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Health policy and public health

4,357 articles · Since 2004

Articles, page 20

Physician voices

The answer is gratitude and it puts you in a good place

Regardless of how one might have voted in the election, the aftermath now includes a dizzying array of proposed cabinet and other health-related appointments and rumors about what they and the new administration might do. How do we in medicine…

Regardless of how one might have voted in the election, the aftermath now includes a dizzying array of proposed cabinet and other health-related appointments and rumors about what they and the new administration might do. How do we in medicine navigate all of this? The answer may not be intuitive: gratitude. We’re not talking here about insincere gratitude, or forced gratitude, as discussed in a recent Wall Street Journal …

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The answer is gratitude and it puts you in a good place

Physician voices

What the death of UnitedHealth CEO reveals about our broken health care system

2

The sudden death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson has pulled back the curtain on something we've all known deep down: America's health care system is failing. Every day, we hear heartbreaking stories of people denied life-saving treatments like cancer care,…

The sudden death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson has pulled back the curtain on something we’ve all known deep down: America’s health care system is failing. Every day, we hear heartbreaking stories of people denied life-saving treatments like cancer care, not because those treatments don’t exist, but because someone decided they weren’t “cost-effective.” This isn’t just a health care problem—it’s a crisis of humanity.

We talk about “making America great …

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What the death of UnitedHealth CEO reveals about our broken health care system

Conditions and diseases

The hidden truth about ghost networks: one mom’s fight for mental health care justice

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…

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

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Health policy

Medicaid in non-expansion states: Explaining the indefensible

Over the years, as members of the Health and Public Policy Committee (HPPC) of the Texas chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP), we have focused on advocacy for what we believe is the most important health policy issue…

Over the years, as members of the Health and Public Policy Committee (HPPC) of the Texas chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP), we have focused on advocacy for what we believe is the most important health policy issue in our state, Medicaid expansion under provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Our efforts, and the work of many others, have had no discernable impact on state policy.

In the …

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Medicaid in non-expansion states: Explaining the indefensible

The Podcast by KevinMD

Doctors at the forefront of health care reform [PODCAST]

We dive into the complexities of the U.S. health care system and explore potential solutions before it reaches a breaking point. Alisa Berger, a urologist, shares her expert insights on the root causes of physician burnout, the economics of primary…

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We dive into the complexities of the U.S. health care system and explore potential solutions before it reaches a breaking point. Alisa Berger, a urologist, shares her expert insights on the root causes of physician burnout, the economics of primary care, and the implications of using advanced practitioners. We also discuss …

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Doctors at the forefront of health care reform [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Transforming public health: a physician’s innovative approach [PODCAST]

Join us for an insightful conversation with nephrologist and physician executive, David W. Moskowitz, as he shares his transformative views on the U.S. health care system. Drawing from his time as a Marshall Scholar and extensive experience in patient care,…

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Join us for an insightful conversation with nephrologist and physician executive, David W. Moskowitz, as he shares his transformative views on the U.S. health care system. Drawing from his time as a Marshall Scholar and extensive experience in patient care, David discusses the challenges of national health services, the shortcomings of …

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Transforming public health: a physician’s innovative approach [PODCAST]

Physician voices

Is the Goldwater Rule hindering us?

4

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will likely be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. He has said things that are not true about vaccines, autism, raw milk, and more that we do not have to list here. Furthermore, I…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will likely be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. He has said things that are not true about vaccines, autism, raw milk, and more that we do not have to list here. Furthermore, I do not want to waste time with facts about his opinions. The health professionals who are reading this essay already know that RFK Jr.’s opinions are not supported by facts.

If …

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Is the Goldwater Rule hindering us?

