January 2010 - Health Beat - The Network of Care

Health Care in Norway- Part 2

The story of the “Norway Solution” to hospital infections reminded me of a letter that I received in the fall, written by Svein U. Toverud, a Norwegian who lived in the U.S. from 1969 to 2003. While he was in... Read More...

Published Wed, Jan 06 2010 2:18 PM by Health Beat

Health Care in Norway: Part 1

“Aker University Hospital is a dingy place to heal. The floors are streaked and scratched. A light layer of dust coats the blood pressure monitors. A faint stench of urine and bleach wafts from a pile of soiled bedsheets dropped... Read More...

Published Wed, Jan 06 2010 1:51 PM by Health Beat

Persuading Canadians to “Hustle Off to Buffalo”

If you drive from Buffalo, New York to Ontario, Canada, you’re likely to see this message on highway billboards: “Fast-track Your Medical Procedure Here.” The red arrow on the sign points Canadians to Buffalo’s Kaleida Health, a five-hospital health care...

Published Sun, Jan 10 2010 11:36 AM by Health Beat

Anecdotal Evidence Does Not Make Good Policy

Recently, a series of anecdotes appeared on the website People’s Pharmacy, posted by readers who suffer from depression. They detail how switching from name brand antidepressants to generics—or in some cases from one generic to another—caused a return...

Published Mon, Jan 11 2010 3:37 PM by Health Beat

How Insurers May Use “Wellness Programs” To Target Pre-Existing Conditions

Under reform, insurers will still do their best to shun the sick. Over at AlterNet, health care editor Adele Stan points to one way they may do it: by using “wellness programs” to penalize those who can’t meet health targets.... Read More...

Published Tue, Jan 12 2010 11:41 AM by Health Beat

Atul Gawande’s Manifesto: HealthCare Reform on the Ground-- Part 1

On the first page of his new book, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, Boston surgeon Atul Gawande tells the story of a man who arrives at an ER with a stab wound on Halloween night. The doctors... Read More...

Published Tue, Jan 12 2010 4:24 PM by Health Beat

The Unions Strike a Deal and The Truth About the Cadillac Tax

The Washington Post reports that union leaders are close to cutting a deal with Democrats on the so-called “Cadillac tax,” the 40% tax on expensive insurance plans that the Senate has proposed to help fund health care reform. According to... Read More...

Published Thu, Jan 14 2010 2:09 PM by Health Beat

Medical Workers, Supplies and Money Needed in Haiti: How to Help

Everyone knows that Haitians are in desperate need of aid. Most people don’t know how they might help. Here is some useful information: First, Paul Farmer’s organization, Health Partners, can be trusted. Farmer has spent more than two decades working...

Published Thu, Jan 14 2010 5:48 PM by Health Beat

Update: The Cadillac Tax Will Raise Far Less Than Projected and Won't Control Costs

The Senate’s controversial “Cadillac Tax” on expensive health insurance plans was supposed to raise $149 billion to help fund reform. But now, we’re told it’s been “scaled back.” Some use the verb “gutted”—though that is probably a tad strong. Still,...

Published Fri, Jan 15 2010 11:17 AM by Health Beat

Studies Cast a Starker Light on Depression Drugs

The value of using antidepressants to treat mild to moderate depression came under fire recently after a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the drugs didn’t work much better than a placebo in those with... Read More.....

Published Wed, Jan 20 2010 10:09 AM by Health Beat

The Massachusetts’ Vote

I didn’t post about the vote earlier today, because I cannot begin to predict what will happen next. There are too many variables. At this point in the process, a few politicians can begin to make demands that could actually... Read More...

Published Wed, Jan 20 2010 7:12 PM by Health Beat

On Pelosi’s Statement –

Over at TPM, the headline characterizes Pelosi's statement as meaning that she is walking away: “Pelosi: There Aren't Enough Votes To Pass The Senate Bill.” If Pelosi walks away, then reform is dead. But as I read her statement, she’s... Read...

Published Thu, Jan 21 2010 10:28 AM by Health Beat

What Does This Mean?

From Talking Points Memo: January 21, 11:34 a.m. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just told reporters that she does not believe she has enough votes in the House to pass the Senate health care reform bill as-is -- at least not... Read More...

Published Thu, Jan 21 2010 9:41 AM by Health Beat

Can We Really Have A Bipartisan Health Care Plan?

Just in case you were wondering what the public thinks about the recent upheaval over health care reform, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Wednesday finds some 55% of Americans say President Obama and congressional Democrats should suspend work on the.....

Published Thu, Jan 21 2010 3:08 PM by Health Beat

How Did Democrats Manage to Lose Ted Kennedy’s Seat to a Man Who Reminds Me of Sarah Palin?

When explaining why the voters of Massachusetts turned Ted Kennedy’s seat over to a Republican, some commentators are suggesting that voters were appalled by the corruption they saw in Washington as Democrats struggled to put together health reform legislation...

Published Thu, Jan 21 2010 5:40 PM by Health Beat

January 2010 - Health Beat

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