"We are pleased that they're at least willing to engage in a
conversation now," Svaty said. "But we'd like to see the
conversation focused on the project at hand."
Westar spokeswoman Karla Olsen acknowledged that the plan was
just a proposal but said the company felt it should file the plan
with the KCC to keep the regulators informed.
"We are offering a compromise proposal hoping that if it is
accepted by ITC Great Plains that the whole process will move
forward," Olsen said. "As a regulated company, you want to be
transparent to your regulatory body."
Both companies contemplate lines of Continue reading

This post is a response to a question from someone about going into healthcare late in life and in the economic turmoil of today.
I absolutely say go for it, but of course I am biased. There are a couple of aspects to your question. The first one is concerning your age and my answer is that it doesn’t matter. Over thirty really isn’t that far behind. The average age of the students in my class at the beginning of the year was almost 25. I have met several people that are on their second career and some of them are over thirty. We even have one or two people in our first year medical Continue reading

) plan to become a leader in biotech drugs and widen its footprint in emerging markets created plenty of buzz last week, underscoring the importance pharma puts on developing new and better business models.
The nation's No. 2 drug maker unveiled its plan Dec. 9 at its annual business briefing with analysts. Much of the attention centered on Merck's announcement of a new division, Merck BioVentures, that will make new and generic biotech drugs.
The company also said it's on track to reach a goal of $2 billion in annual sales from emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India. Merck eyes more Continue reading

Generic-Pill Spending Dips in ‘Fierce’ U.S. Price War (Update3)
Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- American consumers and health
insurers saved about $1 billion on generic drugs this year as
“fierce” competition among drugmakers and pressure from
insurers lowered prices.
,
and other generic-drug makers fell 2.7 percent
to $33 billion in the 12 months ended in September, the biggest
decline in at least a decade, the health research firm
today. The average price manufacturers
charged wholesalers for the copycat pills fell 8 percent while
demand increased 5.4 percent, IMS said.
The surge in Continue reading

. It's based on a Rand survey of 4,000 U.S. adults that shows the following:
Fifty-three percent of all adults surveyed have no intention of getting the flu vaccine this year, while 17 percent say they haven't yet but will at some point.
Seventy percent of healthy adults under age 50 have no intention of being vaccinated, while 16 percent say they will at some point but haven't yet.
Public-health experts are up in arms, saying that it's a
on our nation's health report card. Yet, I'm not quite sure what the brouhaha is about. After all, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
—only Continue reading

GRANITE FALLS — Searchers will be combing an area near Porter in western Yellow Medicine County on both Saturday and Sunday for Brandon Swanson, the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s office announced on Friday.
People should be aware of the searchers’ presence.
Brandon Swanson, 19, has been missing since May 14. He was returning home from a party in Canby when his car went into a ditch. He called his parents, Brian and Annette Swanson of Marshall, and asked them to pick him up near Lynd.
He was talking to his father on a cell phone when he said “Oh s--!’’ and Continue reading

A law goes into effect in Westchester County today banning the sale of some cough medicines to anyone under 18.
The ban, known as "Anthony's Law," is a response in part to the death of a Yonkers man killed by a young driver who was "Robotripping" on chemicals in cough syrup.
"I've been waiting for this day to come," said Linda Vieiro, the daughter of crash victim Anthony Vieiro. "It doesn't bring my father back, but maybe his death was not in vain."
Vieiro, a World War II veteran, was killed in March 2007 on Sprain Road in Yonkers after his car was struck by Mohd Shreiqein of Pleasantville, Continue reading

The possibility of a merger between Excellus BlueCross and BlueShield and HealthNow New York raises questions about whether such a deal would really be in the best interest of consumers.
Merger talks between the two insurers ended unsuccessfully sometime in the last year, largely due to the sour economy. But the companies remain interested in combining operations and could resume negotiations sometime in the future.
A merger could mean reduced costs for the two companies as they eliminate duplicate functions, lay off unneeded workers and pursue other efficiencies.
But the proposed deal also Continue reading