March 2010 - Health Beat - The Network of Care

The Doctor Who Invented PSA Test Calls It “A Profit-Driven Public Health Disaster” . . . Why This Is Good News

Times are changing. Americans are beginning to acknowledge that “early detection” is not the answer to cancer. And many are recognizing that what seems a simple diagnostic test can carry more risks than benefits. Tuesday, the New York Times ran... Read...

Published Thu, Mar 11 2010 2:14 PM by Health Beat

Filed under: Cancer

Do Democrats Face “Unmitigated Disaster” at the Polls if They Pass Reform?

Republicans continue to warn Democrats that if they pass health care reform, they will lose their seats in November. For what it’s worth, I believe that a fair number of incumbents (Republicans as well as Democrats) will lose their jobs... Read More....

Published Mon, Mar 15 2010 2:34 PM by Health Beat

Will Reform Pass? Don’t Believe Everything That You Read

I remain all but certain that comprehensive healthcare reform legislation will pass this spring. The New York Times isn’t sure, but Nancy Pelosi is. My money is on Pelosi. “Every legislative vote is a heavy lift around here,” she told... Read More...

Published Thu, Mar 04 2010 3:41 PM by Health Beat

Twittering

Some readers have suggested that I "Twitter.' So I'm trying it. Under "maggiemahar." First Twitters were from the blog. Now I'm branching out. Advice welcomed. Read More...

Published Wed, Mar 03 2010 3:15 PM by Health Beat

Over-treating Birth? C-section Rates Hit an All-time High of 32%

The figures are alarming: The cesarean rate in this country has increased 50% since 1996; hitting an all-time high of 32% of all deliveries. What could possibly be fueling this dramatic rise in surgery? The latest figures come from a... Read More...

Published Wed, Mar 24 2010 2:50 PM by Health Beat

Dr. Don Berwick to Become Medicare Director? If It’s True, This Is Wonderful News

Within the past hour both New America Foundation’s Joanne Kenen and Wall Street Journal blog “Washington Wire” have reported the rumor—not yet confirmed—that President Obama has chosen Dr. Donald Berwick, the president and founder of the Institute for...

Published Fri, Mar 26 2010 11:49 AM by Health Beat

Video Segments of Dr. Donald Berwick from the Documentary Money Driven Medicine

The following video segments are from the documentary Money Driven Medicine and are presented courtesy of the film's distributor California Newsreel www.newsreel.org (The player uses Adobe Flash Player available here) Is American Health Care the Best...

Published Fri, Mar 26 2010 1:50 PM by Health Beat

Bob Wachter: The Process Was “Nauseating,” But the Policy That Emerged “Ain’t Bad”

If Rachel Maddow’s interview with Dan Rather (below), depressed you, I suggest Bob Wachter’s post on The Health Care Blog as an antidote. It’s titled: “Could It Be That the System (Gasp!) Works?” (http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog...

Published Sat, Mar 20 2010 6:16 PM by Health Beat

The Top Ten Immediate Benefits Americans Will Receive When Health Care Reform Passes

Today, the Democratic Caucus of the House listed the provisions of the health reform bill that will take effect “as soon as health care passes,” The legislation would: Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans; Provide immediate...

Published Tue, Mar 16 2010 6:09 PM by Health Beat

Listen to Maggie on Why Conservatives Are So Upset About Reform

Those who oppose reform understand just how powerful this legislation is. They understand—better than many liberals—just what it means for a medical-industrial complex that has grown fat while profiting from runaway health- care inflation. Going forward...

Published Wed, Mar 24 2010 3:01 PM by Health Beat

Atul Gawande in the April 5 New Yorker: Now What?-- Gawnde and Berwick on the Same Page

In the April 5 New Yorker Atul Gawande writes about the backlash that health care reformers can expect in the months ahead. He reminds us that when Medicare passed “it faced a year of nearly crippling rearguard attacks.” Few remember... Read More...

Published Mon, Mar 29 2010 4:20 PM by Health Beat

Pelosi Watch: The Final Mile

Today House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed that Congressional Democrats are inching "closer" to final votes on health care reform. She declared that Democrats will take "whatever time is required" to get it finished. “It won't...

Published Fri, Mar 12 2010 11:16 AM by Health Beat

Filed under: Health Care Policy, Current Affairs

President Obama’s Speech—A Different Tone

This afternoon, President Obama spoke with the confidence and determination of a leader who knows that he is right—and that he has won. He is no longer pleading for bi-partisan co-operation. His final proposal includes all Republican suggestions that...

Published Wed, Mar 03 2010 1:35 PM by Health Beat

Dan Rather on President Obama, LBJ and HCR:

Last night, I saw Dan Rather on the Rachel Maddow show. Some people have suggested that today, the country is polarized the way it was in the 1960s. But Rather reminds us that when Congress passed Medicare in 1965, President... Read More...

Published Sat, Mar 20 2010 11:21 AM by Health Beat

Atul Gawande in the April 5 New Yorker: Now What?-- Maybe We Should Pay Hospitals for Empty Beds?