Healthcare

Crisis of care on the front line of health

29 SEP 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

Finding doctors who know their patients well and who deliver informed medical care with efficiency and empathy has become quite a challenge: Primary care doctors spend far more time talking to patients and helping them avert health crises or cope with ailments that are chronic and incurable than they spend performing tests and procedures. According to this article in the New York Times, the problem is that in this era of managed care and reimbursements dictated by Medicare and other insurers, doctors don't get much compensation for talking to patients. Instead, they get paid primarily for procedures, from blood tests to surgery, and for the number of patients they see, the article contends. (Subscription required)

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Searching for Clarity: A Primer on Medical Studies

29 SEP 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

What are you going to believe, and why? Why should a few clinical trials trump dozens of studies involving laboratory tests, animal studies and observations of human populations? (Subscription required)

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FDA urged to recall cold medicines for youngsters

2 OCT 2008 from AP Top Headlines at 7:48 AM EDT | Read the full story»

WASHINGTON (AP) -- With a new cold season coming, the government is trying once more to decide what to do about over-the-counter medicines for kids' coughs and sniffles. Doctors question the drugs' benefits and worry about their risks.

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Judges Say San Francisco Can Charge Employers for Its Health Plan

The decision that the city had the right to charge employers to help pay for its universal health care plan could set the stage for a test of longstanding federal labor law. (Subscription required)

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Searching for Clarity: A Primer on Medical Studies

There are three basic principles that underlie the search for medical truth and the use of clinical trials to obtain it. (Subscription required)

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Drug Maker to Report Fees to Doctors

The decision by Eli Lilly comes as lawmakers have been pushing for a national registry of such payments. (Subscription required)

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Easing pains of health care, for a fee

With the U.S. health system becoming more complicated, people are looking for help in dealing with the details. Now, companies will shoulder that burden for you -- for a price, of course.

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Most Results of Drug Studies Never Published

The Guardian UK published a story that should be shocking--but isn't: "More than Half of U.S. Drug Studies Never See the Light of Day." This serves as further proof--if we needed it-- that pharmaceutical companies should not be allowed to control what doctors and patients know, and don't know, about new drugs.

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Healing the Doctor-Patient Divide

11 SEP 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

More and more Americans feel disconnected from their doctors, especially compared to a generation ago. And they certainly have less confidence in the profession as a whole. In 1966, a Harris Poll found that almost three-quarters of Americans had “a great deal” of confidence in their health care leaders. That number has steadily dropped over the last four decades, so that today only slightly more than a third feel the same way, the same poll shows. (Subscription required)

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Tetanus shot with that latte?

In his chapter on the folly of employer-provided health insurance, Miller gives us today's startling factoid: "It's crazy but true: Starbucks spends more on health care than on coffee; General Motors spends more on health care than on steel."

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Retail clinics haven’t cut health costs, study finds

09 SEP 2008 from the Minneapolis Star Tribune | Read the full story»

Going to a convenient care clinic is cheaper for patients than going to a physician's office or urgent care, but there is no evidence that the advent of the popular retail clinics reduced medical costs overall. A new study has found prices charged by all providers rose by double digits over the four years tracked, a trend that went against the conventional wisdom that more providers leads to more competition and lower prices.

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Traveling for care—in the U.S.

10 SEP 2008 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»

In a new twist on medical tourism, U.S. employers are encouraging workers to travel for medical care, but domestically. Some employers are looking to take advantage of geographical variations in the quality and cost of healthcare within the United States. But others are leveraging deals they've struck with foreign hospitals in order to secure better rates with U.S. hospitals that are eager to keep American patients here. Most of the activity is focused on surgical procedures. (Subscription required)

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The Pitfalls of Linking Doctors’ Pay to Performance

Sometimes plans to reward doctors can hurt patients. (Subscription required)

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Companies offering on-site healthcare

03 SEP 2008 from the Philadelphia Inquirer | Read the full story»

Like many other companies, Philadelphia-based Cardone Industries Inc. was struggling with the cost of its workers' healthcare. Many of its 4,000 employees lacked primary-care doctors. Rather than deal with problems early, they'd wait until they were really sick, then head for emergency rooms. In addition, a small but growing number of workers was turning down the company's health insurance plan because it was too expensive. To help, Cardone and Holy Redeemer Health System broke ground on a 2,500-square-foot health center for Cardone employees and their families that will be staffed by Holy Redeemer doctors. Workers who use the center will have a lower insurance co-payment and, those who sign up for Cardone's new Exclusive Provider Organization will pay less for their insurance.

