Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Bill Takes on Private Equity Milking Hospitals

Finally, someone of stature is taking a look at private equity acquiring hospital chains, milking their funds, and leaving a shell of what the original hospital was earlier. I am hoping Elizabeth Warren can force the issues with these take overs private equity takeovers. In the end, many communities depending on these hospitals are left […]

Keep getting those COVID jabs, peeps!

Pandemics are bad for economies. Vaccinations are an important bulwark against pandemics. But all viruses and all vaccines are not alike. In the case of the annual flu vaccine, annual vaccination against flu variants can be a problem: antibody-producing memory cells crowd out new antibody-producing cells, and people develop relatively few neutralizing antibodies against the […]

Whether You Have One or Two Shots of Whiskey Occasionally, It Affects Your Health

The latest news? Do not drink. A shot of anything is generally 1.50 fluid ounces, which is 41.7 grams. Whiskey can range in proof, starting at 80 proof. Simple math and using 80 proof whisky (40% alcohol) yields 16.68 grams of alcohol. I am going to guess Bourbon is similar. I got tired of reading the […]

Payment Reform is key to better health

by Merrill Goozner GoozNews Hospitals are pushing back on an experiment that would put providers on budgets. CMS should ignore their lobbyists and consultants playing games with numbers. Changing the way hospitals and doctors get paid is central to reforming our dysfunctional health care system. Payment reform can achieve better health outcomes, improve the patient […]

Top Supreme Court Health Cases to Watch

by Lawrence O. Gostin and Sarah Wetter MEDPAGE TODAY — A slew of cases this term could reshape health policy. Undecided Issues still before SCOTUS which should be decided this month. The Justices will then take off for a bit to reconcile the decisions they made causing issues amongst the population. Nothing unusual here, it […]

Supreme Court didn’t end access to Mifepristone

Today, the Supreme Court released its opinion in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. Here’s a little background—you can be forgiven if you’ve lost track of how this case has evolved since I first wrote about District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s order granting a nationwide injunction banning mifepristone in April of 2023. In April of 2023, Matthew Kacsmaryk, a federal district […]

The Urgent Need to Address VHA Community Care Spending and Access Strategies

Privatization Warning by Suzanne Gordon and Steve Early The American Prospect When the Department of Defense (DOD) or U.S. intelligence agencies face a crisis, they often assemble a task force to conduct a review and recommend solutions. In response to cost overruns on care for nine million patients of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the […]

Saving Rural Hospitals and Strengthening Rural Healthcare

Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform CHQPR I started reviewing rural hospitals a little over a year ago. Not much has changed. These smaller hospitals lack for resource and manpower because of their budget restraints. Services they provide may not be covered by a patient’s fees. As a result, they are always battling their budget. […]