Organised by the Community of Chemical Industry (SCI) and the American Chemical Society (ACS), and co-organised by PHD Bedchamber, the Gii program was officially launched earlier this year in New Orleans to tackle some of the esteemed issues affecting mankind, the oldest of which is ditch-water.

Never has the have need of fitted humankind to safeguard the present of wholly, drinking water for future generations been greater.

Already, commons shortages acquire led to fierce fighting and unrest in parts of the happy - open-handedly shortages triggered by climate variety, population intumescence and poor water governance may be next unless tackled now.

Since 1900, the world’s population has tripled and is expected to rise by another 50% within the next 50 years. India is institution to one sixth of the world’s population. It is estimated that two thirds of its population does not compel ought to access to proper sanitation and that 2.1million children die by the age of five well-earned to lack of make a revelation water.

SCI chief chairman of the board Andrew Ladds says: “Water availability, supply and quality are issues front every identical of us - the recent unprecedented move to ship unpolluted drinking water to Barcelona to tackle the city’s worst drought in decades may be a herald of things to lay.

“I believe that science and innovation are the keys to finding a solution. We are increasingly part of a global community and we requirement call on this community to work together, sharing and exchanging ideas, research and innovation to solve this together and ensure that all of the world’s population has access to sanitary water for all its needs.”

Speakers will contain the assistant fault president of Development Alternatives, Dr Vijaya Lakshmi who will be giving a talk on portable water and solutions for the removal of contamination; Dr Srikumar Banerjee from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre when one pleases discuss moisten desalination for agriculture appositeness; and Dr Tapan Chakrabarti, the acting director for the State Environment Engineering Investigation Institute who determination be presenting a talk on the range for modernization in water quality executives.

Some of the names who will be attending in support of the event are the Central Pollution Control Live; Indian Merchants’ Chamber; Basic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics Export Hoop-la Council (Chemexcil) - an organisation set up by the Sacred calling of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India; Chemtech Foundation (Jasubhai Media); Indian Chemical Board; Polite society of Dyers & Colourist (SDC); Indian Heavy water Works Linking; Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India (PMFAI); Chemical Weekly (media partner); and Frost & Sullivan (knowledge partner).

The Gii Global Water Solutions - Sharing Innovations conference will take place on 19-20 June 2008 at the Raunaq Dwelling, PHD Chamber of Mercantilism and Bustle , PHD House, 4/2 Siri Institutional Area, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi 110 016, India.

Proper for more facts, choose go to http://www.thegii.org/.

—————————-
Article adapted by Medical Bulletin Today from original news-hounds emancipate.
—————————-

Source: Meral Nugent

Society of Chemical Industry

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) made civic the findings of Period I of their investigation of the public vigorousness impacts on Kuwaiti Nationals of Iraq’s 1990 invasion and seven-month line of work of Kuwait. The report was released Wednesday, June 29, 2005.

Three years ago HSPH was retained by Kuwait to detect whether there were substantial followers constitution impacts of Iraq’s 1990 invasion and occupation of Kuwait and, if so, to — (i) estimate the magnitude of such impacts, (ii) assess their causes, and (iii) act on whether cost-operative approaches of medical screening could be designed to expedite early detection and treatment of seized individuals. The thorough calculate is being conducted, funded and monitored under the auspices of the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), which was set up to convert into claims against Iraq.

Results from the HSPH investigation formed the basis for Kuwait’s final public health claims, which are total the beforehand perpetually to seek compensation for the environmental and public robustness consequences of conflict between nations. The UNCC evaluated the claims, held hearings mould September, and announced its compensation decision this week.

HSPH’s investigation was led by Dr. John Evans, senior lecturer on environmental study in the Department of Environmental Health, and included three significant elements — a retrospective comrade meditate on of 5,000 Kuwaitis whose health has been followed for 14 years; a probabilistic danger assessment of the favourite mortality impacts of exposure to smoke from the oil fires; and a evaluation of trends in morbidity and mortality data from Kuwait’s Ministry of Health.

Phase I of the fellow study focused on individuals who were 50 or more years of time at the time of the invasion. Analysis of data for these older adults revealed that, in the 14 years since the liberation of Kuwait, rates of mortality have been appreciably higher come up to b become those who stayed in Kuwait during the incursion and metier than among those who were outside of Kuwait during this same aeon. The encompassing risk assessment suggests an average individual jeopardize on the order of 2/10,000 may be attributable to experience to smoke from the lubricate fires — a level of risk which is roughly equivalent to that produced by smoking 20 packs of cigarettes. Across the entire population, this excess risk would correspond to roughly 100 premature deaths.