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Study: Workers to pay more for health care

Get ready for another hike in copays and deductibles. A survey being released Thursday by the Mercer consulting firm found 59 percent of companies intend to keep down rising health care costs in 2009 by raising workers' deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket spending limits....

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Economy may stall push for healthcare

28 AUG 2008 from USA TODAY | Read the full story»

A drop in the number of people who lacked health insurance in 2007 reflects a push by states to cover more lower-income adults and children, but the gains might unravel during the economic slowdown, economists and health experts say. In 2007, 26 states expanded eligibility for Medicaid, but the troubled economy, coupled with the housing crisis and high gas prices, could force states to step back, the experts say.

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Americans Who Have Insurance —But Still No Access To Care

Some 56 million Americans do not have a regular source of care according to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) -- even though many of them do have insurance. The problem is a shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs) in many parts of the country, particularly, but not exclusively, in poorer communities.

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Study finds little impact from drug ads

The pharmaceutical industry spends billions of dollars on direct-to-consumer advertising. But a Harvard Medical School study says the ads aren't really working.

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The Wild West of medical care abroad

25 AUG 2008 from U.S. News and World Report | Read the full story»

More than a month after announcing that it will offer "accreditation," the Medical Tourism Association has had a change of heart and changed the term "accreditation" to "certification." But in this blog post from Avery Comarow, he asks if a trade group can "accredit" organizations that are involved, even if only indirectly, with healthcare.

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Economy may stall push for healthcare

28 AUG 2008 from USA TODAY | Read the full story»

A drop in the number of people who lacked health insurance in 2007 reflects a push by states to cover more lower-income adults and children, but the gains might unravel during the economic slowdown, economists and health experts say. In 2007, 26 states expanded eligibility for Medicaid, but the troubled economy, coupled with the housing crisis and high gas prices, could force states to step back, the experts say.

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Census: Fewer Americans Lack Health Insurance

The total number of Americans who don't have health insurance has dropped slightly for the first time in seven years, the U.S. Census Bureau has said. Those figures can be attributed, in part, to an expansion of federally subsidized insurance for children. (Audio)

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State's obese workers face bigger bills

Alabama has begun charging more for health insurance to obese employees who don't at least try to trim down.

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Stanford to Limit Drug Maker Financing

Stanford University is concerned about the practice that has led drug makers to pay for the annual refresher courses of most of the country’s doctors. (Subscription required)

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Uninsured to Spend $30 Billion, Study Says

Uninsured Americans will spend about $30 billion on medical care this year, says a new study that is likely to spark campaign debate. (Subscription required)

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The ER's in urgent need of a fix

Recent research from the New England Healthcare Institute found that roughly a quarter of all emergency-room visits were for non-urgent issues, and another quarter could have been addressed (or prevented) by a visit to a doctor's office. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care chief executive Charles Baker studies the research and suggests the healthcare system should do more to keep those patients out of the ER.

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Health IT Initiatives: Not Magical, Just Practical

Editor’s Note: Mark Leavitt’s post below is the first in a series of posts concerning the package of articles on health IT published today on the Health Affairs Web site. In the lead article, the Markle Foundation’s Carol Diamond and New York University’s Clay Shirky argue that, if we are to unlock the potential of information technology (IT) to help transform the U.S. health system, we need to expand beyond narrowly focused standard setting.

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States push laws to require paid sick days

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) ... Some 46 million U.S. workers lack paid sick days, but lawmakers in 12 states - including California, Connecticut, Minnesota and West Virginia - have proposed legislation in the past year that would require businesses to provide them.

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Vioxx trial was marketing ploy

A Merck & Co. study of Vioxx that recruited 600 doctors to prescribe the drug was actually a marketing strategy, researchers say. Host Kai Ryssdal looks at how widespread the practice is.

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Health Care: The Real Fiscal Nightmare

While policy wonks slug it out over McCain and Obama's tax plans, a far bigger problem looms: rampaging medical costs.

