The LA Times is running a fascinating series on health care. Today’s installment focuses on the battle of the bills. Here’s a quote: “Every single doctor and hospital is writing off money they are legally owed but don’t collect. It’s an insane situation.” It’s those lazy, irresponsible uninsured people, right? Or maybe the illegals? Wrong: [...]
Thu, October 23 2008 » Uncategorized » No Comments
Peter’s comments on my post about the social obligation of doctors reminded me of a story I had forgotten. A year or so before I started college, I developed a bad case of thrush – i.e. oral candidiasis, a fungal infestation of the mouth. I had thick white fuzz all over the back of my [...]
Thu, October 23 2008 » Uncategorized » 1 Comment
From Maggie Mahar, in part one of a two-parter about health care costs: The culprit behind long-term health care inflation, the study reveals, is not a “who” but a what: “advancing medical technologies” combined with low productivity. She’s talking about a report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. One of their conclusions is that “Technology [...]
Wed, October 22 2008 » Uncategorized » No Comments
The conversation between Maggie Mahar (of Health Beat) and Shadowfax (of Movin’ Meat) about health care being a right has spread through the medical blogosphere – even devout hypocrite Kevin, MD cites Shadowfax’s views approvingly. Of course, Senator Obama called health care a right in the most recent debate, but that doesn’t seem to have [...]
Wed, October 22 2008 » Uncategorized » 10 Comments
This story is double trouble: a couple of academics wrote a paper critical of a major study published by the Journal of Healthcare Economics that estimates the cost of developing new drugs at $802 million. The critique pointed out conflicts of interest, methodological issues, and so on, casting doubt on the validity of that estimate. [...]
Tue, October 21 2008 » Uncategorized » No Comments
As a follow-up to this post, let me say that I have still not received the stuff I need. My supplier refuses to ship them without insurance verification, which they didn’t get, despite what I was told by the HR manager. The supplier sent me an actual letter – not an email – telling me [...]
Sat, October 18 2008 » Uncategorized » No Comments
Ezster at Crooked Timber asks, Is fixing health care enough?, in response to comments on her previous post about breast cancer awareness. I commented to both posts, but see especially my more recent comment. Ezster, towards the end of her post, writes: I was going to propose a trade. You donate some money or effort [...]
Sat, October 18 2008 » Uncategorized » 1 Comment
Grand Rounds is up at Notes of an Anesthesioboist. Thanks to her for including my post.
Tue, October 14 2008 » Uncategorized » No Comments
Former Congresswoman Nancy Johnson posts an all-too-conciliatory suggestion to Disruptive Women in Health Care. I’m not sure how a plan to do the bare minimum to reform our health care system is Disruptive, but nor I am a former Congressperson.
Sat, October 11 2008 » Uncategorized » No Comments
Pauline Chen of the New York Times reviews Amy Silverstein’s memoir Sick Girl and reflects on a transplant patient who stopped taking immunosuppressants. Chen goes to Silverstein for the money quote: “There is a taboo in our culture against a sick person, post-transplant or otherwise, being honest about how difficult it is to live with [...]
Fri, October 10 2008 » Uncategorized » No Comments
A novel crime against decency by Duncan Cross
