More than 1 million people await a Social Security disability decision, according to an ABC news report. People typically wait nearly two years for a determination. And, some die while waiting. Most...
Diane Archer
Kidney voucher program launched and catching on
Fran Kritz of Kaiser News reports on how a retired Superior Court judge, Howard Broadman, came up with a creative idea for gifting a kidney to his grandson. His vision of a kidney voucher program has...
Allergan transfers patents to Native American tribe to quash a...
Drug companies seem always to be coming up with new ways to drive profits. This time, according to Katie Thomas at the New York Times, it’s a quasi patent sale-leaseback agreement, in which...
Pharma opera? Drug promotion on TV shows
In the category of “what will pharmaceutical companies think of next to market their high-priced drugs,” the answer could be drug promotion on TV shows. Once dubbed soap operas because...
Coffee appears to be good for your health
In the category of almost too good to believe, coffee appears to be good for your health. The U.S.D.A. in its dietary guidelines for Americans says that up to five cups of coffee a day could have...
Does Pfizer care about malfunctioning EpiPens?
The New York Times reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accused Pfizer of failing to address complaints about malfunctioning EpiPens, used to prevent serious allergic reactions...
Beware of researchers with conflicts of interest
When reading about health care, it’s sometimes hard to know who’s telling the truth and who’s burying it. That’s why I try to base all JustCare posts on findings from...
Why won’t insurers cover some generic drugs?
Some people are finding that they cannot fill their prescriptions for generic drugs at the pharmacy; their insurers will only cover the brand-name versions. Why won’t health insurance companies...
What are Accountable Care Organizations?
Medicare has been experimenting with new payment models to bring down health care costs, improve health care quality and promote healthy communities. One payment model launched in 2013 is a...
New leukemia drug will cost $475,000
The cost of cancer care now averages over $100,000. That’s more than twice the cost of cancer treatment a decade ago. Still, pharmaceutical companies are prepared to test their monopoly...