| Healthcare |  |  |
| Low "Health Literacy" Affecting Millions of Americans | | Health literacy is defined as the ability to comprehend basic health information and medical services. The Institute of Medicine found that 90 million Americans struggle to understand health conditions or comply with doctors' recommendations. The American Medical Association reported that a variety of medical forms are written at a graduate school level, while the average American reads at an eighth-grade level. Sandra G. Boodman, The Washington Post 02/20/2007
| | Read Article: The Washington Post |
| Insurance | | |
| Homeowners Near Landmark Settlement in Hurricane Suits | | The Citizen's Property Insurance Corporation, LA's state run insurer, has agreed "in principle" to settle out of court with 165 homeowners who were denied coverage for hurricane damage. The broad settlement will be the first of its kind in LA since Hurricanes Rita and Katrina led to thousands of lawsuits. The terms of the settlement may be announced later this week. The Associated Press, The New York Times 02/20/2007
| | Read Article: The New York Times |
| Issues | | |
| Court Upholds Ruling Against General Electric | | General Electric Co. must pay $115 million to cover thousands of asbestos claims. An appeals court did not allow GE to tap into secondary insurance to pay claims filed by people who were exposed to asbestos-insulated turbines. GE currently has 509,000 asbestos claims pending. The Associated Press, Yahoo News 02/20/2007
| | Read Article: Yahoo News |
| Drug Maker Settles Lawsuit Over Aids Treatment | | EMD Sorono Inc. will settle accusations of deceptive marketing of Serostim. The company will pay $24 million to resolve a civil lawsuit alleging they promoted the use of an unapproved medical device that gives improper diagnoses and marketed its AIDS drug for uses not approved by the FDA. The settlement will reimburse health plans, health insurance providers and individuals who paid for the drug. Theresa Agovino, Houston Chronicle 02/16/2007
| | Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
| Smoke From Mulch Fire Blankets Small Town | | The air in a small TX town is saturated with the smoke from a mulch fire that began just after Christmas. The smoldering pile of ash hovers at eight stories tall and is causing residents to experience various allergy-like symptoms. Officials estimate the bill for a recently implemented firefighting plan may exceed $3 million. Matthew C. Wright, The Washington Post 02/20/2007
| | Read Article: The Washington Post |
| Products | | |
| Honda and Acura Odometers Show Inaccurate Mileage | | Six million owners of Hondas and Acuras will be entitled to warranty extensions or compensation because their odometers counted miles too fast. The attorney who filed suit suspects that car makers deliberately manufacture their odometers to count off miles more quickly in order to help trim warranty costs. The National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration does not regulate odometer accuracy and the Society of Automotive Engineers's voluntary standard allows a plus or minus 4 percent variation in accuracy. James R. Healey, USA Today 02/20/2007
| | Read Article: USA Today |
| Oscar Mayer Chicken Linked to Bacterial Contamination | | Oscar Mayer issued a nationwide recall of their fully cooked chicken breast strips because they may be tainted with Listeria monocytogenes. The bacteria can cause listeriosis, a rare but serious infection. The company recalled 52,650 pounds of chicken breast strips that had been produced on Jan 9th and distributed nationwide to retailers. HealthDay News, Forbes 02/19/2007
| | Read Article: Forbes |
| Counterfeit Drugs Cause Increasing Number of Deaths, Illnesses | | A growing epidemic of fake medications in Asia has been linked to as many as hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. A recent sampling found that 53 percent of malaria drug treatments purchased in Southeast Asia were fakes and also discovered counterfeit treatments for AIDS and tuberculosis. The World Health Organization estimates that one fifth of the one million annual deaths from malaria would be prevented if all treatments taken were genuine. Donald G. McNeil Jr., The New York Times 02/20/2007
| | Read Article: The New York Times |
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