Informative Comments on Health Care Reform by California Nurses Association

Once again, Medical News Today publishes a timely and informative comment about the recently House passed Health Care reform bill. Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, issued a statement on November 9th noting some of the strengths and shortcomings:

Of all the torrent of words that followed House passage of its version of healthcare reform legislation in early November, perhaps the most misleading were those comparing it to enactment of Social Security and Medicare.

Sadly no. Social Security and Medicare were both federal programs guaranteeing respectively pensions and health care for our nation's seniors, paid for and administered by the federal government with public oversight and public accountability.

While the House bill, and its Senate counterpart, do have several important reform components, along with many weaknesses, neither one comes close to the guarantees and the expansion of health and income security provided by Social Security or Medicare. More

Chelation Therapy Drug Treatment & Children with Autism

Medical News Today reports two small studies involving 65 children from ages 3 - 8 suggests that a drug approved by the FDA for treatment of lead poisoning may help children with autism who have a problem with heavy metal toxicity. These studies used a drug known as DMSA which was reported to increase the excretion of several toxic metals, including lead, with no adverse side effects.

These two studies also suggest that using DMSA might improve some of the symptoms of autism such as language, cognition, and sociability, although formal, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are still needed.

News item.

Paul's comment: Small studies are useful to help suggest areas needed for appropriate follow-up trials. At the same time, much of what has plagued the autism community in the past are small, open studies or anecdotal references that send parents desperate to find that "magic bullet" trying yet one more treatment that may help a handful of children but are totally ineffective for the vast majority of those afflicted with autism. We stopped years ago desperately seeking the magic bullet for our son, but that decision has left me ever plagued by the thought "what if?"

One summary of latest House Healthcare bill

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy has issued a summary of the "Pelosi" health care reform bill, HR 3962. Medical News Today has "an AMCP staff summary of some of the key provisions of interest to the Academy." See http://tinyurl.com/ya69j25

Down Syndrome Births Decline

Patti Dudek posted a note about the decline in Down Syndrome births, primarily due to abortions, on her blog: http://tinyurl.com/ylx39oq The main point is that many of the abortions result from lack of information about Down Syndrome and not having an opportunity to meet families that have a Down Syndrome member.

Follow Patti's blog. It is always quite informative.

Paul

National Resource Directory for Veterans Useful for Others, Too

I recently came across a Resource Directory as a result of a feed from disability.gov. The title of the particular page that addresses adaptive technology for automobiles is "Where Can I Learn About Adapting Automobiles for Disabilities." (Available at http://tinyurl.com/y8q5syf) Although nominally for "Wounded, Ill, and Injured service members," this site has a wealth of information that would be useful to almost everyone in the disability community. If you are part of the disability community, whether disabled, yourself, a family member, or volunteer, or a person who works with the disabled, please take some time to explore this wonderful site. You might also go to the government's Disabilities Web Site and choose one of the alternatives on the right-hand side of the page to stay updated.

As long as I am making reference to one Resource Directory, another Resource Directory can be found at by the Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs (at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center). This is a fantastic resource to find help for anyone, child or adult, who has a disability. (Available at http://tinyurl.com/ycagagj)

Blind and Visually Impaired Social Security Recipients Win Major Legal Victory

Blind and Visually Impaired Social Security recipients won a major victory on Tuesday when Judge William Alsup of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California found that the Social Security Administration was violating the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

In 2005, The American Council of the Blind sued the Social Security Administration for failing to provide important information to, among others, blind and visually impaired recipients of social security in alternative formats such as Braille or other media besides its standard printed notices.

The case finally came to trial before Judge Alsup for a seven-day trial. On October 20th, Judge Alsup issued his Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and his Judgment that Social Security was violating the Rehabilitation Act. Plaintiffs were represented by a number of attorneys, including the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund.

The DREDF press release with information about other counsel for plaintiffs and links to the decision is found at http://www.dredf.org/SSA/SSA-Judgment-10-20-09.pdf

Paul's Comment:

Four years of litigation to come to a conclusion that seems as plain as the nose on one's face is a slap in the face to the disability community. The amount of money spent by the government to fight this litigation is the height of irresponsible waste of taxpayer's money. This sad saga is a further reminder to the disability community of the need to stand together, support each other's causes, and fight the intellectually weak and spineless, in this case, the Social Security Administration.

Please help by disseminating this information to everyone who may possibility be affected by this decision.

Will First-time Homebuyer Credit Be Extended?

On Tuesday, Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd, Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, and Republican Senator Johnny Isakson agreed that the first-time homebuyer tax credit should be extended through June, 2010. Both see this tax credit as having a stabilizing effect of the housing market and would like to see it extended.

It's any body's guess, of course, whether this expression of extending the credit will make its way into law. The first-time homebuyer's credit is scheduled to expire at the end of this year.