People enrolled in Medicare got good news recently. Their annual out-of-pocket costs for Part D prescription drug coverage will be capped at $2,000 next year. That should provide welcome relief to millions of older adults who worry about how they…
People enrolled in Medicare got good news recently. Their annual out-of-pocket costs for Part D prescription drug coverage will be capped at $2,000 next year. That should provide welcome relief to millions of older adults who worry about how they will afford health care now and in the longer term.
Unfortunately, not every person enrolled in Medicare is eligible for the $2,000 cap. A little-known penalty robs some people of the …
Although Medicare for all seems to have gotten buried by politicians who label it as "socialistic," it's still an important idea that could be feasible if we approached it from a fresh perspective. As patients, we may reflexively see Medicare…
Although Medicare for all seems to have gotten buried by politicians who label it as “socialistic,” it’s still an important idea that could be feasible if we approached it from a fresh perspective.
As patients, we may reflexively see Medicare for all as a panacea that would effectively remove most of our concerns about how to pay for our health care. But on the other hand, we may not realize the …
Recently, an elderly patient at my practice unexpectedly began to miss her monthly appointments. I was alarmed. The patient has atrial fibrillation—a condition characterized by irregular heart rhythms and an increased risk of stroke. The condition demands consistent and timely…
Recently, an elderly patient at my practice unexpectedly began to miss her monthly appointments.
I was alarmed. The patient has atrial fibrillation—a condition characterized by irregular heart rhythms and an increased risk of stroke. The condition demands consistent and timely medical care. For elderly patients like the one in our care, these appointments are not just check-ups. They are vital for adjusting medications, monitoring heart health, and preventing serious complications like …
In the sweltering heat of 19th-century colonial Delhi, legend has it that cobras were taking over the streets. To eliminate the dangerous snakes, British officials offered a bounty for every dead cobra brought to government offices. Soon, locals began breeding…
In the sweltering heat of 19th-century colonial Delhi, legend has it that cobras were taking over the streets. To eliminate the dangerous snakes, British officials offered a bounty for every dead cobra brought to government offices. Soon, locals began breeding and killing cobras for profit. When British officers caught wind of the scheme, they ended the program immediately. In response, the breeders released their now-worthless snakes back into the streets, …
It is no secret that we are making great strides in reducing the mortality of lung cancer. From improving screening rates which have reduced the chances of dying from lung cancer due to earlier detection, increased adoption of minimally invasive…
It is no secret that we are making great strides in reducing the mortality of lung cancer. From improving screening rates which have reduced the chances of dying from lung cancer due to earlier detection, increased adoption of minimally invasive surgical techniques, and exciting new drugs that have been shown to improve survival even in metastatic disease, there is reason to be hopeful in what has usually been a devastating …
We sit down with Catherine L. Chen, an anesthesiologist and health services researcher. Join us as she shares her personal story of facing a Medicare Part B enrollment denial for her mother during a vacation in Hawaii. Catherine's unique perspective…
We sit down with Catherine L. Chen, an anesthesiologist and health services researcher. Join us as she shares her personal story of facing a Medicare Part B enrollment denial for her mother during a vacation in Hawaii. Catherine’s unique perspective as a physician-scientist unveils the complexities of the Medicare system and …
I never imagined I'd be crying on vacation in Hawaii, but there I was, overwhelmed with worry because my 71-year-old mother's Medicare Part B enrollment had been denied. A naturalized U.S. citizen, my mom had been living overseas with a…
I never imagined I’d be crying on vacation in Hawaii, but there I was, overwhelmed with worry because my 71-year-old mother’s Medicare Part B enrollment had been denied. A naturalized U.S. citizen, my mom had been living overseas with a rare blood cancer for 20 years. By December 2021, her end-stage disease required bi-weekly blood transfusions; the only hope for cure was a risky stem cell transplant. Therefore, in …
When COVID killed thousands of seniors three years ago, few of them showed up in emergency rooms with advance directives. Even fewer thought about the end of life or how to die. Sadly, many lives were discarded in makeshift morgues/cooling…
When COVID killed thousands of seniors three years ago, few of them showed up in emergency rooms with advance directives. Even fewer thought about the end of life or how to die. Sadly, many lives were discarded in makeshift morgues/cooling trucks behind hospitals. It’s never too early to plan for the next pandemic, retirement, and the end of life.
On April 16, 2023, National Healthcare Decisions Day, take a moment and …
We're joined by Aniyizhai Annamalai, an internal medicine-psychiatry physician. Dr. Annamalai's patients are mostly indigent, not employed due to disability, and have serious mental illnesses. Most of them qualify for Medicaid. In this episode, Dr. Annamalai shares her insights on…
We’re joined by Aniyizhai Annamalai, an internal medicine-psychiatry physician. Dr. Annamalai’s patients are mostly indigent, not employed due to disability, and have serious mental illnesses. Most of them qualify for Medicaid. In this episode, Dr. Annamalai shares her insights on Medicare Advantage plans and how they affect her patients. Despite the …
End-of-life care is a crucial and often overlooked aspect of health care. In this episode, we speak with Kevin Haselhorst, an emergency physician and author who shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities in this area. He discusses the…
End-of-life care is a crucial and often overlooked aspect of health care. In this episode, we speak with Kevin Haselhorst, an emergency physician and author who shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities in this area. He discusses the limitations of the current Medicare system and the importance of advance …
Despite the aggressive marketing, Medicare Advantage plans offer little benefit for poor and vulnerable patients. Consider my patient C, who was in pain from her knee arthritis. She was often in pain, but now her new pain medication helped her…
Despite the aggressive marketing, Medicare Advantage plans offer little benefit for poor and vulnerable patients.
