WBUR's online health care blog, "CommonHealth," has a flashy headline article today titled Massachusetts Attorney General Drops Health Reform Bombshell. What's the bombshell? That the state's proposal to control health care costs by … [Read more...]
Health Reform Part 2: Cost Control and Accountable Care Organizations
So the task force on Payment Reform issued a report declaring (without actually bother to prove) that our fee-for-service payment system, by which we reimburse physicians per visit or per procedure, was driving up costs by giving them an … [Read more...]
Health care reform – what’s not to like?
I've been suprised by the lack of interest in health care reform this summer, with a real possibility for an initiative to break new ground. There just doesn't seem to be a groundswell of interest. To me, the prospect of ever … [Read more...]
Public Health Council votes on gift ban and disclosure regulations tomorrow morning
The Public Health Council will vote on the Department of Public Health's gifts ban and disclosure regulations Wednesday, March 11th. Consumer advocates are calling on the council to do the right thing and vote to strengthen the … [Read more...]
How much are we spending on health care?
OK, I blew it a couple of days ago. I credulously quoted a brief WBUR report that said in passing that the MA budget was 50% health care. Well, it's not that much. I called in help from Nancy Wagman at the Mass. Budget and Policy … [Read more...]
PhRMA — direct to your brain!
At The Health Care Blog, Maggie Mahar points out a disturbing reason why drugs companies hit the airwaves -- because docs aren't responding to the direct pressure. In other words drugmakers are going directly to the consumer at a time … [Read more...]