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NEWS
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Legislation: Medicare
The U.S. Senate passed a Republican-backed bill to overhaul Medicare on November 25, 2003, just days after the House narrowly approved the measure. The single biggest expansion in Medicare's 38-year history, which goes into effect in 2006, will give 40 million Americans currently on Medicare prescription drug benefits. Additionally, Americans that earn over $80,000 a year will have to pay a higher premium under Medicare Part B non-hospital coverage, which requires payment of a premium and covers physician services and certain other medical costs not covered by the Medicare Part A universal hospital benefit. Individuals with high-deductible insurance policies will be eligible for new tax-preferred health accounts under the $400 billion plan. The bill also provides for the option for private health coverage as an alternative to Medicare. In 2004 and 2005, before the new plan goes into effect, seniors can purchase a drug card that will decrease costs by at least 15 percent. (Cont.)
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Advancement: Treating Heart Disease With Cholesterol
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that a new drug can potentially reverse heart disease. The treatment involves the use of a synthetic form of the "good cholesterol" HDL (high-density lipoprotein) that can rapidly shrink blockages in coronary arteries, reversing heart disease. Although the mechanism by which the synthetic form of HDL works to reduce plaques is still unclear, researchers think that it may function by transporting LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, the cause of plaque buildup in arteries, to the liver where is it harmlessly processed and removed from the blood stream.(Cont.)
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