Transparency in health care can be a powerful tool for ensuring patient safety. But, it is too often not taken into account when considering patient safety measures. As a result, serious mistakes...
Diane Archer
Beware of Medicare and Medicaid fraud and, if you see it, report...
Medicare fraud is prevalent. It wastes billions of dollars and drives up health care costs. It comes in all varieties but generally involves bills to Medicare for services that were never provided...
New JAMA study reveals exercise can reduce likelihood of...
There is all kinds of advice to help ensure we can live independently in later life. A new JAMA study shows that exercise increases the likelihood that older adults can move freely and easily over...
The benefits of shared doctor appointments
Many years ago, I heard a primary care doctor explain his solution to the minimal time he had to spend with each of his patients: He offered to see those with similar conditions collectively...
Obama’s chief economic advisor is minimizing impact of...
There appears to be little or no chance that the Obama administration will use its final year in office to rein in drug prices. Indeed, at a time when the drug industry is demonstrating a love of...
John Oliver explains the risks of too many spoonfuls of sugar
Check out John Oliver’s great piece on the $5 billion sugar industry and our overconsumption of sugar. There’s no sugar-coating it. Americans eat way too much sugar, 52 teaspoons (204...
Top drugs in U.S. now three times more expensive than in U.K.
You’re not imagining it. Drug prices in the United States continue to escalate at lightning speed. A new Reuters-commissioned analysis reveals that we are now paying three times more than...
Medicare covers oxygen equipment and supplies
Medicare covers the rental of oxygen equipment and supplies if you meet the qualifying criteria—you must have a doctor’s visit, and your doctor must sign a written order for the equipment...
President’s nominee to head the FDA has strong ties to the...
President Obama has nominated Dr. Robert Califf, a cardiologist, to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He is currently Deputy Commissioner of the FDA. But, many policymakers and thought...
Two tips to help you choose a health plan
During open enrollment season, many of us struggle to figure out which health plan to choose. People typically remain in their current health plans because that’s generally the easiest choice to...