Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/687714
ByLauranNeergaard The Associated Press WASHINGTON Treating hearing loss shouldn't be such a pricey hassle. That's the message from a pres- tigious government advi- sory group that's calling on Medicare and other agen- cies to find ways to make better hearing more afford- able and accessible for mil- lions of older Americans. One proposal: Allow over-the-counter sales of simple devices for mild hearing problems as an al- ternative to full hearing aids — much like consum- ers with vision problems to- day choose between drug- store reading glasses or pre- scription bifocals. Thursday's report says action is important be- cause hearing loss isn't just a struggle for individuals but a growing public health problem, putting untreated seniors at extra risk of so- cial isolation, depression, even dementia. "This is not something to be ignored," said Dr. Dan Blazer of Duke University, who chaired the National Academies of Sciences, En- gineering and Medicine committee that studied the problem. Yet only a fraction of peo- ple who might benefit from hearing aids use them and one reason is the price — av- eraging about $4,700 a pair including all the fitting ser- vices — the report found. In- surancecoverageisverylim- ited, and Medicare doesn't pay for hearing aids, only diagnostic hearing tests. Thursday, the panel urged Medicare to evalu- ate options to provide cov- erage of hearing aids and other care, while acknowl- edging that Congress has long refused to lift that re- striction. "We know this is a reach," Blazer said. But, "Medicare needs to have this on their radar screen." Hence the panel's bigger focus on other recommen- dations: • The Food and Drug Administration should al- low over-the-counter sales of simple wearable devices to ease mild hearing prob- lems, offering a first-step option for people who can't afford or aren't ready to make the leap to hearing aids. There are consumer electronic products that can amplify sound in var- ious ways — costing from $50 to $500 — but the FDA hasn't considered them hearing treatments. • Hearing tests aren't part of routine check-ups but they should be, includ- ing the Medicare annual wellness visit. • Many providers charge fixed prices for hearing aids that include both the devices and all the profes- sional services to fit and adjust them, but itemizing those prices would better allow consumers to choose the treatments that best fit their needs. • Consumers should be told before purchasing that some hearing aids can be programmed only by certain providers, limiting their ability to switch care. • And consumers should have access to their hear- ing tests so they can shop around, much like people can go to one optometrist for a glasses or contacts prescription but buy else- where. About 30 million Amer- icans have hearing loss, a problem that increases as people pass middle age — and the population is gray- ing rapidly. Thursday's re- port urges more research about the effects of un- treated hearing loss on peo- ple's physical health. HEALTH Panel: Treating hearing loss should not be a pricey hassle By Jamey Keaten and Bassem Mroue The Associated Press GENEVA U.N. officials on Thursday all but rejected a call by a group of world pow- ers for the United Nations to act unilaterally to air drop food to besieged Syrians, saying that Syrian President Bashar Assad has final say on any such deliveries. Assad's forces have sur- rounded most of the 19 U.N.-designated "besieged areas" and there was no immediate sign that his government would autho- rize air deliveries of aid. The U.N. has dropped aid onto the city of Deir Ezzor, parts of which are loyal to Assad while other parts are controlled by Islamic State group fighters. The International Syria SupportGroup,acoalitionof world powers, had called for the World Food Programme to unilaterally deliver food to besieged Syrians start- ing June 1 if access wasn't granted by the Syrian gov- ernment. Thursday's com- ments from Jan Egeland, a top humanitarian aid coor- dinatorforSyria,andRamzy Ramzy, deputy to U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, suggested that the U.N. is unwilling to take that step. Egeland said the compa- nies who are subcontracted to carry out airlifts for WFP require government authori- zation.Headdedthatthegov- ernment in Damascus hasn't provided permission for nearlyalloftheareasinneed. "The World Food Pro- gram has not finalized its plans, I don't think there is something imminent, but I think the process that will lead to airdrops has already started. So we will just have to wait and see when it will be put into effect (which will be) at the earliest pos- sible date," Ramzy told re- porters in Geneva. A day earlier, an aid con- voy involving the U.N. and the International Com- mittee for the Red Cross reached the town of Da- raya, but it didn't include food aid. Egeland said he had "good hopes" the de- liveries of food will happen "very soon" — without spec- ifying. He also said the U.N. was adding another town, al-Waer in Homs province, to its list of "besieged" areas — now numbering 19. U.N. officials have repeat- edly pointed to the high cost, complexity and secu- rity risk of air drops com- pared to delivering aid by road — which in addition usually allows for more aid to be delivered than is fea- sible by plane. But access by road has been repeat- edly rejected by the Assad government and its forces manning checkpoints. "At the end of the day, to be able to carry out these air deliveries — it's not just air drops, but air deliver- ies — you would need the consent of the government. I think that's quite clear," Ramzy said. The two U.N. officials said fighting near the north- ern city of Idlib is jeopardiz- ing a vaccination campaign there. Opposition activists said earlier this week that airstrikes on the village of Kfar Takhareem destroyed two vaccination centers. Britain has called an emergency Security Coun- cil meeting due to take place Friday to discuss aid drops. Britain's U.N. Am- bassador Matthew Rycroft said, "there has been some modest progress but ... that is too little too late." "What we need is full ac- cess everywhere. Of course it's better to have a bit of aid going into places like Daraya than no aid at all, but the Assad regime has not done what is required," Rycroft said. CIVIL WAR UN says Syrian government must approve aid deliveries By Michael Tarm and Amy Forliti The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS Prince died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a powerful opi- oid painkiller that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin, autopsy results re- leased Thursday show. The findings confirm suspicions that opioids played a role in the death of the superstar musician, who was found dead April 21 at his Minneapolis-area estate. It was not immedi- ately clear whether Prince had a prescription for the drug and, if not, how he obtained it. At least one friend has said he suffered from intense knee and hip pain from many years of stage performances. The results