ALSO NOTED: Wall Street fears for hospital stocks; Grim reality of uninsured in America; and much more...

> Wall Street worries that both Tenet and HCA are at risk from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Shares in both companies have fallen slightly in morning trading. Story

> More on the Kaiser Family Foundation study about the perils of being uninsured in America. Story

> Med Tech: Medtronic said it has acquired Imaged Guided Neurologics, a maker of a deep-brain stimulation device which treats depression. Story

> The Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, has agreed to pay $8 million to settle allegations that the hospital fraudulently over-billed Medicare during the 1990s. Story

> Pharma DTC ad spending has "flattened" this quarter, according to a monitor. Story

> Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen's decision to kick 200,000 people off Medicaid finds criticism. Op-Ed

> Officials in Los Angeles said oversight of doctors working for the county would be tightened after inaccuracies were discovered in time cards. Story

> Chutes & Ladders: Paul Jones has been named chief technology officer of the UK's Connecting for Health national IT program. Story

> Med Tech: VeriChip said it reached agreements with four hospitals in August to implement its Verimed patient identification system. Release

> A public interest group in New Jersey sued over $33 million in questionable loans made to Bergen Regional Medical Center. Story

> The Constant Gardener, a new thriller starring Ralph Fiennes, has a not-so-subtle point to make about about the pharmaceutical industry. Story

And Finally... The Royal College of Physicians, which has been one of the leading opponents to proposed changes extending the UK's alcohol licensing laws, has asked for permission to sell alcohol at its London headquarters for 15 hours per day. Story

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