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A social network for your doctor, pharmacist and insurer

16 AUG 2008 from the Washington Post | Read the full story»

Maryland-based health management company WellNet Healthcare is launching Point to Point Healthcare this month. WellNet's clients nationwide will be among the first to test-drive the new system that lets employees create a personal network uniting their insurance claims manager with multiple doctors and pharmacies to better coordinate treatments. An online concierge helps workers find new specialists, and a message system reminds them to pick up prescriptions.

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Tools help patients interface with doctors

19 AUG 2008 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»

A number of "self-care" tools developed by companies including Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. are attempting to help people monitor their own health and receive feedback from caregivers. Uses include supporting preoperative care and the management of chronic conditions. Some healthcare experts said the technologies have the potential to lower costs by making the delivery of services more efficient and by empowering consumers to take a more-active role in their own care. (Subscription required)

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San Diego hospitals fined for preventable mistakes

16 AUG 2008 from the San Francisco Chronicle | Read the full story»

California healthcare regulators have fined four San Diego-area hospitals $25,000 each for preventable mistakes that led to the death of one patient. Five more reports of similar incidents at San Diego-area hospitals are under review and could lead to additional fines, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health. The reports are part of a statewide review of reported incidents. Forty California hospitals have been fined since July 2007.

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Service-line strategies for US hospitals

AUG 2008 from the McKinsey Quarterly | Read the full story»

One way hospitals can more effectively compete with smaller, more focused competitors is to organize themselves by service line, focusing on building world-class capabilities in just a few clinical areas. (Subscription required)

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What Should Employers Do about Health Care?

16 JUL 2008 from HBS Working Knowledge | Read the full story»

Many U.S. employers are dropping health benefits or hoping for reforms that will transfer responsibility for health insurance to individuals or to the government. Think again. Employers cannot get out of health care, no matter what kind of health insurance system is put in place.

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Too few geriatricians for an aging U.S.

The number of prescriptions and doctors elderly Americans have to keep track of is daunting, which is where geriatric specialists step in. But just as millions head into old age, the number of experts is in decline. Caitlan Carroll reports.

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Will Older Men Give Up the PSA Test?

5 AUG 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

Men ages 75 and older should not be screened for prostate cancer. This is the important and definitive conclusion of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which for the first time has made a specific recommendation about the value of screening for prostate cancer.

To many doctors, the new guidelines will not come as a shock. Quite a few believe that because prostate cancer often progresses slowly, not causing symptoms for 10 years or longer, it's inappropriate to look for it in healthy older men. A man aged 75 or older may well die of another cause long before his prostate cancer becomes a problem. And treatment of prostate cancer has significant drawbacks, often leading to impotence, incontinence and a variety of other complications that reduce a patient's quality of life.

But what doctors know and what happens in practice often are two different things.

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Drugs Offer Promise of Fitness Without Effort

1 AUG 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

Can you enjoy the benefits of exercise without the pain of exertion? The answer may one day be yes — just take a pill that tricks the muscles into thinking they have been working out furiously.

Researchers at the Salk Institute report they have found two drugs that do wonders for the athletic endurance of couch potato mice. One drug, known as Aicar, increased the mice's endurance on a treadmill by 44 percent after just four weeks of treatment.

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Sleep clue to age memory decline

Scientists may have uncovered why some people naturally lose their ability to make new memories as they get older.

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US vote says cigarettes are drugs

The US House of Representatives votes to treat cigarettes as a drug, meaning it will be regulated by the FDA. The bill would tighten restrictions on advertising, impose new penalties for selling to children and require all new products to be approved by the FDA.

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Writing is on the wall for doctors' e-prescriptions

The move to get doctors to file prescriptions electronically is gathering steam and may get a further boost from new Medicare ...

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A Call for a Warning System on Artificial Joints

29 JUL 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

Dr. Lawrence Dorr, a nationally known orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles, realized last year that something was very wrong with some of his patients.

Months after routine hip replacements, patients who had expected to live without pain were in agony.

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What's Lurking in Your Countertop?

24 JUL 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

Reports of granite emitting high levels of radon and radiation are increasing.

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What Should Employers Do about Health Care?

