Category Archives: Patients

Discussions about the consumers of healthcare

Congress fails once again to fix the SGR formula

Once again, Congress missed an opportunity to resolve its annual dilemma wrangling over how to correct the continuing problem of the Medicare reimbursement cliff for physicians created by the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. Almost since Congress first pursued legislation … Continue reading

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Defensive medicine among orthopedic surgeons costs US $2 billion

In an article published in the February issue of the American Journal of Orthopedics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers estimate that U.S. orthopedic surgeons create approximately $2 billion per year in unnecessary health care costs associated with orthopedic care due … Continue reading

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Catholic bishops call HHS new rule “literally unconscionable”

In August 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule  that would require most health insurance plans to cover preventive services for women including recommended contraceptive services without charging a co-pay, co-insurance or a deductible. … Continue reading

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Is Rationing of Health Care Ethical?

A recent New York Times article entitled “New Kidney Transplant Policy Would Favor Younger Patients” references a proposal being considered by the nation’s organ transplant network to allocate organs in an alternative manner than the present first-come-first-served system. The article … Continue reading

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Life is a terminal condition!

It has been said that each of us will spend 80% of our total life’s health costs during the last 22 months of life. Reversing that thought would imply that unless we are less than two years from death’s door, we have yet to consume 20% of our total life health costs. Continue reading

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