May 4th, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Average Cost, Cardiology, CBS MoneyWatch.com, Circulation, Direct Healthcare Costs, Doctors, Healthcare Economics, Healthy Lifestyle, Heart Attack, Heart Health, Hospitals, Indirect Healthcare Costs, Internal Medicine, Ischemic Heart Disease, Lifetime Cost, Lost Productivity, National Business Group on Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, NHLBI, NIH, Prescription Drugs, The WISE Study, Tim Russert, Time Away From Work, Women's Health
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How much would a heart attack cost you? Quite a bit, according to CBS MoneyWatch.com:
According to an article from the National Business Group on Health, the average total [editor’s note: lifetime] cost of a severe heart attack -– including direct and indirect costs -– is about $1 million. Direct [lifetime] costs include charges for hospitals, doctors and prescription drugs, while indirect costs include lost productivity and time away from work. The average [lifetime] cost of a less-severe heart attack is about $760,000. Amortized over 20 years, that’s $50,000 per year for a severe heart attack and $38,000 per year for a less-severe heart attack.
I’m all for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but before we get all hot and bothered about performing more testing to “prevent” a heart attack as a means to save healthcare costs going forward, remember the lessons we learned from the Tim Russert fallout. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
May 3rd, 2010 by KevinMD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Annals Of Internal Medicine, Better Care, Big-Name Academic, Boston, Famous Medical Center, General Medicine, Higher Healthcare Costs, Hospital Advertising, Hospital Quality, Hospital Rankings, Hospital Ratings, Hospitalists, Massachusetts General Hospital, Medical Specialties, Primary Care, Quality Care, Reputation Score, Top-Rated Facility, U.S. Hospitals, U.S. News & World Report
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Hospital rankings matter. Specifically, those published in U.S. News & World Report carry additional weight. Hospitals use these numbers in advertising campaigns, and patients often choose hospitals based on these rankings.
But does a high place really mean you’re getting better care? Not necessarily. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com*
May 3rd, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: American Journal of Public Health, Arby's, Burger King, Canada, Corporate Responsibility, Corporations, Diabetes, Diet and Nutrition, Dietetics, Europe, Fast Food Nation, Fast Food Stock, food, Food and Nutrition, General Medicine, Health Insurance Companies, Healthcare Legislation, Healthcare Policy, Healthcare reform, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Inc., Insurance Industry, Internal Medicine, Investment, Jack in the Box, Life Insurance Companies, McDonald's, Obesity, Overweight, Primary Care, Private Health Insurers, Privatization, Processed Foods, Stock, Stroke, United States, US, Wendy's
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A new article published in the American Journal of Public Health shows that U.S., Canadian, and European insurance firms hold $1.88 billion of investments in fast food companies like Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s/Arby’s Groups. Both health insurers and life insurers have substantial holdings in these companies.
A person just needs to read “Fast Food Nation” or watch the documentary “Food, Inc.” to understand the negative impact of processed foods on the health of our country.
The evidence is so compelling that the new health reform legislation is requiring fast food and chain restaurants to disclose calorie counts on their menus. Ironically, the new legislation will also add millions of customers to the health insurers. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
May 3rd, 2010 by BobDoherty in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: ACP, American College Of Physicians, Anger, Bipartisan, Doctors, Healthcare Law, Healthcare Policy, Healthcare Politics, Healthcare reform, Hope, Internal Medicine, Internists, Mark Blumenthal, Medicare SGR, National Journal, Rancor, Stat, Uncertainty
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I just got back from a wonderful week in Toronto, Canada. No, I wasn’t up there to take tips on how to impose socialized medicine on an unsuspecting public, notwithstanding what some of you may incorrectly-surmise about my political leanings.
Rather, I was there to attend ACP’s annual scientific meeting, during which I had the opportunity to serve as faculty for three separate scientific sessions that discussed the impact of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACPA) of 2010 on internists and their patients. Several hundred ACP members attended these sessions.
And guess what? Rather than encountering doctors who were angry at the new law and ACP’s support for it, I instead found an engaged and curious group of internists who are looking at health reform in a reasoned, measured and open-minded way. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty*
May 1st, 2010 by Peggy Polaneczky, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion
Tags: Barrier Contraceptive, Birth Control, Contraception, Diaphragm, Family Medicine, HIV-Negative, Intercourse, Latex-Free, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Ortho All Flex, Planned Parenthood, Primary Care, Protected Sex, Sexual Health, sexually transmitted diseases, Silicone, Spermacidal, Spermacides, STDs, Urinary Tract Infections, UTIs, Vaginal Infections, Women's Health
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After a prolonged hiatus, during which diaphragms became as scarce as Elaine’s treasured sponges, the Ortho All Flex diaphragm is back, and it’s now latex-free.
The over one-year (at least in my area) shortage happened as the manufacturer transitioned from the old latex to new silicone diaphragms, and suppliers everywhere began backordering this important barrier contraceptive. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Blog that Ate Manhattan*
