If you think drugs approved by the FDA can’t kill you, think again. A recent article in Stat News explains that Actemra, a rheumatoid arthritis drug, has dangerous side effects, possibly...
Diane Archer
Senate bill would empower Medicare to reduce drug prices
Today, Medicare covers prescription drug costs under Part D. And, it pays whatever price pharmaceutical companies charge for their drugs because Congress forbids Medicare from negotiating drug...
What is improved Medicare for all and why do we need it
Responding to a piece in The Nation, Margaret Flowers explains explains improved Medicare for all and why we need it in Nationofchange.org. Improved Medicare for all, detailed in U.S. House bill 676...
Health care spending: The US v. The rest of the world
NPR’s Goats and Soda reports on two recent studies published in The Lancet, which reveal that per person health care spending in the U.S. continues to far exceed the rest of the world. And...
Why you should ask your loved ones about end of life care
Few of us think to ask loved ones about their end-of-life preferences. We may assume that they don’t want to discuss these issues. But, it’s important that we understand and respect their...
No projected 2018 increase in standard Medicare premium
The July annual report of the Medicare Trustees to Congress on the financial state of the program shows no projected 2018 increase in the standard Medicare premium, which is $134 today; indeed, the...
Keeping mentally and physically healthy and engaged may prevent...
A new study by a worldwide team of dementia experts, published in Lancet, lays out the latest research findings on dementia, and the news is better than you might expect. There are a range of proven...
Hundreds of new drugs are harmful or ineffective
Contrary to what most of us may believe, drugs that are FDA-approved may be unsafe and even dangerous in a range of ways. A Health Affairs article by Donald Light explains why hundreds of new...
Poor health coverage hurts U.S. living standards
Poor health coverage, among other factors, hurts U.S. living standards. While it’s true that the U.S. economy is expanding and the unemployment rate is low, household incomes have not grown for...
Long-term care insurance likely won’t deliver what you need
You may already know that seven in ten of us will eventually need some type of long-term care services and supports. But, you may not know that most people today receive that care at home and not in...