The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA stirred up a firestorm of controversy when it voted to recommend withdrawing government approval of Avastin as a treatment for advanced breast cancer. The Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece entitled “The Avastin Mugging” questioning whether this decision was motivated more by cost then patient benefit. In response, a blog on another site claimed that “The Wall Street Journal Is Wrong on Avastin.” Some argue this is the beginning of rationing care to rein in the escalating costs of health care while attempting to provide coverage for some 32 million people who were previously uninsured or underinsured. Is this the beginning of the end of quality care? Can death panels, those who decide who gets treated and who does not, be far behind?
About Larry
In 1986, Lawrence “Larry” R. Coutts recognized the need for physicians to learn the principles of running a successful practice and with his wife and business partner, Linda L. Coutts, co-founded Nephrology News & Issues, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, to publish a monthly news journal, Nephrology News & Issues, for the “business of nephrology.” This company later became NN&I, Inc., an Arizona corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medical News & Issues, Inc., another Arizona corporation which the Coutts’ established. Their stated mission was “to provide the best professional resources for the exchange of news and ideas in health care.”
In November 2001, that mission was expanded into hematology and oncology with the establishment of HON&I, Inc., to publish the business news journal, Hematology & Oncology News & Issues. IN 2002, with the support of corporate sponsors and partners, the Initiative for HOPE (Hematology and Oncology Practice Excellence) was launched to help recognize community-based cancer clinics that exhibited standards of practice excellence.
In 2008, the two publications were sold as Coutts decided to devote his energies and the resources of Medical News & Issues, Inc. to addressing the problems facing his generation of health care consumers.
He has a BS from Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has served on the Patients Advocacy Task Force of the American Kidney Fund, and served on the Publisher’s Advisory Council of BPA International, Inc., an independent circulation audit bureau for publishers. He has been invited frequently to speak at regional and national conferences on his favorite healthcare topics.
Good blog. I will require a good amout of time to entertain the website.