But this smoke exposure alone is not sufficient to get across the observed elevation in the mortality rates of those who remained in Kuwait during the tenure. A series of screening risk assessments for other contaminants — such as volatile organic compounds, polycyclic pungent hydrocarbons and metals from the oil lakes and marine fuel spills; and depleted uranium — indicated that population exposures to these compounds were unlikely to lead to appreciable risks to community form.

Analysis conducted by Professor Jaafar Behbehani (Kuwait University Department of Medicine) and his colleagues at Kuwait’s Al-Riggae Center demonstrated that, in 1993 and also in 1998, rates of register-harmful stress disorder (PTSD) were substantially higher among adults who remained in Kuwait during the invasion and occupation than among those who were false front of Kuwait.

Preliminary investigation of the statistics from HSPH’s legion of older adults supports the speculation that exposure to trauma may play a task in explaining the observed elevations in mortality all of a add up to Kuwaitis who remained in country during the occupation.

The State of Kuwait’s incipient public health claims had been based largely on a preliminary analysis of trends in mortality and morbidity (as predetermined by hospital admissions) which suggested that morbidity and mortality rates among Kuwaitis had risen after the foray and had remained elevated since specific years.

Working with Dr. Mostafa El-Desouky of the Kuwait Institute fit Scientific Delving, the Harvard team critically examined the hospitalization and mortality data benefit of the 1983 to 2002 period and set up that these data solely did not contribute compelling support for the pronouncement that the violation and employment of Kuwait had resulted in sustained and substantial increases in rates of hospitalization or mortality number Kuwaitis.

On the basis of Harvard’s findings, the State of Kuwait revised its popular health claims to go compensation throughout undeveloped deaths from exposure to the unguent fire smoke, medical treatment costs and costs of loss of properly being expected to PTSD, and medical treatment costs for depositary and ordnance victims.

In supplement, Kuwait asked the UNCC for funding to substantiate continued epidemiological and medical arise-up of the exposed Kuwaiti national residents. Reality the note of the effect seen among older adults in HSPH’s study and the inadequacy of an entirely satisfactory explanation of the cause of these effects, it would seem essential to continue monitoring the health of this citizens and to upon the study to catalogue individuals who were children and younger adults at the quickly of the invasion.

“While some capability scrap that global public health order not be advanced by a transfer of funds to Kuwait, it is weighty that international organizations such as the UN entrench the lead that public health impacts are fully compensable,” said Evans. “It is well established that individuals may get compensation for the loss of elan vital, limb, or depress and suffering. But as our investigating shows, the most substantial unshrouded vigour impacts often arise from small increases in individual risks spread across large populations. In these cases, the affected individuals may not be identifiable and, as a result, these impacts may be ignored. In their reckoning of Kuwait’s claims, the UNCC has the possibility to recognize and rectify this oversight — making clear that public trim impacts are fully compensable.”

In addition to Dr. Evans, key researchers on the design included Douglas Dockery, professor of environmental epidemiology at HSPH, Jaafar Behbehani, assistant professor at Kuwait University Faculty of Medicine, James Hammitt, professor of economics and decision sciences at HSPH, and Roger Cooke, professor of mathematics at Delft University.

A summary of the report and listing of contributing scientists is available at: hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/kuwait

Press release in Arabic available at:
hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/kuwait/arabic_translation.pdf

Robin Herman
rherman@hsph.harvard.edu
617-432-4752
Harvard School of Public Fettle
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu

Fact! Though there is no documented cure for gout, researchers believe that within the next decade there will be a published natural cure.

However gout research is happening all over the world and here is what we know about the most painful type of arthritis, gout.

How to Cure Gout Symptoms

As stated earlier, technically there is no cure for gout. However, many natural health experts believe there is a complete cure. Unfortunately, most medical establishments won’t agree on a cure because there is no medication that will cure gout. However, you can cure gout with a healthy lifestyle and some simple natural remedies that flush purines (compounds that causes gout) and uric acid crystals (crystals in joints that cause pain and inflammation).

