MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'healthcare costs'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:08:46 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069475&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-is-the-most-costly-healthcare-expenditure%2F2011.07.27 The National Institute for Healthcare Management Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on healthcare. The foundation just published an excellent report on the distribution of  healthcare costs in the population. The results indicate that reducing healthcare cost is all about reducing and managing chronic diseases. U.S. healthcare spending has sharply increased between 2005 and 2009 by 23 percent from $2 trillion to $2.5 trillion per year. This is a result of a combination of factors. Chief among them is the increasing incidence of obesity. Who spends the money? (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Repairing the Healthcare System* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069475 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:00:54 +0100 5069475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992789&cid=t_103919_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FEm4rJk2IfV0%2F Every time I hear a story about consumer empowerment in healthcare, I get optimistic that consumers really can make a difference in containing runaway healthcare costs. Then something comes along to make me think that it’s a pipe dream. I just had one such occurrence. Trending on Twitter right now is the meme “#pricesthatshockyou.” Just for fun, I clicked. Right near the top I saw this: #bbpBox_86598503140294656 a { text-decoration:none; color:#009e9e; }#bbpBox_86598503140294656 a:hover { text-decoration:underline; }Honestly, i don't know why the american gov't makes the people pay so much for medical bills. Its not always their fault #pricesthatshockyouabout 1 hour ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite@jadedheartsxoDαnαit Uh, the American government doesn’t set... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992789 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:12:19 +0100 4992789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984674&cid=t_103919_147_f&fid=39273&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2F7o_rmx0_U28%2Ffailure-of-google-health-and-what-it.html According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 80% of the American adults who use the Internet report that they regularly go online for access to health information. But so far, the Internet has not helped drive the adoption of health records created and maintained by consumers. 

That's why Google announced last week that it is shutting down Google Health, a personal health record service that allows individuals to centrally store and manage their health information online.Why hasn’t the Internet empowered consumers to manage their personal health information the same way it has better informed them about medical conditions? 

There are three reasons. But the underlying cause is that there is no such thing as a consumer in the American health care system today. A consu... ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984674 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:31:00 +0100 4984674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975863&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-physical-exams-save-healthcare-costs%2F2011.06.28 I’ve often heard physicians say that “the history is 90% of the diagnosis.” In other words, they can usually determine the underlying cause of a patient’s problem just by listening to their account of how it evolved. The physical exam is merely to confirm the diagnosis, and is often cursory, limited, or ignored. I believe that the physical exam is far more important than it seems – and I learned this during my recent oral medical specialty board examination. Although I have been sworn to secrecy regarding the content of the test questions, I will share an epiphany that I had during the exam. The examiners’ job is to describe a patient and then ask the examinee what else she’d like to know and what she’d do next. With each description, I found... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975863 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:00:21 +0100 4975863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4797771&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmore-medical-waste-does-a-6000-flashlight-improve-patient-outcomes%2F2011.05.07 So I’m rounding in the ICU the other day when I came upon this new hospital medical device.  It’s called a pupillometer.  What does this pupillometer do?  It  measures subtle changes in the light reflex of the pupil to help take the physical exam to the next level of precision. Or eliminate it, depending on how you look at it.  What used to be a basic physical exam skill is now being replaced by a $6000 piece of medical technology that can distinguish tiny changes in pupil size. Now the real questions remain.  Has this pupillometer device gone through the rigors of randomized trials in the ICU to define whether a  $6000 flashlight changes outcomes or mortality?   And if not, how do we allow medications to require such testing but not the technology that often changes n... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4797771 Sun, 08 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4797771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775395&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fend-of-life-care-costs-does-your-doctor-know-when-youre-going-to-die%2F2011.05.01 One interesting comment I have seen come up over and over is the idea that end-of-life costs are the thing that is spiralling out of control and that if we could somehow find a way to curb the costs of futile care, then that would somehow solve the health care inflation crisis. Andrew Sullivan endorsed such an idea the other day, a “Modest Proposal,” which is not nearly as radical or amusing as Swift’s. And indeed, there is a modicum of sense in the idea. Estimates are that spending in the last six months of a person’s life account for 30-50% of their overall health care costs, and that the spending in the last year of a person’s life accounts for 25% of overall medicare spending. So — simple solution, right? cut down on the futile care, and we’re ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775395 Sun, 01 May 2011 18:00:00 +0100 4775395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4771024&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-medical-condition-is-the-most-costly-to-employers%2F2011.04.30 Ok…here’s a brain teaser.  What medical condition is the most costly to employers?  I’ll give you a hint.  It is also a medical condition that is likely to go unrecognized and undiagnosed by primary care physicians. If you guessed depression you are correct. If you mentioned obesity you get a gold star since that comes in right behind depression for both criteria…at least in terms of cost and the undiagnosed part. Four out of every ten people at work or sitting in the doctor’s waiting room suffer from moderate to severe depression.  Prevalence rates for depression are highest among women and older patients with chronic conditions.  Yet despite its high prevalence and costly nature, depression is significantly under-diagnosed (<50%) and under-treated by physicians. For em... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4771024 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 19:00:08 +0100 4771024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734098&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchildhood-education-may-be-the-key-to-reducing-healthcare-costs%2F2011.04.21 In a recent op-ed in the San Francisco Examiner, William Dow, a professor of health economics at UC Berkeley, commented on the importance of education as a means of enabling more people to afford health care insurance. In my view, education is important not simply because an educated population can more easily pay for health care. The main importance is that educating children will allow those children and their children to have healthier childhoods, less burden of disease as adults, access to more personal and communal resources to deal with whatever disease they have and less need for health care, and that translates into less health care spending. Let me frame this in terms of the San Francisco Bay Area. In a series of articles in the Contra Costa Times last year, Susanne Bohan and San... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734098 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:00:01 +0100 4734098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684315&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-primary-care-physicians-keep-specialists-from-ordering-too-many-tests%2F2011.04.07 There are many tips to saving money on medical costs like asking your doctor only for generic medications, choosing an insurance plan with a high deductible and lower monthly premiums, going to an urgent care or retail clinic rather than the emergency room, and getting prescriptions mailed rather than go to a pharmacy. How about getting your old medical records and having them reviewed by a primary care doctor?  It might save you from having an unnecessary test or procedure performed. Research shows that there is tremendous variability in what doctors do.  Shannon Brownlee’s excellent book, Overtreated – Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer, provides great background on this as well as work done by the Dr. Jack Wennberg and colleagues on the Dartmouth Atlas. S... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684315 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4684315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684321&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshould-elderly-men-be-screened-for-prostate-cancer%2F2011.04.06 A study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that “that men in their seventies had prostate cancer screening nearly twice as often as men in their early fifties, who are more likely to benefit from prostate cancer detection and treatment.” An American Society for Clinical Oncology news release includes this quote: “Our findings show a high rate of elderly and sometimes ill men being inappropriately screened for prostate cancer. We’re concerned these screenings may prompt cancer treatment among elderly men who ultimately have a very low likelihood of benefitting the patient and paradoxically can cause more harm than good,” said senior author Scott Eggener, MD, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Chicago. “We were also surprised to fin... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684321 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:00:27 +0100 4684321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653334&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcollaborative-care-can-decrease-mental-health-costs%2F2011.03.29 I briefly scanned the Robert Wood Johnson synthesis report on mental and medical co-morbidity so I thought I’d summarize the highlights for the blog. If you’d rather watch the recorded web seminar you can hear it here. The report relied on systemic literature review to look at the relative risk and mortality associated with co-morbid medical and mental health conditions. The looked at studies using structure clinical interviews, self-report, screening instruments and health care utilization data (diagnostic codes reported to Medicaid). This is what they found: 68 percent of adults with a mental disorder had at least one general medical condition, and 29 percent of those with a medical disorder had a comorbid mental health condition These findings support the conclusion that th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653334 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4653334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498275&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Faggressive-care-when-is-it-better-for-patients%2F2011.02.19 The recurring narrative among health reformers is that hospitals that provide more care raise health costs, but don’t necessarily improve quality. This has lead to a backlash against so-called “aggressive” hospitals and doctors, with upcoming financial penalties to match. But the situation, as always, appears to be more nuanced than that. In her column in the New York Times, Dr. Pauline Chen looks at one subset of patients who actually may benefit from aggressive care: Those who suffer surgical complications. The study, found no difference in the rate of complications for aggressive and nonaggressive hospitals. But when they looked at all the patients who had complications and examined their outcomes, the researchers found that regardless of the urgency of their operations, those pat... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498275 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:00:29 +0100 4498275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489672&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fadult-vaccines-most-doctors-dont-stock-all-of-them%2F2011.02.17 Less than one in three primary care practices offer all 10 recommended adult vaccines, citing a variety of financial and logistical reasons. Researchers sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sampled 993 family physicians and 997 general internists. Of the respondents, 27 percent (31 percent of family practitioners and 20 percent of internists) stocked all 10. Results appear in the Feb. 17 issue of the journal Vaccine. The 10 vaccines were hepatitis A; hepatitis B; human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV); combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4); pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV23); tetanus diphtheria (Td); combined tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap); varicella; and zoster. Of the responding practices, two percent plan... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489672 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4489672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419136&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-hot-spotters-is-better-care-for-the-neediest-patients-the-answer-to-lower-healthcare-costs%2F2011.01.31 Author-physician Dr. Atul Gawande has done it again with a well-written article in The New Yorker magazine entitled, “The Hot Spotters.” It deals with the fact that 5 percent of people with chronic illness make up over 50 percent of all healthcare costs. If we can zero in on providing better preventive care for those people, we can finally get our arms around runaway healthcare costs. How great that you don’t even have to have a New Yorker subscription to read it. Here are a few cliff notes until you get to it: – In Camden, New Jersey, one percent of patients account for one-third of the city’s medical costs. By just focusing attention on the social and medical outpatient needs of those people, they not only got healthier but costs were cut in half. &#8... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419136 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4419136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394447&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-worst-health-care-system-in-the-world-is%25e2%2580%25a6%2F2011.01.24 The worst healthcare system in the world is the United States, of course. Oh no, wait — it’s Canada. Actually, it could be Germany. Geez, now I think it might be the UK. You could go on and on like this, but you know what? No matter how good or bad your healthcare system is, there are certain universal truths. Here are four of them that might make you look at global healthcare a little differently: First, healthcare is getting more expensive, all over the world. A new study by the global consultant, Towers Watson (disclosure: Towers Watson is a Best Doctors client) found that the average medical cost trend around the world will be 10.5 percent in 2011. In the advanced economies costs will rise by an average of 9.3 percent. While Americans tend to think of rising medical costs a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394447 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:00:06 +0100 4394447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372047&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshould-doctors-be-allowed-to-self-refer%2F2011.01.19 Federal law generally prohibits physicians from referring their own patients to a diagnostic facility in which they have an ownership issue — a practice called “self-referral” — unless the facility is located in their own practice. This exemption exists to allow patients with access to a laboratory test, X-ray, or other imaging test at the same time and place as when patients are seeing their physician for an office visit. Less inconvenience and speeder diagnosis and treatment — what could be wrong with that? Much, say the critics, if it leads to overutilization and higher costs and doesn’t really represent a convenience to patients. This is the gist of two studies by staff employed by the American College of Radiology, published in the December issue of Health Affa... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372047 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4372047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265734&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fconcierge-medicine-the-cost-of-healthcare-room-service-and-other-hospital-amenities%2F2010.12.18 A per­spec­tive in [a recent] NEJM con­sid­ers the Emerg­ing Impor­tance of Patient Ameni­ties in Patient Care. The trend is that more hos­pi­tals lure patients with hotel-like ameni­ties: Room ser­vice, mag­nif­i­cent views, mas­sage ther­apy, fam­ily rooms and more. These ser­vices sound great, and by some mea­sures can serve an institution’s bot­tom line more effec­tively than spend­ing funds on top-notch spe­cial­ists or state-of-the-art equipment. Think­ing back on the last time I vis­ited some­one at Sloan Kettering’s inpa­tient unit, and I mean­dered into the bright lounge on the 15th floor, stocked with books, games, videos and other signs of life, I thought how good it is for patients and their fam­i­lies to have a non-clinical area like this... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265734 Sat, 18 Dec 2010 14:00:25 +0100 4265734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253135&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Femployee-health-the-first-benefits-package-blog-carnival%2F2010.12.13 Welcome to The Benefits Package — the very first employee benefits blog carnival. After healthcare reform, employee benefits move to center stage as one of the most important issues facing Americans. So what are employers, insurers, and the government really doing to rein in healthcare costs, get their employees to live healthier lives, and improve healthcare quality? The Benefits Package is the first-ever blog carnival dedicated to these issues. With benefits executives starting to make the leap into the blogosphere, The Benefits Package will highlight the best insights and opinions on this important subject. You will discover new blogs, learn new things, and hopefully think about issues a little differently. I’ll host the first couple of Benefits Packages, and then others will ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253135 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:00:58 +0100 4253135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225247&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Faddressing-healthcare-spending-%25e2%2580%259ccowardice%25e2%2580%259d-or-bravery%2F2010.12.03 In assessing the “best and worst” of the recommendations from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility, Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein accuses the Commission of “cowardice” in addressing healthcare spending: “The plan’s healthcare savings largely consist of hoping the cost controls . . . and various demonstration projects in the new healthcare law work and expanding their power and reach. . . In the event that more savings are needed, they throw out a grab bag of liberal and conservative policies . . . but don’t really put their weight behind any. . .[their] decision to hide from the big questions here is quite disappointing . . . ” Pretty harsh words, considering that in other respects Klein gives the Commission high marks. But I think there is a lot mo... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225247 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:00:00 +0100 4225247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214110&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-medicare-pays-for-inpatient-care%2F2010.11.29 Have you ever wondered how hospitals get paid by Medicare? The New York Times has an excellent and simple explanation of this highly complicated process. It’s simple really. First the hospital labor component is adjusted for geographic location and then added to the capital depreciation expenditures adjusted for geographic location and then a medical severity adjusted diagnosis related group multiplier is added (MS-DRG). Once this adjusted payment rate is calculated, the hospital is given a bonus to cover the costs incurred if they are a teaching hospital, through the indirect medical education payment. Added to that is the disproportionate share payment for hospitals that see a lot of uninsured or Medicaid patients (strange that Medicare subsidizes Medicaid, isn’t it?) If... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214110 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4214110 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167960&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-malpractice-reform-would-doctors-accept-the-deal%2F2010.11.15 The bipartisan debt commission appointed by President Obama recently released its recommendations on how to pare the country’s debt. Of interest to doctors is the suggestion to change the way doctors are paid. Physician lobbies have been advocating for removal of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula — the flawed method by which Medicare, and subsequently private insurers, pays doctors. According to this method, physicians are due for a pay cut of more than 20 percent next month. According to the commission: The plan proposes eliminating the SGR in 2015 and replacing it with a “modest reduction” for physicians and other providers. The plan doesn’t elaborate on what constitutes a “modest reduction” in Medicare reimbursement. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare and Medicai... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167960 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:00:26 +0100 4167960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142748&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-reform-texas-style%2F2010.11.07 Via the Texas Tribune: Some Republican lawmakers — still reveling in Tuesday’s statewide election sweep — are proposing an unprecedented solution to the state’s estimated $25 billion budget shortfall: dropping out of the federal Medicaid program. Hmmm. Welcome to entitlement reality, Texas-style. Currently 20 billion a year and going to go up with expanded eligibility, the article does say the Feds pay 60 percent, but doesn’t say: 1) It’s temporary, then the Federal contribution goes down or away, and 2) The Federal component doesn’t come from magical money fairies — it’s money taken from taxpayers then funneled back into a particular program. Medicaid is not loved or respected in medicine. Decreasing reimbursements coupled to increasing requirements mean it’s at a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142748 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 20:00:29 +0100 4142748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125009&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-future-of-american-healthcare%2F2010.11.01 You want to see a doctor? You’re going to have to wait. And I don’t mean like an hour in the office. I mean like 53 days. It’s not some doomsday story from the future. It’s happening today here in Massachusetts. Massachusetts — the state whose 2006 law was the model for the federal healthcare reform law. Massachusetts — home to some of the world’s best medical centers and doctors. And, as the Boston Globe’s “White Coat Notes” blog reports, Massachusetts — home to doctor shortages and long waits to see a doctor: When primary care patients do secure an appointment for a non-urgent matter, they have to wait to get in the door, the survey found. The average delay is 29 days to see a family medicine doctor, down from 44 days last year, and 53 days ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125009 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:00:44 +0100 4125009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082093&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Facos-the-gathering-storm%2F2010.10.18 Those of you who’ve read this blog for any length of time know that I have been a pretty strong advocate for healthcare reform. This has been primarily motivated by my passion for universal coverage, but also with my frustration with the cost of the current healthcare system, the generally crummy outcomes, and the overall level of fragmentation in the whole affair. Even today, I had to repeat blood tests on a cancer patient who came to the ER. He had had blood tests at the cancer center ACROSS THE STREET before presenting, but, so sorry, our computers don’t talk to theirs and it’s after 5pm now, so forget about getting those results.  So it’s with a mixture of enthusiasm and dread that I consider the coming onslaught of accountable care organizations (ACOs). What ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082093 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:00:00 +0100 4082093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074062&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fun-insurance-reform%2F2010.10.15 Who doesn’t need insurance reform? Why, the insurers like Aetna, Cigna, and BCS Insurance, that’s who! From Emergency Physicians Monthly: By threatening to raise health care premiums by 200 percent or threatening to drop coverage altogether, the companies got the Department of Health and Human Services to cave. Now the companies have our government’s blessing to continue offering “insurance” to their employees that is capped at a few thousand dollars per year instead of the $750,000 required in the health care law. Perhaps GruntDoc said it best: “I am not an Obamacare fan, and would like it repealed, with smaller, more focused Bipartisan fixes, but if the government is going to pass something then roll over this easily to special interests… it’s already worse th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074062 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:00:00 +0100 4074062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060590&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-is-healthcare-reform-so-complicated%2F2010.10.12 A common question that I get as a practicing physician with a public health background is: “Why is healthcare reform so complicated?” I feel that the question of who’s responsible for healthcare payment is not always an easy one to answer. An example from my most recent weekend on call covering an academic pediatric endocrinology practice demonstrates this point: “Bill” is a 16-year-old African American male on state Medicaid insurance with type 1 diabetes since the age of 10.  He is followed regularly every three months by another colleague in the endocrinology clinic. Review of his last several clinic notes on the electronic medical record reveal that he has been in moderate control of his diabetes on NPH/Novolog twice-daily insulin regimen. Approximately one... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060590 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:42:07 +0100 4060590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060593&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fu-s-healthcare-spending-why-so-much%2F2010.10.11 Aaron Carroll over at The Incidental Economist has been running an excellent series on healthcare spending in the U.S. and how much more we spend than the rest of the world on a per capita basis, as a percentage of GDP, and by category. It’s an excellent series and I wholly recommend it. Summary graph: Hint: the U.S. is the lavender-ish line on top. As he says, is there anything about this graph that isn’t concerning? (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Movin' Meat* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060593 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:00:00 +0100 4060593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055714&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmobile-health-joy-or-dismay%2F2010.10.11 Last month, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) issued a report, Healthcare Unwired, examining the market for mobile health monitoring devices, reminder services, etc. among both healthcare providers and the general public. One of the big take-away points seems to be that 40% of the general public would be willing to pay for mobile health (or “mHealth”) devices or services ranging from reminders to data uploads — and the reaction by insiders is either joy (40% is good) or dismay (40% is not enough). PwC estimated the mHealth market to be worth somewhere between $7.7 billion and $43 billion per year, based on consumers’ expressed willingness to pay. Deloitte recently issued a report on mPHRs, as well — and there is tremendous interest in this space, as discussed in J... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055714 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:00:27 +0100 4055714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036648&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Freal-reform-in-healthcare%2F2010.10.06 “We want our employees to spend their time on real issues,” said Charlie Salter, VP of Benefits at ConAgra. He means it. Charlie and ConAgra have built their healthcare benefits around some simple concepts that are yielding impressive results. How impressive? Close to flat healthcare cost trend since 2007. Charlie’s work is part of a growing trend among America’s most innovative companies: Designing healthcare benefits in ways that have a real impact on quality and cost. It’s why I [recently] asked Charlie to share the podium with me in Boca Raton. ConAgra is showing it’s possible to control healthcare costs by helping people do the right thing. The vision behind ConAgra’s programs is simple: Employees have to be responsible for managing their own care. But, says Charlie,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036648 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:00:37 +0100 4036648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013295&cid=t_103919_113_f&fid=36670&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmsdn%2Fhealthblog%2F%7E3%2FquBWr1vFQnM%2Fobama-s-new-web-site-helps-citizens-find-health-insurance.aspx Microsoft Health Tech Today launches season two on October 5th I invite you to join us on October 5th for the launch of the second season of Microsoft Health Tech Today .  My special quest is Todd Park , CTO for the US Department of Health and Human...(read more) (Source: HealthBlog) HealthBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013295 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:08:56 +0100 4013295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954260&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoes-defensive-medicine-cost-less-than-doctors-think%2F2010.09.09 Nothing polarizes the heath care debate more than defensive medicine. A recent study from Health Affairs will only add more fuel to the fire. Here’s what I wrote a couple of years ago in USA Today: “When you consider that rampant testing is a major driver of escalating health care dollars, addressing defensive medicine should be a primary goal of cost containment.” Is that still true? Well, yes and no. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954260 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:00:28 +0100 3954260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929230&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatients-are-splitting-pills-to-cut-healthcare-costs%2F2010.09.02 Patients are pill-splitting more to trim back healthcare costs, according to a poll by Consumer Reports. In the past year, 39 percent took some action to cut costs. The poll of more than 1,100 people found that 45 percent of people take at least one prescription drug and average four. But 27 percent said they didn’t always comply with a prescription, and 38 percent of those younger than 65 without drug coverage didn’t fill prescriptions at all. Just over half of patients felt that doctors didn’t consider their ability to pay when prescribing a drug, while nearly half blamed drugmaker’s influence for physicians’ prescribing habits. (HealthLeaders Media) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929230 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:00:00 +0100 3929230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889278&cid=t_103919_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FRCq7mA4zsbA%2Fetsy-crafts-cancer I’m a dreamer, not a crafter. I’ve got material for four baby blankets floating around my apartment. But, these newborns may be in middle school before they get their blankies from Aunt Kairol. (Some of it is nifty Amy Butler fabric to boot.) If you have crafty visions AND the follow through to match, or if your friends and family are itching to do something productive for you while you are down and out with cancer or other chronic illnesses, feast your eyes upon these free pattern downloads for crafty patient projects: *  Want a leopard print, tangerine silk, pink taffeta, or camo hospital gown? Try this pattern from Lazy Girl Designs. *  If you are tired of visitors spying your pee-bag, this is an extremely simple pattern for a catheter bag cover. *  In four steps you can cran... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889278 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:45:00 +0100 3889278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872552&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatients-are-avoiding-healthcare-because-of-costs%2F2010.08.16 One in five Americans didn’t seek medical care for a recent illness or injury, often because of the cost, according to a survey of adults polled by a healthcare consulting firm, and the number of people who saw a doctor fell as well. Four out of 10 adults said the cost was the main reason not to seek care, a trend that be driven by unemployment and health insurance costs, said a survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. They surveyed more than 4,000 adults. Also, 79 percent of respondents sought medical attention from a doctor or other health care professional in 2010, down from 85 percent in 2009. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872552 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3872552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3812974&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-doctors-guilt-about-healthcare-costs%2F2010.08.02 Times are tight and we’re all looking to save money, be it our own or someone else’s. Many will say that when it comes to the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, doctors are responsible for part of the problem. Doctors order too many tests, either to cover ourselves in the event of a malpractice suit, or because patients pressure us, or because we genuinely believe that the tests are necessary for patient care, but in many circumstances, a cheaper option is available. We order medications that are expensive when cheaper medications are available. And psychiatrists offer care — like psychotherapy — that could be done by clinicians who are cheaper to educate and willing to work for less money. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Shrink Rap*... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3812974 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:00:00 +0100 3812974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794772&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fminnesotans-get-more-lower-back-mris-why%2F2010.07.27 Kudos to Christopher Snowbeck and the St. Paul Pioneer Press for digging into new Medicare data to report that the state the newspaper serves is out of whack with the rest of the country in how many expensive MRI scans are done on Minnesotans’ bad backs. Snowbeck artfully captures the predictable rationalization and defensive responses coming from locals who don’t like what the data suggest. Because what they suggest is overuse leading to overtreatment. So here’s one attempt a provider makes to deflect the data: “The Medicare billing/claims data, which this report is generated from, would not capture conversations between a patient and provider that may have addressed alternative therapies for lower back pain,” said Robert Prevost, a spokesman for North Memor... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794772 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:00:39 +0100 3794772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784260&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhigh-tech-scans-of-fruits-and-vegetables%2F2010.07.23 Medical Pastiche blogger Peter Zavislak, whom I can always count on to point out the unusual and interesting sides of medicine, sent me to a website that has nothing but pictures and videos of food in an MRI scanner. Here’s a series of images from their site of a cantaloupe as viewed from an MRI:    I just find myself thinking that these MRI machines aren’t cheap to run and maintain. Doctors and nurses used to be able to get “freebies” by buddying up with the X-ray, CT or MRI technologist and running a scan for free. Some hospitals allow their employees to test the machines after being set up or maintained to get images for testing purposes. I’m sure more than a technologist or radiologist or two have found incidentalomas from this practice. (more…) ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784260 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0100 3784260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729960&cid=t_103919_113_f&fid=36670&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmsdn%2Fhealthblog%2F%7E3%2F3pA3jRe95KE%2Fmake-sure-your-health-organization-has-enough-power-when-you-flip-the-switch.aspx My favorite health futurist and commentator, Ian Morrison, offers another provocative essay in this week’s online edition of Hospitals and Health Networks .  In “ Flip the Switch ” he explores two prominent themes in the healthcare industry, both...(read more) (Source: HealthBlog) HealthBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729960 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:28:12 +0100 3729960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683621&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fno-go-on-a-doc-fix%2F2010.06.21 The Senate has rejected the so-called “doc fix.” This means that doctors taking Medicare patients will now get 21 percent less pay for their work. How’s that getting involved in politics working out for you guys? Not so good. But there’s a larger issue here. Why do we keep trying to control healthcare costs by just mandating that less money be spent? It’s failed for decades. But like a losing gambler convinced that if he just keeps doubling down he’ll finally come out ahead, people keep trying. For example, the New York Times reported on a study of the impact of pay cuts to doctors for Medicare patients with lung cancer. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at See First Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683621 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:00:47 +0100 3683621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573689&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcutting-healthcare-costs-means-saying-no-to-patients%2F2010.05.17 Let’s face it, the best way to cut healthcare costs is to say “no.” That means denying unnecessary tests that most patients in the United States are accustomed to having. The New York Times‘ David Leonhardt has the best take on this issue that I’ve read. He acknowledges the difficulty of telling the American public “no,” and cites examples ranging from the breast cancer screening controversy to the managed care backlash in the 1990s: This try-anything-and-everything instinct is ingrained in our culture, and it has some big benefits. But it also has big downsides, including the side effects and risks that come with unnecessary treatment. Consider that a recent study found that 15,000 people were projected to die eventually from the radiation they received from CT scans given i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573689 Mon, 17 May 2010 18:00:58 +0100 3573689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3569802&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-doctors-and-patients-dont-care-who-pays-for-it%2F2010.05.17 The essence of the moral hazard experience through a nice neighborly conversation: Neighbor: These allergies are killing me. Happy:  That’s terrible. I hope you feel better. Neighbor:  I tried Zyrtec but it wasn’t doing anything for me, so my doctor prescribed ’x.’ (inaudible drug name ) Happy:  Does it start with an ‘x?’ (The drugs name is Xyzal.) Neighbor:  Yes, it does. Happy: Oh, that drug (Xyzal) is nothing more than Zyrtec, which the company slightly changed the formula of and now they get to sell it as a patented medication at 10 times the price for the next 10 years. Neighbor: Oh, I didn’t know that. But you’re right. It was  $110.  Happy:  Did it help you with your allergies? Neighbor: Nope. Happy: I guess you just... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3569802 Mon, 17 May 2010 16:00:00 +0100 3569802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556094&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-to-mirco-tweak-diagnosis-and-treatmen%2F2010.05.12 A common problem in healthcare is the number of times that small adjustments are needed in a person’s care. Often for these little changes, a physical exam and face-to-face time have nothing to do with good medical decision making. Yet the patient and doctor are locked in a legacy-industrialized business model that requires the patient to pay a co-pay and waste at least half of their day driving to and from the office, logging time in a waiting room, and then visiting five minutes with their practitioner for the needed medical information or advice. Today I’d like to visit the case of a patient I’ll call “DD,” who I easily diagnosed with temporal arteritis (TA) through a 15-minute phone call after she’d spent four weeks as the healthcare system fumbled her time wit... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556094 Wed, 12 May 2010 12:00:14 +0100 3556094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549308&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoes-group-health%25e2%2580%2599s-medical-home-leave-the-poor-behind%2F2010.05.10 Group Health has published two papers recently, one in Health Affairs and the other in JAMA, both extolling the virtues of its Medical Home. These follow their brief report last fall in the NEJM and the lengthy description of their model in the American Journal of Managed Care. Their model has been promoted by the Commonwealth Fund, and it is cited in the currrent issue of Lancet. The big news is that costs were a full 2% lower than conventional care, hardly a great success –- it wasn’t even statistically significant. But was even this small difference due to the Medical Home, or was it because the Medical Home patients were less likely to consume care? (more…) *This blog post was originally published at PHYSICIANS and HEALTH CARE REFORM Commentaries and Controversies*... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549308 Mon, 10 May 2010 12:00:57 +0100 3549308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533840&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-much-does-a-heart-attack-cost%2F2010.05.04 How much would a heart attack cost you? Quite a bit, according to CBS MoneyWatch.com: According to an article from the National Business Group on Health, the average total [editor's note: lifetime] cost of a severe heart attack -– including direct and indirect costs -– is about $1 million. Direct [lifetime] costs include charges for hospitals, doctors and prescription drugs, while indirect costs include lost productivity and time away from work. The average [lifetime] cost of a less-severe heart attack is about $760,000. Amortized over 20 years, that’s $50,000 per year for a severe heart attack and $38,000 per year for a less-severe heart attack. I’m all for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but before we get all hot and bothered about performing more testing to “prevent&#... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533840 Tue, 04 May 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3533840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529789&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthblawg.typepad.com%2Ffiles%2Fgeorge-pantos-hpm-institute-healthblawg-interview-with-david-harlow-042110.mp3 Healthcare costs are a perennial issue for employers and employees. There are a variety of approaches out there designed to improve health status and health outcomes and reduce costs at the same time. Proponents of a variety of approaches have been featured here on HealthBlawg in the past.  I recently had the opportunity to speak with George Pantos, of the Healthcare Performance Management Institute, a brand-new organization on the scene, founded by a group of folks who have developed tools for managing these costs. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529789 Mon, 03 May 2010 17:00:33 +0100 3529789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526741&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fgo-to-a-famous-hospital-get-better-care%2F2010.05.03 Hospital rankings matter. Specifically, those published in the U.S. News & World Report carry additional weight. Hospitals use these numbers in advertising campaigns, and patients often choose hospitals based on these rankings. But does a high place really mean you’re getting better care? Not necessarily. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526741 Mon, 03 May 2010 16:00:24 +0100 3526741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2266835&cid=t_103919_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FFSIDBa2G-pc%2F I’ve mentioned in my blogs that I’m Canadian, but now that I’m writing for the general health channel, I thought I should mention that again for new readers. One thing, that as a Canadian, I have trouble wrapping my mind around is the American system of paying for healthcare. I have many American friends and acquaintances, so I am quite familiar with many of the issues you in the United States face. So, I began to wonder if it’s possible to find deals for healthcare, much as you would for other services. Imagine my surprise when I start looking for news today and I come across this New York Times article, Bargaining Down the Medical Bills. In order to read the article, you have to sign up, but it’s free, painless and fast to do so if you want to. So, apparent... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2266835 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:34:31 +0100 2266835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167901&cid=t_103919_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FkzLYfhouFrE%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(320,480,582346,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() According to a new study, “about one diabetic in three never fills the doctor’s prescription for antidiabetic medication.” Of course I’m always a bit leery when it comes to studies, but if this one is even remotely true, it’s very upsetting. When a diabetic is first diagnosed that is the best time to take an aggressive approach in an effort to stave off complications. The study translated this finding into numbers: “For the estimated 1.5 million newly diagnosed diabetics in the United States each year, unwillingness to fill antihyperglycemic prescriptions is a costly problem. The estimated 35 percent non -fill rate co... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167901 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:40:41 +0100 2167901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2160611&cid=t_103919_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FXIDKD6ZxPGQ%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(320,320,576631,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Diabetics often deal with one insurance headache after another. (Sad but true.) But I just found out that United Healthcare is offering a new plan for those who have or are at risk for getting Type 2 diabetes. According to Smart Brief, “Participants receive health coaching, free diabetes drugs and supplies, and reduced co-pays for doctor visits to help them control their blood sugar levels.” Now this MAKES SENSE. It always chapped me how insurance companies basically make it more difficult for diabetics to get strips, test blood, and work to prevent complications. That never made sense to me. Hopefully other insurance companies will f... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2160611 Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:17:11 +0100 2160611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2131511&cid=t_103919_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FDkMifxumQvM%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(320,320,534868,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Here’s a scary thought: With all the lay offs happening these days workers are finding it increasingly difficult to keep their health insurance. That’s ESPECIALLY frightening for diabetics. A survey over at CNN says that in 2007, “researchers found that two-thirds of workers, if they were laid off, would be eligible for COBRA. Data from 2006 data suggest that only 9 percent would opt into the program.” Since costs are higher now, that problem is probably even more prevalent. It’s difficult. I know one of my fears has always been that I wouldn’t have health insurance. I’ve stayed at jobs I hated because of t... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2131511 Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:44:25 +0100 2131511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2096062&cid=t_103919_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F0IvYtYCxiMA%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,279,491669,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Here’s some interesting news. “Diabetic persons spend an average of $11,000 more than persons without diabetes. Preventative programs with a fitness protocol could save the U.S. $20 million on diabetic patients alone.” Well, that’s true. Much of our costs are in trying to be healthy and maintaining an ideal weight. However, much of the cost diabetics incur is due to things like test strips (so incredibly expensive it’s ridiculous), needles, and of course, insulin. So I’m not sure how much more we’d “save” by losing weight in terms of money. But, it’s definitely worth it to lose weight and g... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2096062 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:15:05 +0100 2096062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2084277&cid=t_103919_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2Fjsx-aUjpn3A%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,630,474111,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() The fact that diabetes is an expensive disease is not news to the diabetics of the world. Large out of pocket costs are something we struggle with every bit as much as managing our blood sugar. A new study says that “75 percent of the $2.2 trillion the United States spends on healthcare goes toward treating chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.” Also, the more chronic conditions a person has, the more money is spent. “One chronic condition spent an average $655 out of pocket in 2005, while those with two chronic conditions spent $1,039, and those with three or more spent $1,865.” This is important news ... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2084277 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:37:17 +0100 2084277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930365&cid=t_103919_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FAHehHffoEv0%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(320,513,235656,"http://pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() If you live in Idaho, you should know that the  ”number of Idaho residents diagnosed with diabetes has tripled in the past decade, outpacing rates that are soaring across the country.”  ~source The figures are from a large diabetes study that was released recently from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  But what could be the cause?  One nurse in the study felt that some people are simply more aware of the signs of diabetes and are going in for treatment.  Others feel it’s just part of the trend where diabetes is, unfortunately, on the rise.  Tags: diabetes on the rise, diabetics, diagnosis, idaho, new patients, ... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930365 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:54:36 +0100 1930365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933523&cid=t_103919_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2FyusvpAsvq6k%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Other Articles You May LikeNIH Increases Support for High-risk Large-impact Biomedical ResearchFunding of Childhood Cancer, NF Research in JeopardyFlat Funding of Biomedical Research: The Threat to America’s HealthLack of Health Insurance Increases Risk of Cancer DeathPhysician Profiling (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933523 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:48:29 +0100 1933523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1630981&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F07%2F16%2Fanother-year-without-the-sgr-mandated-reimbursement-cuts%2F There has been some drama going down on The Hill in case you haven’t been paying attention. This year was arguably the closest physicians have ever come to having the Sustained Growth Rate formula automatically reduce their reimbursement under Medicare. Medicare is supposedly a fixed budget system when it comes to paying providers like physicians. [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1630981 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:27:23 +0100 1630981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508220&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F06%2F10%2Fpresidential-candidates-health-care-plans%2F Health care, something I was sure would be the primary domestic issue this election is slowly fading away as it usually does. Not into oblivion obviously but taking a decidedly back seat to the more pressing economic issues facing the country. But it is important and people should take the time to distinguish Obama’s and [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508220 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:04:31 +0100 1508220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1442753&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F05%2F14%2Fsorry-milton-two-wrongs-make-a-right%2F Come Down To My Basement…I’ve Got Candy Down There… Organized medicine is certainly facing a little bit of a faith crisis. From those they’re supposed to represent come cries that the AMA, specialty and state societies do not do enough for [put individual specialty here]. From the interested public and other interest groups comes cries that [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1442753 Thu, 15 May 2008 04:51:20 +0100 1442753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1439502&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwebstorage3.mcpa.virginia.edu%2Fdebates%2Faudio%2Fdeb_2008_0409_healthcare.mp3 Is health care a right? That is the question the thoughtful should be asking; not whether guaranteed access for all can work. Let us be honest, if you goal is improving utilitarian public health measures - life expectancy, infant mortality, time to treatment for diseases, access to care - then a single payer system could work [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1439502 Tue, 13 May 2008 22:27:44 +0100 1439502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1428952&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F05%2F07%2Fshould-raw-medicare-provider-data-stay-private%2F The move towards cost transparency is generally something I support. But there is an argument I will buy that such should be prospective. That’s the line I’m buying with the current lawsuit over Medicare provider data that some consumer groups are waging. In an unusual statement, the Health and Human Services Department endorsed the objectives of [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1428952 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:26:48 +0100 1428952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423118&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F05%2F05%2Fthose-specialists-arent-paid-enough%2F Several in the medical blogosphere (here and here) have picked up on a front page WSJ story concerning specialist income and shortages. Probably an overblown story. But a look at specialist income got me thinking. Is it just me or is diagnostic radiology the specialty most likely to be disappointed over the next couple of decades? When [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423118 Mon, 05 May 2008 21:46:58 +0100 1423118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386797&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F04%2F20%2Ffour-myths-of-the-primary-care-crisis%2F If there’s a bigger single topic discussed in the medical blogosphere than the primary care crisis I’m not sure what it is. It permeates blogs (here and here and here) and the media (here and here and here). I do believe that the distribution of primary care physicians to specialists in this country is askew [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386797 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:25:11 +0100 1386797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353927&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F04%2F06%2Fcan-market-forces-solve-any-of-our-health-care-woes%2F It’s no surprise that I’m not a fan of Paul Krugman. His dismissal of the potential for market forces to help reform health care is chief amongst my disagreements with his positions. In his most recent column, “Voodoo Health