You know, there’s a reason why famous sayings are, well, famous sayings. It’s because they’re true and they usually sum up this truth is just a few words so as to package their neat truism in a tidy little box. BMJ’s article, New York’s road to health, quickly brought to mind one of those sayings... Read more →

It seems that as of October 1, 2008, Medicare will no longer be reimbursing hospitals for eight conditions that befall patients who are hospitalized, and that might have been reasonably prevented using certain evidence-based measures. These eight conditions include: * Pressure ulcers (bed sores) ... Read more →

I now cringe when I see a health insurance statement. This was not always the case. Each time I receive my insurance statements they say something to the extent of: Your doctor charged $400 and your insurance company only allows $200. This is not a bill. I used to flinch when I’d receive these... Read more →

One of the biggest crises facing the United States today is healthcare. There are approximately 47 million people in the United States who have no medical insurance. Millions more have inadequate insurance coverage, cannot afford their premiums or deductibles, and have no access to dental care. In the... Read more →

The current US healthcare system is broken. Few would argue this point. Rising costs, decreasing reimbursements, more lawsuits, insurance hikes, and an aging population are just some of the difficulties that face both physicians and patients today, and the situation doesn’t seem to be improving. One... Read more →

Business Week magazine has an interesting article regarding conflicts of interest among physicians, in particular cardiologists and those who publish clinical data regarding medicines or devices. I’ve alluded to such conflicts in previous posts, but it clearly is gaining national attention, particular... Read more →

For those of you that don’t know, there is a new trend in medicine these days — it’s called going “Non-Par.” Non-Par simply means “Non-Participating.” When a physician goes Non-Par, it means that he or she is no longer participating in certain insurance reimbursement... Read more →

I’ve written before about medical malpractice and the rising costs for physicians of all specialties. One of the things we as physicians really fear is malpractice lawsuits by patients. We are taught in medical school and in training that the number one way to prevent a lawsuit is to talk to the... Read more →

A new Finnish study published in Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology, concludes that not finishing high school is an independent risk factor for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) later on in life, compared to those who entered higher education. The... Read more →

I’ve been helping a friend look for health and dental insurance these past few weeks. As a physician employed by a hospital, I get insurance as a benefit of my employment. Essentially, it is a corporate type of insurance that is paid for by my employer. Anybody who works for my hospital gets the... Read more →

I don’t think I’ve ever written that much about the workplace in the field of medicine. It’s something that has always bothered me at some level but I’ve come to accept as an inevitable evil that could not be changed. In medicine, everybody is your boss. It’s unlike any... Read more →