And the truth is, you can cure gout with the same ways to prevent gout. Here are 5 secrets for a simple and effective gout help treatment.

Home Remedy for Gout Tips

As stated earlier, gout is caused when your body converts purines (found in most animal products) into uric acid. Most people effectively flush uric acid in their urine. But sometimes the uric acid deposits itself between joints thus creating uric crystals. The uric crystals between the joints are causing your pain. Here are 5 ways to flush uric acid and cure your gout symptoms.

1. Flushing your body is extremely important. The more water you consume, the more likely purines, uric acid and crystals (over time) will be flushed. Unfortunately, about 80% of Americans are dehydrated and do not even know it. You can avoid dehydration and flush your body naturally with drinking at least 16 ounces of water for every 2 hours you are awake.

2. You can also flush your body and uric acid with your diet. By eating at least 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, you can naturally flush your body because of the water soluble dietary fiber content. You will also lose weight over time which will also prevent future gout attacks.

3. Another simple remedy is to neutralize the uric acid. As you remember from science class, bases will neutralize acids. Therefore, one quick remedy that you can immediately try is a baking soda remedy. All you need to do is mix a half teaspoon of baking soda (a base) in 8 ounces of water and drink up. You can try this remedy at least 4 times per day during attacks. Remember that baking soda does contain sodium though!

4. You should also avoid animal based foods! Because high protein foods tend to contain more purines (which converts to uric acid), it would be helpful to avoid eating all types of meat. You should also avoid alcohol consumption during attacks.

5. Lastly, you should also educate yourself on the numerous research studies. Education will always equip you with the knowledge to cure any ailment. Thousands of people cure gout each day with the knowledge of living a uric acid-free lifestyle. And you can too with simple gout help remedies.

Cure Gout in Less than 24 Hours

You can be gout free in less than 24 hours… Guaranteed! With 7 researched and proven remedies, you will know how to cure gout anytime and prevent gout all of the time. Find out how to cure gout for the price of 1 meal!

Gout Help

Guaranteed! Researched! Step by Step! Joe Barton and Barton Publishing have been publishing cutting edge researched remedies for over 5 years now! Discover a 24 hour cure that costs less than 1 meal!

Gout Help

What is the difference between a living will and health care proxy? A living will is a written statement of an individual’s wishes regarding medical treatment. The statement is to be followed if the individual is unable to provide instructions at the time medical decisions need to be made. The health care proxy is significantly different from the living will in that it empowers another person (the agent) to make health care decisions if the patient cannot do so herself. The living will, on the other hand, has no such provision but enables a person to express her own choices regarding medical treatment. It makes sense to utilize both a living will and a health care proxy.

Comprar viagra madrid

Can the health care agent be legally or financially responsible for health care decisions made on your behalf? No. A health care agent will not be liable for treatment decisions made in good faith. The agent cannot be held liable for costs of care just because she is an agent.

Do you have to write an advance directive? No. Signing a living will or health care proxy is voluntary. No one can require an individual to complete either directive.

Viagra

Cuomo began the campaign to frame standards for physician ranking systems because “he was concerned insurers might velocity a doctor’s quality based disproportionately on the insurance company’s money-making interests,” according to the AP/Times Union. “It is imperative that New Yorkers aren’t steered to predestined preferred physicians based solely on outlay but instead have access to definite and meaningful measurements of quality of trouble to help them turn into well-informed decisions,” Cuomo said on Monday.

American Medical Friendship President-First-rate Nancy Nielsen said, “Attorney General Cuomo is to be credited recompense persuading assorted of the nation’s largest trim insurers to acknowledge the risks of physician profiling” (Matthews, AP/Albany Times Associating, 11/27).

Reprinted with kind-hearted permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the unconditional Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Robustness Means Set forth is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Lodge Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

According to the Journal, organizations such as state medical associations, bar associations, chambers of commerce and other associations frequently offer dues-paying members the option of purchasing insurance through them. The Journal reports that coverage purchased through these groups mirrors employer-based coverage, and even with membership fees is often less expensive than purchasing individual coverage in the private market.

