If it's "ridiculous" for Hollywood actors to speak to this issue, why is it 'ok' for Sally Field to tout Boniva?

“You could see the utter absurdity of having innocent pediatricians spend thousands of hours making an Autism toolkit, when ,in fact, you could more easily put a stop to most cases of autism.”

Cherry,

Soon they may be making *some money* on putting those kits together if the current legislation from President-elect Obama is submitted without major modifications:

SEC. 7. MULTIMEDIA CAMPAIGN.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in order to enhance existing awareness campaigns provide for the implementation of new campaigns, shall award grants to public and nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out multimedia campaigns to increase public education and awareness concerning healthy developmental milestones for infants and children that may assist in the early identification of the signs and symptoms of ASD.

(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(c) REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for a grant under subsection (a), an entity subsection (a) shall provide assurance in the application submitted under subsection (b) that the multimedia campaign implemented under such grant will—

(1) provide information that is tailored to a diverse public audience, including health professionals, concerning normal developmental milestones for infants and children; and

(2) identify national and State organizations that can facilitate the provision of ASD-related services regarding diagnosis and treatment.

Thankfully, it looks like the bill will *NOT* be introduced in the lame-duck session (according to my contact in Obama’s office) and Durbin (co-sponsor) is open for input from us which we are currently addressing.

Kelli

PS...Craig, you can hold my purse as long as you don't delegate it to 1) a trash can lid or 2) the floor like *scary smart guy* did cuz I don't think I could go through that torture again.

"The AAP president means well, and I'm sorry if he did not come across that way during his interview. But please don't think that because Dave Tayloe did not list Autism and obesity, etc. as top priorities that they are not top priorities for thousands of pediatricians working with you all in the trenches."

I refuse to believe that Tayloe means well if he chooses to ignore an entire population of children who are responding poorly to the routine schedule of well-baby vaccines. By labeling vaccines as "good", he is doing a tremendous disservice to all parents who question the safety of vaccines. It is quite clear that there is a definite subset of children, like my son, who not only respond poorly to vaccines, they often regress into autism, asthma, learning disabilities, etc.

I would have had so much more respect for the man had he said " Vaccines, for most people, do what they are intended to do, however there are certain cases where vaccines should not be administered." EVEN THE CDC ADMITS THIS!!! Why can’t Tayloe? To throw out such a blanket statement that vaccines are “good” and the public must be convinced only leads me to further believe that this man does not have the best interests of children at heart.

Regardless of whether or not others pediatricians do see vaccines and autism as something to fight for, the fact is that the head of the AAP is someone that most pediatricians will look to for advice and guidance, as they should. I believe that like so many other in positions of authority concerning the autism 'debate', Tayloe's ego will not allow him to concede the very, very obvious data pouring in: vaccines ARE harmful.

Ego has no place in this fight for our children.

"No wonder you got kicked out of *the club* by Craig – I’m guessing that spilling the beans on what *really* takes place behind closed doors in all those high-level, big-wig, pow-wow meetings probably won’t score you any additional brownie points with the guys and it may even extend your banishment from the "Man's Club"."

Kelli....Ouch!!! I'm not a member of the big-wig pow-wow meetings! Does being a member of the man club means that I have to be like one of THEM?

Quick, Kelli! Let me hold your purse!!!!

This doesn't translate well in this format, but it's a letter that details reimbursements for vaccines and how peds can get MORE money by administering the shots themselves versus using a health aid. Here's the mantra:

"Vaccines are a critical part of the daily practice of preventive medicine; the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites vaccination as one of the ten most notable public health achievements of the last century. Vaccines improve the quality of health of patients and the public at large by eradicating or controlling the spread of vaccine-preventable infectious disease. We hope you find this information useful."

And here's the "moneyshot" (disgusting image intended..)

"Please distribute this notice to physicians in your state as we hope that this state-specific information will result in higher reimbursement, providing an added incentive to immunize patients."

December 8, 2004 Peter Joseph Morris, MD MPH, FAAP Chapter President North Carolina Chapter 3224 Doulton Ln Fuquay Varina, NC 27526-8617 Dear Dr Morris: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is informing chapters of impending changes affecting immunization administration codes and their relative values. Please share this information with your chapter members.