Economics,” he’s up to it again. His starting point is this claim, Elizabeth Edwards has cancer. John [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353927 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:33:50 +0100 1353927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1337916&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F03%2F31%2Fbritish-doctors-say-dont-treat-the-old-and-unhealthy%2F Lying In A Beach Chair Does A Number On Your Hips This survey of British physicians was published in a British magazine a while back and I only now picked it up. In it a majority of respondants say that some care, apparently especially some operations, should be limited by patients’ age and lifestyles. Smokers, heavy drinkers, [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1337916 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:37:20 +0100 1337916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1327456&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F03%2F25%2Fa-science-fiction-writer-says-something-stupid%2F A science fiction writer says we should solve the rising costs of health care by scaring illegal immigrants into not coming into the hospital…sounds like a gre-…wait, what?! [Larry] Niven said a good way to help hospitals stem financial losses is to spread rumors in Spanish within the Latino community that emergency rooms are killing patients [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1327456 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:18:34 +0100 1327456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1315345&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F03%2F19%2Femployers-foot-more-of-the-health-care-bill-around-the-world%2F The cost of health care has been and continues to rise dramatically in the United States. But only in the magnitude is the United States alone in the world with such a problem. A New York Times blush points out that, The United States has long been an unusual study in medical care, with employers assuming [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1315345 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:17:43 +0100 1315345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1296032&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F03%2F11%2Froll-the-dice-for-healthcare%2F I’m not getting all bleeding heart, but this is kind’ve a weird situation as thousands apply for a drawing for cheap access to health care. Tens of thousands of Oregonians queued up quickly for a chance at the state’s latest lottery, but this one is no game. Officials began drawing names last week for a chance at [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1296032 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:40:09 +0100 1296032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1240165&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F02%2F18%2Fgeneral-surgery-be-done%2F It was fun, especially on trauma call. But beyond trauma call it was a pretty repetitive service. My home surgical residency program, admittedly merely through faculty report, has the single highest average number of lap choles performed per graduate. I’m not sure that’s really a selling point (although the laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1240165 Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:29:47 +0100 1240165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1236924&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F02%2F16%2Fi-need-it-so-i-should-get-it%2F Edwin Leap looks at how much physicians should be paid (h/t Kevin MD) in light of some grumpiness over physician earnings. Here’s the comment I’m interested in and which I couldn’t agree more with, On to medicine. Doctors just make too much money, right? I don’t know. Maybe, because medicine is something people [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1236924 Sat, 16 Feb 2008 17:10:34 +0100 1236924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1218501&cid=t_103919_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F231657115%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Related articlesThe Best of Highlight HEALTH 2007 - The Year in ReviewThe Highlight HEALTH NetworkAmerican Obesity Rate Levels OffSocial Networks and Health - The Research and the ReviewsQuitWinLive - The Great American Smokeout (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1218501 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:08:29 +0100 1218501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1167172&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F01%2F21%2Fthe-ends-justify-the-means%2F The old arguments for government guaranteed access to health care. Here’s my favorite point: Also, the people who are so adamantly against throwing a couple bucks of their tax money into the pot to help out their fellow countrymen are really sad excuses for human beings. Really. Subhuman at best. Certainly, but it ignores the entire point [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1167172 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:19:56 +0100 1167172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1117577&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F12%2F26%2Fmedical-gift-cards%2F Oh…Thanks, Honey Medical gift cards? Why limit where they can spend what you’re giving them? The card is issued by Visa, so it can be used anywhere Visa is accepted for health-related services. They are not sold in stores and need to be purchased online or over the phone for up to $5,000. “The peak audience we believe [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1117577 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:13:16 +0100 1117577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1113884&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F12%2F23%2Fthe-crystal-ball-claifornia-taxes-will-pass%2F A new Fields Poll finds that the majority of Californians support the new health care proposal to increase access which recently passed the Assembly. The Field Poll found 64 percent of California voters inclined to support the universal health insurance plan outlined in the bill, compared with 23 percent opposed. The Field Poll also found 63 percent [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1113884 Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:36:58 +0100 1113884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1100069&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F12%2F17%2Fmaking-money-off-the-uninsured%2F The Healthcare Economist links to a recent paper which makes a nifty point. “How much uncompensated care do doctors provide?” comes to the conclusion that private physicians make more money per uninsured patient than per insured patient. 45-59% of physicians actually provide negative uncompensated care […] Compared to all insured, physicians deliver [as little as] -$2.10 in uncompensated [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1100069 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:32:53 +0100 1100069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097201&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F12%2F15%2Fdramatic-alarmism%2F Anyone else? The vast majority of Americans would’ve gotten unremarkably similiar care to the vice-president. Read more about the ad on this Wall Street Journal blog. The ad is in support of a ridiculous ‘Medicare-for-all’ proposal currently in the Congressional hopper. You can read about the bill here (it is House Resolution 676). A true single [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097201 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:14:19 +0100 1097201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1096116&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.naturesongs.com%2Fcricket1.wav But Nothing You Can Do Senator Can Force The State’s Hand Senator Cornyn continued to insist that we should be focusing on enrolling the children currently eligible under SCHIP. Trouble is Texas is a terrible state as an example of that. Despite our relatively low eligibility requirements, we leave more eligible children off the roles than [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1096116 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:57:22 +0100 1096116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1041336&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F11%2F20%2Fso-whats-the-big-complaint-on-reimbursement%2F There are a lot of upset physicians out there, rallying to the issues of physician reimbursement. Even amongst some of my favorite bloggers. I hear often about the death of primary care, about the SGR and Medicare reimbursement. There’s something to these and, at the least, you can hardly blame physicians for looking out for [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1041336 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 02:24:41 +0100 1041336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1000954&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F11%2F02%2Fyour-opinion-counts%2F It is difficult to argue that single payer or socialized medicine systems, with some minimal adequate threshold of funding, do not increase both access and overall health by utilitarian measures as compared to how the U.S. does things. That being said, these user surveys the Commonwealth Fund keeps spitting out are just non-starters, which shed [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1000954 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:18:59 +0100 1000954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=996493&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F31%2Fsenator-cornyn-on-schip%2F I’ve commented with brief support for Texas Senator John Cornyn in the past. More, I’ve posted on the ridiculous notion that his polling numbers give the Democrats some hope in 2008. With novice Mikal Watts out of the hunt for the Democratic Senate nomination (”hunt;” in actuality a nomination which would be difficult to give [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=996493 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:37:30 +0100 996493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=979142&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F25%2Fstill-no-on-schip%2F Even trying to schedule the vote with some key anti-SCHIP Republicans out in California, the retooled SCHIP bill failed to get the 2/3rd majority needed to get passed the President. The final vote was 265-142, with 43 Republicans joining 220 Democrats to support the measure. Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), one of the most endangered incumbents in [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=979142 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:26:51 +0100 979142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=974146&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F24%2Fsocialized-medicine-was-evil-then%2F Yeah, I Jumped On The Reagan Cult of Personality (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=974146 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:50:18 +0100 974146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965749&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F20%2Ffrance-closes-down-paths-to-free-healthcare%2F Sure, His Country Is Being Paralyzed By Transport Strikes But At Least Some People No Longer Have Access To Desperately Needed Health Care Sarkozy is cutting back on the access to care for foreign expats who retire early to France. In his drive to kick-start the French economy by creating a culture of hard work, Nicolas Sarkozy believes [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965749 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:45:06 +0100 965749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=962500&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F19%2Fschip-fails%2F The failure of the House to override the S-CHIP veto is bullshit. Now even the program itself is at risk, not just its expansion. The 273-156 House vote was 13 short of the two-thirds majority needed. Despite a two-week campaign by proponents, only 44 Republicans voted to override, one fewer than had originally supported the bill. The [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=962500 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:52:25 +0100 962500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=956046&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F16%2Fso-close-on-schip%2F According to Pelosi the House is just thirteen votes short of overturning Bush’s veto. Of course, the vote is a mere 2 days away (scheduled for October 18th). Failing that, there’s word from the House there may be com-pro-mise on refunding SCHIP. Better than nothing, the emergency funding won’t last long and the most important [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=956046 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:07:10 +0100 956046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=949614&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F13%2Fphysician-shortage-hampers-reform%2F Med Innovation Blog (thanks DB) argues that the physician ’shortage’ will hamper efforts at reforms to improve health care access. [W]hat good is universal coverage if no physicians exist to provide the care? If universal coverage is achieved, the physician shortage will intensify. This is already happening in Massachusetts, the state farthest down the path of [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=949614 Sun, 14 Oct 2007 02:36:58 +0100 949614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=936748&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F08%2Ftake-schip-to-the-public%2F I Don’t Have To Like Them To Applaud This Particular Effort Americans United for Change are running the above ad in the districts of some key Republican congressmen to try to pressure them into voting to overturn Bush’s veto on SCHIP. Probably about the only tactic the liberal umbrella group and I have ever agreed on. (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=936748 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:15:10 +0100 936748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=928755&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F05%2Fthe-veto-came-on-schip%2F For Some Reason I Don’t Trust You To Make The Smartest Decisions The veto of the S-CHIP expansion came with the biggest cry being that it would drive currently privately insured children onto the federal rolls. The current confrontation stems as much from the White House’s desire to use the bill reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=928755 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:16:06 +0100 928755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=923683&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F03%2Fcause-and-effect-and-healthcare-rankings%2F Dr. Rangel takes up my pet peeve. For example, obesity alone is calculated to decrease US life expectancy by 0.3 to 0.75 years and the US has the highest rates of obesity in the world. Notice that Japan has one of the lowest rates of obesity and is among the countries with the highest life [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=923683 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:20:17 +0100 923683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=913471&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kaisernetwork.org%2Fpodcast%2F2007%2F020907_alliance_schip_audio.mp3 The State Children’s Health Insurance Program is a joint federal/state program to insure low income children. The least offensive redistribution of wealth imaginable. Here’s a summary of it. Even I’m a a pom-pom waving supporter of the program. Currently there’s a big fight in Washington over it. In case you somehow missed it, the decade [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=913471 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 04:51:13 +0100 913471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=885318&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fgo-to-the-doc-when-youre-not-feeling-down-or-dont-go-at-all%2F I’m not sure any statement from a candidate that uses the word required this much can be viewed as a good thing. Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said on Sunday that his universal health care proposal would require that Americans go to the doctor for preventive care. “It requires that everybody be covered. It requires that everybody [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=885318 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:16:09 +0100 885318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883653&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F09%2F18%2Fmore-on-the-new-hillarycare%2F Get a load of this (via Drudge): She said she could envision a day when “you have to show proof to your employer that you’re insured as a part of the job interview — like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination,” but said such details would be worked out [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883653 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:51:17 +0100 883653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=877506&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F09%2F17%2Fthe-burden-of-hillarycare%2F Hillary Clinton has been pretty mum on specifics concerning the 2008 election’s biggest domestic issue - health care. Hard to blame her considering what happened the last time she put forward a comprehensive legislative health care agenda. She is set to unveil her campaign’s health care proposal today however, and it looks like she’s staying away [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=877506 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:24:17 +0100 877506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=875156&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F09%2F16%2Fi-dont-like-either-of-them-but%2F I don’t particularly like either of them and I didn’t see the actual 20/20 report, but it is fun to see Michael Moore get it taken to. Yeah…Michael Moore Is A Moron And no matter my distaste for his mustache (j/k) it is hard to argue with a statement such as this from John Stossel, When health care [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=875156 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:30:49 +0100 875156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=829968&cid=t_103919_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F29%2Fglaxo-touts-diabetes-wellness-plan-for-employees%2F Filed under: Lifestyle, Services, Support, CarePharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has announced an initiative designed to improve the health of employees with diabetes. Yes, the company's head honchos decided they would take the bull by the horns: if employees have difficulty taking care of their health, they determined to find out why and correct the problem. Result: an internal analysis of healthcare spending within GSK.Turns out diabetes was one of the biggest problems for Glaxo employees. Glaxo's number-crunchers found the company spends more on diabetes medications, but less on medical care, than the national average. GSK's report states the company spent a total of $26.2 million on diabetes treatment for employees in 2005. Glaxo has now launched what it describes as a multilateral ... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=829968 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 829968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=823554&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F08%2F26%2Fwhat-is-going-on-in-cali%2F Admittedly, I”m not completely up on what is going on concerning California’s universal healthcare attempts. But what is this fight over taxing health care providers versus taxing businesses to help pay for the coverage? California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he will veto legislation to require business owners to devote a portion of their payroll to employee [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=823554 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:45:55 +0100 823554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811818&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F08%2F20%2Fwho-pays-for-mistakes%2F As The Saying Goes: Learn To Put Your Shoes On The Right Feet Before You Do Brain Surgery Next year Medicare will not pay for some hospital mistakes. Among the conditions that will be affected are bedsores, or pressure ulcers; injuries caused by falls; and infections resulting from the prolonged use of catheters in blood vessels or [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811818 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 03:12:22 +0100 811818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=808601&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F08%2F19%2Fmassachusetts-universal-aint-the-right-word%2F They Should Totally Hire Me To Design Their State Seal Word on the struggles of Massachusetts’ “universal” health care plan is nothing new. And I’m not really mocking them, I liked was accepting the plan so it is sad to see it fall short of it’s goals. Some sort of two tiered system is coming, despite [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=808601 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:45:26 +0100 808601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=805876&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F08%2F17%2Fyeah-the-system-is-the-problem%2F …not the individuals who use it. A man throws his wife to her death off a balcony. A man threw his seriously ill wife four stories to her death because he could no longer afford to pay for her medical care, prosecutors said in charging him with second-degree murder. A discussion of his motive follows. According to Jackson [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=805876 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:01:22 +0100 805876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=783851&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F08%2F07%2Ffree-antibiotics%2F Publix (which has no stores down here in south Tejas) is offering seven antibiotics free of charge to customers. With no limitations. Just keep walking in there with a prescription and apparently you can keep walking out with antibiotics. Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Penicillin VK, Erythromycin, Cephalexin, Trim-Sulfa, and Cipro. The story is from Drudge. (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=783851 Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:24:25 +0100 783851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=767519&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F07%2F30%2Fschip-renewal%2F I’ve always been torn on CHIP. It is those far and few between who doesn’t think society owes guarantees to children. The question is merely where to draw the line in terms of family income and such. Well, taking up that issue, the Congressional push to expand the SCHIP program is likely to see Bush [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=767519 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:05:14 +0100 767519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=758630&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F07%2F25%2Fcharlie-weis-loses-malpractice-suit%2F I’d make fun of him, but it is just too easy. As a University of Southern California alumn I have to hate Charlie Weis. Even if I wasn’t a USC grad, he ain’t exactly a hard guy to dislike with this malpractice suit brought after gastric bypass surgery. A jury on Tuesday found against Notre Dame [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=758630 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:33:49 +0100 758630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=734832&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F07%2F14%2Fjohn-edwards-knows-healthcare%2F I’ve applauded Edwards’ willingness to provide more concrete plans on a whole host of issues rather than the jibber jabber, filler that most politicians put out there. Included in that is health care. I don’t agree with him, but more than most in his shoes, John Edwards was willing to put a plan out there [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=734832 Sat, 14 Jul 2007 15:30:16 +0100 734832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=720380&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F07%2F08%2Ffor-profit-to-the-extreme%2F What should we think of Prem Reddy and his company, Prime Healthcare? This cardiologist’s multi hospital group sounds about as for-profit as you can get. On the one hand I agree with this: “Why is it in healthcare we expect to have the same?” he asked. “It’s an entitlement mentality. Why aren’t the same people asking why [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=720380 Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:07:51 +0100 720380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=714686&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F07%2F04%2Fsicko%2F Goodness. A Texas liberal thinks Michael Moore’s Sicko brings people together. As I sat down, right behind me entered an obligatory, cowboy hat wearing redneck in his 50s. He announced his presence by shouting across the theater in a thick Texas drawl to his already seated wife “you owe me fer seein this!” Sicko started; the stereotypical [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=714686 Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:25:40 +0100 714686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=706530&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F06%2F30%2Fmore-on-pay-for-performance%2F The AMA will now “actively oppose” some private P4P measures. [A]fter five hours of debate — often over the addition or deletion of a single word — the AMA’s House of Delegates said that it will “actively oppose” any pay-for-performance programs that do not meet the AMA’s five pay-for-performance principles. Adopted in 2005, those principles specify [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=706530 Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:24:38 +0100 706530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=705660&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F06%2F29%2Fshocking-news-jama-jumps-to-publish-an-anti-p4p-study%2F That Medicare PMHQID program doesn’t have such amazing initial results. So says a JAMA study (H/T Kevin, MD). Researchers looked at information from hospitals treating 105,383 patients over three years beginning in 2003. They evaluated such factors as whether the hospitals prescribed aspirin and widely accepted cardiac drugs called beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors, and whether patients [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=705660 Sat, 30 Jun 2007 01:45:21 +0100 705660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682434&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F06%2F18%2Fwhy-do-international-comparisons-peeve-me-so%2F It’s All The System’s Fault! Before I go off on my little tangent I’d like to admit (as I always do) that the U.S. has one of them least efficient health care systems the world over. It fails to value prevention, it fails to control costs, it fails to identify evidence based procedures. It also allows [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682434 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:59:35 +0100 682434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674690&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F06%2F15%2Fsmoking-on-the-way-to-the-or%2F Let’s Hope Barney Never Needs A New Hip The NHS reiterates - if you keep smoking, it’s going to take you longer to get that surgery. The ruling applies to routine operations such as hip replacements and heart surgery for conditions that are not immediately life-threatening. If smokers refuse to give up, they are still likely to be [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674690 Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:29:52 +0100 674690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=658681&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F06%2F05%2Fdo-docs-prescribe-too-much-procrit%2F The same old question: how do drug companies influence physician prescribing habits? The New York Times looks at “payments” for anemia drugs. Industry analysts estimate that…payments — to cancer doctors and the other big users of the drugs, kidney dialysis centers — total hundreds of millions of dollars a year and are an important source of [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=658681 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:29:03 +0100 658681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=654370&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F06%2F02%2Fthe-illegal-immigration-circles-back-to-health-care%2F Mexican Consulates “do their job” and help those Mexican citizens here illegally. A program called Ventanillas de Salud, or Health Windows, aims to provide Mexican immigrants with basic health information, cholesterol checks and other preventive tests. It also makes referrals to U.S. hospitals, health centers and government programs where patients can get care without fear of [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=654370 Sat, 02 Jun 2007 15:50:34 +0100 654370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=623206&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F05%2F20%2Fa-question-echoed%2F Where’s the personal responsibility? The conventional wisdom is that the American health care system is broken. This is the party line parroted by the various media organs of the dependocracy in their attempt to stampede an excitable public towards socialized medicine. Like a lot of the conventional wisdom, the idea of a broken health care system [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=623206 Sun, 20 May 2007 18:03:16 +0100 623206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=623207&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F05%2F18%2Fimproving-health-care%2F Even putting aside Medicare pay-for-performance (which is coming for reasons other than promoting quality), improving the quality of health care has to be second only to covering the uninsured in terms of the focus being put on health care issues. It seems the biggest piece of pie on the IOM’s agenda (also here and here), [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=623207 Fri, 18 May 2007 22:34:28 +0100 623207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=599073&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F05%2F07%2Fthe-nyt-thinks-the-private-market-sucks%2F …a stunning surprise. Just kidding. Are Medicare Plan C/Medicare Advantage plans costing the government money and screwing over retirees? Proponents of private plans say they are indisputably good for many older Americans because they coordinate care and may offer extra benefits, like discounts on eyeglasses, hearing aids and dental care. But federal officials said that the fastest-growing [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=599073 Tue, 08 May 2007 02:56:53 +0100 599073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=592267&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F05%2F05%2Ffederalism-works%2F So, Massachusetts’ plan to provide universal coverage is already taking heat and falling short, but what about older attempts by states to insure all? Well, apparently Maine’s isn’t going too well. When Maine became the first state in years to enact a law intended to provide universal health care, one of its goals was to cover [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=592267 Sun, 06 May 2007 03:05:44 +0100 592267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=573403&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F04%2F27%2Fmore-of-in-store-clinics%2F I Trust Wal-Mart For My Health Care Needs The caption isn’t really fair. Let’s be clear, these in store clinics have major retailers merely acting as landlords. Change draws criticism. And the fact is these in store clinics are expanding, despite whatever small signs otherwise, and putting new pressures on traditional health care delivery models. In the [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=573403 Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:02:55 +0100 573403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=542463&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F04%2F13%2Fburreaucracy-kills%2F Does health care bureaucracy and regulation contribute to more deaths than a lack of health insurance (via Health Care BS via Kevin MD)? The argument in the Cato policy analysis goes like this, Increased income is associated with decreased mortality When you pay for this health care regulation you take money out of society, and decrease individual’s incomes Therefor [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=542463 Fri, 13 Apr 2007 21:30:51 +0100 542463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=522531&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F04%2F05%2Fa-fair-shake%2F Okay, so Dr. Novak also reprinted this over on THCB, which actually might the more respectable venue actually…not that I have anything against the Ahwatukee Foothills. Work should equal pay shouldn’t it? Would it be ethical for an employer to require overtime and not pay employees for the work? What if it is just [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=522531 Thu, 05 Apr 2007 07:26:26 +0100 522531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=502401&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Fimages1.americanprogress.org%2Fil80web20037%2Fhealthforum%2F11_gravel.mp4 John Edward’s @ The SEIU Sponsored Forum John Edwards had certainly provided the most detailed health care plan of any of the major Dem candidates for President. His wife’s metastatic breast cancer, unfortunately, puts him again at the forefront of health care issues. With those in place it is no wonder he appeared to take a [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=502401 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:16:24 +0100 502401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=482981&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F19%2Fliberal-health-policy-slate-mag-absurd%2F Slate continues to publish authors touting government guaranteed health care. You have to play to your audience, and no one doubts that the general public (and by extension Slate’s readership) enjoys entitlements…especially as the income inequality increases, but still you should be able to expect Slate to publish better arguments than this. Reality 1: The current [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=482981 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 19:53:46 +0100 482981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=482982&cid=t_103919_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F19%2Fsingle-payer-gets-its-ass-kicked%2F A ballot initiative to implement a government run health insurer and a two-tiered system in Switzerland failed. Hard. An overwhelming majority of voters have thrown out a proposal for a single health insurance company in Switzerland, with premiums based on income and wealth. There are currently 87 private insurers providing mandatory basic health care coverage for Swiss [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=482982 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:14:48 +0100 482982