The other day, I encountered this tweet by a Swedish pop band: If you would need to go to the doctor in sweden, remember to exagerate your condition x 10, otherwise they wont help u. — Lo-Fi-Fnk (@LOFIFNKOFFICIAL) November 13, 2012 I was then led to reflect on the attitude many Americans take when comparing … Continue reading
Medicaid and Medicare are government insurance programs developed to care for specific populations and the particular needs associated with that population. There are fundamental differences between the ways in which these programs are funded, the services they cover, and the people they serve. Medicare’s beneficiaries are elderly (65 or older) or disabled. It covers acute … Continue reading
It looks like both the Israelis and Palestinians have sharply veered of the road map to peace this week. Both Hamas and Israel have successfully escalated the violence to the point that an all at war in Gaza appears imminent. But before we start “climbing the mountain of conflict” an analysis of the geopolitical facts … Continue reading
Republican governors are facing a difficult decision. They must choose by tomorrow whether or not their states will be in charge of the impending health insurance exchanges. If they choose to take charge of the insurance exchanges, they have until 14 December to provide the details to the federal government. If they choose to turn … Continue reading
Experts agree that healthcare entitlement reform is key to curbing costs and boosting quality, yet we seem to ignore one of our biggest, less obvious, entitlements in the discussion. After Medicare and Medicaid, the employer sponsored health insurance tax exemption is the government’s biggest expenditure on healthcare, costing us around $260 billion a year. It … Continue reading
Smallpox has killed hundreds of millions of people throughout centuries. It is accountable for more deaths than all the world wars combined. In 1921, there were over 100,000 reported cases of smallpox in the United States. Thanks to vaccines, the disease has been eradicated. A child growing up in America today has no chance of … Continue reading
If anyone ever doubted that elections have consequences, one only has to be reminded of what John Boehner said last week. “Obamacare is the law of the land,” the House Speaker told ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer, indicating that the Republican caucus will not attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With the law’s … Continue reading
It is no secret that our current health care system is a mess. It is inefficient, confusing, and even though the United States’ total health expenditure in % of GDP ranks highest in the world, it does not cover every resident. Despite the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as … Continue reading
Now that we have an incumbent President Obama, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay. As the Washington Post reported yesterday, though, “We know a lot less…about how that happens.” The states now have a lot of responsibility to get things figured out. States now have about a week (until November 16) to officially decide … Continue reading
The Medicare hospice benefit has played a large role in moving our nation forward providing quality care for our dying. Hospice care was incorporated to improve the dying experience by providing comfort care to alleviate pain, decrease the use of intense care, and decrease the costs associated with intensive treatments. Hospice care has been a … Continue reading
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