SURGERY

Watchdog takes aim at Medibank as patients denied payments

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 4-Sep-19

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has launched legal action against Medibank Private, accusing the health insurer of making false representations about the benefits covered by its policies. It will be alleged that Medibank had wrongly advised customers that its AHM Lite and Boost policies did not cover medical procedures such as knee reconstructions and spinal surgery. ACCC chairman Rod Sim says this forced many policyholders to delay necessary surgery.

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, AHM HEALTH INSURANCE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

J&J to pay $250m for bad hip joints

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 1-Apr-16

Johnson & Johnson has reached a conditional agreement with lawyers representing 1,700 Australians who allegedly suffered adverse health effects related to hip replacements. The pharmaceutical and medical devices group agreed to pay $A250 million to settle the case. The class action settlement is yet to be approved by Federal Court.

CORPORATES
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON, DEPUY AUSTRALIA, SHINE LAWYERS, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Less popular surgery could hurt

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 4-Feb-16

Figures from Medicare indicate a decline in the growth rate of certain medical procedures. The number of surgical, obstetric and diagnostic procedures increased by 2.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2015, compared with the four-year average growth rate of 5.1 per cent. This trend may affect investors’ confidence in Ramsay Health Care and Healthscope.

CORPORATES
RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED – ASX HSO, UNITING CARE, MACQUARIE SECURITIES PTY LTD, ST JOHN OF GOD HEALTH CARE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA

Theatre of dreams nightmare

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Original article by Jill Margo
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 46 : 17-Sep-14

A study of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia has been published. The experiences of 400 patients were analysed. The experience was neutral for about half the patients, but terrifying for some. The study found that accidental awareness occurs for one in every 19,000 patients, rather than one in 6,000 as previously estimated. Most episodes were short and before or after surgery

CORPORATES
ROYAL COLLEGE OF ANAESTHETISTS, ASSOCIATION OF ANAESTHETISTS OF GREAT BRITAIN

3D-printed heart replicas to help surgeons prepare for operations

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Original article by Amy Corderoy
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 6 : 8-Sep-14

James Otton, cardiologist and clinical faculty member at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, is using 3D printers to create replicas of hearts. Surgeons at the Liverpool and St Vincent’s hospitals in Sydney will be able to gain a more detailed understanding of the problems suffered by individual patients, with the help of the models printed from CT scans. St Vincent’s cardiothoracic and transplant surgeon Kumud Dhital also believes that "bioprinting" will be available in the future to grow actual hearts for transplantation

CORPORATES
VICTOR CHANG CARDIAC RESEARCH INSTITUTE LIMITED, ST VINCENT’S HOSPITAL SYDNEY LIMITED, LIVERPOOL HOSPITAL