Posts All of our commentary in one spot. You can also browse by topics or search. 414 posts in this category Posts pagination Newer 1 … 12 13 14 15 16 … 42 Older Suing for Inflated Bariatric Surgery Fees April 29, 2023 Aggressive collection tactics by a large bariatric surgery practice exemplify widespread problems with our health insurance: complex payment arrangements, confusing and misleading financial contracts, widely variable prices, medical debt, expensive litigation, and rising private equity. Oracle Health Data Profit Fantasies April 26, 2023 Oracle Health, acquired by Cerner, is pursuing a global cloud-based health records repository. Except that they can’t even succeed in five Veteran’s Administration hospitals. And their grand vision fails to address core healthcare financing challenges. When will we turn our attention from profit-seeking business models to health coverage basics? Rescuing Primary Care, Part 2 April 21, 2023 In Part 1, we discussed how primary care is being acquired and distorted by huge corporations pursuing massive profits. Today, we present a competing vision: a broad social movement to reclaim primary care as a “common good” focused on public benefit. Rescuing Primary Care, Part 1 April 15, 2023 In the first of two posts, we discuss a blog on how primary care is being acquired and distorted by huge corporations seeking massive profits by exploiting CMS value-based care, specifically capitation. The excerpt, a bit more than usual, is worth a read. Next time we’ll examine a proposal for making primary care a publicly-financed common good. 2024 Payment Increase & Other Problems with Medicare Advantage April 8, 2023 CMS just finalized the 2024 payment rule for Medicare Advantage, weakening the draft rule. There remain massive overpayments and widespread barriers to care. These fundamental problems are inevitable with reliance on private insurer intermediaries. Excess Deaths in US in 2021: COVID + 400,000 April 6, 2023 New research finds that in 2021 the US had nearly 900,000 excess deaths compared with wealthy European countries. About half were due to COVID and half due to other factors, including health care financing and delivery. An Immodest Proposal (for Excellent Financing of Our Health Care System) April 1, 2023 A striking vision for how to pay for health care in our country. Protests for Gun Safety … & Health Care Justice March 29, 2023 Following another mass school shooting, a prominent GOP former governor calls for ongoing protests in the street to force real change. It worked in the Civil Rights Movement, and it can again. Let’s demand gun safety … and, while we’re out there, health care justice via Medicare for All. Legislation to Advance California Single Payer Process March 27, 2023 A proposed law in the California Senate would instruct state officials to engage with the federal government on approvals and coordination for a state single payer bill. This is an important complement to a single payer bill in the Assembly. America’s Poverty Disgrace March 25, 2023 Summary: Matthew Desmond is shaking up how we think about poverty in America: far too prevalent and persistent, fueled by structural exploitation in housing, labor, and financial services. And solvable with an affordable level of resources. Single payer also has a crucial role to play. America Is in a Disgraced Class of Its OwnNew York […] Posts pagination Newer 1 … 12 13 14 15 16 … 42 Older
