Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
All patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) are eligible for Medicare regardless of their age. In 1972, the Social Security Act extended all Medicare Part A and Part B benefits to individuals with ESRD (of any age) who are entitled to receive Social Security benefits. ESRD beneficiaries now account for 1% of Medicare enrollment.…
Although somewhat outdated, this report by Mark et al. (2007) provides a glimpse at trends in mental health and substance abuse (MHSA) spending. National expenditures for the treatment of MHSA disorders amounted to $121 billion in 2003, up from $70 billion in 1993. The average annual rate of (5.6%) was somewhat slower than spending growth…
The year 2010 marks the last for the decennial Census. Although you might miss the ad campaigns every 10 years, the Census hasn’t really disappeared completely. Instead, it’s being replaced by the American Community Survey (ACS). Although the goals of the ACS are similar to those of the Census, its approach is very different. Rather…
The latest edition of the Cavalcade of Risk is up at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket.
The 2010 Nobel Prize in Medicine went to Robert G. Edwards, the inventor of in vitro fertilization (IVF). According to the Nobel Prize press release: “Robert Edwards is awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize for the development of human in vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy. His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a medical condition…
Is an average always the best estimate? Let us say that we are evaluating physician quality. Does a physician’s average score across patients (or episodes of care) best represent their true quality level? Stein’s paradox says that when we are evaluating the true quality value for a number of doctors, we can do better than…
“…in order to prevent undocumented families from obtaining benefits illicitly, a problem that could not even be verified, Congress mandated (under a provision of th eDRA) that all Medicaid recipients must submit proof of their citizenship and identity. Implemented in 2006, everyone subject ot the new law has to produce a birth certificate, passport, certificate…
California takes the lead on health insurance exchanges. Health plan refunds are bad for the sick? Read the fine print. Text messaging and adherence. California gets a D+. Asymmetry: avoiding poor glycemic control decreases ER visits, but promoting superior glycemic control does not. Guideline Wars. Outlawing texting-while-driving decreases safety. Unconscionable science. Courage.
Although Medicaid receives significant federal funding, States run each program. This often leads to problems when residents of one state wish to receive care in another state. This could occur if the Medicaid beneficiary is a snow-bird, or lives in one state and works in another. Hurricane Katrina, however, highlights best the problems of a…