News-Record.com

Even before insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Moses Cone Health System, Guilford County's dominant health-care provider, resumed talks on a new contract, some readers were taking a pox-on-both-their-houses approach to the dispute. More than one has suggested that the insurance commissioner's office get involved, although that agency does not get involved in contract disputes.

What's your suggestion? What pressure, if any, can the public put on these two health-care entities to speed negotiations? And should they be speeded up if the original Nov. 1 deadline is no longer in play?

UPDATE: Reader Barbara Roth sends this suggestion:

Both sides need an incentive to quickly resolve the dispute and I can't think of a better one than to hurt them both in their pocketbooks while the dispute continues. So I know they plan NOW to keep coverage while discussing their disagreements but my thoughts are that once a hospital system refuses to accept coverage from BCBSNC and BCBSNC does not come to some workable solution with the hospital system that BCBSNC policyholders should be exempt from paying medical bills at the hospital system in question (until the dispute gets settled) AND also to be given coverage by the insurance company but not have to pay their premiums while the dispute continues. That way the consumer is protected and the 2 parties are shafted. I think they both deserve it for leaving their customers and patients twisting in the wind and I think this should be applied to every insurance company and hospital system in the state so they know they will pay for their refusal to get an agreement done.

... and boy, am I aware. I've gotten bombarded with information today from a wide variety of sources. Some of this will become short items in the paper, some might develop into full-fledged stories and some might show up here in the blog.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women after skin cancer, and more women die of invasive breast cancer than any other cancer except lung cancer.

Some 178,480 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2007. About 40,460 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are about 2.5 million breast-cancer survivors in the United States.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8.

So you should be aware, too.

One way you can do that, if you're a woman, is by being screened regularly. One way you can do that is by taking part in free screening offered by the Guilford County Department of Public Health’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program.

The department's guidelines are that women must be Guilford County residents age 50 or older, not enrolled in Medicare part B or Medicaid, and meet income guidelines for the program. On-site services include blood pressure screening, cholesterol screening, clinical breast exam and Pap smear. The program also refers eligible patients to another facility for mammograms.

Clinics are held Tuesdays at 1100 E. Wendover Ave. in Greensboro and Wednesdays at 501 E. Green Drive in High Point. You can get more information or make an appointment by calling 641-3233.

The Department also offers some tips on reducing your risk of getting breast cancer:

• Control your weight and exercise. Make healthy choices in the foods you eat and the kinds of drinks you have each day. Stay active.


• Know your family history of breast cancer. If you have a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer, ask your doctor what is your risk of getting breast cancer and how you can lower your risk.


• Find out the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy. Some women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat the symptoms of menopause. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of HRT and find out if hormone replacement therapy is right for you.


• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.


• Get screened for breast cancer regularly. By getting the necessary exams, you can increase your chances of finding out early on, if you have breast cancer.

A research program that hopes to identify environmental and genetic causes of breast cancer is still looking for subjects as it works toward 50,000 women whose sisters have had breast cancer.

The Sister Study, which would be the largest such project ever, was launched in October 2004. Now, it has 41,000 subjects and continues to seek another 9,000 to fill out the study. Because only about 5,000 are ethnic minorities, the study is particularly interested in finding African American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian women to participate.

Women ages 35 to 74 are eligible if they live in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, have never been diagnosed with breast cancer themselves, and have a sister who has had breast cancer. Participants will be asked to provide samples of blood, urine, toenail clippings and house dust, but they will not be asked to take any medicine, visit a medical center or change their habits, diet or lifestyle.

For more information, visit Sister Study.

Fifty years ago today, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik. The incident so disturbed U.S. leaders that the country began a crash course of encouraging students to study science and math lest we fall behind the Soviets in that Cold War era.

To a certain extent, it worked, at least for a while. One of the most striking things about the astronauts who lost their lives in the Columbia disaster was the level of scientific expertise they represented collectively and individually. If I remember correctly, the least credentialed member of that crew was still an M.D. On the other hand, today we are experiencing a shortage of scientists, and people who misrepresent science, if not actually lie about it, hold sway over a substantial percentage of the population.

Science is more important today than ever, and it would be nice if today's anniversary sparks some discussion about that fact and what we can do to address it.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and the Moses Cone Health System announced this morning that they've agreed on a multi-year contract extension that will let Blue Cross members continue to use the Cone group of hospitals at lower, in-network rates.

So what's your take on this?

In keeping with October's designation as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here's a link to BreastCancerStories.org, which includes stories and photos from more than 125 breast cancer patients and survivors across the nation. It's free.

The Guilford County Department of Public Health is sponsoring flu-shot clinics in the area in upcoming days. The department's most recent news release follow:

The Guilford County Department of Public Health is urging adults to take precautions against influenza or "flu" by getting a flu shot. The Department of Public Health will hold flu shot clinics for adults today; Thursday, October 25; and Monday, October 29 at the 1100 E. Wendover Avenue and 501 E. Green Drive locations. The clinics will be held from 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 641-5563 for Greensboro or 845-7699 for High Point.

The flu shot will cost $25 per dose. If you have insurance coverage with one of the following companies, you will only be required to bring your insurance card and the appropriate co-pay amount.

-- Aetna
-- Blue Cross Blue Shield
-- CIGNA Health Care
-- MedCost General
-- MedCost Preferred
-- Medicaid
-- Medicare Part B
-- Partners Health Care
-- United HealthCare

The patient's name must appear on the insurance card. Medicare supplements will not be accepted. If you do not have insurance coverage, you must pay the $25 fee. Cash, personal check, and credit card (Visa, MasterCard and American Express) payments are accepted.

Although a flu shot is recommended for anyone who wants to decrease his risk of getting the flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is particularly important for certain persons to receive the vaccination. The CDC encourages the following groups to receive a flu shot:

-- children aged 6-59 months
-- pregnant women
-- persons 50 years of age and older
-- persons who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities
-- persons of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (diabetes, HIV, etc)
-- persons who live with or care for those listed above
-- health care workers.

Healthy persons aged 5-49 years who are not pregnant may receive the nasal-spray flu vaccine, which may be available from your health care provider.

In addition to getting a flu shot, the Department of Public Health recommends the following tips to reduce the spread of germs:

-- Frequent and thorough hand washing
-- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put the used tissue in trash can.
-- If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or bended elbow, not your hands.
-- Stay home when you are sick
-- Stay away from others who are sick
-- Eat healthy foods
-- Get enough rest to avoid flu and other viruses and colds.

For more information about flu or the flu vaccine, contact your health care provider or the Guilford
County Department of Public Health at 641-7777. You may also visit the Department of Public Health's website at www.guilfordhealth.org and click on the flu informational campaign at the top of the home page, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website at www.cdc.gov/flu

Flu might seem to be a minor disease, but every year about 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu or its complications, and more than 36,000 people die of it. So if you have access to a flu shot, by all means take advantage of it.