Pediatric immunization administration codesEffective January 1, 2005 there will be four (4) new pediatric-specific immunization administration CPT codes, reportable under the following circumstances: 1) When the patient is under 8 years of age And2) When the physician performs the vaccine-related counseling. If both of these conditions are not met (eg, a 4-year old who receives vaccines where the nurse does the counseling), physicians will be instructed to report the appropriate existing immunization administration code(s) (CPT 90471-90474). The new codes are: 90465 Immunization administration under 8 years of age (includes percutaneous, intradermal, subcutaneous, or intramuscular injections) when the physician counsels the patient/family; first injection (single or combination vaccine/toxoid), per day (90465 should not be reported in conjunction with 90467)90466 each additional injection (single or combination vaccine/toxoid), per day (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)(Use 90466 in conjunction with 90465 or 90467)
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Peter Morris, MD MPH, FAAP December 8, 2004 Page 2 90467 Immunization administration under age 8 years (includes intranasal or oral routes of administration) when the physician counsels the patient/family; first administration (single or combination vaccine/toxoid), per day (90467 should not be reported in conjunction with 90465)90468 each additional administration (single or combination vaccine/toxoid), per day (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)(Use 90468 in conjunction with 90465 or 90467)These codes (90465-90468) are reported only when the physician provides face-to-face counseling of the patient and family during the administration of a vaccine. For immunization administration of any vaccine that is not accompanied by face-to-face physician counseling to the patient/family, report codes 90471-90474.The effective date for the new codes is January 1, 2005. Since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires that "the version of the medical data code sets specified in the implementation specifications must be the version that is valid at the time the health care is furnished", covered entities must incorporate the new codes into their claims processing systems by January 1, 2005. New RVUs for administration of injectable vaccinesEffective January 1, 2005, Medicare has significantly increased the Resource Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) values for the service of administering injectable vaccines.

For the first time in the history of immunization administration codes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has recognized the physician work involved in administering vaccines. This exemplifies the Academy’s advocacy efforts for recognition of the physician work component as well as CMS’s commitment to increase immunization rates by more appropriately reflecting the cost of performing this service. [CMS has not yet valued intranasal or oral vaccine administration codes].

The 2005 Medicare RBRVS values for injectable immunization administration codes are: CPT®*Code Work Value Practice Expense Value Malpractice Value Total 90465 .17 .31 .01 .49 90466 .15 .13 .01 .29 90471 .17 .31 .01 .49 90472 .15 .13 .01 .29
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Peter Morris, MD MPH, FAAP December 8, 2004 Page 3 The geographically adjusted Medicare payment amount for your area for the calendar years 2004 and 2005 are:

Area 90465§and 90471 90466§and 90472 2005 Fee Schedule¥2004 Fee Schedule¥2005 Fee Schedule 2004 Fee Schedule North Carolina $17.55 $7.53 $10.48 $5.10 ¥G0008, G0009, and G0010 are also paid at this rate by Medicare Private Carriers The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is issuing this special notice to help ensure physicians are aware of the new immunization administration codes and the change in RVUs.

Please distribute this notice to physicians in your state as we hope that this state-specific information will result in higher reimbursement, providing an added incentive to immunize patients. The AAP will be notifying carriers of the new pediatric immunization administration codes and the RVUs for injectable immunization administration. AAP chapters are encouraged to inform local carriers as well so private carriers that use RBRVS to determine their fee schedule can incorporate the updated RVUs into their claims systems. Also, carriers that currently do not use RBRVS should still be informed of the recognized work value of immunization administration. MedicaidThe Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires state Medicaid programs to recognize current CPT codes, but states are not required to reimburse for those codes. Medicaid programs also may or may not be using some formof RBRVS in determining Medicaid payment, even if the state reimburses for the new and existing immunization administration codes. Therefore, state Medicaid payment for new and existing immunization administration codes may be less than the amount Medicare will pay in your state. States are limited by federal rules under the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program as to how much they can reimburse for the administration of VFC vaccine (please see Peter Morris, MD MPH, FAAP December 8, 2004 Page 4 http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vfc/Parent/fee_fedreg.htm#feetable for the maximum fees under VFC in your state).
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However, AAP chapters can use the data on Medicare reimbursement to argue for increases in Medicaid reimbursement for the immunization administration codes. AAP chapters can show that Medicare recognizes the work value inherent in the administration of immunizations (both in the new and existing codes) and reimburses at a level that reflects this. Chapters can use this information to seek the goal of reaching at least VFC-allowable maximumcharges for vaccines administered to children in VFC, and higher reimbursement if applicable and allowable. AAP chapters are encouraged to work with state Medicaid officials to ensure coverage of these administration codes and proper reimbursement for them.

