Senate
Panel Approves Tobacco Bill The
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last
week approved the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco
Control Act,” (S.
982). The bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to grant the FDA the authority to restrict
tobacco marketing and sales to youth; require detailed disclosure
of ingredients; allow FDA to require changes to tobacco products;
and require larger, more specific health warnings. The FDA
activity would be funded by a user fee on cigarette manufacturers,
allocated by market share. The bill now goes to the full Senate
for a vote. The House on April 2 approved a similar version
of the bill.
The ACC highly encourages members to contact their senators
in support of this important bill. Please call the Capitol
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to ask your senator to support
S. 982, the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control
Act.” When calling, note that the ACC and coalition
partners oppose weakening amendments, as well as the Hagan/Burr
bill (S. 579), which does not provide adequate enforcement
for its provisions.
QUALITY
When
Comparing Effectiveness, You Can’t Ignore Costs: The
Lewin Report Past
president of ACC’s Virginia Chapter John Brush, Jr.,
M.D., F.A.C.C., today expressed his view on comparative effectiveness
and the role of cost effectiveness on ACC’s online forum,
The
Lewin Report. He writes, “Because of escalating
costs and limited funding, we need mechanisms to differentiate
medical treatments with high value and those with little incremental
value. Without a method to objectively analyze the relative
value of treatments, the costs of medical care will continue
to rise to unaffordable levels.” What do you think?
Read
the post in full and share your thoughts.
Medtronic
Pacemaker Wiring Malfunctions
Medtronic recently sent a letter warning physicians about
a wiring defect that may affect about 37,000 of its Kappa
and Sigma pacemakers. The defect causes the battery to stop
responding or run out of battery. The letter asks physicians
to consider replacing the pacemaker in patients who are pacemaker-dependent
and have been implanted with one of the affected devices.
It also suggests that they warn patients to report if they
experience lightheadedness or fainting as a result of a malfunctioning
pacemaker. More coverage is available from the Associated
Press.
Register
Now! Symposium on Payment Reform, CV Disease In
partnership with Avalere Health, the ACC presents “Raising
the Bar: Payment Reform and Cardiovascular Disease”
on June 12, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The event will feature
ACC CEO Jack Lewin, M.D., William Oetgen, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C,
from Georgetown University, Len Nichols, Ph.D., from the New
America Foundation, Francois de Brantes, M.S., M.B.A., from
Bridges to Excellence, among other health care leaders. The
symposium will examine payment reform through the lens of
cardiovascular disease and focus on payment models that promise
to shift toward value-based purchasing. View
registration and agenda information.
