Purchasing Managers at Kraft Foods, Safeway and Frito-Lay have admitted to taking bribes from now defunct SK Foods, whose employees greased palms in exchange for big contracts and inside information on competitor’s bids. For years, SK Foods shipped tons of tainted tomato paste and puree to customers and falsified documents to hide the fact their products contained unsafe levels of mold, such that sales would have been prohibited under federal law. Purchasing managers at Kraft Foods and other companies awarded lucrative contracts to SK Foods while buying their products at inflated prices. Experts say that more aggressive testing of food products, before they reach the marketplace, is necessary to protect consumers. (2/24) NY Times

Social Security has now added 39 new Compassionate Allowance conditions to the original list of 50 rare diseases and cancers which were first allowed in October 2008. The expansion of conditions will expedite benefits to tens of thousands of Americans who suffer from severe disabilities. Read the entire list of new approved conditions below.

SOCIAL SECURITY

News Release

Social Security Adds 38 New
Compassionate Allowance Conditions

Expansion Will Speed Benefits to Thousands of Americans with Disabilities

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced that the agency is adding 38 more conditions to its list of Compassionate Allowances.  This is the first expansion since the original list of 50 conditions - 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers - was announced in October 2008.  The new conditions range from adult brain disorders to rare diseases that primarily affect children.  The complete list of the new Compassionate Allowance conditions is attached.

“The addition of these new conditions expands the scope of Compassionate Allowances to a broader subgroup of conditions like early-onset Alzheimer’s disease,” Commissioner Astrue said.  “The expansion we are announcing today means tens of thousands of Americans with devastating disabilities will now get approved for benefits in a matter of days rather than months and years.”

Compassionate Allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits.  It allows the agency to electronically target and make speedy decisions for the most obviously disabled individuals.  In developing the expanded list of conditions, Social Security held public hearings and worked closely with the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, and other groups.

“The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s indicates significant cognitive impairment that interferes with daily living activities, including the ability to work,” said Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association.  “Now, individuals who are dealing with the enormous challenges of Alzheimer’s won’t also have to endure the financial and emotional toll of a long disability decision process.”

“This truly innovative program will provide invaluable assistance and support to patients and families coping with severely disabling rare diseases,” said Peter L. Saltonstall, President and CEO of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).  “On behalf of those patients and families, I want to thank Commissioner Astrue and his enthusiastic team for creating and now expanding a program that will have a direct impact on the quality of life of thousands of individuals.”

“The initiative not only assists those whose applications are quickly processed, but also assists those whose applications need more time and attention from SSA adjudicators,” said Marty Ford, Co-Chair, Social Security Task Force, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities.  “We are pleased to see today’s expansion and look forward to working with Commissioner Astrue on further expansion of this decision-making tool and other ways to expedite determinations and decisions for disability claims.”

“We will continue to hold hearings and look for other diseases and conditions that can be added to our list of Compassionate Allowances,” Commissioner Astrue said.  “There can be no higher priority than getting disability benefits quickly to those Americans with these severe and life-threatening conditions.”

Social Security will begin electronically identifying these 38 new conditions March 1.

For more information about the agency’s Compassionate Allowances initiative, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

###

New Compassionate Allowance Conditions

1. Alstrom Syndrome
2. Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
3. Ataxia Spinocerebellar
4. Ataxia Telangiectasia
5. Batten Disease
6. Bilateral Retinoblastoma
7. Cri du Chat Syndrome
8. Degos Disease
9. Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
10. Edwards Syndrome
11. Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
12. Fukuyama Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
13. Glutaric Acidemia Type II
14. Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), Familial Type
15. Hurler Syndrome, Type IH
16. Hunter Syndrome, Type II
17. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
18. Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, Lethal Type
19. Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses
20. Leigh’s Disease
21. Maple Syrup Urine Disease
22. Merosin Deficient Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
23. Mixed Dementia
24. Mucosal Malignant Melanoma
25. Neonatal Adrenoleukodystrophy
26. Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses, Infantile Type
27. Niemann-Pick Type C
28. Patau Syndrome
29. Primary Progressive Aphasia
30. Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
31. Sanfilippo Syndrome
32. Subacute Sclerosis Panencephalitis
33. Tay Sachs Disease
34. Thanatophoric Dysplasia, Type 1
35. Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
36. Walker Warburg Syndrome
37. Wolman Disease
38. Zellweger Syndrome