16 JUL 2008 from HBS Working Knowledge | Read the full story»

In the United States, employers have often treated health benefits as a necessary evil. They have focused on the rising cost of providing health insurance benefits and taken aggressive steps to bring costs down, or at least to slow the rate of increase.

In many other countries, employers have ignored health care altogether, leaving it to government or dutifully paying their mandated health contributions. Many U.S. employers are dropping health benefits or hoping for reforms that will transfer responsibility for health insurance to individuals or to the government.

Think again. Employers cannot get out of health care, no matter what kind of health insurance system is put in place.

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Medicare to Pay Bonuses for 'E-Prescribing'

21 JUL 2008 from the Washington Post | Read the full story»

Beginning in 2009, doctors can earn additional money from Medicare if they use electronic prescribing systems, U.S. health officials have announced. The bonus program will continue for four years, and is designed to streamline the prescription process and cut down on errors. In 2009 and 2010, Medicare will give doctors an additional 2% bonus on top of their fee for e-prescribing. In 2011 and 2012, the bonus will drop to 1%, and in 2013, the bonus will drop again to 0.5%, officials said.

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The Quality Question

It’s safe to say that Americans realize our health care system is in trouble. In polls, people cite paying for health care costs as one of their three most serious economic problems and consistently rank it as a top national priority behind the general economy, gas prices, and Iraq.  Earlier this month a Harris Interactive Survey found that a full one-third of Americans want to rebuild their health care system from scratch, a greater proportion than any European country. Finally, it seems that the American people have disabused themselves of the notion that the U.S. has the best health care in the world.

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Trying to Save by Increasing Doctors’ Fees

Paying physicians to devote more time to their patients, insurers hope to scale back costly treatments later. (Subscription required)

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While the U.S. Spends Heavily on Health Care, a Study Faults the Quality

A study to be released Thursday highlights the stark contrast between what the United States spends on its health system and the quality of care it delivers. (Subscription required)

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The Managed Care Roller Coaster

Clinton’s sentiment—that private insurers are making out like bandits while our health care system crumbles—is part of the received wisdom these days, especially amongst progressives who believe that for-profit health insurance doesn’t add much value to our health care system. But the reality is that in recent years, private insurers haven’t been doing so well financially.

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Doctors-insurers confrontation heats up

13 JUL 2008 from the Dallas Morning News | Read the full story»

Doctors complain of shrinking payments from health insurers, pointing to insurance companies' huge profits and high CEO salaries. In response, insurers say doctors provide uneven care, overtreat patients, and push up costs for everyone. The decades-old confrontation has gotten more heated recently, as insurers squeeze doctors' payments as one way to bring down soaring healthcare costs.

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America’s best hospitals announced

11 JUL 2008 from U.S. News & World Report | Read the full story»

U.S. News & World Report had compiled its annual list of "America's Best Hospitals." For the rankings, U.S. News analyzed data on 5,453 medical centers. Only 170 hospitals were ranked in one or more specialties and, of those, just 19 were of Honor Roll caliber. To be in this group, a hospital had to achieve high scores in six or more specialties.

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Small Business Is Latest Focus in Health Fight

States are taking various approaches to help businesses unable to provide health insurance for their employees. (Subscription required)

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New Zealand healthcare company has an eye on U.S. customers

08 JUL 2008 from the Washington Post | Read the full story»

Better known for its scenery and for offering tourists adventure, New Zealand also has fine private hospitals that, unlike their public counterparts, are not full to overflowing. But the major advantage, and the biggest selling point for Medtral, a New Zealand company set up to attract refugees from the U.S. healthcare system, is cost. Medtral representatives say it can offer procedures at boutique hospitals with follow-up personal nursing care at a fraction of the cost of the same surgery in the United States.

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Pricey Drugs Put Squeeze on Doctors

The rising prices of cancer drugs are undermining the ethos that prevents doctors from factoring costs into treatment decisions, disrupting relationships with patients, and causing health care providers to go into debt. (Subscription required)

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More Americans delay healthcare

26 JUN 2008 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»

An increasing number of Americans, many with health insurance, are delaying or forgoing medical care because of concern about cost, according to a report from the Center for Studying Health System Change. A 2007 survey of 18,000 people found that 20% of the respondents said that they had put off or gone without needed medical treatment at some point in the prior year, up from 14% in a 2003 survey. Of those who said in the 2007 survey they had put off care, 69% cited concern about cost as a reason. (Subscription required)

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Rising Health-Care Costs Hurt Small Biz

A survey of some 4,000 self-employed individuals and business owners with 10 or fewer employees finds most can't afford to offer health insurance to employees.

