“If ever we needed proof of why the for-profit health insurance industry cannot be trusted with our health and well-being, we saw it today. We saw today the cruelty; we saw today all the reasons why we cannot trust that which we know we cannot trust. The lack of human compassion and the outright obscenity […]
“So along came the competitors. How did the traditionalists, supposedly, committed to the health of the public respond? Did they welcome the challenge of new ideas? Did they reassess their own positions for the betterment of their patients? Did they investigate the new regimens? Don’t be absurd. They did what any self-respecting powerful group would […]
“But it’s not a ‘penalty’; it’s a miracle of modern medicine. Surely, Robert Pear’s article in today’s New York Times, ‘Women buying health policies pay a penalty,’ falls under the category of ‘old news.’ (So old, indeed, that my former colleague Diana Ernst addressed it last year.) Calling it a ‘penalty,’ rather than an […]
“Part D offers a disturbing window on the future of health care. For conservatives, it represents the sharp end of the stake they hope to drive into Medicare at large, destroying the largest and best single-payer healthcare program this nation has ever known. For progressives, it demonstrates the vast shortcomings of any health program — […]
“One of the campaign themes this election cycle is ‘affordable’ healthcare. Shouldn’t we ask ourselves whether we want the politicians who brought us the ‘affordable’ housing, that created the current financial debacle, to now deliver us affordable health care? Shouldn’t we also ask how things turned out in countries where there is socialized medicine? … […]
“While most patients generally are satisfied with their care, many hospitals fall short in relatively low-tech areas such as pain control and communication, researchers report today. The authors analyzed data collected by the federal government in an ongoing survey of patients at all hospitals that get Medicare payments. Responses covered communication with doctors; with nurses […]
“Top scientists and career employees at the Food and Drug Administration opposed agency regulations that weaken consumers’ ability to sue drug makers, congressional investigators said Wednesday. At issue is language in a drug-labeling rule from 2006 that effectively limits when people can sue in state court over injury claims involving medications. The FDA contends federal […]
“Many European wines are full of metal, a study finds. And researchers say if you’re the type of person who drinks a glass of wine — either red or white – every day, you may be damaging your health, according to the study, published online this week in the Chemistry Central Journal. Biomolecular scientist Dr. […]
“The University College London team classed ‘light’ drinking as up to two drinks a week throughout pregnancy. The study of 12,500 three-year-olds even found a lower risk of some problems in children of such drinkers. But experts were divided over whether the study was reassuring or could lull women into a false sense of security. […]
“Some of the intense care given to the smallest premature infants may be a little too intense, suggested two studies published Wednesday. One showed that light treatment for jaundice may overwhelm the smallest infants while another questions the practice of giving insulin to premature newborns. Dr. Brenda Morris of the University of Texas Medical School […]
