Posts tagged as:

health reform

Discharged from the hospital without answers; the death of Jane Q. Patient

November 20, 2009

by Dan Walter
We found out that her real name was Cindy Chapman, and that she died alone and afraid.
Cindy was a paralegal, an activist and a fighter of lost causes who lived in Worcester, Massachusetts. She was part of an online community called RATEMDs, where she had many soul mates. Her posts on health [...]

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Why health reformers should be worried about the breast cancer screening backlash

November 19, 2009

What if a non-partisan, authoritative entity wrote a robust, evidence-based guideline, but nobody followed it?
That is precisely what’s happening with the USPSTF’s recent revision of their breast cancer screening recommendations. The change most find problematic is their recommendation that women younger than 50 not undergo any breast cancer screening, such as with a mammogram.

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Senate health reform plan analysis

November 19, 2009

Originally published in MedPage Today
by Emily P. Walker, MedPage Today Washington Correspondent
After weeks of closed-door meetings, the Senate leaders released their $849 billion healthcare reform bill on Wednesday evening, paving the way for a procedural floor vote soon.
The bill, combining versions approved by the Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions [...]

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AMA’s democracy in action at this defining moment in the history of medicine

November 13, 2009

The following is the first in a series of original guest columns by the American Medical Association.
by J. James Rohack, M.D.
Delegates Vote to Continue AMA’s Commitment to Reform, Medicare Vote Pending in U.S. House of Representatives
Twice a year, physicians come together for an exhibit of democracy at its best through the AMA House of [...]

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Can universal health coverage be sustained long-term?

November 13, 2009

With health reform looking more likely, it’s worth looking at the Massachusetts model to predict what’s going to happen nationwide.
I’ve written several times that the lack of primary care access will simply shift newly insured patients to already crowded emergency departments, where care is exponentially more expensive. And in the end, it is that [...]

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The decision not to test is often the more difficult choice

November 12, 2009

Ordering that head CT scan is the easy way out.
In a piece from Newsweek (via Bryan Vartabedian), Yale emergency physician Christopher Moore details a common scenario: should he order a CT scan in an asymptomatic 15-year old who was hit in the back of the head while playing soccer?
Dr. Moore encapsulates his thought process: “In [...]

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Will the abortion restriction survive the Senate health reform bill?

November 11, 2009

Originally published in MedPage Today
by Emily P. Walker, MedPage Today Washington Correspondent
After a controversial amendment to restrict abortion was approved as part of the House healthcare bill over the weekend, senators are grappling with the abortion language in their legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who personally opposes abortion, said the issue was being [...]

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How should doctors discuss healthcare reform with patients?

November 10, 2009

Originally published in HCPLive.com
Physicians are increasingly bringing their views on healthcare reform into the examination room. Others are distributing flyers or taping up signs in the office. Given that healthcare reform has become such a contentious subject in the United States, it is not surprising that conflicts have arisen between physicians and patients who hold [...]

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Doctors and patients need to learn to live with health insurance companies

November 10, 2009

by Marie Cooper
Consider two patients with the same managed care plan.
One has multiple sclerosis and receives an infusion of Tysabri every month. It needs pre-certification. The requirements are black and white. The patient qualifies if they have relapsing/remitting MS and have failed other therapies. The drug costs $2,000, the infusion [...]

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Do patient demands drive up health care costs?

November 9, 2009

According to recent data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, upwards of 60 percent of patients first consult the internet for their health issues.
This is leading to more educated patients, taking an increasing role in their own health care. And that’s a good thing. I’d rather be seeing patients who are [...]

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What’s next for health reform after the House passed their bill, H.R. 3962?

November 8, 2009

Originally published in MedPage Today
by Emily P. Walker, MedPage Today Washington Correspondent
The House of Representatives voted 220 to 215 to pass historic healthcare reform legislation late Saturday night, after 11 hours of debate before a packed gallery of spectators.
H.R. 3962 passed by a narrow margin: Democrats needed 218 votes to pass the bill and [...]

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How the health care system is corrupting doctors

November 7, 2009

Originally published in HCPLive.com
by Jeff Brown, MD
I had the same reaction . . . shock at seeing an almost obscene claim about our profession in a national newspaper. But it got me thinking, which no doubt was its intended purpose. While we are thinking and feeling our way through this wide-ranging debate on health [...]

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Support for the patient centered medical home in the House health reform bill

November 6, 2009

by Thomas C. Bent, MD
As the House of Representatives prepares to vote on its historic health care reform bill on Saturday, family physicians are heartened to see the support it gives to the emerging new model of care, the patient centered medical home.
The House bill is good news on many fronts. It would provide health [...]

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Saving what’s good about the United States’ health care system

November 4, 2009

by Bruce Goldman
The U.S. health care system, although it’s the costliest in the world, doesn’t even deliver the goods when it comes to delivering health. That’s the conventional wisdom. But is it true?
At least a few well-researched studies by credentialed and respected experts suggest we might want to pause to consider whether, in the mad [...]

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Christian Science prayer should not be a part of health reform

November 4, 2009

Hidden in the Senate version of health reform is wording that would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments.
Although not expected to be a big expense, this is causing some consternation, as it blurs the line between church and state. And this would likely invite other religious groups to organize, so they [...]

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Health reform ignores primary care doctors at its own peril

October 30, 2009

by Richard Reece, MD
I would like to introduce you a remarkable article by Edward J. Volpintesta, MD, a 65-year old solo primary care doctor in Bethel, Connecticut. Dr. Volpintesta is a veritable writing machine and has been published in The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, medical journals, and other publications. His articles cry [...]

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