In the fall of 2014, The New York Times reported that Medicare five-star nursing home ratings do not ensure quality because key data is self-reported. A new follow-up investigation by Kaiser...
Diane Archer
Organizing older adults to defend our health care
A recent paper by Community Catalyst’s Leena Sharma, Carol Regan and Katherine Villers published in the Journal of Aging and Social Policy, looks at the history and future of advocacy by older...
Another study confirms, it’s the prices, stupid
Why do we spend so much more on health care than other countries? In 2003, Gerard Anderson and Uwe Reinhard et al. explained, It’s the prices stupid: Why the US is so different from other...
Amazon plans to sell and distribute prescription drugs
Amazon appears to be expanding into the retail market in health care with its plan to purchase PillPack, an online pharmacy that is growing quickly. Stat News reports that PillPack sells and...
The danger of letting Medicare Advantage plans divert money away...
The 2018 Chronic Care Act allows Medicare Advantage plans to offer enrollees non-medical services that may improve health and patient safety. However, the danger of letting Medicare Advantage plans...
For diabetics, a good diet can be better than medicines
An article in NEJM Catalyst describes a new disease management trial at Geisinger Health System. Geisinger is testing providing free food to patients with diabetes who were not eating a balanced...
With alcohol, less is generally more
It’s hard to know who to believe any more. When it comes to health care research, industry is almost always in the pocket of the researchers. Roni Caryn Rabin reports for the New York Times on an...
Gawande to lead new Amazon health care company
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is building a new health care company in partnership with Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase. They have hired Dr. Atul Gawande to lead it. Will he able to improve care...
Five ways to feel at your best
If you focus on birthdays, we are all getting older. But, many of us who may be “getting up there” in age find ways to stay young at heart–fit, mentally active, and purposeful...
Lasik surgery may permanently harm your eyes
Before deciding to spend your money on Lasik surgery (laser eye surgery) to correct your vision, you should understand the potentially harmful side effects. Roni Caryn Rabin reports for The New York...