Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Janet A. Jokela, an infectious disease physician, discusses her article, “Doctors, grounded in our oath, must act now more than ever,” reflecting on the physician’s solemn commitment to patient care, integrity, and …
We heard of Hurricane Irma only a handful of days before it smacked straight through 5th Avenue in my hometown. The predicted storm paths sent the hurricane sweeping through Miami—across the coast. When the storm path shifted, it was almost too late for my family to evacuate. Its 180 mph winds and 10–15 foot storm surge were catastrophic, costing the lives of 84 people.
It was the coordinated response of the …
As first-year medical students, we are taught to always prioritize patients over politics. However, our research in maternal health has shown us that the two are dangerously intertwined, with political decisions directly impacting the provision of health care not just domestically but around the globe.
On January 24, only four days into his second term, President Trump reinstated “Protecting Life in Global …
Federal downsizing, while touted as a means to streamline operations and eliminate bureaucratic waste, has significant and often detrimental consequences for the U.S. health care system. Two documents shed light on this issue from complementary perspectives. The first, a U.S. Office of Management and Budget-Office of Personnel Management (OMB-OPM) memorandum outlines an aggressive workforce optimization initiative designed to reduce federal staffing and cut costs. The …
The United States health care system is plagued by inefficiencies that drive up costs and limit access to care. The Department of Government Efficiency has a crucial role to play in addressing this challenge. As a physician, I often strive to practice cost-conscious care whenever possible. Three common-sense broad reforms—repealing Certificate of Need (CON) laws, implementing universal physician licensing, and advocating for site-neutral payment reform—offer significant opportunities to reduce health …
In 2019, a mother in the U.S. stood in a hospital, clutching her feverish toddler, tears streaming down her face. Just months earlier, she had declined the routine vaccination after reading an article claiming it was “full of toxins” and linked to developmental disorders. That article, shared widely on social media, was based on no credible evidence. Now, her child was fighting for their life against a disease that vaccines …
I recently came across an ongoing “discussion,” or rather aggressive bantering, in an online physician platform regarding the old guard versus the alleged newer, more entitled, and lazy generation of doctors. Years ago, I would have more staunchly fallen on the side of the old guard. Though I am a solid elder millennial, my “bootstrap” upbringing and Navy career fully encouraged the concept of medicine as a calling vice a …
The Hippocratic Oath does not require citizenship as a condition of treatment. The oath, which serves as a foundational ethical guideline for physicians, emphasizes principles such as doing no harm, maintaining patient confidentiality, and practicing medicine ethically and with integrity. It focuses on the physician’s responsibilities to patients and the ethical practice of medicine rather than any conditions related to a patient’s citizenship or nationality.
So, why did this issue surface …
With the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, many have expressed vitriol towards the insurance industry.
Having worked in non-profit health care all my life, I decided in 2018 to switch to the “dark side,” or the insurance industry, out of curiosity. What is it that they do, and how are they doing it? I thought knowing would make me a better health care worker when I returned.
As a registered nurse case …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Featuring cardiologist Mark Goldfarb, who discusses his KevinMD article “Why the U.S. health care system is failing patients—what every American should know.” Mark sheds light on the realities of physician shortages, the …
It seems unlikely that Paramount Studios released Gladiator Part 2 immediately after the presidential election to diffuse political rancor. They didn’t intend to provide a cathartic release for the nation’s pent-up frustrations. The goal wasn’t to help remove the hissing American tea kettle from such a divisive political flame.
Hollywood made the film to entertain us and make some money in the process. The studio probably released it during the holiday …
The nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services raises concerns about the potential impact on public health policy. As hearings on his candidacy take place, it is important for senators to consider how his views and public statements have influenced physicians, children, and the broader health care system.
Kennedy has been a prominent figure in the discussion around vaccines, often promoting claims that contradict established …
As a physician and health care leader, I initially declined to comment on the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. I felt that speculating about the shooter’s intent would only sensationalize a terrible act.
Regardless of the circumstances, vigilante violence has no place in a free and just society.
But now, more than a month later, I feel compelled to address one aspect of the story that has been widely misunderstood: the …
ADVERTISEMENT
January
In a blistering commentary, the American Medical Association’s flagship journal, JAMA, condemns the corrosive effect on patient care of the profit-seeking practices of health insurers. Separately, the organization announces that it’s selling the 13 journals in its JAMA Network to a private equity firm for $375 million “in order to enhance our mission of promoting the betterment of public health.”
February
Quickly following up on a campaign pledge to slash the federal …
The U.S. health care system is an inefficient maze of bureaucracy, redundancies, and waste. As a practicing physician, I see firsthand how these inefficiencies frustrate both providers and patients, inflate costs, and undermine the quality of care. If we are serious about transforming health care into a system that works for everyone, we need bold, outside-the-box solutions. Here are just some of the most glaring inefficiencies I see that could …
“We are here to make a choice between the quick and the dead …”
With these solemn words, Bernard Baruch, a trusted advisor to U.S. presidents, addressed the United Nations (UN) Atomic Energy Commission in June 1946. Less than a year had passed since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the world stood at a crossroads. Baruch’s message was clear: humanity could either embrace the hope of global peace …
Agatha Christie was onto something when she stated, “The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.” Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of the United Health Care insurance company, was shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan on December 4th in broad daylight. His assailant, Luigi Mangione, has become a media-fueled darling, with multiple documentary projects already underway to explore the complexities of his crime. …
Individual states in the United States can significantly shape key health care areas through policy.
In early 2024, a KKF analysis indicated that Americans collectively held around $220 billion in medical debt.
North Carolina has one of the highest percentages of adults facing medical debt, at 13.4 percent. On July 1, 2024, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) …
Last September, NBC News aired a one-sided report on the arrangement between a county coroner and a medical school apropos the transfer of unclaimed corpses with reportedly inadequate effort to find family. In addition to a grieving family, an academic bioethicist was interviewed who expressed horror at the transfer procedure. The report did a disservice both to bioethics and to necessary medical training and research.
In a similar incident, a coroner …
I have been a primary care physician since 1994 and have been reflecting on the tragic murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. The crime stands as a stark reflection of the profound frustrations many Americans feel toward the current health care system, which have been escalating for as long as I can remember. While the act itself is abhorrent and indefensible, its occurrence sheds light on deep systemic issues that …
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