Please contact Dan Walter, Sr. Health Policy Analyst at [email protected] or 800/433-9016 ext 4086 for questions on Medicaid advocacy.

Vaccines are a critical part of the daily practice of preventive medicine; the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites vaccination as one of the ten most notable public health achievements of the last century. Vaccines improve the quality of health of patients and the public at large by eradicating or controlling the spread of vaccine-preventable infectious disease. We hope you find this information useful.

If there are any questions, please contact Linda Walsh, Sr. Health Policy Analyst at [email protected] or 800/433-9016 ext 7931. Sincerely, Carol D. Berkowitz, MD, FAAP President CDB/lt *CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association §CPT codes 90465 and 90466 are new codes effective 1/1/05 and consequently have not been previouslyvalued cc: Steve Shore, MSW, Executive Director, North Carolina Chapter

I am a pediatrician and have nephew with PDD. I know that many physicians and other practitioners have treated children and families of children with ASDs poorly and without sufficient respect or empathy and for that I apologize. But please do not pass judgement on a group such as the AAP or a group of professionals such as pediatricians, who generally are fighting hard to improve the health of ALL of America's children.

The AAP president means well, and I'm sorry if he did not come across that way during his interveiw. But please don't think that because Dave Tahloe did not list Autism and obesity, etc. as top priorities that they are not top priorities for thousands of pediatricians working with you all in the trenches. The AAP and pediatricians care dearly about all children and especially about those with Autism/ASD. I'm sorry to hear that the AAP is being so poorly received by the author. An Autism Toolkit was released about a year ago by the AAP with the goal of diagnosing children as early as possible and to get them into services, such as ABA therapy as quickly as possible. Toolkits such as these take many years to develop and involve hundreds of volunteer pediatrician hours to develop and produce.

Obesity is also an extrememly important issue for pediatricians, as is asthma, diabetes and any other illness or disease. And there are large active groups within the AAP working on all of these topics daily.

The majority of pediatricians do not make any money off giving vaccines, and many actually lose money. Physicians also do not earn any income from writing prescriptions, and we pediatricians would love it if children did not need any medicine. That being said I know that many meds are overprescribed. And that is another area where we need a lot of improvement.

Parents are the best advocates for children, so I applaud your passion, but please know that the majority of pediatricians are your allies and care dearly about your children.

Regressive autism

Bottle feeding is a risk for diarrhea (colitis), reflux, ear infections, respiratory problems, diabetes, sleep apnea and enuresis; disorders accompanying regressive autism. Refrigeration prevents spoilage, and Kanner’s observations on autistic children in homes with refrigerators supports bottle feeding as a factor in regressive autism.

Parental reports that their child regressed following vaccination are supported by information from the Internet: “The cause is of ulcerative colitis is unknown. … Attacks may be provoked by many factors, including respiratory infections ….” Vaccine components, pertussis, mumps and measles, are respiratory infections. Therefore, either DpT or MMR can trigger a colitis attack.

Regressive autism is the result of environmental factors.

Some details
Actually, the vaccines trigger obstructive sleep apnea which underlies gout (No bottle feeding paper on gout was found)and all the above ailments. Apneas reduce the amount of oxygen available to the body and to the brain.

Colitis, diabetes and gout are caused by the diaphragm’s action during an apnea. The diaphragm executes its version of the ‘stuck jelly jar lid maneuver’. It tries harder. It tries 10 to 15 times harder, severely pounding the intestines, pancreas and kidneys hundreds of times a night. Subsequently these organs don’t function properly resulting in colitis, diabetes and gout.

Regressive autism is still the result of environmental factors.

