Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
Joe Paduda has a great post (“Wasted Dollars“) reviewing a study by Alex Swedlow. The study focuses on waste in the health care sector with a focus on Workers Compensation. Mr. Paduda concludes the following: There’s a lesson here for the non-workers comp world, and policy wonks in particular. It is this – providers overtreat,…
Most public health officials believe that increasing the supply of primary care doctors is almost always a good thing, while increasing the number of specialists can have mixed results. One problem is that physician supply is endogenous. One may believe that physicians prefer to locate in wealthier areas. If wealthier people are also healthier, then…
Electronic medical records (EMR) hold the promise of vastly improving the quality of medical care received in the U.S. today. One of the major issues with EMR is privacy however. Patients generally want their doctors to know as much about their health as possible in order to make the best possible medical diagnoses and treatment…
According to InsideHigherEd.com (“Tomorrow’s Doctors…“) medical students are very altruistic, empathetic people…until the start medical school. The article describes the findings of a study titled “Is There Hardening of the Heart During Medical School?” in March’s Academic Medicine. The longitudinal study finds significant decreases in “vicarious,” or emotionally driven, empathy, during the course of medical…
According to Reuters (“All U.S. kids…“), the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is recommending that all kids should receive an influenza vaccination. Previously, the CDC recommended that all children 0-6 receive a flu shot. Now, all children 18 and under should get the shot. In addition to the direct health benefits the children…
The San Diego Union Tribune has an article (“Cross-border coverage“) profiling entreprenuer Jim Arriola and his low cost health insurance plan covering medical care in both the U.S. and Mexico. His company, Sekure Healthcare, provides a limited-benefit insurance program through employers along with a discount health card program. Both can be used by Sekure members…
Google’s blog gives a preview of its Google Health application. TechCrunch provides some analysis.
Differences in the health outcomes between white and minority patients has been well documented in the medical and economics literature. Reasons for this difference could be: Unequal access to treatment. Minorities are poorer and less likely to be covered by insurance than whites. Unequal treatment – Minorities are less likely to have a regular doc,…
The latest edition of the Cavalcade of Risk is up at the uniquely titled “Wisdom from Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket” blog. Particularly interesting is the Colorado Health Insider‘s finding that “Those with Medicaid were 80% more likely to have advanced-stage cancer when diagnosed [than those with private insurance].” The blog supports universal healthcare but notes the…
Yesterday, I spoke about the Swiss health care system. One of the main attributes of this system is that patients are allowed to choose from any health care plan and the health insurers can not refuse to cover them. Further, since the insurance benefit is mandated by law, there is very little quality difference between…