raised the possibility that anyone who provided the drug il- legally could face criminal charges. After Prince died, au- thorities began reviewing whether an overdose was to blame and whether he had been prescribed drugs in the preceding weeks. According to a one- page report released by the Midwest Medical Ex- aminer's Office, Prince ad- ministered the drug him- self on an unknown date. The office said the death investigation is complete, and it had no further com- ment. Fentanyl is a synthetic drug that is partly respon- sible for a recent surge in overdose deaths in some parts of the country. Be- cause of its risks, it is tightly controlled by the Food and Drug Adminis- tration. Pain patients who have built up a tolerance to other prescription painkill- ers, or who have become addicted, sometimes seek out stronger drugs such as heroin or fentanyl. More than 700 fentanyl- related overdoses were re- ported to the Drug En- forcement Administration in late 2013 and 2014. The drug also has legitimate medical uses. Prince, 57, died less than a week after his plane made an emergency stop in Moline, Illinois, for medical treatment as he was returning from an Atlanta concert. The As- sociated Press and other media reported, based on anonymous sources, that he was found unconscious on the plane, and first re- sponders gave him a shot of Narcan, an antidote used in suspected opioid overdoses. The autopsy was con- ducted the day after Prince's body was found. When his body was exam- ined, he was 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighed 112 pounds and was dressed almost entirely in black. He had scars on his left hip and right lower leg. The focus of the inves- tigation will now probably turn to determining who supplied the fentanyl and whether the sources were legitimate or illegal, said Gal Pissetzky, a Chicago- based attorney who has represented multiple cli- ents facing drug charges. He has no link to Prince. Authorities may also look to the singer's asso- ciates. "The investigation may expand to people who sur- round him," Pissetzky said. "If fentanyl was obtained illegally, I don't think Prince would have gone out to meet someone in a dark alley to get the sub- stance." If a street dealer was the source, identifying that person will not be easy. "It'll be very, very diffi- cult," he said. "These guys don't write receipts, and they change phones all the time." Illegally distributing fentanyl to someone who then dies from it is punish- able by a mandatory mini- mum sentence of 20 years under federal law. Under Minnesota law, the same actions can result in third- degree murder charges and up to 25 years in prison. The names of at least two doctors have come up in the death investigation being conducted by the Carver County Sheriff's Of- fice, the U.S. Attorney's Of- fice in Minnesota and the Drug Enforcement Admin- istration. Dr. Michael Todd Schul- enberg, a family practitio- ner, treated Prince twice in the weeks before his death and told investigators he prescribed medications for the singer. The medi- cations were not specified in a search warrant for the Minnesota hospital that employed Schulenberg at the time. Schulenberg saw Prince April 7 and April 20 — the day before his death — ac- cording to the warrant. Schulenberg's attorney has declined to comment on the case. Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a California addiction specialist, was asked by Prince's representatives on April 20 to help the singer. AUTOPSY REPORT Prince died of accidental overdose PHOTOBYCHRISPIZZELLO—INVISIONFILE Prince performs at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. 2016TehamaCounty Health and Wellness Guide & Directory A reference guide to North State medical professionals and related medical services available to Tehama County residents. Advertising Rates (cost includes same-size adjacent space for promotional copy, provided by advertiser) 1/8 Pg...................................$199.00 1/4 Pg...................................$325.00 Half Pg.................................$485.00 Full Pg..................................$765.00 Inside Front...........................$1150.00 Inside Back............................$1015.00 Back Cover............................$1275.00 Center Double Truck.............$2175.00 Advertising&CopyDeadline:FRIDAY,JUNE3,2016 INSERTS: THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 GaylaEckels: geckels@redbluffdailynews.com(530) 737-5044 Suzy Noble: snoble@redbluffdailynews.com(530) 737-5056 We'retakinganewapproachwiththispopular annual glossy magazine publication to increase its reach and reminder to consumers in Tehama County and within the Redding-Chico DMA. As before, 5,000 copies will be inserted in a full edition of The Daily News, with advance in-paper and front page promotion. 3,000 additional printed copies will be produced for year-round provision to medical waiting rooms, Chambers of Commerce, local hotels, and advertiser counter-top distribution. Also as before, the online version of this magazine Guide will be hosted for a full year under the Special Publications tab on the front page of redbluffdailynews.com, for 24/7 viewability. Advertisers may embed a URL to their own website, to which readers of the publication can be sent directly to advertisers' own web pages! Advertisers are invited to provide copy for promotional copy on their practice or business, to be published in the Guide the same size space as their advertisement. Alternatively, advertisers can double the size of the ad space sizes listed below at no extra cost. NEW THIS YEAR! The Guide will feature a directory of local medical and health service providers, provided by St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, published by category. Advertisers in the publication will have their listings printed in bold text.. Advertising businesses that may not be included on the list of providers provided by St. Elizabeth will have their listings added in bold in the appropriate business category. Once monthly during the life of the publication, the Daily News will post a different aspect of the Guide and Directory as a post to The Daily News' Facebook page, which currently has over 5,000 "Likers." The post will refer them to the link to the digital edition. We will "boost" these posts to reach 2-3,000 additional Facebook users who may not yet be "likers" of our Facebook page. We've saved the best for last: Using the AdTaxi digital advertising agency's targeted email service, we will send a promotion and link to the digital edition of the Guide and Directory to 50,0000 emails of men and women 40 and older across the Redding-Chico DMA in September of 2016. This publication is an ideal promotional vehicle not only for medical practitioners, but alsoanybusiness the services of which promotes and supports health and wellness; health food sellers, gyms and health clubs, medical equipment providers and more! Contact your Daily News advertising representative to reserve your space today! proudly announces the RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016 6 B