MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A North Carolina proposal to compensate thousands of people who were sterilized during the state’s regrettable eugenics days gained momentum with the endorsement of state Republicans, but financial woes mean the money may not make it to the victims any time soon.
The eugenics movement gained popularity in the early 1900s, and called for the sterilization of individuals considered socially or intellectually unfit.
More than 30 U.S. states sanctioned eugenics, and most victims were sterilized by force or without proper consent.
Most states distanced themselves from the eugenic philosophy amid post-World War II backlash against Nazi eugenics practices, but North Carolina accelerated its program and continued sterilization until 1974, the Wall Street Journal reported.
More than 7,600 people were sterilized by the state’s estimates, and nearly 3,000 of them may still be alive, some already in their 70s.
A perennial proposal to compensate each of the victims with $20,000, long championed by state Democrats, gained ground when Republican officials offered their backing, but the state has to come up with the funds to make it work.
Top state Republicans considered using the state’s share of the 198 national tobacco settlement, but needs as much as $60 million to compensate all the victims, according to the journal.
"Float a bond, borrow the money, whatever," said Rep. Larry Womble (D). "We got to do something for these folks. They’re getting older. They’re dying out."
Noninvasive brain implant may use thoughts to activate paralyzed limbs
A brain implant that uses the body’s skin like a conductor to wirelessly transmit brain signals to a control computer may be able to one day send signals directly to paralyzed muscles.
Most brain signaling implants today require implantation into the brain and require the skull to remain open, which makes using them in a patient’s daily life impractical.
BioBolt, the implant developed at the University of Michigan, sits on the outside of the skull and is entirely covered by skin, according to the release.
Researchers believe it’s a critical step toward the Holy Grail of brain-computer interfacing: allowing a paralyzed person to "think" a movement.
Senior groups battle it out over Medicare
Two powerful seniors’ groups are vying for influence over senior support of Medicare reform, Healthwatch reported.
Ad campaigns paid for by the 60 Plus Association, which considers itself a conservative alternative to the AARP, show Republican Paul Ryan (Wis.) defending his reforms, which would turn Medicare into a voucher program for those under 55 years old.
The AARP released its own ad last week, accusing Congress of preferring cuts to senior programs over cuts to "treadmills for shrimp."
See both ads below.
Wave goodbye to health care waivers
Amid harsh criticisms from opponents of President Barack Obama’s health care reform laws, the administration announced that it will no longer grant waivers to program provisions this fall.
Republicans have pointed to the more than 1,400 waivers, which temporarily allow businesses to skip the facet of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act that requires health plans to offer at least $750,000 in annual benefits before cutting patients off, as proof that the plan doesn’t work.
"The fact that over 1,000 waivers have been granted is a tacit admission that the healthcare law is fundamentally flawed," Energy & Commerce chairman and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) told The Hill.
The Dept. of Health & Human Services said it would stop accepting new applications for the waiver program, which mostly went to employers like McDonald’s Corp. and Foot Locker Inc. who offered "mini-med" plans with limited benefits, after Sept. 22, the Wall Street Journal reported.
AMS announces penile implant registry
American Medical Systems Holdings Inc. (NSDQ:AMMD), a manufacturer of medical devices focusing on male and female pelvic health, announced commencement of a global registry of penile prosthetic data and outcomes.
The Prospective Registry of Outcomes with Penile Prosthesis for Erectile Restoration (PROPPER), will enroll over 1,000 men diagnosed with erectile dysfunction who are recommended penile prosthetics by their physicians.
Patient enrollment has already begun, according to the release.
