Insurance company denies covering medication for condition that ‘could kill’ med student, she says

Malik JacksonUpdated: Dec 13, 2024 / 10:11 AM CST KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City denied coverage of a medicine that a Missouri woman says could save her life, leaving her with a monthly bill of over $8,000. “I was at risk for spontaneous internal bleeding that could kill me,” Kaitlyn Sy said. Sy, a University of Kansas medical student, said she’s fighting back just weeks after a near-death experience. She’s been forced to pause her medical studies while waiting for this medicine to be approved, compromising her already weak immune system. Sy conducted her interview with Nexstar’s WDAF over Zoom, unable to do it in person because of her condition. Sy has dreamed of becoming a doctor since middle school, “whether that be bringing hope and healing to fellow humans, intellectual stimulating work of diagnosing and treating diseases, being involved in medical research.”Luigi Mangione was reported missing 2 weeks before CEO slain: police  But three years ago, doctors diagnosed her with an autoimmune disease that mistakenly attacks the platelets in her blood cells. When she bleeds, there’s nothing to clot those cells. Sy says that could cause life-threatening bleeding. For years, no treatment worked well for her. Just weeks ago, that scenario happened: Sy was forced to go to the ER to treat internal bleeding. Her hematologist had one more option, a pill called Promacta that could stabilize this issue. Things changed when Sy got to the pharmacy. “The pharmacy tech — her…

Swedish firm aims for 100x plasma confinement boost in new fusion reactor

The success of fusion power plants hinges on the quality of energy confinement. Sweden-based firm has launched a plasma confinement project to achieve commercially viable fusion energy. The TauEB project by Novatron Fusion Group aims to revolutionize plasma confinement and energy containment in fusion reactors. Novatron’s project will introduce a first-of-its-kind integration of three physical confinement techniques, which will include Magnetic Confinement, Ambipolar Plugging, and Ponderomotive Confinement. Novatron’s unique magnetic mirror design The company claims that the Magnetic Confinement will be achieved through Novatron’s unique magnetic mirror design. Meanwhile, Ambipolar Plugging is electrostatic plugging at the magnetic mirrors, achieved by creating an electric potential within the plasma. In Ponderomotive Confinement, the plasma is confined by an external electric RF-field, using the ponderomotive force. The company claims that the combination of the three techniques is expected to not only drastically improve confinement but also to make fusion power economically attractive by generating energy at a competitive Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). Read Full Article Here!

As Trust in Health Care Craters, Pharmacist Reveals 5 Biggest ‘Scam’ Medications to Watch Out For

More Americans than ever are skeptical of the health-care system — and with good reason. According to data published last month by public health researcher Preeti Vankar at Statista, only 60 percent of Americans had trust in their health-care system — lower than Indonesia, Mexico and Thailand — in 2022. And this doesn’t just extend to health-care conglomerates or hospitals, either. There are also pharmaceutical companies — including those who sell over-the-counter medications. One pharmacist has said you have every reason to be skeptical — and in a viral video, he shared the five biggest “scam” medications that consumers should watch out for on shelves. The video by Grant Harting, a pharmacist licensed in three states, was released a month ago — and has received 6.5 million views on YouTube alone. In it, he went inside a CVS and pointed out the five biggest over-the-counter rip-offs he says consumers should be on the lookout for. Now, of course, this isn’t medical advice, so make sure to ask your doctor — but if you’re looking at these five products, maybe you should have another look. First off is a medication that works, just at a hefty price: ZzzQuil, the version of NyQuil that doesn’t have the cough and cold ingredients. Read The full Article Here