Health Beat

Personalized Medicine: Proceed With Caution

Here at HealthBeat, we often write about medical technology—the overuse of expensive imaging tests, unscrupulous relationships between doctors and medical device makers and the way these practices inevitably drive up the cost of health care. Our current...

Published Mon, May 02 2011 1:24 PM by Health Beat

What Rep. Ryan’s Medicare Proposal Means If You’re Over 55

“Divide and Conquer” is a strategy that has served conservatives well over the years. Remind younger Americans that their elders are “greedy geezers.” Set the middle-class against the poor, by telling tall tales about welfare queens. Pit the native-born...

Published Wed, Apr 27 2011 1:05 PM by Health Beat

Fact vs. Fear-mongering About the Independent Payment Advisory Board-Part 1

A headline in last week’s New York Times suggested that, at last, conservatives and liberals have found an issue that they can agree on: “Obama Panel to Curb Medicare Finds Foes in Both Parties,” the story announced, referring to the... Read More...

Published Wed, Apr 27 2011 8:01 AM by Health Beat

This Year’s Pulitzer for Sophistry

Joseph Rago, a senior editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal, won a Pulitzer Prize yesterday for a collection of pieces that mount a relentless attack on the federal health care law that he derogatorily refers to as “ObamaCare.” Editorial... Read...

Published Wed, Apr 20 2011 2:25 PM by Health Beat

Health Care Reform and the Market’s Response: Is Reform Already Baked Into the Cake?

While markets may lack the rational intelligence needed to become the “invisible hand” that guides constructive change, free markets (and the shrewd marketing experts that corporations employ), can be quite astute when it comes to responding to changing...

Published Wed, Apr 20 2011 7:03 AM by Health Beat

New Health Indicators Site is a "Treasure Trove" of Valuable Data

At a meeting last week of health care journalists, Department of Health and Human Services director Donald Berwick unveiled a new government site called the Health Indicators Warehouse (HIW) that provides public access to what he calls “a treasure trove...

Published Tue, Apr 19 2011 12:20 PM by Health Beat

Using Medicare’s Clout to Negotiate Drug Prices—Did Obama Put That Back On The Table?

This week during his speech at George Washington University, President Obama said one of the ways he plans on cutting Medicare costs is to cut government spending on prescription drugs by $200 billion over ten years. He said, “We will... Read More...

Published Fri, Apr 15 2011 12:09 PM by Health Beat

Addicted and Mentally Ill Patients: Just As We Stigmatize Them, We Undervalue Those Who Try to Help Them

A licensed social worker with a master’s degree earns less than a manager of a fast-food restaurant, according to the 2011 Behavioral Health Salary Survey just released by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. The survey finds that...

Published Thu, Apr 14 2011 6:10 PM by Health Beat

Reducing the Cost of Medical Errors: Spend A Little To Save A Lot

When hospitals make errors, patients end up injured, have longer hospital stays and some 100,000 or more die each year as a result. If patients are discharged too soon or without adequate care instructions, follow-up doctor appointments and few links...

Published Wed, Apr 13 2011 2:03 PM by Health Beat

Bribing Doctors

Over at GoozNews.com, Merrill Goozner raises a very good question. Under the headline “SEC Slaps J&J with $70 Million Penalty for Overseas Corruption” Merrill asks: “What’s the difference between what the medical supply company did abroad compared...

Published Mon, Apr 11 2011 11:10 AM by Health Beat

The Illusory Side of “Comparative Effectiveness Research”

Below, a Guest Post by Dr. Nortin M. Hadler, Professor of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Dr. Robert A. McNutt, Professor of Medicine, Chief, Section on Medical Informatics and Patient Safety, Rush...

Published Fri, Apr 08 2011 9:25 AM by Health Beat

Alice Rivlin Does Not Support Ryan’s Plan to Bury Medicare

Yesterday, on “CNBC’s Morning Joe,” Paul Ryan claimed Alice Rivlin, Clinton’s OMB director, as an ally: “Alice Rivlin and I designed these Medicare and Medicaid reforms” he announced. “Alice Rivlin is a proud Democrat at the Brookings institution. These...

Published Wed, Apr 06 2011 5:48 PM by Health Beat

Medicaid Savings in Ryan’s Plan Would Come At the Expense of the Poor

The “Path to Prosperity” budget proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), includes a plan to revamp Medicaid —which currently provides federal funding to states on an "as-needed" basis to help cover the health care costs...

Published Wed, Apr 06 2011 2:37 PM by Health Beat

Electronic Medical Records—Finally, a True Breakthrough for HIT

At last, someone is announcing a Health Information Technology (HIT) initiative that opens the door to efficient, secure IT systems that will be able to talk to each other nationwide. At some point in the not-too-distant future, if you live... Read More...

Published Wed, Apr 06 2011 12:02 PM by Health Beat

Health Care Reform Is Becoming a Reality

Below, a Kaiser Health News column by John E McDonough, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and a former staff member at the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. I agree with McDonough: health... Read More...

Published Wed, Apr 06 2011 11:37 AM by Health Beat

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