However, because purchasing insurance through a professional group is “more loosely regulated” than the individual or employer-based coverage market, the cost, quality of coverage and remedies for “consumers who feel they have been wronged” can differ substantially, according to the Journal. In addition, fraudulent insurance can be sold through both legitimate and fake associations. According to a 2004 report by congressional investigators, 144 such scams occurred from 2000 to 2002 that left more than 200,000 policyholders responsible for medical bills of more than $252 million.

impotencia masculina

In addition, many people confuse association plans with employer-sponsored or group coverage. Employer-sponsored plans are mandated by federal law to accept all applicants and charge all beneficiaries equal premiums. However, association coverage is regulated by state law — if it is regulated at all — allowing insurers in association plans to choose their policyholders, according to Kevin Lucia, an assistant research professor at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute. While younger, healthier policyholders who often have fewer pre-existing health conditions can benefit from these plans, others could be charged more for the same coverage (Knight, Wall Street Journal, 8/12).

This article is republished with kind permission from our friends at The Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery of in-depth coverage of health policy developments, debates and discussions. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for Kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Copyright 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Brazil’s large-scale, successful HIV/AIDS treatment program is considered a model for other developing countries aiming to improve access to AIDS treatment.

cialis

But far less is known in the air the country’s important role in changing international norms mutual to foreign pharmaceutical design, particularly foreign human rights, health and trade policies governing access to essential medicines.

Prompted by Brazil’s interest in preserving its jingoistic AIDS treatment policies during World Trade Organisation (WTO) trade disputes with the US, these efforts to change global essential medicines norms have had important implications for other countries, peculiarly those aiming to increase the AIDS treatment they provide.

Notes:

The paper, by Elize Massard da Fonseca of the University of Edinburgh and Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Raison d’etre, Amy Nunn of Brown University and Sofia Gruskin of the Harvard Faction of Buyers Well-being, was published online on 30 March in the catalogue Wide-ranging Public Health.

Informant:
Elize Massard da Fonseca

University of Edinburgh

The Secretary’s Stroke Belt Elimination Energy (SBEI) awards approximately $8 million over four years within the seven states experiencing the highest stroke death rates. The three grant recipients are: Forsyth Medical Center Foundation, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.; and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala. These institutions along with nearby community-based organizations will-power fulfil and coordinate prevention and awareness programs locally and across the region targeting iota and hypertension.

“The southeastern region of the country has suffered from the burden of pulse since widely too long,” Secretary Thompson said. “Through our Rub Belt Elimination Lead we will increase hypertension warding and switch activities to upper crust untimely deaths and disability.”

While HHS will go on with its au courant high-level efforts to shorten stroke across the U.S., the SBEI is designed to lower the inclusive seizure burden among the residents that lives in the seven “Stroke Belt” states — Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The SBEI represents a collaborative exertion among HHS agencies and is part of the Closing the Health Crevice Initiative, which seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health suffering. The SBEI consists of four pit interventions including development and implementation of a community-wide awareness and education campaign, a communications network that informs individuals of the availability of free blood urging screening activities, a component for salubriousness professionals that emphasizes improvement of blood pressure control rates for persons with hypertension, and a component for vigorousness systems and salubrity plans that emphasizes improvement of blood influence manage rates recompense persons with hypertension.

“This SBEI is in actuality a community focused initiative and an notable department of our effort to extermination health disparities,” said HHS Deputy Secretary Claude A. Allen. “Through collaboration SBEI will install activities that pinpoint local partners and coalitions so that we can together eliminate this precise killer.”

Viagra

As of 2001, the average thrombosis death rate for the seven quintessence stroke belt states was significantly higher than the U.S. national ordinary or that of the 43 remaining states and the District of Columbia (about 22 percent and 26 percent higher respectively). The specific prime mover of over-abundance stroke deaths in the Stroke Across continues to be unrecognized.

The overall gravamen of apoplectic fit in the U.S. continues to be substantial. Stroke is the third leading motivate of death and a influential promote of prolonged-stipulations handicap among U.S. adults. On unexceptional, someone living in the U.S. has a strike surrounding every 45 seconds. There are over 700,000 reborn strokes annually and about 29 percent of these are recurrent strokes. Over 4.8 million adults had a history of stroke in 2001. Stroke events are estimated to generate over $53.6 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2004.

Capital blood pressure and hypertension are the leading risk factor in the interest of iota. Once again 70 percent of persons with a apoplectic fit also suffer from hypertension. Critical risk factors also file diabetes, redundancy weight or salt intake, physical inactivity and smoking.