Regarding Garbo's & Jeff R's comments -- I also often wonder, don't pediatricians see what is going on? Didn't some pediatricians choose their profession because they love children? What do pediatricians say to each other about vaccines when behind closed doors?

I'm sure that even the best pediatricians fear unleashing a wave of anger against themselves. And many still believe that the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks and that they must not cause panic and fear of vaccines. And I imagine there must also be fear of repercussions from their colleagues and medical establishment.

But, still, surely some pediaticians can see how serious these health issues are and how important it is for the vaccine program's problems to be addressed?!?!? When will these pediatricians start speaking out?!?!? Yes we have one non-DAN! pediatrician speaking out -- Dr. Jay Gordon (yay!) -- anyone else?

""Prescriptions for asthma increased 46.5 percent, while those for attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity leapt 40 percent and were three times more prevalent among boys than girls. Cholesterol treatments rose 15 percent.""

Big Pharma is doing well for themselves, eh?

You folks probably know this but I have always been one of Anne's biggest fans -- back at UPI I named her person of the year in my annual awards and am so glad she writes for Age of Autism. She's putting her finger on the key issue here -- why are so many kids sick? And she nails Tayloe for his bureucratic agenda which shows no real interest in the declining health of America's kids. Also, Garbo, you are sure right that most mainstream pediatrician are making us (our kids) sick, but in answer to this,
"What I always wonder is why all the AAP doctors are so blindly obedient when they are being led over the cliff like lemmings. You would think that there are members out there who know/see/acknowledge the truth."
I would say, they're out there, they are called DAN doctors, and more parents are listening to them and not factotums like Tayloe.
And as ever, the comments from readers on this story give the lie to the palaver he's spewing. Thanks again, readers!

Lisa, what about Smarmy Krap - was he in trouble too??? David Tayloe's father lost the LARGEST MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASE in the state of NC because of a vaccine injury. It was his NURSE who adminstered the vaccine though, not he. It's googleable, I'm not telling tales out of school. Not Jr. - SENIOR.

5 main areas - Money, money, money, Money and Money. Easy to remember.

I wonder where all those cigarette ad execs work now? Pharma?

What I always wonder is why all the AAP doctors are so blindly obedient when they are being led over the cliff like lemmings. You would think that there are members out there who know/see/acknowledge the truth. Where are they? If a bunch of physicians got together and revoked their memberships en masse, would it have any impact? Do they think they have a prayer of reforming the AAP from the inside when their dues are a tiny part of the budget? Are they all just dim bulbs, or are they greedmeisters happy to look the other way in order to make even more money of kids that they've made sick in the first place? After all, they gotta pay those med school loans, right? 'Screw first do no harm, I need a new Benz, so you need some shots! No? Well the AAP told me to tell you to take a hike, loser.'

In addition to teaching about early signs of autism, I wish the AAP would educate pediatricians on early signs of vaccine sensitivity. I have been reading Barbara Loe Fisher & Harris Coulter's book "A Shot in the Dark" and there are hearbreaking accounts of babies who had increasingly severe reactions to each DPT shot (severe swelling/redness at the vaccine site, inconsolable screaming for hours, very high fevers etc.) culminating in an even worse reaction to the third or fourth DPT vaccine followed by permanent brain damage and disability.

This is just one example of how our medical organizations do not adequately focus on vaccine safety. Even when the manufacturer's materials list certain reactions as precluding further vaccines, the pediatricians would continue on obliviously, saying, "Oh, that's just a normal reaction. Don't worry about it."

When the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act was passed in 1986, manufacturers and doctors were shielded from normal tort liability and instead claims are paid through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, limited to $250,000 instead of millions, and funded by a surcharge on vaccines. The decreased fear of liability should have enabled admission of problems so that the problems could be corrected. Instead, the lack of tort liability seems to have resulted in increased denial and less incentive to address problems.

Dr. Tayloe's outlook is sickening. Thank you for this article and links, Anne.

