Mark Martin, Managing Director of Health-on-Line, the online private medical insurance (PMI) company, today responds to the allegations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of overpricing of drugs by the pharmaceutical industry.

Early August saw reports detailing the decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to deny access to four specific drugs designed to treat kidney cancer, on the basis of cost. Almost inevitably this garnered negative newspaper headlines for NICE and the decision. In what some might view as a riposte to these attacks, NICE has since come out accusing the pharmaceutical industry of pricing some drugs too high and being too concerned with profits. Ultimately, NICE hold the line that overpricing by the pharmaceutical industry makes drugs unaffordable to the NHS.

Martin says “This recent coverage adds to peoples’ insecurities about what sort of treatment and drugs they can expect from the National Health Service (NHS). Attacks by NICE on the pharmaceutical industry do not help to soothe these anxieties. Instead, we should be looking at encouraging a partnership between the two stakeholders.”

Martin believes there is a lack of clarity on what drugs are and will be available from the NHS and this will cause anxiety and uncertainty among the public. Martin continues “This does not bode well for the future of treating conditions such as cancer. Most experts agree that drugs and combinations of drugs will play a growing role in the treatment of these illnesses. The public should start demanding increased transparency from NICE about the decision making process on these types of drugs.”

Private medical insurance is sometimes seen as the expensive option but it can provide the reassurance that, in the case of the worst happening, eligible treatment will be provided for new conditions in accordance with the policy terms and conditions. PMI is becoming a more affordable choice for the public with flexible products and pricing available. Most insurers will not pay for drugs that have not obtained a license from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or those that are currently under experimentation, however, they will provide access to new drugs licensed by the EMA based on the individual’s needs.

Martin asserts “I believe many private medical insurance policyholders have been attracted to the reassurance insurance offers them. They are no longer willing to participate in the NHS/NICE drugs lottery. They want the peace of mind access to the drugs which may cure their condition gives them.”

Founded in 2000, Health-on-Line is an innovative Private Medical Insurance (PMI) company based in Bournemouth. With Health-on-Line, you can tailor your PMI to meet your specific needs by providing a range of options to select from. You can obtain quotes, tailor the policy and purchase your PMI through Health-on-Line. Our policies are underwritten by AXA PPP healthcare and policy holders have access to over 200 quality assured hospitals throughout the UK.

Salamatof Seafoods Inc. (Salamatof), an Alaskan seafood processor plant located in Kenai, Alaska has agreed to pay a $38,000 penalty to settle alleged federal Clean Water Act violations.

The Salamatof plant was inspected by EPA and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in 2002, 2005 and 2006 and cited for violations of the company’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The plant discharges seafood processing wastewater into the Kenai River which flows into Cook Inlet.

The alleged violations included:

* the unauthorized discharges of seafood processing waste into the Kenai River;
* the failure to monitor;
* the failure to develop and operate in accordance with an appropriate
* best management practices plan; and
* the failure to submit annual reports.

According to Kim Ogle, Manager of EPA’s NPDES Compliance Unit in Seattle, it is extremely important for seafood processors like Salamatof to continuously monitor their facility operations.

“In impaired waters like the Kenai River, it is especially critical that Salamatof and other processors comply with the NPDES permit” said Ogle. “Discharges from seafood processors can have a large impact in Alaskan waters and these permits help to protect these resources.”

The NPDES permit program is a key part of the federal Clean Water Act and controls water pollution by regulating facilities that discharge pollutants to waters in the United States.

A report released yesterday by the Center for Public Integrity, “Perils of the New Pesticides,” distorts the truth about the health effects of chemicals in pest management products, according to the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA). Of specific concern is the author’s misinterpretation of data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s incident reporting system related to pyrethrins, natural insecticides produced by certain species of the chrysanthemum plant, and its synthetic counterparts, pyrethroids. By improperly using EPA data and drawing faulty conclusions from it, the report has needlessly caused alarm about both ingredients which have been used in pesticide products for decades.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind from centre-right thinktank Policy Exchange raises sweeping concerns about the standard of mental healthcare in the prison system.

It says coordination is poor, not enough staff are being employed and that current training is insufficient “or in some cases not even compulsory”.

And the report blames low public awareness for the gap between mental healthcare in the wider community and its provision in prisons.

Value Health Inc. said today that it had agreed to buy Diagnostek Inc., a prescription drug benefits manager, for stock currently valued at about $500 million.

By buying Diagnostek, which is based in Albuquerque, N.M., Value Health expects to reduce costs and increase sales in order to better compete in the increasingly aggressive market for pharmaceutical benefits managers. The managers negotiate lower drug prices with drug manufacturers for health insurance plans.

According to a new study from the U.K. which included data on nearly 50,000 men. Researchers say those with a history of gum disease had small, but significant increased risks for cancers of the lung, kidney, pancreas, and white blood cells. Experts say this needs to be confirmed with further research, but suggest gum disease might be either an indication of a weakened immune system or directly affect cancer risk.

Finding a proper balance between complementary and traditional medicine for cancer treatment has been a topic of debate for decades. Now a new study is shedding light on how antioxidants treatment impacts chemo and radiation. Researchers at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego analyzed several studies that looked at antioxidant use during cancer treatment.

The Robin Hood Foundation’s annual gala, which collects millions of dollars from hedge-fund managers and gives it to New York charities, raised more than $56.5 million, the organizers estimated last night.