Healthcare: Can the Patient Ever Really Say No?
Ezra Klein of The Washington Post breaks down some of the conundrum: Health care is an unusual product in that it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, for the customer to say “no.” In certain cases,...
View ArticleAre Americans Trapped By Their Health Insurance?
Much of the healthcare debate has centered on the question of “choice,” but are we trapped already? There’s a man who hates his job. Oh, there are lots of them but this guy can’t quit and his boss...
View ArticleIt’s Official… Hospital Prices Are All Over the Place
If you thought hospital prices have no rhyme or reason, it turns out you’re right: What do you think of hospital prices? Tell us about it in our discussion forum!
View ArticleU.S. Prescription Drug Spending Per Capita Drops… For the First Time
It may not feel like it, but per capita U.S. prescription drug spending has dropped for the first time ever: Americans’ per capita spending on prescription drugs fell last year for the first time on...
View ArticleThe Oregon Medicaid Lottery, a Winner’s Story
There’s been a lot of talk about the so-called Oregon Experiment. Oregon conducts an annual lottery for a few precious spots in its state Medicaid program. Recently, a group of researchers looked into...
View ArticleIs a Single-Payer System Still on the Table?
Just a reminder that some folks are still trying to keep the single-payer dream alive: Wes Brain was uninsured last winter when a tonsillectomy showed signs of throat cancer. He qualified for the...
View ArticleThe Oregon Health Experiment: Does It All Boil Down to An Air Conditioner?
When it comes to the healthcare debate, Governor John Kitzhber of Oregon loves to tell a story about an air conditioner: As it turns out, I have heard the air-conditioner story. Oregon Gov. John...
View ArticleObamacare: We Pay HOW Much More for Healthcare?
Interesting story in The New York Times this weekend, on how much the U.S. pays for some healthcare services compared to other countries. Warning: it’s not pretty: Deirdre Yapalater’s recent...
View ArticleBattle of the Newspaper Medicare Coverage
James Fallows of The Atlantic Monthly ran a comparison of the major newspapers and their Medicare coverage from this last week: Overall front-page lead story in the WaPo: “Medicare’s future appears...
View ArticleMedical Bills: Are We Really Better Off With the Mechanic?
Dr. Davis Liu has an interesting blog on the trend towards asking patients to “shop around” for their healthcare, comparing it to a recent visit to his mechanic: My car dealer service advisor returns....
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