Consider my patient C, who was in pain from her knee arthritis. She was often in pain, but now her new pain medication helped her less than her previous one. She also wanted her old asthma inhaler back as the new one was harder to use. We had changed all her medications since her new Medicare …
It's hard to concisely put into words how frustrated physicians are right now. How many other professional groups out there have to fight to not have their compensation cut multiple times a year? Recently, CMS released its proposed physician fee…
It’s hard to concisely put into words how frustrated physicians are right now. How many other professional groups out there have to fight to not have their compensation cut multiple times a year? Recently, CMS released its proposed physician fee schedule for Medicare for 2023, which reduces the conversion factor by 4.42%. This compounds upon additional cuts such as the resumption …
Eta was a 76-year-old woman with a recent heart attack in and out of the hospital over the last several months. Her course had been complicated by social determinants of health, in that she lacked reliable transportation for necessary follow-up,…
Eta was a 76-year-old woman with a recent heart attack in and out of the hospital over the last several months. Her course had been complicated by social determinants of health, in that she lacked reliable transportation for necessary follow-up, had unstable housing, and her insurance did not cover valuable care from home health agencies. These obstacles made it difficult for her and her doctors to ensure that she recovered. …
The COVID-19 public health emergency has highlighted that government rules and regulations should not hinder providers from delivering high-quality care to patients. The Trump Administration exhibited an understanding of this principle long before the pandemic when it announced the Cut…
The COVID-19 public health emergency has highlighted that government rules and regulations should not hinder providers from delivering high-quality care to patients. The Trump Administration exhibited an understanding of this principle long before the pandemic when it announced the Cut the Red Tape initiative in 2017. With a healthcare system marked by $200 billion in annual administrative costs that contributes to higher costs for patients and …
It has always been financially rewarding for doctors to take care of rich patients. People with more money … well, they have more money to spend on health care. But shouldn't this more money/higher payment relationship go away in Medicare?…
It has always been financially rewarding for doctors to take care of rich patients. People with more money … well, they have more money to spend on health care. But shouldn’t this more money/higher payment relationship go away in Medicare?
It doesn’t, and some recent payment reforms may be making matters worse.
Medicare is a federal program to reimburse medical costs in people who are disabled, have kidney failure, or are …
"While preparing to assist our patients in the emergency rooms and dedicated COVID-19 wards, our clinic continues to triage patient concerns, creates new care plans, and provides a necessary layer of support, reassurance, and education in a chaotic and stressful…
“While preparing to assist our patients in the emergency rooms and dedicated COVID-19 wards, our clinic continues to triage patient concerns, creates new care plans, and provides a necessary layer of support, reassurance, and education in a chaotic and stressful time. Like all of you, my colleagues and I look forward to resuming our normal lives as once this pandemic is …
One afternoon in clinic, I opened a patient’s chart for a telehealth visit. Within days of the COVID pandemic, all clinic visits had transitioned to telehealth. The young woman had sent a picture through the electronic medical record of a…
One afternoon in clinic, I opened a patient’s chart for a telehealth visit. Within days of the COVID pandemic, all clinic visits had transitioned to telehealth. The young woman had sent a picture through the electronic medical record of a rash on her leg. Upon calling her, the woman explained that the rash started a month ago, wasn’t painful, and she couldn’t recall anything that caused it. On further investigation …
On March 6, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provided a temporary waiver to expand telemedicine services, whose use was previously limited to specific circumstances. However, as the United States grapples with the unprecedented impact of the…
On March 6, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provided a temporary waiver to expand telemedicine services, whose use was previously limited to specific circumstances. However, as the United States grapples with the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our nation’s health care system, CMS should permanently eliminate barriers limiting the routine use of telemedicine.
In 2009, when more than $35 billion was invested in expanding national electronic health record (EHR) uptake, one of many advantages touted was its value as a tool for managing population health. This promise has failed to materialize due to…
In 2009, when more than $35 billion was invested in expanding national electronic health record (EHR) uptake, one of many advantages touted was its value as a tool for managing population health. This promise has failed to materialize due to a chaotic rollout of non-communicating systems. Today, as we confront COVID-19, the coronavirus wreaking international havoc, the need for such a tool is exquisitely evident.
Fixing Obamacare and adding a public option is the health care policy territory first staked out by Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden. Writing about Biden's plan recently on my blog, I said: If the Democrats capture the White House, keep…
Fixing Obamacare and adding a public option is the health care policy territory first staked out by Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden.
If the Democrats capture the White House, keep the House, and take over the Senate, no matter who they elect as President, this Biden health care outline, not Medicare for all, will likely be the plan Democrats