The elderly should beware of Medicare’s debt collection methods that were initiated in recent years by the U.S. Congress. The legislation allows Medicare to aggressively pursue debts from the elderly who have won compensation for their injuries from insurance companies. In 2010, insurance companies must report to Medicare all money damages paid to Medicare beneficiaries. Currently, inefficiencies in the bureaucracy at Medicare have prevented some elderly from receiving proceeds owed to them by  insurance companies.  (10/08) Mother Jones

Ground beef contamination has been blamed for 16 outbreaks of E. coli over the past three years, including one that left a young woman paralyzed from the waist down.  This past summer, tainted beef was recalled from 3,000 grocery stores in 41 states.  In an effort to reduce manufacturing costs, producers are using a variety of cuts of beef from numerous sources, including those from outside the United States. In addition, there is no federal requirement that meat grinders be tested for the virulent pathogen. These factors are contributing to a rise in contamination, resulting in more seriously ill people.  10/03 NY Times

Researchers working with the World Health Organization released results of a recent study that ranked tanning booths/beds as carcinogenic to humans as mustard gas and tobacco. The results of the study were released as young people are increasingly being diagnosed with multiple forms of skin cancer, melanomas and some forms of cancer of the eye due excessive use of tanning beds. A spokesman for an association of dermatologists faulted the tanning industry and called for more self-regulation from an industry that encourages people to over do it. (7/29) Tampa Tribune

A number of trial lawyers say that Medicare is slowing lien settlements, thus prolonging final resolution and distribution of money damages to accident victims. Medicare beneficiaries, who have been hospitalized from injuries received in an accident, must reimburse Medicare for the amount of their hospital costs once a settlement with the responsible parties has been reached. However, it may take as long as a year or more to find out how much is owed to Medicare. Officials at Medicare acknowledge the delays and “lack of good customer service” yet seem unable to improve response times. (7/11) Bellingham Herald

In a deal reached by the Obama administration, General Motors and several state attorneys general, the carmaker will accept future defective vehicle accident claims that occur after it comes out of Chapter 11. Past claimants would have to pursue the old GM left behind in bankruptcy, offering them little chance to recover damages. This amendment is a “partial victory”  for consumer advocates and state attorneys general who pressured Congress and the administration to force GM to accept all product liability claims. But the groups say that both GM and Chrysler, because they are supported by the federal government, should be required to buy liability insurance against past and future claims in spite of bankruptcy filings. (6/29) Washington Post

A new study published by the American Journal of Medicine found that nearly two-thirds of bankruptcies filed in 2007 stemmed from medical bills incurred by those covered by health insurance and those without insurance. Hospital  and prescription drug costs accounted for the majority of expenses. Patients with neurological illness, diabetes and injuries experienced the highest out-of-pocket expenses. (6/4) New York Times

Researchers reported that hormone therapy taken by women to counter the effects of menopause can increase the risk of dying from lung cancer. Women  should avoid tobacco when taking hormone therapy, one doctor said. In another study, the drug Avastin proved ineffective in preventing recurrences of cancer. (5/30) New York Times

Mandatory arbitration clauses are now standard in employment, financial and telecommunications contracts and are increasingly used in other business agreements. These clauses require that consumers give up the right to a jury trial or class-action lawsuit and agree to accept the decision of a professional arbitrator, an individual who may have a financial interest to maintain a future relationship with the corporation that hired him/her, and therefore would be more likely rule in favor of the company.

(May 3) LA Times