Category Archives: Health care

From ObamaCare to TrumpCare: The Politics

As Republicans shift ObamaCare policy from “repeal and replace” to “repair,” how will that affect swing states?

Bill Black: Why the Republicans Cannot “Replace” Obamacare

Why the Republicans will kill Obamacare or have to live with it in more or less its present form.

Wolf Richter: Judge Reveals Shady Side of Crushed Aetna-Humana Merger, Banks to Lick their Wounds, Aetna to Get Pummeled

Yesterday, a federal judge blocked Aetna’s $34-billion acquisition of Humanam, citing concerns that their combined pricing power would raise costs to consumers.

Bernie Sanders and Trump’s Pick for Health and Human Services Face Off on Right to Health Care

Sanders remains virtually alone among opposition leaders in being willing to take on Trump Administration policy positions.

Debate Over Health Care Yet Again Omits Elephants In the Room: Excessive Costs Due to Terrible Incentives and Pricing, Administrative Costs, Pharma Looting

Health care in America is broken and the press and pundits seem desperate to paper over how bad it is.

“Many Areas of Appalachia and Mississippi Delta Have Lower Life Expectancy Than Bangladesh”

Four Nobel Prize winners agree that rent-seeking is the biggest driver of rising inequality.

TrumpCare, Pre-Existing Conditions, and “Continuous Coverage”

“Continuous Coverage” is the Republican solution for avoiding a death spiral by covering pre-existing conditions. How bad will it be?

TrumpCare: ObamaCare, Medicaid, Medicare, and the Veterans Administration

A round-up of health care policy under the incoming Trump administration

Follow the Money: Nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services Traded Health Care Stocks and Owned Tobacco Stocks While in Congress

We have to follow the money, all the money that flows around our new plutocrat-in-chief to be, and his rich and well connected cronies.

I Correct Schumer Fudging What Medicare Privatization Would Mean and He Pretends He Was Being Honest All Along

Chuck Schumer’s nose is getting so long that he needs to get a hacksaw. That does not not bode well for the Democrats standing up to Trump.

Hospitalized Patients Treated by Female Doctors Show Lower Mortality

A JAMA article, based on a large, well-designed study, found that female doctors in hospitals saved more lives than men. The question is why

US Life Expectancy Declines in 2015: Unintentional Injuries Rise

US life expectancy declines for the first time in 23 years, with rates increasing for eight of the ten leading causes of death.

Trump Agenda: Privatization of Medicare and Social Security?

Nancy Altman discusses prospects for privatisation of Medicare and Social Security raised by Trump’s HHS and other nomination announcements.

Round Up No Suspects: The Bio Telemetry Settlement Demonstrates the Continuing Impunity of Health Care Organizational (and Other) Leaders

As has become usual in enforcement of laws regarding kickbacks, bribes, fraud etc, the case was resolved by a relatively small fine