In yet another example of private health insurers driving up Medicare spending, a new report in JAMA shows that in 2017 Medicare Part D prescription drug insurers spent nearly $1.7 billion on...
Diane Archer
Coronavirus: Why isn’t every older adult vaccinated?
Eighty percent of people in the US who have died of COVID-19 have been over 65, so the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) rightly prioritized vaccinations for people over 65. In turn, states have done...
What’s the value of private health insurers?
Many Americans believe that private health insurance has value. And, many wealthy countries with universal health care rely on private health insurers. What is their value? With private health...
Raising the minimum wage helps workers and Social Security
The minimum wage has not been adjusted appropriately for inflation over the last several decades, while core expenses such as housing and health care have increased significantly. As a result...
Coronavirus: Senator Casey proposes legislation to protect...
As of now, more than 170,000 older Americans living in long-term care facilities and their caregivers have died from COVID-19. That works out to more than one in three people in the US who have died...
Should you worry about prediabetes?
Medicare covers the cost of a diabetes prevention program for the 23 million people diagnosed with prediabetes. Prediabetes is concerning because it can lead to diabetes. The New York Times reports...
To save money and help their workers, employers should advocate...
As bad as our health care system has become, I keep believing that Congress will fix it. But, it’s going to take something more than unaffordable prices, countless premature deaths, and a global...
Why did Amazon’s health care venture fail?
You likely recall that a few years ago, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase decided that they would come together to address the health care needs of their employees collectively. They put...
Coronavirus: How many Medicare Advantage members went without...
A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looks at out-of-pocket costs for people in Medicare Advantage plans and how they affect access to care. There is inexcusably little...
All Americans should contribute at the same rate to Social...
Today is “scrap the cap” day for Social Security contributions. The goal is for all Americans to contribute at the same rate to Social Security throughout the year. Instead, in 2021, a...