The Podcast by KevinMD

Why prevention is the missing link in health care policy [PODCAST]

We're joined by Anand Parekh, internal medicine physician and author of Prevention First: Policymaking for a Healthier America. We dive into the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring the pivotal role of prevention in health policy. Anand discusses the urgent…

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We’re joined by Anand Parekh, internal medicine physician and author of Prevention First: Policymaking for a Healthier America. We dive into the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring the pivotal role of prevention in health policy. Anand discusses the urgent need for stronger public health leadership, effective crisis communication, and investment …

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Why prevention is the missing link in health care policy [PODCAST]

Conditions and diseases

Toxic waste disaster: How Hughes Aircraft poisoned Tucson’s environment and people

An excerpt from Disabled Ecologies. The multicolored poisonous waste disposed of by Hughes Aircraft Company was never just TCE, the most infamous ingredient. It was always a toxic soup: dozens of volatile organic compounds and heavy metals, contaminants with names…

An excerpt from Disabled Ecologies.

The multicolored poisonous waste disposed of by Hughes Aircraft Company was never just TCE, the most infamous ingredient. It was always a toxic soup: dozens of volatile organic compounds and heavy metals, contaminants with names like dichloroethylene, chromium, cadmium, and benzene. The chemicals were used in the early 1950s in the manufacture and cleaning of missiles that would travel thousands of miles overseas to

…

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Toxic waste disaster: How Hughes Aircraft poisoned Tucson’s environment and people

Physician voices

Trust in American health care: What’s driving the decline?

Trust is vital to the provision of quality health care. Quality outcomes have shown a correlation with exceptional health care experiences, with patients associating higher trust in health care professionals with "more beneficial health behavior, fewer symptoms, and improved quality…

Trust is vital to the provision of quality health care. Quality outcomes have shown a correlation with exceptional health care experiences, with patients associating higher trust in health care professionals with “more beneficial health behavior, fewer symptoms, and improved quality of life.” Sadly, trust in American health care is on the decline. Stress placed on the health care system by the COVID-19 pandemic amplified growing concerns, with forty-eight …

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Trust in American health care: What’s driving the decline?

Physician voices

The long walk home to a better health care system

Like him or not, Bruce Springsteen's albums have served as the soundtrack to our lives, writing songs that are a reflection of ourselves, challenging our assumptions, and helping us make sense of our messy, chaotic lives. People from all walks…

Like him or not, Bruce Springsteen’s albums have served as the soundtrack to our lives, writing songs that are a reflection of ourselves, challenging our assumptions, and helping us make sense of our messy, chaotic lives. People from all walks of life and from all over the world have found meaning in his music. So, it was no surprise that several months prior to the 2024 presidential election, while on …

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The long walk home to a better health care system

The Podcast by KevinMD

How to fix our broken health care system from the inside [PODCAST]

We sit down with Paula Muto, a vascular surgeon, who discusses the challenges she's faced in a health care system on the brink of collapse. From hospital closures driven by private equity to network restrictions that limit patient access, Paula…

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We sit down with Paula Muto, a vascular surgeon, who discusses the challenges she’s faced in a health care system on the brink of collapse. From hospital closures driven by private equity to network restrictions that limit patient access, Paula shares her candid insights on how we can rebuild a better …

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How to fix our broken health care system from the inside [PODCAST]

Health policy

A physician’s perspective on the crisis in Massachusetts health care

I am a surgeon from a family of surgeons, all based in Massachusetts. Throughout my career, I have faced many challenges, both in and outside of the operating room. Like most doctors, I am saddened by the current collapse of…

I am a surgeon from a family of surgeons, all based in Massachusetts. Throughout my career, I have faced many challenges, both in and outside of the operating room. Like most doctors, I am saddened by the current collapse of our system in general and my own hospital in particular, which is facing closure due to mounting debt owed to private equity. For the record, I have been warning my …

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A physician’s perspective on the crisis in Massachusetts health care

Health policy

Voting from the hospital: How emergency ballots give patients a voice

Voting is one of the most fundamental rights in our democracy, and yet it can be incredibly challenging. Getting to your polling station, waiting in line, remembering to request your absentee ballot, checking your voter registration status—it is not a…

Voting is one of the most fundamental rights in our democracy, and yet it can be incredibly challenging. Getting to your polling station, waiting in line, remembering to request your absentee ballot, checking your voter registration status—it is not a straightforward process. If you suffer from an unexpected illness or injury and find yourself hospitalized, it can feel impossible to make your voice heard and participate in an election. Fortunately, …

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Voting from the hospital: How emergency ballots give patients a voice

Health policy

Why climate change threatens our children’s future: hurricanes, floods, and a call to act

3

As Valencia, Spain, reels from devastating flash floods and the U.S. Southeast recovers from hurricanes Helene and Milton, I, like many other parents, look at my own kids with increasing concern about the ailing world they will inherit. If a…

As Valencia, Spain, reels from devastating flash floods and the U.S. Southeast recovers from hurricanes Helene and Milton, I, like many other parents, look at my own kids with increasing concern about the ailing world they will inherit.