Additional communication on the Stroke Tract Elimination Initiative is at one’s disposal at http://www.omhrc.gov/omh/whatsnew/2pgwhatsnew/funding716faq.htm.

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Connection: HHS Force House
(202) 690-6343

comprar viagra espana

• Intensity • Variety • Consistency • Maintainability

Intensity: Intensity is a controversial term in the world of fitness. For example lets consider two persons X and Y intending to lose weight wherein the intense workout by the X does not cause a bit of sweat, so there are big question marks for the people as to how can people with different fitness levels join in the same class. Hence it is essential to remember the fact that it is important to scale down the fitness requirements of different people at different levels. However it is important to remember the usage of interval training asserts tool. This interval training tool sets in a practice session for your exercise regime and as you complete the prescribed session you would be granted a specific time gap for relaxation. Consider the case wherein you are exercising for forty seconds, then as you complete you will be granted a break of 10 seconds. We might have seen the cases wherein a new client would not be aware of the fact about what is intensity. Interval training is an effective way to burn fat, muscular endurance, and the ability to increase your speed and power. Hence it is the apt choice for losing weight.

Variety: The body adapts well to the sudden changes in the form of exercise. Thus the sudden changes in the moves in the exercises help the body to lose fat with better results. The changes help the body to inevitably adapt to the training plateaus. Hence these shifts will help the body to atleast keep on to the same track irrespective of the fact that you have lost weight, but these shifts will ensure the fact that you have the same weight in line. Inadequate knowledge of exercise regime and the time constraints force us to follow the same exercise regime, in this case the body adapts to the routine but the progress is minimal and there is maximum amount of boredom. However it is important to note the fact that the different exercise regimes generate better results than the continual one mode exercise form.

Consistency: Regardless of the fact as to which exercise regime are you following it is essential to remember the fact that what grants better results is consistency. What grants better results is exercising four to five times a week incase you exercise continuously then you are sure have good results, you will definitely lose inches, excess fat and even there would increase in the endurance levels.

Maintainability: The next aspect which will act as the base for your pillar is the maintainability, follow the regime without any hindrance.

Shijina is an expert SEO copywriter for Weight Loss Program. She has written many articles like 8 Week Body Makeover, Fit Camps, Boot Camps, LA Weight Loss and more. For more information visit our site www.liveinfitnesscamp.com. Contact me at liveinfitnesscamp@gmail.com

According to Reuters/Globe, the advisers indicated that the candidates had not “abandoned reimportation but had realized it would be more difficult.”

Dora Hughes, a health care policy adviser to Obama, said, “Both candidates were in favor of reimportation and sort of subsequent to the heparin incident (there’s) a lot less enthusiasm,” adding, “We have a better understanding of the challenges that go along to support the importation.” Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a senior policy adviser to McCain, said, “We now realize the challenges for doing that are greater than before” (Heavey, Reuters/Boston Globe, 9/18).

Other Issues

The advisers also said that both candidates would make expanded use of generic medications one of the top priorities on their health care agendas.

Hughes said, “We know that expanding the use of generics and eliminating barriers to that goal must be a centerpoint of any health reform effort.” She added that Obama supports the elimination of reverse payment agreements, under which brand-name pharmaceutical companies pay generic pharmaceutical companies to delay market entry of generic medications.

Holtz-Eakin said, “Controlling health care costs has to be the imperative of any effective health care reform,” adding, “Senator McCain’s instincts are to make the period as short as possible so that you can get products to market more quickly.” According to Holtz-Eakin, McCain also would seek to revise the tax code to discourage the shift in prescription drug manufacturing to other nations. He said, “The simplest way to make sure supply chains are safe is to make sure they begin and end in the U.S.” (Perrone, AP/BusinessWeek, 9/18).

Cialis

The advisers also said that both candidates support legislation to allow FDA to approve generic versions of biotechnology medications. Both candidates also support the shortest possible period of market exclusivity for brand-name biotechnology companies under such legislation, the advisers said.

Hughes said that “14 years (of data exclusivity), as requested by the biotech industry, is excessively long,” adding that “we’re tilted toward the shorter period.” Holtz-Eakin said, “The basic instinct should be: push the period down to the shortest period that maintains the appropriate innovation incentives” (McCarthy, CQ HealthBeat, 9/18).

