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 politics'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:26:45 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560275&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Flying-a-way-of-life-in-the-medical-profession%2F2011.03.07 In his last post, DrRich analyzed whether the young Wisconsin doctors who stood out on street corners proudly offering fake “sick excuses” to protesting teachers were engaging in an act of civil disobedience. DrRich respectfully kept an open mind on this question, but after careful deliberation concluded that it is very unlikely that their actions constituted classic civil disobedience as espoused by Thoreau or Gandhi. Instead, these doctors were, in a professional capacity, lying. They did not lie in any truly malicious way, however. They lied because they have been trained to believe in a higher cause than mere professional ethics, namely, the cause of social justice. They lied in full confidence that telling lies to advance such a noble cause is a natural duty of the medical profess... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560275 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:00:13 +0100 4560275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532210&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffree-drug-samples-or-hospital-hotels-the-greater-evil%2F2011.02.28 Many folks criticize pharmaceutical companies for providing physicians’ offices with free drug samples. They claim that this giveaway harms consumers because drug companies must raise their prices to cover the costs of these freebies. Of course, this is undeniable. Any business expense, such as payroll or advertising, has to be covered and is expectedly borne by the consumer. If a company chooses not to advertise, outsources manufacturing to a country with cheaper labor, offers limited benefits to its employees, then they can sell their product at a low price. In this hypothetical example, anemic sales may doom the company quickly. Naturally, free samples are not really free. The rest of us pay for them. While this is true, I don’t think it is evil. Unlike the U.S. government, at least... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532210 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4532210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512392&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-first-emergency-physician-elected-to-congress%2F2011.02.23 I was unaware that Dr. Joe Heck of Nevada is the first emergency physician to be elected to Congress. Good for him! From the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP): In one of the closest congressional races of 2010, Republican challenger and ACEP member Dr. Joe Heck upset Rep. Dina Titus in Nevada’s third Congressional District.  Dr. Heck is the first ACEP member and emergency physician to be elected to Congress. I suppose that leaves me to be the first for the Senate… *This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512392 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:00:39 +0100 4512392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455262&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fintegrating-major-health-systems-could-make-things-worse%2F2011.02.09 Health reformers propose the proliferation of integrated health systems, like the Mayo Clinic or Kaiser Permanente, which, according to the Dartmouth Atlas, lead to better patient care and improved cost control. To that end, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have been a major part of health reform, changing the way healthcare is delivered. Never mind that patients may not be receptive to the new model, but the creation of these large, integrated physician-hospital entities that progressive policy experts espouse comes with repercussions. Monopoly power. To prepare for the new model of healthcare delivery, physician practices have been consolidating. In many cases, they’re being bought by hospitals. Last year, I wrote how this is leading to the death of the private practice physician... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455262 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:00:58 +0100 4455262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441975&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwill-your-hospitals-maternity-ward-close%2F2011.02.06 When our country starts closing obstetrical units in hospitals because they “cost too much” money to operate, pregnant women need to pay attention because their babies are in serious trouble. Such was the case of the most recent casualty, South Seminole Hospital, a 200-bed hospital, that’s located within 30 minutes of my neighborhood. More than 20,000 babies were born in South Seminole Hospital during the past 18 years, and many of the babies were delivered by a local obstetrician who died approximately three years ago. I recall sitting in the emergency room of the hospital with a fractured ankle and listening to a chime that used to ring every time a baby was born. It was a soothing and humbling sound knowing that a new life was making its grand entrance each time that chime rang.... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441975 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:00:12 +0100 4441975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4438885&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-female-physicians-make-less-money%2F2011.02.05 Female doctors make less than male physicians. That conclusion gained major media traction recently. A recent post on KevinMD.com by medical student Emily Lu had some great conversation discussing reasons why women make less money in medicine. To recap, the study from Health Affairs concluded that, newly-trained physicians who are women are being paid significantly lower salaries than their male counterparts according to a new study. The authors identify an unexplained gender gap in starting salaries for physicians that has been growing steadily since 1999, increasing from a difference of $3,600 in 1999 to $16,819 in 2008. This gap exists even after accounting for gender differences in determinants of salary including medical specialty, hours worked, and practice type, say the authors. Eve... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4438885 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 20:00:52 +0100 4438885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429020&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-physician-exodus-when-doctors-leave-hospitals-behind%2F2011.02.02 My partners and I have long struggled with the lack of specialty back-up at our hospital. Semi-rural hospitals, out of the way facilities, just can’t always attract specialists. So, we’re happy to have cardiologists every night, but understand that we only have an ENT every third night. We’re thankful to have neurologists, even if they don’t admit anyone. We’re glad to have radiologists, even if they don’t read plain films after 5PM on weekdays. Still, I continue to scratch my head about why only three of seven community pediatricians take call, such that family physicians have to admit their patients. I was bumfuzzled that our neurologists were previously going to require us to use telemedicine for stroke evaluation when their offices were close by the hospital. (In the same y... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429020 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:00:12 +0100 4429020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394442&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fclinical-guidelines-who-writes-them-anyway%2F2011.01.25 While DrRich is a conservative American, and has made plain the difficulties he has with the Progressive program in general and with Progressive healthcare reform in particular, at times he is forced to admit that, on occasion, the Progressive way of looking at the world has certain merits. And as DrRich contemplates a question that has been bothering him lately, a question that no doubt plagues many American physicians who (unlike DrRich) are still toiling away in the trenches, he finds that this is one such occasion. That question is: Just who are the people writing all those clinical guidelines — the  “guidelines” physicians are now expected to follow in every particular in every case, on pain of massive fines, loss of career, and/or incarceration? DrRich is quick to say that... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394442 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:00:26 +0100 4394442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355719&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffive-dead-babies-a-lesson-in-prenatal-politics%2F2011.01.16 When the Nebraska lawmakers voted to end Medicaid prenatal care for approximately 1,500 women, their unborn babies paid the ultimate price. Any labor room hospitalist who is responsible for the care of unassigned pregnant women will tell you that it is far easier to take care of pregnant women who have had prenatal care than it is to take care of women who haven’t. The recent vigil of the Equality Nebraska Coalition in front of their state capitol to honor five dead babies whose death can be related to the lack of access to prenatal care speaks volumes. On or about February of 2010, Nebraska expectant mothers received a “Dear John” letter from Nebraska’s Health and Human Services stating that their pregnancies were no longer covered under Medicaid. It appeared that the rationale fo... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355719 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:00:17 +0100 4355719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331012&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctors-patients-and-remote-third-parties%2F2011.01.10 From the ominously-titled book “New Rules” by Donald Berwick, M.D., and Troyen Brennan M.D.: “Today, this isolated relationship [between doctor and patient] is no longer tenable or possible. . . Traditional medical ethics, based on the doctor-patient dyad, must be reformulated to fit the new mold of the delivery of health care. . . The primary function of regulation in health care…is to constrain decentralized individualized decision making.” Unfortunately, Dr. Berwick’s straightforward formulation of the appropriate role of the individual physician in our reformed healthcare system is not isolated to thinkers of the Progressive persuasion. The notion that most clinical decisions can be usefully made by a centralized authority is attractive even to some conservatives. For examp... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331012 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:00:27 +0100 4331012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331015&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Frepealing-healthcare-reform-to-gain-campaign-ammunition%2F2011.01.10 Repealing healthcare reform has become a way of stockpiling ammunition for the campaign trail. The Republican-led House has scheduled a repeal of healthcare reform for Wednesday, Jan. 12, and they’d garner as allies some but not all 13 Democrats that voted against healthcare reform to begin with. The House’s quixotic vote would then promptly die in the Democrat-held Senate. But recording votes on repeal would put pressure on already vulnerable lawmakers, as well as give a quick boost to incoming ones. A Gallup poll shows 46 percent of Americans want healthcare reform to be repealed, 40 percent don’t want repeal. Unfortunately, not only can’t the law be passed, it would add $230 billion to the federal debt by 2021, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Hous... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331015 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4331015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4287416&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-twelve-days-of-healthcare-reform%2F2010.12.24 Today’s blog will be my last for 2010, as I will be taking a break to spend the Christmas and New Year’s holidays with family and friends. In keeping with a tradition I started two years ago, I again have taken the liberty of mangling a beloved holiday song, story, or rhyme to give a humorous (I hope!) perspective on current politics. In December, 2008, I adapted “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to convey President-elect Obama as being a not-so-jolly old elf besieged by lobbyists demanding stimulus gifts. Last year, I depicted the GOP as the Grinch trying to stop “ObamaCare” from coming. Today, I’ve re-written the “Twelve Days of Christmas” carol so that it is the government bestowing “gifts” (based on actual provisions of the Affordable Care Act) that the new Co... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4287416 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:00:00 +0100 4287416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258870&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-marketing-more-money-wasted%2F2010.12.13 There was a series of ads on the radio awhile back that went something like this: When Mrs. Willis had a stroke, her husband never slept alone. Her daughter never had to go dress shopping for the prom by herself. And her son didn’t have to sit out the Mother-Son dance at his wedding. Why? Because she came to Hospital A…and she didn’t die! There’s another ad for one of the big downtown hospital’s cancer center (sorry, “advanced cancer center”): Every cancer, every stage. Your life depends on it! Let’s see: No one ever dies at Hospital A. And the big downtown cancer center can cure any cancer. That’s certainly what those ads would have you believe. Even the little local suburban hospitals have taken to advertising: Billboards around the neighborhoods, kiosks at the outlet m... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258870 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:00:15 +0100 4258870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233184&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-reform-law-state-courts-pose-a-threat%2F2010.12.06 Flush from their big win in the midterms, the Boehners are vowing to repeal and replace the Big O’s health reform law. They pose a legitimate threat, but an even larger one lies in the courts, where suits challenging the constitutionality of the law have been popping up like fireflies on a late August night. In Virginia for example, Republican-appointed Federal District Court Judge Henry Hudson has indicated that the Individual Mandate — a key provision of the law that has been challenged in a suit filed in his court by the state’s Republican Attorney General — might not pass his sniff test. Hudson said he’d rule on the matter this month. If he deems the provision to be unconstitutional, he might (it’s unlikely, but he might) enjoin the law altogether until higher courts rule o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233184 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:00:41 +0100 4233184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214114&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-reform-law-is-gaining-public-support%2F2010.11.29 GOP hardliners soon to be in control of the House have made repeal of the detested healthcare reform law a cornerstone of their agenda, despite the impossibility of actually being able to repeal it, politically, at least until an election or two has passed, and despite the fact that their ascent to power had more to do with the terrible economy and high unemployment than any mandate to repeal the law. It seems that, finally, there may be movement towards increased public support for the law. A new McClatchy poll shows a majority of Americans now in favor of the law: A majority of Americans want the Congress to keep the new health care law or actually expand it, despite Republican claims that they have a mandate from the people to kill it, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. The post... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214114 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0100 4214114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190154&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-reform-compete-and-succeed-or-repeal-or-replace%2F2010.11.22 Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) thinks so. So does Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). And Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Senators Brown, Wyden and Sanders have introduced the “Empowering States to Innovate Act.” Ezra Klein blogs that the Senators may have found a way forward on health reform. “If a state can think of a plan that covers as many people, with as comprehensive insurance, at as low a cost, without adding to the deficit, the state can get the money the federal government would’ve given it for health-care reform but be freed from the individual mandate, the exchanges, the insurance requirements, the subsidy scheme and pretty much everything else in the bill,” Ezra Klein writes. “If conservative solutions are more efficient, that will be clear when their ben... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190154 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:00:00 +0100 4190154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167958&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhappy-birthday-baby-boomers-one-more-eligible-for-medicare-every-8-seconds%2F2010.11.15 Today begins a lame duck session of Congress before it breaks for Thanksgiving. It’s the final chance to work out a temporary patch to Medicare reimbursement before a 23 percent cut takes effect Dec. 1. Doctors are going to stop taking new Medicare patients if the cuts happen. And, as one breast cancer surgeon explains, if Medicare stops paying, so to private insurers and even military health programs. Congress will meet in December, but the damage will be done. This all is happening two weeks before the baby boomers become eligible for Medicare. That populous generation starts to turn 65 beginning on Jan. 1, which means they become eligible for Medicare on Dec. 1, which, as we mentioned, is the day the 23 percent Medicare pay cut kicks in. Boomers will continue to become eligible ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167958 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:00:00 +0100 4167958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167960&cid=t_355219_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=4167961&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Froadmap-for-new-physicians-how-to-avoid-fraud-and-abuse%2F2010.11.15 In October, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on Fraud and Abuse Training in Medical Education, finding that 44 percent of medical schools reported giving some instruction in the anti-kickback statute and related laws, even though they weren’t legally required to do so. (As an aside, do we really live in such a nanny state? Over half of all medical schools don’t teach their students anything about this issue — because nobody’s making them — even though it is an issue that looms large in the practice of medicine.) On a more positive note, about two-thirds of institutions with residency programs instruct participants on the law, and 90 percent of all medical schools and training programs expressed an interest in having dsome instructional... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167961 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:00:16 +0100 4167961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164522&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdepression-is-it-a-character-issue-and-a-disqualifier-for-leadership%2F2010.11.14 When the Republicans took back the House of Representatives [recently], John Boehner, the presumptive new Speaker and current Senator from Ohio, unleashed a “sob heard round the world.” As The New York Times quotes: “I’ve spent my whole life chasing the American dream,” (Boehner) said, beginning to cry. He swallowed and tried again. But describing all the bad jobs he had once led to near sobbing when he got to the line, “I poured my heart and soul into running a small business.” Boehner has cried in public many other times, the recent election night being only the largest stage to date. The tears also flow at his annual golf tournament, or while watching a child pledge allegiance to the flag, listening to a Republican colleague speak about his Vietnam War experiences, the unv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164522 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:00:36 +0100 4164522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139237&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-reform-and-a-divided-congress%2F2010.11.05 Republicans who had opposed healthcare reform before the election are now elected officials with a say in how the programs are funded. At federal and state levels, the program’s opponents either have a larger voice or are now in charge of implementing elements of reform. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid said he’d consider adjustments to healthcare reform. Frightened seniors flipped toward opposition to healthcare reform, while flipping on the issue may have saved a few Democrats. Exit polling showed 48 percent would repeal healthcare reform, 16 percent would leave it as is, and 31 percent would expand it. Now that Republicans have a larger say in the matter, take a look at their plan for healthcare in A Pledge to America, starting on page 25, and decide for yourself. (New Yor... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139237 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:00:00 +0100 4139237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060593&cid=t_355219_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=4036650&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshould-doctors-work-weekends%2F2010.10.05 Peter Orszag wants doctors to work weekends. The former director of the White House Office of Management and Budget wrote as much in this past weekend’s New York Times: Doctors, like most people, don’t love to work weekends, and they probably don’t enjoy being evaluated against their peers. But their industry can no longer afford to protect them from the inevitable. Imagine a drugstore open only five days a week, or a television network that didn’t measure its ratings. Improving the quality of health care and reducing its cost will require that doctors make many changes — but working weekends and consenting to quality management are two clear ones. And he’s right, to a point. I’ve pointed to studies showing that mortality rises on the weekends, in part due to skeleton staffs ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036650 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:00:02 +0100 4036650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027159&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedicare-reimbursement-a-23-percent-cut-soon-to-come%2F2010.10.03   “It will never happen.” “They know better than to do it.” “They realize the disaster it would be if they let it pass.” That’s what I hear. I hear that the upcoming SGR adjustment, the one that will cut Medicare reimbursement by 23 percent, won’t go through. In case you missed it, the SGR is a formula coming from the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 that does automatic cuts to Medicare reimbursement. This year we witnessed a legislative game of chicken in congress, with both sides agreeing that it was a bad idea to screw physicians in a time that they are trying to fix healthcare. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Distractible Mind* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027159 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:00:13 +0100 4027159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003255&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-medicare-reform-act-smoke-and-mirrors-for-patients-and-physicians%2F2010.09.27 An interesting debate occurred in the Washington Post between Michael Leavitt, former secretary of Health and Human Services and a member of the Medicare Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2009, and Dr. Don Berwick, the director of CMS. Michael Leavitt wrote a scathing article criticizing President Obama’s Medicare Reform Act calling it an illusion. Don Berwick wrote a rebuttal to Michael Leavitt’s article. Michael Leavitt starts off his article by stating: “Despite the report from Medicare’s trustees this month that the hospital insurance trust fund will not be depleted until 2029, 12 years later than was predicted just last year, Medicare is no better off than it was a year ago. “ The Medicare Trustees Report was strange. Nothing was done to change anything and all of a sudden,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003255 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:00:29 +0100 4003255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914999&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-10-not-100-most-powerful-people-in-your-health-care%2F2010.08.30 In case you haven’t seen it, a list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Health Care was [recently] published. In thinking about this list I realized that, in reality, these people had little to do with my patients’ health care delivery. So how did they became the most powerful people in health care? Quite simply, they are not the 100 most powerful people in health care, but rather they are the 100 most powerful people overseeing the funding of health care — at least for the moment. In as little as 11 months, many of the people on this list will be gone or have moved on to their next money-making venture. So who are the most powerful people in health care? (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914999 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0100 3914999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3848869&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcovertrationingblog.com%2Fpodpress_trac%2Ffeed%2F809%2F0%2Fsaveobamacareimplications.mp3 Why Big Health Insurance Supported Obamacare, Part IV In the past few posts (in particular, here and here), DrRich has shown why the health insurance industry embraced Obamacare, and indeed, took extraordinary steps to assure that Obamacare became the law of the land. This, of course, is especially interesting in light of the common perception that Obamacare constitutes a major defeat for the greedy health insurance industry. But the fact that big health insurance gave critical support to Obamacare is far more than merely interesting. It has major implications both to supporters of Obamacare, especially the ones who hope for an eventual single-payer outcome, and to opponents of Obamacare, many of whom hope to repeal it after the 2010 mid-term elections. For the health insurance industry to... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3848869 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:00:46 +0100 3848869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733087&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdespite-medicare-primary-care-doctors-were-paid-more-in-2009%2F2010.07.07 The Senate has further tweaked its doc fix legislation to restore the extension to six months (from June 1 through Nov. 30) and the pay raise to 2.2 percent, reports a Senate Finance Committee Republican advisor. In Northern Michigan, the doc fix can’t come soon enough, as yet more physicians contemplate not accepting any more Medicare patients. The legislation continues to see revisions in the Senate, following the U.S. House refusal to consider the doc fix as a stand-alone bill. (TwitDoc, WWTV/WWUP-TV News) But primary care physicians saw a 2.8 percent median compensation increase in 2009, according to a Medical Group Management Association survey. MGMA attributed the rise to employers’ and payers’ increased commitment to primary care, but noted threats to Medicare payments s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733087 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0100 3733087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706674&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhoop-de-do-to-the-medicare-physician-pay-cut-problem%2F2010.06.28 After months of dithering, delaying, denying, and defaulting on a decision, Congress ended up…doing as little as possible to address the Medicare physician pay cut problem. Thursday night the House of Representatives acceded to the Senate’s bill to provide physicians with a 2.2 percent update retroactive to June 1. This respite, though, lasts only through the end of November, when physicians and patients will again face another double-digit cut. And if the past is prologue, a lame-duck Congress then will wait until the very last minute to enact another short-term patch, or worse