December 2010 - Health Beat - The Network of Care

Health Care 2010: A Battle From Start to Finish

As 2010 comes to a close, The Century Foundation has once again charged us with composing a “Best of/Worst of” list to recount the year’s highs and lows in health care. I am off for vacation tomorrow so my list... Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 21 2010 1:38 PM by Health Beat

Just One Week before Christmas

Summary: The “Dream Act” seemed to come and go so quickly in the news cycle. Legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” plus the hoped-for treaty with the Soviets pushed the failed bill off the media’s radar screen. I wrote... Read More...

Published Mon, Dec 20 2010 5:45 PM by Health Beat

What Does the Tax Cut Deal Mean for Medicare, Social Security and Health Care Reform? --Part 2

When the Obama-McConnell tax compromise passed the House last week, 112 Democrats voted against the legislation. Just 139 Democrats supported the bill. The split within President Obama’s own party underlines the uncertainty as to whether passage of the...

Published Mon, Dec 20 2010 2:10 PM by Health Beat

What Does the Tax Cut Deal Mean for Medicare, Social Security and Health Care Reform? Part 1

When President Obama struck a deal with conservatives on tax cuts, his opponents set the stage for 2012. With this legislation, the conservative agenda of the Bush administration once again becomes national policy. The goal: to redistribute wealth upward...

Published Wed, Dec 15 2010 12:36 PM by Health Beat

"Mini-med" Plans: Free-Market Health Care At Its Worst

Thanks to the new health care bill, beginning in 2014, insurers will not be able to set annual caps on medical coverage. Already, since September 23, annual coverage limits on health care costs can be set no lower than $750,000.... Read More...

Published Wed, Dec 15 2010 7:44 AM by Health Beat

Tea Party Activists Protest Tax Deal—Will We Have a Public Debate?

It’s nice to know that the Democrats are not the only ones who know how to form a circle, and shoot inward. Today, with a critical procedural vote on the tax deal scheduled in the Senate, some Tea Party activists... Read More...

Published Mon, Dec 13 2010 12:33 PM by Health Beat

Stent Scandal: A Shocking Story, But Not News

Over the weekend, the New York Times published a head-turning tale about Dr. Mark Midei, a star cardiologist at St. Joseph Medical Center in Townson, Maryland. According to federal investigators, Dr. Midei implanted potentially dangerous cardiac stents...

Published Wed, Dec 08 2010 8:38 AM by Health Beat

Opinion: Some Common Stents

Below, a guest post by Dr. Nortin M. Hadler, MD MACP MACR FACOEM Professor of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology, School of Medicine University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Attending Rheumatologist, UNC Hospitals The 5-year mortality for a well...

Published Tue, Dec 07 2010 1:42 PM by Health Beat

“Slow Medicine”

Below, Kent Bottles, M.D. reflects on the difference between “slow medicine” and what he calls “UCLA medicine.” (For the full post, see “Kent Bottles’ Private Views” ) “I have been thinking about the difference between slow medicine and UCLA medicine...

Published Fri, Dec 03 2010 2:03 PM by Health Beat

Filed under: Health Care Policy, Healthcare

Comparing the Fiscal Commission’s Proposals to the Accountable Care Act

Today, “The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform” a bi-partisan group that President Barack Obama appointed earlier this year, released the final version of a report recommending ways to rein in the budget deficit. I’m not going to...

Published Thu, Dec 02 2010 2:33 PM by Health Beat

Update: FTC Proposes New Safeguards for On-line Privacy

Yesterday the Federal Trade Commission proposed a broad framework for protecting consumer privacy both on the Web and off-line. The framework is meant to help guide policymakers in crafting legislation to prevent the tracking and wholesale collection...

Published Thu, Dec 02 2010 6:05 AM by Health Beat

Is “Data Mining” of Prescription and Patient Records Protected By the First Amendment?

A year ago, I wrote about how pharmaceutical companies are increasingly paying third parties like IMS Health or CVS-Caremark to provide them with the prescribing records and identification information for individual doctors. Armed with this information...

Published Wed, Dec 01 2010 11:46 AM by Health Beat

December 2010 - Health Beat

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