Reforming U.S. Healthcare: Even Research Statistics Are Rigged

To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning, How do I rig thee? Let me count the ways. Even research statistics are all too often rigged, according to a commentary in this month’s Journal of the A.M.A. These rigged statistics are being applied to clinical studies of new drugs, devices, and treatments to put them just far enough … Continue reading Reforming U.S. Healthcare: Even Research Statistics Are Rigged →

Healthcare Reform Is in the News

Healthcare is in the news a lot lately. Here are summaries of 3 recent articles along with my comments: 1. Health insurers use cash and gifts to sway which benefits employers choose Link: https://www.propublica.org/article/health-insurance-brokers-cost-commissions-bonuses Summary: Health insurance companies give out lucrative commissions and bonuses for influencing brokers who set up coverage plans. These incentives are not … Continue reading Healthcare Reform Is in the News →

Campaign Ad on Healthcare Is Misleading

In the final days before the November 2018 election, Representative Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) launched a campaign ad that criticized his Democratic challenger's support for universal healthcare. Rep. Perry drew a negative comparison to Britain’s National Health Service. The ad was misleading. Below is my Letter to the Editor on the subject. The Letter was posted … Continue reading Campaign Ad on Healthcare Is Misleading →

What If U.S. Healthcare CAN’T Be Fixed?

What if Americans are too divided to reach any common ground? Or what if healthcare has become so rigged and so enmeshed that it can’t be untangled? Or what if vested interests have become so powerful that they can’t be overcome? Not so fast, claims the Beyond Intractability project championed by Heidi and Guy Burgess based … Continue reading What If U.S. Healthcare CAN’T Be Fixed? →

Healthcare Reform & Civility – “Everyone Talks About the Weather. . .”

“Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” This quip is attributed (erroneously?) to Mark Twain. The same could be said about healthcare reform. Except, Americans have trouble even talking about healthcare reform, much less doing anything about it. Let’s look at the challenges of talking about and doing healthcare reform. In … Continue reading Healthcare Reform & Civility – “Everyone Talks About the Weather. . .” →