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Pennsylvania Insurance Department Examinations To Focus On Health Insurance Competition
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department will conduct examinations of the state"s four Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance companies, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Capital BlueCross, Highmark, Inc. and Independence Blue Cross, to determine if any of them were engaged in anti-competitive or unfair trade practices in violation of the law, Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario announced today. Buy arimidex to treat cancer.

Recent Studies And Surveys
Health Affairs: Annual Medical Spending Attributable to Obesity: Payer- and Service-Specific Estimates -- Using data from 1998 and 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys (MEPS) - "a nationally representative survey of the civilian noninstitutionalized population that quantifies a person"s total annual medical spending by type of service and of payment" - the authors estimate the health cost of obesity in the U.S. is $147 billion. "Across all payers, per capita medical spending for the obese is $1,429 higher per year, or roughly 42 percent higher, than for someone of normal weight. In aggregate, the annual medical burden of obesity has increased from 6.5 percent to 9.1 percent of annual medical spending and could be as high as $147 billion per year (in 2008 dollars) based on the NHEA [National Health Expenditure Accounts] estimate," according to the study. In conclusion, the authors write, "The take-home message is that without a strong and sustained reduction in obesity prevalence, obesity will continue to impose major costs on the health system for the foreseeable future. And although health reform may be necessary to address health inequities and rein in rising health spending, real savings are more likely to be achieved through reforms that reduce the prevalence of obesity and related risk factors, including poor diet and inactivity" (7/27).

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News of the day
Sometimes Insurance No Match For Health Costs
Americans with serious illnesses who must often choose between paying a mortgage or their health premiums and deductibles are often going broke, The Seattle Times reports.
Public Health

Survey Shows Majority Of Respondents Openly Discuss Use Of BOTOX(R) Cosmetic And Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers

Despite what some may think, people aren"t hiding their use of BOTOX® Cosmetic and hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. In fact, according to survey statistics released today by The Aesthetic Surgery Education & Research Foundation (ASERF), the research arm of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), nearly nine out of 10 respondents (87 percent) openly discuss their BOTOX® Cosmetic and hyaluronic acid dermal filler treatments with others, with seven out of ten (70 percent) receiving support from the people they told. "In a similar survey issued four years ago, we dispelled the myth that Hollywood and corporate wives were the typical BOTOX® Cosmetic patient," says ASERF President Laurie Casas, MD, a plastic surgeon practicing in suburban Chicago. "Now, demographic and perception data trends show us that aesthetic injectable treatments have continued to evolve into mainstream and accepted options for the everyday woman." Survey results found that the typical aesthetic injectable patient is a married, working mother between 41-55 years of age with a household income of under $100,000. The survey also found that women receiving aesthetic injectable treatments are health-conscious and philanthropy minded, with the majority incorporating exercise (95 percent) and healthy eating habits (78 percent) into their lives, and many volunteering with charitable organizations that matter to them (32 percent). In addition, nearly seven out of 10 respondents believe that BOTOX® Cosmetic (72 percent) and hyaluronic acid dermal fillers (65 percent) are important parts of their aesthetic routine. "Interestingly, among BOTOX® Cosmetic patients, nearly seven out of 10 respondents also received treatment with hyaluronic acid fillers with the majority of respondents being treated with JUVē‰DERM®," says Dr. Casas. "Most people have great success with BOTOX® Cosmetic and dermal fillers; however, we need to make patients aware that even though injectables are not "surgery," their administration is a medical procedure with risks that depend on the training and experience of the clinician, the clinical setting and the technique used." Additional findings of the survey found that 72 percent of respondents received BOTOX® Cosmetic injections to treat their glabellar lines - also referred to the "11" - the frown lines in between the brows, while 63 percent of those surveyed received hyaluronic acid dermal filler injections to treat their nasolabial folds - also known as the "parentheses" - the lines around the nose and mouth. A few of the most frequently cited reasons to receive treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic was "to look more relaxed, less stressed" while patients reported choosing treatment with hyaluronic acid dermal fillers to "look more rejuvenated." Based on its annual survey of U.S. physicians performing cosmetic procedures, ASAPS recently reported that BOTOX® Cosmetic injections have remained the most frequently performed procedure since FDA approval of the product in 2002. Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers ranked as the third most popular procedure performed last year. ASERF conducted this follow-up survey to quantify the characteristics and opinions of the patients who receive the treatment to help its members and the public obtain a better understanding of these important modalities. Survey Methodology To conduct this survey, ASERF, the charitable, not-for-profit research arm of American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), retained the services of Industry Insights, Inc. an independent research and consulting firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. In March 2009, a two-page questionnaire, designed by ASERF in conjunction with Industry Insights, was distributed to 1,818 ASAPS members to distribute to their BOTOX® Cosmetic and/or hyaluronic acid dermal filler patients. A total of 687 completed and useable forms were received in time for processing and analysis. Based on 687 presumably random responses, this study has a +/- 3.7% margin of error at a 95% level of confidence. A margin of error of +/- 5% is typically accepted as the "standard" in association research, so this study"s +/-3.7% figure indicates a stronger than typical level of statistical integrity. The survey was sponsored, in part, by a market research grant from Allergan, Inc. To find additional survey data results, please access the survey results fact sheet and Executive Report The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery


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