yet, allow the cut to go into effect on December 1 and then pass some kind of retroactive adjustment. You know that the situation has gotten ridiculously bad when the President says this about the bill he ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706674 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3706674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706675&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsgr-tired-of-congress-hitting-the-6-month-snooze-button%2F2010.06.28 I have not a single thing I want to write about today. I am weary of the obvious topic: the “passage” of the 6-month extension on the SGR, but do feel I need to comment. I am tired of this. I am tired of being jerked around by congress. I am tired of congress hitting the 6-month snooze button and somehow feeling that they are doing something good. This is procrastination, not a solution. Reassurances that something will be done are starting to be irrelevant. The problem is becoming the frustration, anger, and exhaustion that congress is thrusting upon doctors and patients, not the pay cut itself. The idea of no longer having to deal with the passive-aggressive tactics of congress is becoming increasingly appealing –- and if it’s this way for me, I’m sure it’s the s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706675 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:00:17 +0100 3706675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683621&cid=t_355219_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=3526743&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmost-people-arent-angry-about-healthcare-reform%2F2010.05.03 I just got back from a wonderful week in Toronto, Canada. No, I wasn’t up there to take tips on how to impose socialized medicine on an unsuspecting public, notwithstanding what some of you may incorrectly-surmise about my political leanings. Rather, I was there to attend ACP’s annual scientific meeting, during which I had the opportunity to serve as faculty for three separate scientific sessions that discussed the impact of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACPA) of 2010 on internists and their patients. Several hundred ACP members attended these sessions. And guess what? Rather than encountering doctors who were angry at the new law and ACP’s support for it, I instead found an engaged and curious group of internists who are looking at health reform i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526743 Mon, 03 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3526743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414761&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=35049&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nakedmedicine.com%2Ffemale-sexual-dysfunction-pharmas-next-lifestyle-market I’m posting this from one of Steve Woodruff’s blog posts that I shared via my Facebook profile, which turned into a full blown debate between me, Dmitriy Kruglyak, and Yvette - one of my FB friends. Jane Chin’s Profile Jane Chin I’m pro-pharma, but I’m NOT happy w/ female sexual dysfunction disease mongering I expect to see from pharmacos! http://ow.ly/4xQH Dmitriy Kruglyak at 8:18am April 30 Where do you draw the line between “disease mongering” and “disease awareness”? Jane Chin at 8:21am April 30 When the ‘awareness” generated makes patients who otherwise are not candidates for the drug pressure docs to write the Rx. Dmitriy Kruglyak at 8:23am April 30 Ah, but who gets to decide “who are the candidates” and wh... NAKEDMEDICINE.COM blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414761 Sun, 17 May 2009 04:56:10 +0100 2414761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121622&cid=t_355219_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fcrisis-opportunity-and-new-reflection.html There are ground-breaking changes afoot in Washington, DC. Hopes---and tensions---are high as the Obama Administration takes wing, and we all take a collective breath as the transition of power becomes complete.As much as I am listening to the accolades being strewn across the land, I am also aware that walls of opposition will rise as soon as change comes into play, and the cynics will surely raise their voices high at every opportunity. Yes, the country is in crisis, with a dysfunctional health care system and a crippled economy collectively hobbling us at this moment in time. But a crisis is also an opportunity, and we can only hope that this opportunity for rebirth will lead to great things.These past eight years have been, for me, a time of much consternation and despair, politically ... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121622 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:10:00 +0100 2121622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1888986&cid=t_355219_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhealthcare-politics-cynicism-and-hope.html If you are aware of the following current statistics vis-a-vis healthcare in the United States, then you are aware that the system is broken and apparently breaking more every day.Nursing shortage: 587,000 new needed by 2016Physician shortage: expected, indeterminate Uninsured Americans: 47 million National healthcare costs: $2.1 trillion/yrEmployment-based healthcare: 9% drop since 1996Healthcare premiums, annual growth: outpacing wage increases x 3Long-term care: growing need U.S. life expectancy: 77-80 years of age U.S. population: 305.4 MillionMedian Income: $46,000And if you're of voting age, then you probably have considered both major candidates' healthcare plans (or perhaps healthcare has simply been overshadowed by the current economic cri... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1888986 Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:01:00 +0100 1888986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1863691&cid=t_355219_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fwill-we-get-bailout-too.html Great news! A solution has been found to the U.S. healthcare crisis. At least it has according to John McCain:Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.Crikey. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that that will work just as well for healthcare as it has for banking lately. And "subprime" healthcare is an innovation I'm not eager to see...(via Bad Astronomy) (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1863691 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:32:00 +0100 1863691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739061&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F28%2Fobama-or-mccain-whos-better-for-your-health%2F With the Democratic National Convention this week and the Republican National Convention next week, it’s almost impossible to avoid all the political talk, comments, and advertisements. So I’ve decided if you can’t beat them, you might as well join them. In the spirit of providing fair and balanced (isn’t that what all the news channels are claiming they are doing) coverage, here’s Healthbolt’s list of healthcare election resources… WebMD claims that they have cut through the clutter with their Health Matters in the 2008 Election. It’s a comprehensive report on both Obama’s and McCain’s Health Platforms, a side-by-side comparison chart of the where the two candidates stand on key health issues, and a WebMD reality check by three ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739061 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:31:31 +0100 1739061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1729351&cid=t_355219_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F08%2Flobbyists-health-care-and-open-secrets.html In a report published by Open Secrets, a non-partisan guide to how money influences politics in the United States, the amount of money spent by lobbyists representing the health care industry is truly astounding.According to a review of lobbyists' spending in Washington, D.C. during 2007, the health care industry itself spent $445 million dollars (nearly half a billion dollars) on lobbying contributions, 15.9% of all lobbying money spent during that calendar year. Breaking down the numbers further, 51% of all healthcare lobbying was spent by---you guessed it---Big Pharma and medical products companies, for a total of $227 million.Next, health insurance companies spent $138 million, and you can rest assured that they were not asking Congress to support universal healthcare legislation. Foll... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1729351 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:25:00 +0100 1729351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1002262&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2007%2F11%2F03%2Frudy-giuliani-loves-picking-cherries%2F Hmm…this one looks about right. I’m not very political, so this post is not about to stub its toe into that jam. But whether you agree with the man’s views or not, Rudy Giuliani is cherry-picking health care statistics (outdated, incorrect ones at that) to support his arguments against socialized medicine. Giuliani has melded an inaccurate statistic with the story of his personal walnut to make a broad prescription for health care policy. Specifically, he said that his chance of surviving prostate cancer in the States was 82%, whilst in the U.K., home of those evil socialized medicine overlords, his chance would have been only 44%. The only problem with this is that it is completely wrong: here are the real numbers. So, while I think we can obviously all agree that basin... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1002262 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:25:38 +0100 1002262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=994986&cid=t_355219_105_f&fid=35346&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarpus.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F10%2F31%2Fmore-political-bullshit%2F This time from Rudy. Factcheck.org has the story. Giuliani falsely claims that only 44 percent of prostate cancer patients survive under “socialized medicine” in England. Summary In a new radio ad, Rudy Giuliani falsely claims that under England’s “socialized medicine” system only 44 percent of men with prostate cancer survive. We tracked down the source of that number, [...] (Source: Aspirations of a Joint Doc) Aspirations of a Joint Doc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=994986 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:38:07 +0100 994986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=737520&cid=t_355219_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2007%2F07%2F16%2Fdetroit-massachusetts-heart-grapefruit%2F This article is from The Lancet. You have to register to read it, but it’s free and takes about two seconds to do. Reason 334,234,545,872 Why Science Is Incredible A patch that helps damaged hearts regrow healthy cells is in the works. This may help cardiac patients recover from heart damage as well as reduce the need for heart transplants. (Note: if you’re into heart health, be sure you check out fellow b5 health writer Kendra’s insights at A Hearty Life.) Grapefruit Now Hiring Better PR A questionnaire-based study suggests that grapefruit consumption may increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer by 30%. Questionnaire-based studies are hardly the gold standard of science, and the researchers say (all together now) that “more research needs to be done”. H... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=737520 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:15:02 +0100 737520