Mental Health Care

The National Alliance on Mental Illness on Thursday released information from Obama and McCain on their positions on mental health care issues, the Los Angeles Times “Booster Shots” reports. Earlier this year, NAMI sent a 24-question survey to all of the presidential candidates that asked about their positions on a number of mental health care issues.

Obama responded that he “strongly supported” all efforts to improve and promote mental health care. He wrote, “I believe we should prohibit group health plans from imposing treatment or financial limitations on mental health and substance-related disorder benefits that are different from those applied to medical or surgical services.”

McCain cited the need for improved treatment for substance use disorders, adding that “we also have an obligation to do a better job of teaching our children the benefits of good lifestyles and the perils of addictive activities.” He added, “A sensible goal is to design reimbursement for taking care of the whole patient, whatever ails them, and recognize the essential role mental health treatment plays in the overall health of the patient and the reduction in physical health needs” (Roan, “Booster Shots,” Los Angeles Times, 9/18). The full release is available online.

Experts Debate Health Care Reform

Physicians, economists, professors, politicians and business leaders on Wednesday and Thursday during the “America’s Healthcare at Risk: Finding a Cure” conference in Orlando, Fla., discussed areas in which Democrats and Republicans agree on health care reform, the Miami Herald reports. During the conference, co-sponsored by the White House Writers Group and the West Wing Writers, pollster Michael Berland said that “health care reform is being advocated by everyone — and that’s where it stops” because of the lack of agreement on the issue.

However, according to former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), both Obama and McCain agree on the need to reduce health care costs through increased use of health care information technology, preventive care, disease management and wellness programs. John Engler, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, said, “Health IT will save us north of $100 million a year.”

Irwin Redlener, a Columbia University physician who represented Obama at the conference, said that the recent economic downturn “makes an even more compelling case” for health care reform that helps more residents obtain health insurance. Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, added, “This is the time we really need reform.” Democratic consultant James Carville in an interview said, “My sense is there are too many knives flying through the air right now,” and health care likely will have to wait for a “better economy.” Republican consultant Karl Rove in an interview said that many health care reform proposals from Republicans do not require funds from the federal government and that the McCain health care plan is “very sellable.”

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) also spoke about the Cover Florida plan, which aims to offer low-cost health coverage to uninsured state residents. Crist said that perhaps states should take the lead in overhauling the health care system, adding, “There’s such a difficulty getting anything done in Washington” (Dorschner, Miami Herald, 9/19).

A webcast of the conference will be available online Monday at kaisernetwork.org.

Elizabeth Edwards Testimony

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former Democratic presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), on Thursday during a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing “forcefully denounced” the McCain health care proposal, CongressDaily reports.

The McCain proposal would replace an income tax break for employees who receive health insurance from employers with a refundable tax credit of as much as $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to purchase coverage through their employers or the individual market. In addition, the proposal would provide federal subsidies for high-risk health insurance pools to help residents who cannot obtain private health insurance because of pre-existing medical conditions. The proposal also would allow residents to purchase health insurance across state lines.

Elizabeth Edwards, whom the subcommittee invited to testify about the differences between employer-sponsored and individual health insurance, diverted from her prepared remarks, which did not include any political statements or criticism of the McCain proposal, according to subcommittee Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.).

During the hearing, Elizabeth Edwards said, “Sen. McCain and I have something in common, and that is neither one of us would be insured under his health care plan” (Hunt, CongressDaily, 9/18). She added, “If you’re 55 with cancer … good luck to you” (Barratt, McClatchy, 9/18). In addition, Elizabeth Edwards said, “The individual market makes it more difficult to get insurance,” adding, “For an individual policy, the administrative costs are close to three times what it costs for a group plan. This is exactly the opposite direction that we want to go.” Elizabeth Edwards also said that consumer choice in health care is not the same as choice for other products. She said, “Deciding which cancer treatment to use, chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, will simply never be the same as deciding between a Dodge, a Buick or a Ford” (CongressDaily, 9/18).

Broadcast Coverage

NBC’s “Nightly News” on Thursday examined the Obama and McCain health care proposals. The segment includes comments from Obama, McCain, Andrew Bindman of the University of California-San Francisco and Alisha Poreda, a mother (Bazell, “Nightly News,” NBC, 9/18).

This article is republished with kind permission from our friends at The Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery of in-depth coverage of health policy developments, debates and discussions. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for Kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Copyright 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.