treatments for the same illness. Researchers are scheduled to receive $1.1 [...]

The Economic Bailout – Funding for Cancer Research

On Tuesday, we will be inaugurating a new president, President Elect Obama. Obama has inherited a country in severe financial distress, unemployment rates are at an amazingly high rate, bankruptcy filing at a new high and the real state market has crashed. No matter where you turn, there are houses in foreclosure and most people’s [...]

The True Story Behind “Normal and Customary Rates” for Insurance Reimbursement

Andrew Cuomo, the Attorney General in New York State, just completed an agreement with a major medical insurer, which will create a fairer method to set reimbursement rates for medical treatment that has been obtained out of network. UnitedHealth Group, which is the nation’s second largest health insurer, has agreed to modify their system of [...]

A Priority FDA Review for Toremifene 80 mg for Bone Protection

GTx announced in a company media release that it has requested that the FDA consider its new drug application (NDA) for the use of toremifene 80 mg to prevent bone fractures in men with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). GTx has asked for a priority review of its application stating that “there are [...]

Bush Admnistration’s Rule Contracts Medicaid

The Bush administration has begun the traditional post election changes of regulations and executive orders that often accompany a change in administrations. On Friday, the president narrowed the scope of services for poor people who rely on Medicaid's outpatient benefits. The administration claimed the purpose of the order was to clarified the definition of outpatient [...]

The Social Security Administration Expedites Some Claims for Disability Benefits, But Not Advanced Prostate Cancer

Social Security Announces Nationwide Launch of Compassionate Allowances Process Will Fast Track Applications For People with Cancers and Rare Diseases Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced the national rollout of the agency’s Compassionate Allowances initiative, a way to expedite the processing of disability claims for applicants whose medical conditions are so severe [...]

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