Author Frequently asked questions. 294 items Posts pagination Newer 1 … 16 17 18 19 20 … 30 Older Why Do We Tolerate Our Broken Health Care System? January 31, 2022 Summary: A health care journalist describes in detail his fight to get insulin after changing jobs. The story underscores the absurdity and dangers of our healthcare system … and how we need universal and unified coverage, like in all other wealthy countries. I Write About America’s Absurd Health Care System. Then I Got Caught Up […] Alert: Past & Present Privatization of Medicare January 28, 2022 Summary: Medicare’s privatization has two phases. Past: Medicare Advantage, an explicit option for enrollees to join private for-profit capitated health plans, with the promise of saving money and improving care; it did neither. Present: Direct Contracting Entities, a covert subterfuge to place traditional Medicare enrollees into private-for-profit capitated health “entities”. The principal of public insurance […] California Single Payer Legislation AB 1400 January 27, 2022 Summary: Excitement in California, the most populous state in the US and very progressive: single payer legislation is forging ahead. AB 1400 passed out of committee and is headed to the Assembly floor. It mandates seeking federal approvals, financing details and approval by ballot initiative, and enabling legislation. If all proceeds smoothly, CalCare will begin […] A Libertarian Appreciates Public Health Insurance January 21, 2022 Summary: Conservative columnist Ross Douthat of the NY Times wrote this week about his shifting views on health insurance. He evolved from supporting a fully free market, to public catastrophic coverage, to more generous public coverage. But he worries that centralized universal coverage would stymie life-saving innovation. He needn’t. How Being Sick Changed My Health […] Contra-Indicated Care: High with For-Profit Providers, Low with Strong Primary Care January 19, 2022 Summary: A new study of all Medicare beneficiaries examined health system factors associated with “low-value care” – medical services that are contra-indicated (shouldn’t be done) because they hurt patients far more than helping them. Low-value care also wastes money. The study found that investor ownership is linked with more low-value care, while higher primary care […] Investor Profit is Not the Solution for Primary Care January 17, 2022 Summary: In the U.S. health care system, primary care is often overlooked by companies and investors in search of profit from more remunerative specialty care. As a result, it can be challenging for Americans to access primary care. With more for-profit companies entering the primary care market, there are a number of worrisome short and […] Voting Rights and Single Payer – Strikingly Similar January 14, 2022 Summary: The Freedom to Vote Act now facing a filibuster defeat in the US Senate specifies rules to implement fair elections. It is a desperately needed cure for systematic efforts to subvert the principle of one-person-one-vote in order to profit the GOP. Similarly, single payer specifies a set of rules to implement fair (and efficient) […] Can’t we try harder to find common ground? January 12, 2022 Dana Harbor, CaliforniaJan 11, 2022Can’t we try harder to find common ground?By Don McCanne Sandy and I went down to Dana Harbor late this afternoon for our daily walk, my preferred form of rehabilitation since my recent neurological events. As Sandy and I were getting out of our car a very nice gentleman next to […] California Single Payer: Lower Net Cost to Families January 10, 2022 Summary – Last week saw the release of a tax plan to finance California’s single payer legislation, AB 1400. It was immediately attacked as a tax increase of $12,250 per family. Hey, wait, don’t premiums and cost-sharing disappear under single payer? Yes indeed! The typical family saves money. Health insurance guaranteed, with savings. And no more […] Understanding Insurer Profits: “4.5%” = 30% January 9, 2022 Summary: Today we scrutinize health insurer profit margins. Magically, a modest apparent margin of 4.5% reveals itself upon closer inspection to be a ginormous 30%. Let’s call it what it is: excessive and extortionate. Medicare Advantage Delivers Better Care and Saves Money: A Response to Gilfillan and BerwickHealth Affairs ForefrontJan 7, 2022By George C. Halvorson […] Posts pagination Newer 1 … 16 17 18 19 20 … 30 Older