Very nice Anne! It is disturbing and furthermore, it makes me a bit crazy that the pediatricians see it every day but just do not get it. I do not have a physician for my children here, but did have to book a "well" (nice name... your child is well and you know it and then you leave the office and they are sick)visit for general check-ups for school (exemption in place, but needed general height, weight stuff). He was so harsh and his statements were violent but SO contradictory... He really had no idea who he had unleashed on until I opened up my big binder of biochemical and genetic tests and informed him of the facts. He stated how many patients he had in his practice and the considerably low incidence of autism. I happen to be friends with many many people who have their children exclusively in his care (we are part of an organization where he is the "official" pediatrician), so as a compromise- I offered to him that if he would sign my physical, then I would give him a report as to what I see when I am surrounded by all of these kids who are in his care (who don't have AUTISM, per se or autistic Sx)... well let's see... There is a 75 pound 5 year old who has horrid shiners- looks like he has been punched, he flaps his hands when he runs, he drools and is that kid that no one wants their children around (mom has NO clue, just says he makes her insane), family of 3- son with tons of inflammation in his face and Dx- ODD, severe agression, sleep disorder- on meds, daughter just Dx type 1 diabetes (just turned 6)and 2 and 1/2 year old in private speech therapy/has no language/parents didn't want early intervention. Family of 3- two have eczema and one Dx ADHD- the other throws tantrums every time I see him- and all three have tubes in their ears and one just had tonsils out. And it goes on and on and on... one 5 month old just spent several nights in the hospital with severe respiratory infection... another child has cystic fibrosis (and if you have read Jill James' papers on glutathione depletion in CF, then the same elements that apply to our children may apply here as well)... but it's not "autism"- so there is no vaccine injury, because that is the only buzz that you hear. The Dr. did sign my physical but told me that I was going to feel horrible as a mother if one of my unvacc'd children dies of one of these diseases, because I was misinformed on the safety and efficacy... and that he couldn't see any of my children again until they were up-to-date and the office had it on file. I smiled the biggest smile, stated that we practice wellness and there would never be a situation where I would need to see him again. Refused the blow-pops for the kids, took them in and scrubbed their hands good in the bathroom! What an approach! My two year (unvaccinated) has never had a runny nose or an ear infection BUT did get the MEASLES (all the MMR kids shedding the virus) this week. Early Sx started on Sunday-mouth sores and red/swollen convunctiva (I thought maybe hand/foot/mouth at first)... fever spike and cranky cranky on Monday- rash came that night and slowly progressed Tuesday and Wednesday... today she is feeling much better and is more herself and the rash is fading in the same order it presented itself. Lots of liquids, love and a little homeopathy and she already looks healthier today than ever (important milestone in immune health... what a novel idea). While, like many of you, we have spent a TON of money and even more time and effort to reverse the effects of the MMR on my 6 year old. The recovery of this measles bit has made me feel stronger and even more confident that I have given the best gift possible to my little one. And hey, she's two... she won't even remember feeling yucky for a few days!

They aren't looking because they already have the answers--just read the Simpsonwood Transcript. They knew, they covered it up and now they act like that never happened. If they really didn't know what was disabling a generation of children in the country they would be acting like this was an emergency. This would be the absolute top priority. But they already know and if they shared that publicly there would be such a financial loss to these people and not to mention probably jail time for many that they just pretend to keep on trying to find the cause. There may be other contributing factors but vaccines are what put almost every one of these kids over the edge. They will never admit this. They have too much to lose.

Just what IS the AAP's mission? All five of Tayloe's agenda items serve its dues-paying members, not the children used by that trade group like little human shields.

Google "Teamsters" "union" and "autism" and you'll find many articles on that union's charity drives and awareness education.

Which would you rather have looking out for your children's welfare?

Don't forget the obese children with the bad arteries that was all over the news yesterday.

What could be causing such problems? Perhaps, mercury is damaging the arteries as has already been established by research. Sorry, folks, nobody who got those mercury laden vaccines is coming out undamaged.

Anne, great great piece! AAP is so out of touch.

"vaccine financing issues"...
Vaccines are already at an all-time high, according to CDC, so why focus on vaccines?
Or does he mean he wants the big ticket items (gardasil) covered and in the schedule?

Anne, great piece.

Anne, don't forget the PINK glucose meters and ashtma inhalers! Kids love 'em! Makes them feel "normal!" And lipitor is going to be injected into Skittles soon, I'm told! They'll call it Skittltor.