Pharma Ghostwriting: "A New Level of Chutzpah"

Here's what we're checking out today:

Quote of the Day: "To ghostwrite an entire textbook is a new level of chutzpah," former FDA Commissioner David Kessler tells the New York Times' Duff Wilson in a story about a drug-maker's heavy influence on a medical textbook.

Vitamin D: We're expecting a major backlash from Vitamin D boosters (and supplement manufacturers) in the wake of the Institute of Medicine's new report suggesting that our fears of nationwide deficiencies of the sunlight vitamin are overblown. The Washington Post's Rob Stein examines the IOM's long-awaited report on how much Vitamin D we should be getting.

Insurance: California regulators slam the state's seven largest health plans with nearly $5 million in fines for failing to properly pay medical claims from thousands of doctors and hospitals, Duke Helfand reports for the Los Angeles Times.

Bare-Bones Coverage: "Mini-med" insurance plans that offer skimpy coverage are now the target of a Senate committee investigation that has broadened beyond examining plans offered by McDonald's to low-wage employees, Janet Adamy reports for The Wall St. Journal.

Docs Organize: It was only a matter of time, right? Doctors are organizing to promote unproven treatments they believe in, like stem cell therapy for arthritis, chelation for autism and long-term antibiotics for Lyme disease, MedPage Today reports.