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Tech giants back online health records standards

Microsoft and Google join a collection of insurers and health care providers in endorsing privacy standards intended to protect medical records stored online.

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High Medicare Costs, Courtesy of Congress

Medicare pays $110 for a walker that Wal-Mart sells for $60, and medical equipment makers would like to keep it that way. (Subscription required)

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Shaking Up China's Medical System

23 JUN 2008 from the Washington Post | Read the full story»

A foreign company is breaking into the heavily regulated Chinese healthcare system by targeting the elite who are willing to pay premium prices for premium care. Chindex has opened Western-style hospitals and clinics in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to cater to affluent expatriates and wealthy Chinese. Staffed by foreign doctors and some of China's top physicians, its fees are too high for most Chinese.

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U.S. health insurers look to China for growth

25 JAN 2008 from the Hartford Courant | Read the full story»

Hartford, CT-based Aetna plans to announce that it has opened a "representative office" in Shanghai, China. The move is the first step of a lengthy process for foreign companies interested in doing business in the country. Other insurers, such as UnitedHealth Group and WellPoint, have established such offices in China, and CIGNA has already hooked up with a Chinese company to sell supplemental health insurance there. U.S. insurers are fighting each other for members in their own nation's strained economy, and are searching for more growth opportunities and entering more countries around the world.

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Online services let patients seek a second opinion from home

Online second-opinion services offer patients consultations from specialists based on the medical records that they fax, mail ...

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Most Doctors Aren’t Using Electronic Health Records

A government-sponsored survey of the use of computerized patient records by physicians points to two seemingly contradictory conclusions, and a health care system at odds with itself.(Subscription required)

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AMA issues first report card on health insurers

16 JUN 2008 from Yahoo! News | Read the full story»

The American Medical Association has issued its first health insurance report card, with the primary focus on how quickly and accurately doctors get paid. The report card is an effort to reduce the cost of claims processing to doctors and help them as they negotiate contracts with insurance companies. It will also help patients if it reduces wasteful administrative costs, said AMA representatives. The report card compares Medicare and seven national commercial health insurers on the timeliness and accuracy of claims processing, and is based on a random sample drawn from 3 million claims.

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Health costs to rise nearly 10 percent

17 JUN 2008 from Yahoo! News | Read the full story»

Employer healthcare costs are poised to rise almost 10% in 2008, more than double the annual inflation rate. And it will likely increase nearly that much again in 2009, according to study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The report said the two factors driving the increase were a hospital building boom, and an increase in the expenses those with insurance are paying for those without.

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Bernanke Says Health Costs a Strain

Bolstering the performance of the health care system is one of the biggest challenges facing the country, the Federal Reserve chairman said Monday. (Subscription required)

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Computerized Patient Records Program Starts

Medicare has just launched a pilot program to get doctors to computerize their offices. Officials say electronic health records will cure many of the ills of modern medical care, but some doctors are concerned about the loss of privacy for patients, and the cost of computerization. (Audio)

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Health Care: Social Networking Gone Serious?

Experts suggest that there is a place for online communities and user-generated content in the hunt for medical information on the Web.

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Anxiety Over Health Insurance Shapes Life Choices

10 JUN 2008 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»

Anxious over being caught uninsured or paying sky-high premiums, some people are going to great lengths to get or keep job-based health coverage. The concerns are affecting a host of major life decisions, including the age of retirement and the state where people choose to live, insurance-industry watchers and financial advisers say. For those with existing medical conditions, conversations increasingly center on how to get or stay on a group policy or segue into the individual market in a way that prevents insurers from denying coverage or excluding the pre-existing conditions. (Subscription required)

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Ranks of Underinsured Are Rising, Study Finds

A study found that the coverage of approximately one of every five adults younger than age 65 with health insurance was inadequate in case of serious health problems.(Subscription required)

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The Cutting Edge of Health Care

A new tool reveals patterns of innovation in industry. We examine eight ideas that hold high promise for transforming health care.

