Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, December 22, 2008While Americans convincingly voted for change on Election Day, not all the change that President-elect Obama has promised on health care is for the better.Specifically, Obama wants to have the federal government establish a research program to compare different medical treatments and pharmaceuticals, deciding which are worthwhile and … [Read more...] about Putting a Dollar Sign on Patients' Lives
Putting a Dollar Sign on Patients’ Lives
Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, December 22, 2008While Americans convincingly voted for change on Election Day, not all the change that President-elect Obama has promised on health care is for the better.Specifically, Obama wants to have the federal government establish a research program to compare different medical treatments and pharmaceuticals, deciding which are worthwhile and … [Read more...] about Putting a Dollar Sign on Patients’ Lives
Follow the Money
Highlights New estimates for reform options Competition and choice in the UK? Massachusetts as a model? All roads to new legislation in Washington run through the Congressional Budget Office, and the CBO yesterday offered health policy makers a menu of 115 choices of reform initiatives, with price tags attached. It's like a shopping list for policy makers, who, using our money, … [Read more...] about Follow the Money
Kids First
SCHIP will be one of the early must-do agenda items for the new Congress and incoming Obama administration next year. You'll see below a commentary I was asked to write as half of a point-counterpoint debate on using the State Children's Health Insurance Program as a vehicle to achieve universal coverage for children. I took the unpopular position that the answer is "No". … [Read more...] about Kids First
Drug Safety: Jurors Shouldn't Be Practicing Medicine
Published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 7, 2008Jurors aren't physicians. They're regular people. So why would we entrust them with medical decisions best made by clinicians or scientists?It sounds preposterous, but jurors could be given the responsibility for deciding how doctors should practice. That's the scenario one woman is pushing before the Supreme Court.Instead of … [Read more...] about Drug Safety: Jurors Shouldn't Be Practicing Medicine
Drug Safety: Jurors Shouldn’t Be Practicing Medicine
Published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 7, 2008Jurors aren't physicians. They're regular people. So why would we entrust them with medical decisions best made by clinicians or scientists?It sounds preposterous, but jurors could be given the responsibility for deciding how doctors should practice. That's the scenario one woman is pushing before the Supreme Court.Instead of … [Read more...] about Drug Safety: Jurors Shouldn’t Be Practicing Medicine
Centralization
Most of the health policy proposals offered so far by President-elect Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress would require much more centralized control over our health sector. Mr. Obama has promised repeatedly, "If you have health insurance, then you don't have to do anything. If you've got health insurance through your employer, you can keep your health insurance, keep … [Read more...] about Centralization
In Reforming Health Care, Keep What Americans Like
Published in the Cincinnati Enquirer November 27, 2008As Americans reflect on their blessings this Thanksgiving, will they count the U.S. health care system among them?Politicians, the media and probably most people would say no. But if we alter the question, directing it toward the individual and away from the system, the answer changes drastically.A startling majority of Americans - 77 percent - … [Read more...] about In Reforming Health Care, Keep What Americans Like