If a climate haven like Asheville, North Carolina, lying 2,000 feet above and 300 miles away from the ocean, can be swept away by a single catastrophic storm, how can we possibly keep our children safe?

Scientists have shown that ocean warming due to …

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Why climate change threatens our children’s future: hurricanes, floods, and a call to act

Health policy

The hidden $935 billion problem in U.S. health care no one is talking about—and how to solve it

"Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the question of waste before him constantly." – Thomas Edison The escalating challenge of waste in U.S. medicine The U.S. health…

“Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the question of waste before him constantly.”
– Thomas Edison

The escalating challenge of waste in U.S. medicine

The U.S. health care system is struggling with inefficiencies and waste that weaken its effectiveness, thus reducing accessibility and sustainability as a whole. According to a study by JAMA, between $760 and $935 billion is wasted …

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The hidden $935 billion problem in U.S. health care no one is talking about—and how to solve it

Health policy

Health care reform requires better access and quality: dialysis as an example

Having spent two years in Oxford as a Marshall Scholar in the mid-1970s, I came back to medical school believing in a national health service—i.e., Medicare for all. But I learned firsthand that a monopoly can provide access without ensuring…

Having spent two years in Oxford as a Marshall Scholar in the mid-1970s, I came back to medical school believing in a national health service—i.e., Medicare for all. But I learned firsthand that a monopoly can provide access without ensuring quality. When quality isn’t the priority, there’s no hope for lowering costs or alleviating suffering.

Medicare is already the single payer for dialysis and has failed patients miserably. As a result, …

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Health care reform requires better access and quality: dialysis as an example

Health policy

Voting as a physician: How my parents’ story inspired me to advocate

My parents, both physicians, embody the American story. After completing medical school in Iran, they were recruited to the U.S. in 1968 to fill the gap left by doctors sent to Vietnam. Building a life from the ground up, they…

My parents, both physicians, embody the American story. After completing medical school in Iran, they were recruited to the U.S. in 1968 to fill the gap left by doctors sent to Vietnam. Building a life from the ground up, they became pillars of their patients and communities — and our family, too. In 1992, they became citizens, finally gaining the right to vote, and they’ve never missed an election since, …

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Voting as a physician: How my parents’ story inspired me to advocate

The Podcast by KevinMD

How financial incentives transform health care [PODCAST]

We sit down with Taylor J. Christensen, an internal medicine physician and health policy researcher, to discuss his health care incentives framework. Taylor explains how restructuring financial incentives can encourage providers and insurers to deliver higher value for patients. Tune…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

Listen and followApple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeMore apps · Browse all episodes

We sit down with Taylor J. Christensen, an internal medicine physician and health policy researcher, to discuss his health care incentives framework. Taylor explains how restructuring financial incentives can encourage providers and insurers to deliver higher value for patients. Tune in as we explore the barriers preventing patients from choosing high-value …

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How financial incentives transform health care [PODCAST]

Health policy

A prescription from the next generation of doctors: Vote early

As future medical professionals, we see the real-life consequences of political decisions in emergency rooms, hospitals, and clinics. Despite a growing recognition that voting is directly linked to better health outcomes, however, health professionals are voting at lower rates than…

As future medical professionals, we see the real-life consequences of political decisions in emergency rooms, hospitals, and clinics. Despite a growing recognition that voting is directly linked to better health outcomes, however, health professionals are voting at lower rates than the national average. It’s time that we make a change this election.

We see patients denied essential services due to bureaucratic hurdles, such as insurance coverage gaps for life-saving medications

…

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A prescription from the next generation of doctors: Vote early

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