Steve Cohen is an attorney whose practice epitomizes the intersection of law, policy, and journalism, with the realities of politics thrown in for good measure. For 35 years before going to law school, he was a successful publishing executive, including at Time and Scholastic, a best-selling author, and the CEO of three internet start-ups.
Since teaming up with Adam Pollock in 2018, Steve has learned to bring that unusual background, diversity of experience, and skills to the law. He can be reached on LinkedIn.
Daria D. learned how dangerous a “ghost network” is while fearing that her son would kill himself. Daria was desperate to find a psychiatrist to help her teenage son, who was suicidal. She called more than a dozen doctors listed in her insurance company’s provider directory. Half were listed with telephone numbers that did not work. The other half said they did not take her insurance or could not see …
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Mental health ghost networks are badly hurting patients
America is ready for an honest conversation about health care policy before more people suffer and we go broke waiting for it to happen. Fully one-third of Americans report that in the past 12 months they have skipped or postponed getting needed health care because of the cost. Thirty percent say that they or a family member had problems paying for health care in the past year, and 41 …
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American health care policy reform: Why we need a bipartisan commission
Jane Doe – her real name being hidden to protect her young child – thought she knew how to help her eight-year-old son “”Baby Doe.” She was well-educated, employed in a professional role by a federal agency, and comfortable navigating bureaucracies and unresponsive gatekeepers. More importantly, she was a fierce advocate for her child, who had been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and needed occupational and speech therapies, which …
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The hidden truth about ghost networks: one mom’s fight for mental health care justice
Half of my family and many of my friends are doctors. I admire them enormously: they are smarter, work harder, and are more compassionate than any group I know. Yet sadly, they are all wimps. Despite non-stop carping about the dangers and cost of health insurers’ prior authorization machinations, not a single one is willing to step up and take on an insurance company.
Of course, I understand why: doctors’ incomes …
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Why doctors are afraid to take on insurance giants—and how it hurts patients
That health care in the United States is wildly expensive is beyond debate — but the actual numbers are almost beyond belief. In 2010, for example, health care costs amounted to $2.6-trillion. By 2020, those costs had risen to $4 trillion — an increase of more than 50%. Worse, such increases show no signs of slowing.
Health insurance premiums, out-of-pocket expenses, and direct government expenses all add up to a nearly …
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Denying essential medical care doesn’t save money — or lives
I saw the caller ID and immediately picked up the phone; it was an old friend from college.
“I want to sue a doctor, and I want to sue the hospital,” said Karen.
Sadly, I hear those words all too often. I’m a newly-minted lawyer — after a 35-year career as a publisher — working at one of New York’s top medical malpractice plaintiff’s firms. What made this particular call so unusual …
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Malpractice lawsuits aren’t just about money
