MASSDEVICE ON CALL — In a dramatic appeal this week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) urged Americans to form a "grassroots army" to help him defund President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
Cruz has promised to reject legislation that would spend any amount of money on healthcare reform, and he is calling on other Republicans to join him. Specifically, Cruz is threatening an emergency spending bill to avert government shutdown slated to hit the floor next month.
"In September, Congress will have the opportunity to defund Obamacare – the disastrous health care law, which is killing jobs and hurting the health care system," Cruz said, according to TheHill.com. "The only way we can win this debate is if the American people rise up and demand it."
Abiomed settles in for another 10 years at German HQ
Abiomed just re-upped the lease for its Aachen, Germany, manufacturing plant in a contract that extends until 2023. The company’s European HQ is now the center of action for its Impella heart pump, which was recently the subject of dismissed lawsuit alleging shady marketing practices. Abiomed is rolling full steam ahead with the renewed commitment to its European manufacturing facility, which the company will rent for $45,000 per month.
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Promising leads to treat defunct immune systems in spine injury patients
A recent mouse study offered a promising lead for doctors hoping to improve immune function in spine injury patients. Although the cause of this phenomenon is still unknown, many spine injury victims experience an immune system shut-down, making them vulnerable to infections. However, a group at Ohio State University’s medical center might have found the culprit – an over-stressed sympathetic nervous system – and used a drug treatment to restore immune function in their spine-injured mice.
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In the U.S., an artificial hip costs $350 to make and $65K to implant
A recent New York Times multi-series story explores price-boosting for simple medical procedures in the United States, featuring a patient who sought a hip implant surgery abroad, where the procedure can be done for a fraction of the cost. The expose pointed out that an artificial hip costs approximately $350 to manufacture and between $4,500-$7,500 for a hospital to buy, and ultimately rings up a bill of about $65,000 for the procedure and related costs.
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Stenting might have better outcomes than bypass, study shows
For certain patients, leg artery stents keeps blood flowing longer than traditional bypass surgery, researchers said. The small study out of Johns Hopkins showed that bypass patients were more likely to need another treatment within 2 years. In addition, minimally invasive stent procedures, which clear leg arteries through access in the groin, don’t require general anesthesia and result in shorter hospital recovery time.
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