Blog Profile / Health Beat
| URL : | http://www.healthbeatblog.org/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Industries / Medical | |
| Posts on Regator: | 760 | |
| Posts / Week: | 3.2 | |
| Archived Since: | November 10, 2008 | |
Blog Post Archive
Has Obama Won Round One of the Budget Negotiations?
CNN is reporting that the “Fiscal cliff deal is down to wrangling over the details.” While others in the media continue to say that talks are stalled, everything I know about both the economics and the politics of the situation … Continue reading ?
How Much Will We Save If We Raise the Age When Seniors Can Apply for Medicare to 67? Less than Zero
The budget deadlock continues. President Obama is clear: if we want to strengthen the economy, we can no longer afford President Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of all Americans. At the same time, he is equally firm that … Continue reading ?
As We Approach the Fiscal Cliff: What is the GOP’s Primary Goal?
In theory, the GOP’s main concern is the deficit. We must reduce it they say—and we must do it Now–or face a financial Armageddon. But somehow or other, whenever they talk about “cutting the deficit” (either now or in the … Continue reading ?
Dear Readers– If your comment didn’t appear or you didn’t receive a reply
Today, I discovered many new comments on various posts–a majority of them came via Facebook. (I’ve been busy lately, and haven’t checked comments as often as I usually do.) Today, I answered most of them. So if you commented in … Continue reading ?
Can U.S. Businesses Afford Obamacare?
No doubt you have heard that the Olive Garden, Denny’s and Papa John’s Pizza all are slapping an “Obamacare surcharge” on the price of their products. They claim they have no choice. But the news that Americans might pay 50 … Continue reading ?
The Post-Election Edition of Health Wonk Review
This most recent edition of HWR, a compendium of some of the best health care posts of the past two weeks, came out ten days ago. I apologize that I’ve been tardy in commenting— but, not to worry, it’s an … Continue reading ?
Health Care Reform: Stage Two
Last week, my editors the Health Insurance Resource Center (Healthinsurance.org) challenged me to write a letter to President Obama and suggest what he should do next to advance reform. They were looking for a “new, big idea.” After thinking about … Continue reading ?
The Nation is Divided, Not between Whites and Minorities, But between the Past and the Future
Women, minorities, and young people re-elected President Obama. Pundits have pointed out that the president won only 39 percent of the vote among whites—down from 43 percent four years ago. But exit polls reveal that among women, Obama enjoyed an … Continue reading ?
The Future of Health Reform May Turn on Senate Races
Below, the introduction to a post that I published earlier today on Healthinsurance.org While all eyes focus on the presidential race, the ultimate fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could depend on the Senate contests in the states. … Continue reading ?
A Centrist Perspective: Makers and Takers, Obamacare, and the Path Forward
Below, a guest post from Stephen Reid, Managing Partner at Pharmspective, a market reserach firm that provides advisory services to healthcare and pharmaceutical companies on strategic issues including the Affordable Care Act. (ACA) I don’t agree with Reid on every … Continue reading ?
Unheard Hearts – A Metaphor, by Clifton K. Meador
Below, a guest-post by Dr. Clifton. Meador. Many HealthBeatt readers know Meador as the author of a popular HealthBeat guest-post “The Art of Diagnosis,” drawn from his book True Medical Detective Stories (“A Young Doctor and a Coal Miner’s Wife.”) Long-term readers will … Continue reading ?
The Lost Arts of Listening, Touching, Seeing . . . The Depersonalization of Medicine
As Clifton Meador’s observes in “Unheard Hearts,” these days most doctors rarely listen to a patient’s heart. “Physicians do carry stethoscopes and it certainly is a badge that shows they are a physician, but the sad thing is a large … Continue reading ?
The Pre-Election Edition of Health Wonk Review: Fact vs. Fiction
Every two weeks, Health Wonk Review offers a round-up of some of the best recent blogs about health care and health care reform. Below, a summary of posts tacking issues voters will be thinking about as they go to the … Continue reading ?
Dear HealthBeat Readers,
As I have mentioned in the past, I am now posting on healthinsurance.org as well as here on HealthBeat. (I write separate pieces for the two sites; sometimes we cross-link the posts.) Healthinsurance.org (HIO) is “patient-centered” and supports health … Continue reading ?
Could President Romney repeal Obamacare? No.
Mitt Romney’s web site makes a bold promise: “On his first day in office, Mitt Romney will issue an executive order that paves the way for the federal government to issue Obamacare waivers to all 50 states. He will then … Continue reading ?
Truth Squad: Is “Obamacare” Pushing Health Care Spending Higher? What Will Happen in 2014?
In last Tuesday’s debate Mitt Romney suggested that, under Obamacare, health insurance premiums have spiraled by $2,500 per family. Not true. (Hat tip to Healthcarefinancenews.com.) First let’s get the number right: According to an annual survey of employer plans by … Continue reading ?
Breakfast with Atul Gawande
Sunday, Boston Surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande spoke at the New Yorker Festival about the importance of a hospital being able to “Rescue Success from Profound Failure.” (Long-time readers Health Beat readers will recognize Gawande as the author of Complications: A … Continue reading ?
The Electronic Medical Record and the Disappearance of Patients’ Stories
Below, a guest post by Christopher Johnson, a physician who has practiced pediatric critical care for more than three decades. For many years, Johnson served as the Director of the Pediatric Critical Care Service at the Mayo Clinic and Professor … Continue reading ?
“The Third Rail of Payment Reform”–Tackling Wide Variations in How Much Providers Charge
Why do some hospitals and doctors in charge far more than others for exactly the same routine procedure? “Because they can; it’s not any more sophisticated than that,” says Gerard Anderson, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Hospital Finance … Continue reading ?
Why Market Competition Will Not Lower the Cost of Health Insurance
“Competition drives improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, offering consumers higher quality goods and services at lower cost. It can have the same effect in the health care system, if given the chance to work.”– Mitt Romney Creating “robust competition” is … Continue reading ?