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How the Mainstream Media Hypes Health Care

In a video linked to the Health News Review website, Schwitzer points out that "about 65% of the time" major news organization are not telling viewers and readers how "big the potential harms" of new treatments are–or "how small the potential benefits."

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Cultural training for nurses

7 of the 10 fastest-growing jobs are in health care, but as demographics change, doctors and nurses will need new cultural skills to go along with their medical training. Alyssa Wagner has the story.

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Congress may prod doctors toward electronic prescriptions

04 JUN 2008 from the Boston Globe | Read the full story»

A broad coalition of corporations, consumer groups, and pharmaceutical providers has moved closer to compelling millions of doctors to file prescriptions electronically. Supporters such as AARP and AT&T have touted electronic prescriptions as an easy, effective way to avoid deadly medication errors and save healthcare providers billions. Under a proposal before the Senate, Doctors in the government's Medicare program would receive bonuses when they use online prescribing software, beginning with 2% increases in 2009. Those who don't adopt the technology by 2011 would see their pay cut 1%, growing to 2% by 2013.

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Hawaiians say aloha to prescription drug vending machines

04 JUN 2008 from Iconoculture | Read the full story»

How do you say access in Hawaiian? A controversial new bill will allow rural Hawaiian consumers to obtain prescription drugs via remote "vending machines" (KauaiWorld.com 5.4.08). The technology reduces overhead and additional drug costs associated with a traditional pharmacy.

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Mass. insurance law passes check-up

The prognosis appears good for Massachusetts' health insurance mandate. A new report concludes the state is meeting its goal of reducing the number of uninsured citizens. Sarah Gardner reports.

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Newly insured outpace available doctors in Massachusetts

29 MAY 2008 from the Boston Globe | Read the full story»

Healthcare reform in Massachusetts has increased the number newly insured patients in the state, and the demand for care has gone up as a result. The trend, along with a longstanding shortage of primary-care physicians, is creating a real crunch for community clinics, say advocates of healthcare reform as well as medical professionals. Critics have said healthcare reform should not have been attempted without first addressing the workforce shortages, but state officials and healthcare advocates are starting to address the problem of recruitment. The state Legislature has taken up a bill, for example, which includes a clause aimed at establishing a primary-care recruitment center in the state.

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California bill would let pharmacies sell medical records

29 MAY 2008 from the San Francisco Chronicle | Read the full story»

Under a bill before the state Senate, pharmacies in California would be allowed to sell confidential patient prescription information to third-party marketing firms working for drug companies. The legislation would allow pharmaceutical firms to send mailings directly to patients, and supporters say the intent is to remind patients to take their medicine and order refills. The California Medical Association opposes the legislation, contending that it could jeopardize patient safety and hurt doctor-patient relationships.

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Platform for healthcare 2.0

Once the platform is launched—it's due soon in Brooklyn, with the rest of New York City to follow—consumers will create an account and become a member for a range of Netflix-priced monthly fees. They'll be able to make appointments online and be seen at home, in their offices, or at Hello Health's offices. All their records will be online and available whenever they need them, as will all communication with Hello Health doctors. The price, Parkinson says, will be "less money than a 4-minute visit with your old doctor who practices in the 20th Century."

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A Fresh Look at Healthcare Reform; Part II of II

Our health care system is so expensive in part because it is so fragmented, leading to exorbitant administrative costs. By replacing employer-based insurance, and including everyone under one umbrella, the Guaranteed HealthCare Access plan saves billions.

