Scotland’s Health Minister Apologizes To Women Injured By Transvaginal Mesh

CitizensReport — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 20:28:02 +0000

While the health agency in Scotland attempts to deal with complications caused by transvaginal mesh implants, the FDA has stayed quiet.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health communication about the dangers of transvaginal mesh for the first time in 2008. The warning came after the agency received over 1,000 reports from nine surgical mesh manufacturers in just three years.

The FDA’s initial safety communication described complications from transvaginal mesh as very rare. However, problems with transvaginal mesh implants are occurring around the world.

Some governments have recognized that they have failed to provide the kind of education that would protect mesh patients from suffering. Scotland has issued an apology for their lack of attention to the dangers of transvaginal mesh, committing to finding a better way to regulate the devices and inform the public about possible side effects.

A Governmental Apology Abroad

Shona Robison, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, apologized to victims of transvaginal mesh at a committee hearing in Oct. 2015.
Image: Huffington Post

In Scotland, transvaginal mesh devices caused a whole slew of complications for hundreds of women who had already been suffering from prolapse or urine issues.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) released data on how many women are affected by the devices. Of the 1,850 patients implanted with mesh in Scotland each year, the agency found:

1-3% stress urinary incontinence patients suffer complications.
2-6% pelvic organ prolapse patients suffer complications.

But the victims of transvaginal mesh felt that they had been ignored. They began to organize and fight for justice, coming together to create a group called Scottish Mesh Survivors. After launching a petition, the survivors finally got the government’s attention. The apology was later issued at a committee hearing.

“I’m happy to apologize to the women for having to basically campaign to bring it to everyone’s attention,” according to Shona Robison, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport in Scotland.

“It should never have taken women to have to campaign in this way to shine a light on this issue. I want to thank them for all that they have done. They have left a legacy for other women,” she added.

Two members of Scottish Mesh Survivors, Elaine Holmes and Olive McIlroy, have called for an independent investigation that would evaluate the safety of mesh devices. In addition, the agency is working to institute training programs for medical staff to better inform potential mesh patients about the possibility of side effects.

FDA Stays Quiet On The Subject

The U.S. government hasn’t released an update on transvaginal mesh since 2011.
Image: Daily Business Review

Although the U.S. government has spoken about mesh complications before, the agency has yet to follow suit. In 2011, the FDA updated the initial announcement in a safety communication that affirmed “serious complications associated with surgical mesh for transvaginal repair of POP are not rare.”

The statement also informed the public that the FDA will “evaluate the effects of using surgical mesh to repair SUI,” with the results being announced at a later date. It has been almost five years since the agency made this statement.

In the interim, many patients who have transvaginal mesh implants have experienced severe pain and suffering. If your vaginal mesh failed and required an additional surgery, then you might be entitled to compensation for receiving a faulty medical device.

Complete a free, no obligation case evaluation now to see if you qualify.

The post Scotland’s Health Minister Apologizes To Women Injured By Transvaginal Mesh appeared first on Citizens Report.

The Different Parts Of Medicare Open Enrollment

CitizensReport — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 18:14:07 +0000

Medicare beneficiaries should be aware that open enrollment season, a three-month period that offers options to change or add to existing health care plans, has finally begun.

The annual open enrollment period for Medicare allows Americans to revise their insurance plans during Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.

Medicare plans have a variety of different parts. It’s important to know the basics of each one.

Participating In Open Enrollment

Open enrollment begins in October and ends in December.
Image: Cusd

Each year, the terms and costs of Medicare plans chance drastically. Millions of beneficiaries could save large amounts of money with better plans that offer more coverage in the new year.

If one in five people choose to select a new Medicare plan, there would be a significant shift. Because Medicare is difficult to understand, most people don’t bother with changing plans.

For existing patients, the current plan will automatically renew… even if it’s not the best fit.

An Alphabet Of Plans

Medicare is broken up into different parts identified by a letter.
Image: Boomer Benefits

Original Medicare, or Part A, includes hospital insurance. Part B is for doctors, outpatient expenses and medical equipment. Medicare Advantage plans include both Parts A and B.

Medicare Advantage plans fall under Part C, whereas Medicare prescription drug plans are classified as Part D.

The free annual guide Medicare & You 2016 will help to clear up the difference kinds of coverage for each part. For people with private insurance, the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) documents will also provide important information. Being familiar with the documents is an instrumental part of selecting a plan.

Making A Decision

Image: Sexual Health Men

The plans are split into a few basic choices. The Original Medicare beneficiaries may also purchase a Medigap policy. These supplemental policies fill the holes in the Original Medicare plans.

Because Original Medicare only covers 80 percent health expenses, patients will have to pay for the rest out of pocket. This can be very expensive for patients with serious conditions that require hospitalization, surgery or other costly treatments.

During open enrollment, beneficiaries can add Medigap “letter” plans. The coverage for each letter plan is identical, meaning that all A plans are the same, all B plans, and so on. The only difference is the premiums.

If you’ve already passed the beginning eligibility period for Medicare, the plans may be pricier because guaranteed issue rights to Medigap have expired. Private insurers no longer have to sell beneficiaries a plan regardless of health status or age. It’s possible that beneficiaries could be forced to pay higher premiums or deal with coverage limitations based on pre-existing medical conditions.

Original Medicare beneficiaries may also purchase a Medicare Advantage plan or change their current Advantage plan. For this specific plan, patients cannot be forced to pay higher premiums or face rejections because of current medical problems.

The only catch is that if you choose to switch to Medigap, you can’t keep a Medicare Advantage plan. The two plans can never overlap, so patients should be sure about making the switch because they will lose their guaranteed issue rights.

While 70 percent of patients have Original Medicare plans, and 30 percent are covered by Medicare Advantage, all beneficiaries can alter their Part D prescription plan during open enrollment.

Take the time to understand the different options during Medicare enrollment to receive better coverage for a cheaper price.

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