MEDGuide and patient package inserts--again?

This article will trace the history and effects of the PPI from the time of its original concept by the FDA in the early 1970's to its current status. It will also address the response to this FDA initiative by the industry, medical community and consumer groups. Initiatives in other countries and future issues will also be discussed.     

Candidate Character vs. The Economy in the 1992 Election

The outcome of the 1992 U.S. presidential election has been explained largely as a function of perceptions of George Bush's economic performance. The economy submerged questions about Bill Clinton's character, awarding the advantage to the Democrat. In this article, we evaluate the effect of economic evaluations along with character attacks on candidate support in the 1992 presidential contest. Claims that the economy submerged character have been somewhat exaggerated. But while character remains an important issue in presidential evaluation, its role in judging candidates cannot be taken at face value. We show that both economic evaluations and character judgments are highly politicized. The findings indicate that those protesting Clinton's character turned almost exclusively to Bush. Those protesting Bush's economic record turned to both Perot and Clinton. Still, the economy did not trump character. The troubles of both major party candidates fueled a strong protest vote that contributed to Perot's strong showing.     

The government's best offense is deference: the decision of the Supreme Court in Shalala v. Guernsey Memorial Hospital

The United States Supreme Court agreed with the Secretary of Health and Human Services that Guernsey Memorial Hospital's advance refunding transaction costs would be subject to a medicare reimbursement policy that is not based upon generally accepted accounting principles. According to the sharp dissent in this case, this policy, set forth in a manual provision, contradicts federal regulations.     

Physician recruitment after Hermann Hospital

The state of physician recruitment changed after the Internal Revenue Service required Hermann Hospital to publish its closing agreement with the IRS. The closing agreement released the long-awaited IRS "Hospital Physician Recruitment Guidelines." The IRS' recently proposed revenue ruling provides additional insight on acceptable physician recruitment practices as well.