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$1.85 fee to see a doctor? Some say it’s too much

27 MAY 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

Patients in the Czech Republic can now see a doctor for about $1.85, and a day in the hospital can verge on $4. This is not cause for celebration. Czechs visit their doctors more often than anyone else in Europe, and the prices have led to great outrage. All countries struggle with how best to provide affordable healthcare to their citizens without breaking the bank, and in places like the Czech Republic the state long took care of them. Now, there is a sense of betrayal due to the fees because many Czechs see it as a matter of principle that healthcare should be free. (Subscription required)

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CBO questions savings from digital healthcare records

22 MAY 2008 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»

The Congressional Budget Office has discounted earlier projections of large cost savings that could result from the adoption of technology such as digital health records, and questioned an estimate of $77 billion a year that appeared in a RAND Corp. analysis. The CBO found the potential for savings under certain circumstances, such as when IT was combined with broader reforms, but said the technology by itself was typically unlikely to generate sizable financial benefits. The findings challenge advocates of health-information technology, who have argued that it will improve patient safety and achieve significant efficiencies that will cut fast-growing healthcare expenses. (Subscription required)

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U.S. ads push patients to shop for hospitals

The Bush administration today launches a $1.9 million advertising campaign touting its effort to rate hospitals and urging patients to check a government website before choosing one.

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Google Launches Medical Records App

The Internet search giant has made a long-awaited move into managing data about the state of your body.

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Doctors say "I'm sorry" before "see you in court"

19 MAY 2008 from the New York Times | Read the full story»

For years, lawyers and insurers have counseled doctors and hospitals to "deny and defend" during malpractice cases. Many still warn clients that any admission of fault, or an expression of regret, could invite litigation and imperil careers. But now that healthcare providers are choking on malpractice costs and consumers are demanding action against medical errors, a handful of prominent academic medical centers are trying a different approach. By promptly disclosing medical errors and offering apologies and fair compensation, they hope to restore integrity to dealings with patients, make it easier to learn from mistakes, and dilute anger that often fuels malpractice lawsuits. (Subscription required)

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Survey: Universal healthcare would add to U.S. doctor shortage

14 MAY 2008 from the Atlanta Business Chronicle | Read the full story»

Some 20% of doctors say they will quit practicing medicine if universal healthcare insurance coverage is implemented, according to a survey by physician recruiting firm LocumTenens.com. Among nearly 1,400 doctors who answered the survey, 63% said they would 'continue practicing like they do today, 11% would change occupations, and 9% said they would retire.

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Even the Insured Feel Strain of Health Costs

For millions of people with employer health insurance, premiums and co-payments have increased quickly while coverage has become less extensive. (Subscription required)

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Doctors To Monitor ICU Patients Electronically

29 APR 2008 from the Washington Post | Read the full story»

Under a program known as Maryland eCare, six Maryland hospitals facing a shortage of emergency room doctors plan to use physicians in Delaware to electronically monitor intensive care patients. Under the $3 million program, a critical care doctor or intensivist based at a command center in Wilmington, DE, will oversee overnight care for as many as 150 patients and provide guidance to on-site nurses. Officials said the collaboration with the hospitals is needed, especially in exurban and rural areas. (Subscription required)

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Survey: Providing health care an increasing challenge for small business

25 APR 2008 from the Business Journal of Milwaukee | Read the full story»

More than half of the small businesses responding to a survey from a Midwest payroll firm indicated that offering company healthcare for employees is too expensive. In addition, the survey indicated that fewer small businesses are offering healthcare than even two years ago. One out of five small business owners surveyed reported having at least one person turn down a job offer because healthcare was not included.

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Drug companies seek new prescriptions

Pharmaceutical companies face expiring patents on many blockbuster drugs, with few new medicines in the pipeline to replace them. So the industry's trying creative ways to make money. Some say too creative. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.

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Cost-effective Medical Treatment: Putting an Updated Dollar Value on Human Life

A thorny question lies at the heart of meaningful health care reform. How much is human life worth? New Wharton research based on Medicare kidney dialysis data shows that the average figure -- $129,090 per additional year of quality life -- is higher than prior studies have shown. Perhaps more important, the study also puts a value on the cost-effectiveness of treatment across percentiles of the entire dialysis population in an attempt to develop a benchmark for coverage decisions. Chris P. Lee, a Wharton professor of operations and information management, co-authored the paper titled, "An Empiric Estimate of the Value of Life: Updating the Renal Dialysis Cost-effectiveness Standard."

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Patients often struggle for access to medical records

Under federal law, every patient or a designated representative has the right to see and copy the patient's medical records.

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Health Insurance Premiums Skyrocket

A report finds premiums have jumped 30%, while incomes have only gone up 3%.

