August 9th, 2010 by Michael Sevilla, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: Alumni, Dr. Jay Gershen, Dr. Vishvas Hedge, Medical Institution Budget, Medical School, Name Change, NEOMU, NEOUCOM, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, School of Medicine
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They are changing the name of my med school alma mater and I am upset about it. But not for the reasons you may think.
I am a proud graduate of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM). This has been the name of the school since it opened its doors in 1973. Last week, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to change the name of the school to the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMU). In a press release from the school, the new president and dean, Dr. Jay Gershen, said this:
“The current name no longer reflects who we are as a University. In addition to a College of Medicine and a College of Pharmacy, we also added a College of Graduate Studies last year,” said Gershen. “We are a strong institution with a health sciences curriculum, and we want a strong name that reflects who we are and who we serve.”
I have talked with many alumni who are upset about this change. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Doctor Anonymous*
August 9th, 2010 by DrRich in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
Tags: Big Health Insurance, Covert Rationing, Fixing American Healthcare, Health Insurance Industry, Healthcare Policy, Healthcare Politics, Healthcare reform, Obamacare
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Why Big Health Insurance Supported Obamacare, Part IV
In the past few posts (in particular, here and here), DrRich has shown why the health insurance industry embraced Obamacare, and indeed, took extraordinary steps to assure that Obamacare became the law of the land. This, of course, is especially interesting in light of the common perception that Obamacare constitutes a major defeat for the greedy health insurance industry.
But the fact that big health insurance gave critical support to Obamacare is far more than merely interesting. It has major implications both to supporters of Obamacare, especially the ones who hope for an eventual single-payer outcome, and to opponents of Obamacare, many of whom hope to repeal it after the 2010 mid-term elections.
For the health insurance industry to have supported Obamacare, especially in the manner that it did, leads us to three conclusions. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Covert Rationing Blog*
August 9th, 2010 by BobDoherty in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion
Tags: ACA, ACP, Affordable Care Act, Aging Adults, Aging Population, America's Seniors, American College Of Physicians, Drew Altman, General Medicine, Healthcare reform, Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare, SGR Formula
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One of the more effective criticisms of the health reform law (Affordable Care Act, or ACA) is that it hurts Medicare. It also is wrong.
Effective, in that it has been widely reported that seniors are more likely to express negative views of the ACA than other age groups. (Although the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Drew Altman, citing the group’s most recent tracking polls, writes that seniors’ opposition to health reform “is at least somewhat over played.”)
Effective, but wrong: The ACA actually helps Medicare in three important ways. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty*
August 9th, 2010 by StevenWilkinsMPH in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, Research
Tags: Cardiovascular Disease, Decreased Adherence Among Patients, Depression, Doctor-Patient Communication, Emotional Well-Being, General Medicine, Increased Blood Pressure, Job Loss, Mental Distress, More Doctors Visits, More Hospitalizations, More Medication, More Testing, Patient-Centered Care, Patient-Doctor Relationship, Physician Awareness, Problems At Home, Unemployed Patients, Weakened Immune System
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Anyone who’s ever been downsized or otherwise lost a job knows the feelings: Personal loss (social, financial and routine), self doubt, and in some cases fear of what the future will bring. Unemployment and its cousin, underemployment, are not subjects that a lot of people are comfortable brining up in polite conversation — even with their doctor.
Given today’s tough economic environment, chances are that 15 to 20 percent of the people sitting in most doctors’ waiting rooms are out of work. Do you know who they are? You should. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Mind The Gap*
August 9th, 2010 by Edwin Leap, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, Emergency Medicine, EMTALA, Fair Pay, General Medicine, Healthcare reform, Hilda Solis, medicaid, Medicare, Physician Billing, Physician Reimbursement, U.S. Department of Labor, Undercompensated Doctors, Unfunded Federal Mandates
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This is my column in [the August 3rd] Atlanta Journal Constitution:
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis recently produced an interesting public service announcement. In it, she stated that every worker deserves to be paid fairly for his or her labor (whether the worker is documented or not), and offered both a website and telephone hot-line which workers could use to report unfair payment by employers. (Incidentally, here’s the link: www.dol.gov/wecanhelp.) In the video, she stated succinctly, “You work hard, and you deserve to be paid fairly.”
Those of us who practice medicine completely agree. So we might reasonably ask if this announcement also applies to physicians who are undercompensated for their work. This routinely happens when patients are covered by Medicare and Medicaid, or by large insurance companies like Blue Cross/Blue Shield, which routinely negotiate unfair physician fees using their collective weight in bargaining. (Even as their executives bring home tidy bonuses that are clearly padded by denials). Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*
