Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
One health risk factor often overlooked in this blog is going to war. Veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan frequently return home with traumatic brain injury from roadside bombs, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other injuries. Marketplace chronicles the problems veterans experience trying to collect military benefits after returning to civilian life. The…
Some of the biggest public health problems involve the use of drugs in alcohol. Individuals use drugs and alcohol because they receive some psychic benefit. However, this has a cost to their own health and often the health of others (e.g., drunk driving, increased homicide rates). Whether or not the government should be involved in…
Why did the British decide to have the government pay for health care? Are they socialists by nature? Were they just ahead of their time? Did some lobbyist win the favor of government? Actually, it was done out of practicality. World War II shifted the provision of health care from the private to the public…
Most physicians, public health officials and economists believe that most individuals do not receive sufficient levels of preventive care. Only half of American adults receive all recommended screening and preventive care. The Partnership for Prevention has a plan to increase preventive care utilization. The organization proposes introducing: “..federally funded insurance programs [that] would provide highly…
Wisconsin’s Medicaid plan covers children from 0-5 years old whose parents have income below 150% of the poverty line. Sixty percent of Massachusetts residence receive coverage through their employer compared to 53% nationwide. Forty-six percent of Californian firms with less than 50 employees offer health insurance compared to the national average of 43%. How did…
In the Health Care Blog, Robert Laszewski suberbly analyzes Congressional Budget Office (CBO)’s two papers. His key points are that 1) there is no silver bullet and 2) “really controlling costs will be very hard and will require some courageous and politically problematic actions.” I would point out other highlights, but the post is so…
How would you like to run a major city? With the economic economic slowdown, would you raise taxes? If so, on what? If you would cut spending, what programs would you cut? The City of Los Angeles has a survey that let’s you decide allocate the taxpayers dollars. More information can be found at the…
At the turn of the century, the football (soccer) club Real Madrid began collecting some of the most famous players in the world. Termed los Galácticos by the media, the team included a stockpile all-world players such as Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, Beckham, Michael Owen, Roberto Carlos, and Raúl. It seems Presdient-Elect Obama is trying to form…
For many illnesses, Medicare pays physicians a lump sum for the entire episode of care. This is known at the prospect payment system (PPS). But how does Medicare determine the payment amount? How should Medicare determine the payment amount? Medicare generally looks at 1) what treatments are generally used on average to treat a patient…
As Health Access California reminds us, tough economic times are often when sweeping government policies are enacted. President-elect Obama has some tough choices to make. Should he expand existing government programs to help those who are hurt by the economic crisis? Or should he scale back these government programs to show some fiscal responsibility?…