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Cash Before Chemo: Hospitals Get Tough

28 APR 2008 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»

Hospitals are adopting a policy to improve their finances: making medical care contingent on upfront payments. Typically, hospitals have billed people after they receive care. But now, pointing to their burgeoning bad-debt and charity-care costs, hospitals are asking patients for money before they get treated. (Subscription required)

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As Doctors Get a Life, Strains Show

29 APR 2008 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»

Young physicians, intent on balancing work and family, are giving rise to different types of practice options. At the same time, the attempt by new doctors to lead a less-pressured work life is putting additional strain on America's health-care system. (Subscription required)

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Few U.S. doctors answer e-mails from patients

22 APR 2008 from Yahoo! News | Read the full story»

Fewer than a third of U.S. doctors use e-mail to communicate with patients, according to recent physician surveys. There are a variety of reasons why they do not: Some worry it will increase their workload, and most physicians don't get reimbursed for it by insurance companies. Others fear hackers could compromise patient privacy. Despite doctor reluctance, many patients would like to use e-mail for routine matters such as asking for a prescription refill, getting lab results or scheduling a visit.

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Feds try to cut costs of hospital errors

14 APR 2008 from Yahoo! News | Read the full story»

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed adding dangerous blood clots in the leg and eight other conditions to the list of complications that Medicare won’t pay to treat if they were acquired at the hospital. The proposed rule would add nine conditions to the eight already outlined, and would apply to more than 3,500 acute care hospitals. The government estimates the proposed rule will save Medicare an estimated $50 million annually during each of the next three years.

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Factories fading, hospitals step in

15 APR 2008 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»

Medical facilities are replacing factories as healthcare begins to fuel local economies across the country, but there are downsides to healthcare's ever-increasing role. A community that relies on health jobs can end up with a weaker economy because it is overly dependent on government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Greater inequality is a risk in healthcare, too--there tends to be a wider income gap between what the highest- and lowest-paid workers earn than there is in manufacturing. (Subscription required)

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Study: Boomers to flood medical system

14 APR 2008 from Yahoo! News | Read the full story»

An Institute of Medicine committee has released a report on the healthcare outlook for the 78 million baby boomers about to begin turning 65. The report said there aren't enough specialists in geriatric medicine, insufficient training is available, the specialists that do exist are underpaid, and Medicare fails to provide for team care that many elderly patients need. Medicare may even hinder seniors from getting the best care because of its low reimbursement rates, a focus on treating short-term health problems, and lack of coverage for preventive services, according to the report.

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Japanese Pay Less for More Health Care

Japan spends half as much on health care as the U.S., yet its people have the longest healthy life expectancy. Diet and lifestyle are key, but affordable health care plays a major role. (Audio)

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An essay from John Hammergren on health care reform

I am encouraged by how much today's political leaders recognize that our health care crisis -- despite that word "care" -- is fundamentally a business problem.

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Warning on Storage of Health Records

Two researchers warn that the entry of big companies like Microsoft and Google into the field of electronic health records could alter the practice of clinical research and raise new challenges to privacy. (Subscription required)

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Companies try heading off new rules

Some of the nation's biggest drug and medical companies say they'll disclose how much money they're giving doctors and health advocacy groups. It's no coincidence Congress is considering rules about improper influences in medical care. John Dimsdale reports.

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Medical-legal partnership lowers costs

The nation's hospitals are struggling to care for low-income patients. Proposed solutions usually involve more money or more doctors. But some medical centers are trying a different approach -- more lawyers. Jeff Tyler reports.

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Medical Errors Costing U.S. Billions

Mistakes resulted in 238,337 preventable deaths from 2006-08, survey finds.

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Choices Drive Cost of Health Care

Medicare could have saved up to $50 billion over five years if all U.S. hospitals cared for chronically ill patients on par with some of the most efficient facilities, according to a report. (Subscription required)

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Health Care Spending: The Basics; How Much Do We Spend on Hospitals? Part I

“Experts are increasingly adopting the view that the biggest cause of rising costs is not the aging population, which has so often been blamed in the past, but the insatiable appetite doctors and their patients have developed for the latest devices and medicines: high-tech equipment such as particle accelerators, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) machines, artificial joints, specialized stents, and the ever-expanding array of pharmaceuticals for treating hypertension, heart failure, HIV, depression and other chronic illnesses."

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